Concrete Patio Cost

1. How Much Does a Concrete Patio Cost?

Most homeowners pay somewhere between about $2,000 and $6,000 for a new concrete patio, with a typical plain slab in the 200 to 400 square foot range landing near the lower half and a stamped or colored patio of the same size landing toward the top or beyond. Per square foot, the usual installed range is roughly $6 to $12 for broom-finished gray concrete and roughly $12 to $25 for stamped concrete. Those figures include site prep, a gravel base, forms, concrete, finishing and basic cleanup.

The cost is driven by four things in roughly this order: the size of the slab, the finish, the site conditions and your local labor market. A flat, easy-to-reach backyard with good soil and a plain finish is the cheapest scenario. A sloped site that needs excavation, a patio behind the house with no truck access, an old slab that has to be broken up and hauled away, and a decorative finish each add to the bill.

Concrete is usually cheaper than pavers or natural stone for the same area and cheaper than most composite decking. It is not the cheapest patio surface overall, since gravel and some DIY options cost less, but it is one of the cheapest permanent ones. If you are weighing it against pavers, our pavers vs concrete comparison covers cost, cracking, repairs and lifespan side by side.

One budget note before the details: concrete prices have climbed in recent years, and they vary considerably by region. Use the ranges in this guide as a sanity check on quotes, not as a price to hold a contractor to. The most reliable number is a written quote from a local contractor who has seen your yard.

2. What Does a 10x10, 12x12, 16x20 or 20x20 Patio Cost?

The table below applies the typical per-square-foot ranges to common patio sizes, assuming a standard 4-inch slab on a prepared gravel base. The concrete column shows the approximate volume needed, which is useful when you check a quote or plan a DIY pour. A 4-inch slab uses about one cubic yard of concrete for every 81 square feet, before allowing a little extra for waste and uneven ground.

Small patios rarely hit the bottom of their range. A 10x10 slab involves almost as much travel, setup, forming and finishing labor as a patio twice its size, and many contractors set a minimum job price. Ready-mix suppliers also often add a short-load fee when you order less than a few cubic yards. It is common for a very small patio to cost noticeably more per square foot than the table suggests.

Large patios, on the other hand, often come in at or below the middle of the range, because the fixed costs are spread over more area. If you are deciding between a 12x12 and a 12x16, the extra 48 square feet may cost less than you expect. Run the numbers on the size you actually want before you shrink the design to save money.

Thickness matters too. Four inches is standard for a patio that carries people and furniture. If the slab will carry a hot tub, an outdoor kitchen or occasional vehicle traffic, a contractor may recommend a thicker slab or a thickened section, more reinforcement and a better base. That adds concrete and labor, so make sure every quote is for the same thickness.

3. How Much More Do Stamped, Stained or Exposed Aggregate Finishes Cost?

A broom finish is the baseline. After the concrete is floated and troweled, the finisher drags a broom across the surface to give it texture and slip resistance. It is quick, durable and the least expensive finish. A plain gray broom-finished patio is not glamorous, but it is easy to repair, simple to seal and the best value per square foot.

Stamped concrete costs more because it is labor intensive and time sensitive. The crew adds color, then presses large textured mats into the surface while the concrete is still workable, often with a release agent that adds a second color. A large stamped patio may need extra finishers to keep ahead of the setting concrete. More complex patterns, multiple colors and borders all push the price toward the top of the range.

Staining is cheaper than stamping because it is applied to the finished slab and does not require extra crew at the pour. It can transform a plain gray slab, although results vary with the concrete and the stain. Our guide on staining a concrete patio to look like stone covers the DIY version. Exposed aggregate, where the top layer of cement paste is washed off to reveal the stones, sits in the middle and offers good traction around pools.

Decorative finishes carry ongoing costs too. Stamped and stained concrete usually need resealing every few years to keep the color and protect the surface, while plain broom-finished concrete can go longer between sealings or be sealed with a long-lasting penetrating product. Factor that into the real cost of the finish, not just the price on pour day.

4. What Pushes the Price of a Patio Up?

Site preparation is the biggest variable behind the headline price. A good patio sits on compacted native soil topped with a layer of compacted gravel, commonly around 4 inches, though contractors adjust for local soil and climate. If the site needs grading, the topsoil and roots have to come out, or the ground slopes and needs to be cut or built up, the excavation and base work can add significantly to the bill.

Access is next. If the ready-mix truck can back up to the forms, the pour is fast. If the patio sits behind the house with no truck access, the crew has to move the concrete by wheelbarrow, conveyor or a concrete pump. Pump rentals can add several hundred dollars or more to a job, and wheelbarrowing several yards of concrete takes more labor. Ask contractors how they plan to get the concrete to the forms.

Reinforcement and joints matter for durability and add modest cost. Many contractors use wire mesh, rebar or fiber-reinforced concrete in patios, and all patios need control joints cut or tooled at regular spacing so cracks form in the joints rather than across the slab. A quote without control joints is a red flag, not a bargain.

Shape, steps and extras

Curves, multiple levels, built-in steps, seat walls, fire pit pads and footings for a pergola all add forming and finishing time. A simple rectangle is the cheapest shape to pour. If you want a curved edge, expect the price per square foot to rise, and if you want a pergola or roof later, ask now about footings, which are much easier to place before the slab is poured.

Region and season round out the list. Labor and concrete prices vary widely between markets, and contractors in cold climates are busiest in late spring and summer. Some jurisdictions also require permits for patios, especially those attached to the house or adding significant impervious area. Check with your building department, because the permit fee and any inspection requirements belong in your budget.

5. What Hidden Costs Should You Budget For?

Removing an old patio is the most common surprise. Breaking up and hauling away an existing concrete slab typically adds roughly $2 to $6 per square foot, depending on thickness, reinforcement, access and local disposal fees. A 300 square foot slab can easily add $600 to $1,800 before the new patio starts. Some contractors include removal in their quote and some do not, so ask.

Drainage is another. A patio should slope slightly away from the house so water does not pool against the foundation, commonly around 1/8 to 1/4 inch per foot. If the yard naturally drains toward the house, the contractor may need to regrade or add a drain. Fixing that now costs far less than dealing with a wet basement later.

Sealing is a smaller line item but worth budgeting for. A professional sealing typically costs around $1 to $3 per square foot, and DIY sealer often costs well under a dollar per square foot in materials. New concrete generally needs to cure before it is sealed, with many sealer makers calling for about 28 days, so check the product label. Our picks for the best concrete sealer cover penetrating sealers for plain patios and film-forming sealers for decorative ones, and our concrete sealer cost guide covers the math.

Finally, budget for the yard. Concrete trucks and wheelbarrows damage lawns, irrigation lines and landscaping on the way to the patio. Restoring sod, moving sprinkler heads and replanting beds are all real costs. So is furniture, lighting and shade, which often cost as much as the patio itself if you buy them new.

6. Can You Save Money Pouring a Patio Yourself?

You can, but less than you might think, and the risks are real. Materials for a plain 4-inch patio, including gravel, forms, reinforcement and concrete, often come to roughly a third to half of a professional quote. The savings come from labor, and pouring and finishing concrete is the part of the job that is hardest to learn on your own slab.

Concrete waits for no one. Once the truck starts pouring, you have a limited window, often an hour or two depending on temperature, to place, screed, float, edge, joint and broom the surface. On a hot day, it can be less. A 16x20 patio is about four cubic yards, which is a lot to finish for a first-timer, and mistakes in a slab are permanent. Many DIYers do the prep themselves and hire a finisher for the pour.

Bagged concrete is realistic only for small slabs. An 80-pound bag yields about 0.6 cubic feet, so a cubic yard takes roughly 45 bags. A 10x10 patio needs more than 50 bags, all mixed and placed quickly enough to finish as one slab. For anything bigger, ready-mix delivered by truck is the practical choice. Our best concrete mix guide covers bagged options for small pours.

The DIY sweet spot is a small, simple, rectangular slab with good access, on a cool overcast day, with at least two or three helpers. The pro sweet spot is anything larger, anything decorative, anything on a slope and anything near the house where drainage matters. Stamped concrete in particular is not a good DIY project: it needs specialized tools, timing and experience to look right.

Whatever you decide, do not skip curing. New concrete needs moisture for its first days to gain strength, and a slab that dries too quickly can scale and crack. Our guide to how long concrete takes to cure covers when you can walk on it, when to put furniture on it and when to seal it.

7. How Do You Get a Fair Patio Quote?

Get at least three written quotes, and make each one specify the same things: area and thickness, base material and depth, reinforcement, finish, control joint spacing, removal of any existing slab, drainage and slope, cleanup and whether sealing is included. When two quotes differ by thousands of dollars, the difference is usually in one of those lines, not in the contractor's margin.

Ask about the concrete itself. Exterior slabs in freeze-thaw climates should generally use air-entrained concrete, which contains tiny air bubbles that help resist frost damage. Ask what strength mix the contractor uses and whether it is air-entrained if you live where it freezes. A contractor who cannot answer is a contractor to pass on.

Ask about curing and warranty. Who is responsible for keeping the slab moist in its first days, and how long should you stay off it? What does the contractor warranty, and for how long? Hairline shrinkage cracks are common in concrete and rarely covered, but major cracks, settling and surface failure in the first year or two often are.

Finally, check references and look at older work. A patio that looks good on pour day can look very different after three winters. Ask to see a job the contractor did a few years ago, check that they are licensed and insured where required, and avoid paying most of the price up front. A reasonable deposit followed by payment on completion is standard.