Patio Installation Cost: Average Prices & Cost Factors

A patio is a paved outdoor surface at ground level, and the price of one depends mostly on three things: how big it is, what it is made of, and how much preparation the ground needs. A small gravel sitting area and a large stone patio with seating walls share a name but sit at opposite ends of the price scale.

The figures on this page come from two published guides and carry a check date of Oct 13, 2026. Most of the tables are priced per square foot, so measure the space you have in mind before comparing. Length times width gives the area.

Size sets the baseline. Lawn Love lists installed ranges for three common footprints. Smaller patios cost less in total but often more per square foot, since delivery, equipment, and setup are spread over fewer square feet.

A 12 by 12 patio, a popular size for a table and chairs, is listed at $1,008 – $5,040. Going up to 20 by 20 pushes the range to $2,800 – $14,000, partly because the area is nearly three times larger and partly because bigger patios often need more base preparation and drainage planning.

Material is the other large lever. Gravel is the budget option, while flagstone and stamped concrete sit near the top. The table shows installed prices per square foot, which include labor.

Gravel runs $2 – $7/sq ft and is quick to lay, but it shifts under furniture and needs edging. Pavers cost $8 – $25/sq ft and are popular because individual units can be lifted and replaced if one cracks or settles. Brick sits at $9 – $21/sq ft. Natural flagstone spans $8 – $35/sq ft, which reflects the wide gap between thin local stone and imported thick slabs.

Poured concrete is the most economical hard surface at $4 – $10/sq ft. Stamped concrete, which is pressed with patterns to resemble stone or brick, costs $8 – $25/sq ft.

Concrete is the most common patio surface, and This Old House publishes a guide that covers concrete only. It does not price pavers, brick, or natural stone, so its figures should not be read as a total for every patio type. They are useful if concrete is already your plan.

An all-in concrete patio is listed at $4 – $30/sq ft. Stamped concrete falls at $5 – $15/sq ft, which matches the finish premium in the material table above. For a 10-by-10 concrete patio, the guide gives $400 – $3,000. The wide gap reflects thickness, reinforcement, finish, and site conditions.

Labor is part of every installed price, and Lawn Love puts installation labor at $5 – $18/sq ft. Hand-laid work such as pavers, brick, and flagstone takes longer than pouring a slab, so it sits toward the upper part of that band. Some contractors quote labor and materials separately, while others give one price. Ask which you are looking at before comparing bids.

• Ground preparation. Excavation, a compacted gravel base, and grading for drainage all come before the surface goes down.
• Slope and drainage. A patio that must move water away from the house may need extra grading or a drain.
• Access. If equipment cannot reach the yard, crews carry material by hand and the labor goes up.
• Removal. Tearing out an old slab, deck, or lawn adds a separate line to the bill.
• Shape. Curves and angles waste more material and take more cuts than a rectangle.
• Extras. Seating walls, lighting, a cover, a fire pit, or an outdoor kitchen are priced on top of the patio itself.
• Permits. Some towns require a permit for a patio of a certain size or one near property lines, and local rules differ.
• Season and region. Labor rates and material costs vary across the country, and busy seasons can raise bids.

The two sources describe different scopes. One reports a general patio across every material, so its range stretches from gravel to stone. The other covers concrete only, which narrows the material and tends to pull the low end down.

Lawn Love reports $2,290 – $6,420 with an average near $4,500. This Old House reports $1,793 – $4,937 for concrete. Treat these as two views of related jobs, not two measurements of the same one. Local bids will reflect your soil, access, and the finish you choose.

Patios need occasional work. Pavers can settle, concrete can crack, and any surface collects grime. Lawn Love lists the following.

Typical repairs run $700 – $2,250, and power washing costs $225 – $350. Sealing pavers or concrete after installation can reduce staining, so ask your installer whether it is recommended for your material.

A gravel or simple paver patio is a realistic weekend project for a confident DIYer, mainly because the material is forgiving. The hard parts are digging, hauling, and compacting a base that stays level. Poured concrete is less forgiving, since mistakes set in place and cannot be easily redone. Whatever you build, call your utility locator service before digging.

• Does the quote include excavation, base material, and haul-away of the soil?
• Which materials and thickness are specified, and what is the paver or stone line?
• How is drainage handled?
• Who pulls any required permit?
• What does the warranty cover, and for how long?
• When will the work start, and what happens if weather causes delays?

Get at least two or three written bids with the same scope so you can compare them line by line.