Real projects, not stock photos.

What to look for in any contractor's photos

A finished driveway always looks good on the day it's done. What tells you how it will look in five years is in the details. Check the edges: interlock needs a solid border and an edge restraint, or the outer rows creep and gap. Look at the joint lines on a herringbone pattern; they should run straight across the whole driveway, not wander. On retaining walls, look for a gravel layer at the base and drainage space behind the wall, and for walls that step back slightly into the slope rather than standing dead vertical.

Ask where the water goes. Good photos often show a slight fall away from the house and toward the street or a drain. And ask to see an older job, not just a new one. A contractor who is happy to point you to work that has been through a few winters is telling you something about how it was built.