I'm just finishing up a paver project in my back yard. I saved a bunch of money by doing all the manual labor myself. I dug out the dirt and removed it. Leveled the hole, put down the fabric and then brought in the gravel. The pro showed up and leveled the gravel, compacted it with his machine and laid out the pavers. By doing the hard work myself and leaving the finish work for him I cut the cost in half.