Is it normal for a contractor to miss a section of the job and mess up the grading?

The grading issue is a massive red flag and needs to be addressed before a single additional paver is laid. If that path is sloping toward your basement door by three inches over a four-foot span, you aren't just looking at a minor puddle; you're looking at a **reverse grade** that will funnel every gallon of roof and surface runoff directly into your foundation. In the door world, we see this constantly where threshold seals fail because they weren't designed to act as a dam against standing water. You have to stop them imediately. They absolutely can fix the slope without throwing away the materials, but it does require ripping the pavers and the bedding sand back up. They'll need to re-grade the sub-base—ussually a crushed stone layer—to ensure it slopes at least 1/4 inch per foot away from the house. If they just try to shim the pavers with extra sand, the whole walkway will eventually shift and sink. Don't let them tell you they can fix it with a bead of caulk or a slightly taller threshold at the door. The ground must move the water away, period.

Regarding the trash pad, if it isn't in the written contract, you're technically in a "he said, she said" situation, even with the video. However, him admitting he forgot it is your opening. Since he messed up the grade, use that as your leverage. Tell him you aren't paying the final installment untill the slope is corrected and the trash pad is installed at the originally discussed rate. If you've already paid more than 50% of the total, you've lost some pulling power. But a contractor who ignores a blatant drainage issue heading toward a door is either lazy or doesn't understand basic site prep. Check the height of the pavers relative to your door sill too; if the pavers are flush or higher than the sill, you're going to have water wicking into your subfloor regardless of the pitch. Get it fixed now, or you'll be spending ten times the cost of the walkway on basement mold remediation next year.

I'm super new to all this, but that reverse grade thing sounds terrifying for the door. If they have to rip the pavers up to fix the slope, does that usally mess up the door frame or the siding if they're working that close to the house? I don't know much about the technical side, but I'm worried about the 'wicking' mentioned. Does that mean water can actualy travel uphill into the wood? Also, is there a specific type of threshold I shold look for that helps if the ground is level, or is it always the ground's job to move the water?

Beyond the obvious drainage catastrophe, you relly need to verify the vertical clearance between the finished paver height and the door's threshold, becuase if they don't leave at least a one-inch step-down, you're looking at a scenario where the door sweep will constantly drag across the pavers, wich not only accelerates mechanical failure of the seal but also creates a bridge for snow and debris to accumulate against the door's bottom rail. If that rail is wood-core or even poorly capped aluminum, that constant contact with moisture via the 'bridge' will lead to rot that starts from the inside out, which is a much more insidious problem than a simple puddle on the ground.

Update: I stopped them this morning and mentioned the threshold clearance someone pointed out. Turns out they were going to lay them flush with the door! They’re ripping it up to fix the slope now, but the owner is still insisting I pay extra for the trash pad materials. Since he missed it in the bid despite our walkthrough, shoud I be on the hook for that?