Buyers Guide

A pallet of stone is a big purchase that you cannot easily return, so it pays to get four things right before you order: which stone, which size and thickness, how much, and how it will arrive. This guide walks through each, with links to the collections and the deeper guides on the site. If you already know what you want, go straight to pavers, pool coping or a delivered quote.

On this page: Which stone · Natural variation · Sizes, patterns and thickness · Pool coping · How much to order · Samples and quotes · Freight delivery · Installation and care · All guides

1. Which stone: travertine, marble, limestone or porcelain

Most outdoor projects come down to four materials, and each has a job it does best.

Know the stone by a distributor's name — Tuscany Ivory, Atlantic Blue, Diana Royal, Mayra White? Our cross-reference of distributor stone names shows the close match in our range; order a sample to confirm. For porcelain names like Beton Grey or Livingstyle Beige, see the MSI Arterra or SiteOne porcelain cross-reference.

Cold climate? Read which pavers survive freeze-thaw winters before choosing. Warm and humid? Sealing travertine in Florida and warm climates covers the other end.

2. Natural variation is the point, not a defect

  • Color varies piece to piece and pallet to pallet. Blends such as Country Classic and Autumn Blend are meant to; even Ivory moves within a range.
  • A single sample shows a slice of the range, not the whole of it. Order it anyway — see samples below — and look at it outdoors in the light the deck will get.
  • Blend at installation. Have the installer pull from three or four pallets at once so no single pallet's tone forms a patch. Dry-lay a section before setting anything.

3. Sizes, patterns and thickness

Sizes. Pavers run from 6x12 and 12x12 through the workhorse 12x24 and 16x24 to large formats — 24x24, 24x36, 24x48 and 36x36. Bigger pieces mean fewer joints and a more modern look; smaller pieces follow curves and are easier to handle by hand.

French pattern. A four-piece set (8x8, 8x16, 16x16, 16x24) that lays as a repeating module — the most-requested layout for traditional pool decks and patios. Browse French pattern sets and read the French pattern guide for layouts and overage.

Thickness. Natural stone pavers and coping come in 1-1/4" (3 cm) and 2" (5 cm). 1-1/4" is the standard for mortar-set installations over a concrete slab and for most sand-set patios. Choose 2" for driveways and anything vehicles cross, for sand-set decks in freeze-thaw regions, and for coping that overhangs a pool beam. Porcelain is 3/4" and is laid on a slab, pedestals or a compacted base as its own system. Stone tile at 1/2" is for interior floors and mud-set exterior overlays only — it cannot be sand-set.

4. Pool coping: profile, size, match

Coping is the piece that caps the pool wall, and it is chosen separately from the deck. Three profiles: bullnose (rounded, classic, comfortable to sit on), eased edge (square with the corner softened, for modern and rectangular pools) and remodel (a drop-face that covers the old beam on a resurfacing job — see remodel coping). The bullnose vs. eased edge guide shows both. Most pools use 12x24; freeform pools use 6x12 or 4x9 for tight curves; the size guide matches size to pool shape. Order coping and deck pavers together, in the same color, so they come from the same production run — the pool deck collection groups matching pairs. For colors, see the coping colors guide and the full stone pool coping buyer's guide.

5. How much to order: the overage rule

  • Measure the area in square feet (length × width, adding up sections for odd shapes). For coping, measure the pool perimeter in linear feet.
  • Add 10–15% for straight layouts, 15–20% for French pattern, diagonal layouts or curved pool decks. The square-footage and overage guide works an example.
  • Divide by pallet coverage. Every product page lists square feet (or pieces and linear feet) per pallet and the pallet weight, so you can turn a total into a pallet count.
  • Why not order exactly? Running short at the end means a second freight charge for a few pieces, and the new lot may not match the first. Extra pieces are cheap insurance and useful for future repairs.

6. Samples and quotes

Order a sample of the one or two stones you are deciding between and check it in daylight against the house, the coping and any existing paving. When you are ready to price the job, send the square footage, the stone and size, the coping profile and length if any, and the delivery address through the quote form; you get back a delivered price including freight. Contractors and designers with several jobs can call +1 (571) 358-9514 to set up project pricing. Buying direct from the importer instead of through a yard is where the savings sit — how contractors save by sourcing quarry-direct explains the math.

7. Preparing for LTL freight delivery

Stone ships on wooden pallets by less-than-truckload freight. Typical lead time is 7–10 business days from order. What to expect:

  • Pallet weight: a full pallet of pavers runs roughly 2,000–3,700 lb depending on size and thickness; the exact figure is on each product page.
  • Liftgate delivery: unless you have a loading dock or forklift, the truck comes with a liftgate and the driver uses a pallet jack to set pallets on the ground.
  • Curbside only: pallets go to the curb or the end of the driveway on firm, level ground. Drivers will not move them into a garage, a backyard or up a steep or gravel drive. Plan how the pallets get from there to the work area.
  • Be there and inspect: you or your contractor must sign for the delivery. Check the pallets before signing and note any visible damage on the driver's delivery receipt — that note is what makes a freight claim possible.
  • Tight access? Townhouse alleys, gated communities and city streets need a plan; say so on the quote form. What to expect with LTL freight delivery covers the details, and DC-area customers can read about delivery in Northern Virginia, DC and Maryland.

8. Installation and care

  • Dry-lay first and blend from several pallets, as above.
  • Seal natural stone after installation with a penetrating sealer, then again every two to four years; it keeps out stains from leaves, sunscreen and pool chemicals without changing the surface texture. Start with does travertine need to be sealed?, then the step-by-step sealing guide and the maintenance guide. Porcelain needs none of this.
  • Clean with pH-neutral stone cleaner only. Acids and abrasive cleaners etch marble and travertine.

All buying guides