How much does a concrete patio cost?

Published July 21, 2026.

A concrete patio typically costs about $6 to $20 per square foot installed, which works out to roughly $1,900 to $6,000 for an average patio. HomeAdvisor puts the average project at $3,553, with a typical range of $1,919 to $5,393, while Today’s Homeowner lands close by at $3,960 on average and a $1,920 to $6,000 range. Your real number swings with the size and thickness of the slab, the finish you choose, how much site prep the ground needs, and local labor rates. These are national planning figures, not a quote, so the goal here is to help you set a realistic budget before you call for bids.

What a concrete patio costs

Two numbers matter: the price per square foot and the total for your patio.

Per square foot installed, HomeAdvisor lists a typical range of $6 to $15 (averaging around $10), and Today’s Homeowner spans the whole category from $8 to $30 depending on the finish. A plain, broom-finish slab sits at the low end, and decorative finishes like stamped or stained push toward the top.

For a whole patio, the total depends mostly on square footage. Today’s Homeowner puts a 10 by 10 foot patio (100 square feet) at about $1,000 to $2,000 and a 16 by 20 foot patio (320 square feet) at about $3,200 to $6,400. To get to your own number, measure the area you want to cover in square feet, then multiply by a per-foot figure for the finish you have in mind.

What drives the price

Two patios of the same size can cost very different amounts. Here is what moves the needle.

Size and thickness. More square feet means more concrete and more labor. Thickness matters too. HomeAdvisor notes a standard patio is poured 3.5 to 4 inches thick, while a slab meant to carry heavy loads runs about 6 inches, which uses more material.
Finish type. This is the biggest decorative variable. A broom finish is close to the base slab price, while stamped, stained, and exposed-aggregate finishes add cost (see the table below).
Site prep and grading. The ground has to be cleared and leveled before the pour. Today’s Homeowner puts regrading or leveling at $500 to $3,500 when the site needs real work.
Base. A compacted gravel base under the slab helps with drainage and keeps the concrete from shifting. Skimping here leads to cracking, so it is not the place to cut corners.
Reinforcement. Wire mesh or rebar helps control cracking. Today’s Homeowner puts wire mesh at about $0.50 per square foot and rebar at roughly $1 per foot, while HomeAdvisor lists rebar at $1.40 to $1.85 for a 2-foot length.
Removing an old slab. Tearing out and hauling off existing concrete adds cost. Today’s Homeowner figures $2 to $6 per square foot, and HomeAdvisor estimates $550 to $1,700 for a typical removal.
Labor versus materials. HomeAdvisor puts the concrete mix at about $10 per square foot in materials and labor at $5 to $15 per square foot, with crews charging $50 to $75 an hour. Difficult access or a complex shape pushes labor up.

Cost by finish

The finish is where you have the most control over the budget. These are typical installed costs per square foot. Prices vary by region, design complexity, and year, so use them to compare options, not as firm quotes.

Finish	Typical installed cost per square foot	Notes
Plain slab	$4 to $8	The base pour; cheapest option, per HomeAdvisor and Today's Homeowner
Broom finish	$6 to $10	Light texture for slip resistance; adds about $1 to $3 over plain, per Today's Homeowner
Exposed aggregate	$10 to $18	Top layer washed off to reveal stones; adds $2 to $3 over plain, per HomeAdvisor
Stained or colored	$12 to $25	Color worked into or onto the slab, per Today's Homeowner
Stamped	$10 to $30	Patterned to mimic stone or brick; adds $6 to $15 over plain, per Today's Homeowner and The Concrete Network

A broom finish costs the least and gives you a solid, safe surface. The decorative finishes cost more up front and, in the case of stamped concrete, need periodic resealing to keep their look. The Concrete Network breaks stamped work into basic (one pattern and color) at $10 to $14, mid-range with borders and multiple colors at $14 to $20, and high-end hand-colored designs at $20 and up.

Concrete patio versus pavers

If you are weighing a poured slab against pavers, the slab is usually cheaper up front. A plain concrete patio often starts around $6 to $8 per square foot, while HomeAdvisor puts concrete pavers at $8 to $25 per square foot and Today’s Homeowner puts them at $15 to $25.

The tradeoff is repairs. A poured slab is one piece, so it is fast and low-cost to install but harder to fix if it cracks. Pavers cost more and take longer to set because each unit is placed by hand, but a cracked or stained paver can be lifted and replaced without redoing the whole surface. Which one wins comes down to your budget now versus how you want to handle repairs down the road.

DIY versus hiring a pro

Pouring your own slab saves labor, which is a real share of the cost. HomeAdvisor puts labor at $5 to $15 per square foot, so on a mid-size patio that is a meaningful amount if you do it yourself.

That said, finishing concrete is skilled work, and the timing is unforgiving. Once the mix is poured you have a limited window to screed it flat, float it, and add the broom texture or stamp before it sets. Get the base wrong, misjudge the slope for drainage, or run out of time on the finish, and the mistakes are hard to reverse. Breaking out and repouring a bad slab is expensive and heavy work.

DIY makes the most sense on a small, simple patio where a plain or broom finish is fine and you can rent the tools. For a large pour, a decorative finish like stamping, or a site that needs grading and a proper base, hiring a crew is usually worth it. A good contractor also handles the base, reinforcement, and finish as one job and stands behind the result.

How to budget

Start by measuring the area you want to cover, in square feet, and deciding on a finish and thickness. Multiply the square footage by a per-foot range from above to get a rough total, then add for old-slab removal, extra grading, and reinforcement if they apply. You can get a range for your patio with our concrete patio cost calculator before you make any calls.

From there, get two to three written bids from local concrete contractors. Prices vary a lot by region and by year, and a national average cannot capture your ground conditions, your site access, or what crews charge locally. Ask each bid to itemize the slab, base, reinforcement, finish, and any removal so you are comparing the same scope. If one bid is far below the others, find out what it leaves out.

Concrete work can involve permits, setbacks, and drainage rules, and a patio near the house affects how water moves around your foundation. Confirm the details with your local building department and a licensed concrete contractor, and check any HOA rules, before you commit. The figures here are a planning range to size up the project, not a quote for your patio.

Sources

HomeAdvisor · How Much Does It Cost to Build a Concrete Patio? homeadvisor.com/cost/patios-and-walkways/install-concrete-patio
Today's Homeowner · How Much Does It Cost To Pour a Concrete Patio? todayshomeowner.com/concrete/cost/cost-to-pour-a-concrete-patio
The Concrete Network · How Much Does Stamped Concrete Cost? concretenetwork.com/stamped-concrete/cost

Concrete patio cost calculator →

Frequently asked questions

How much does a concrete patio cost per square foot?

Installed, a concrete patio usually runs about $6 to $20 per square foot, and the finish you pick moves it a lot. HomeAdvisor puts a plain slab at $4 to $7 per square foot and lists an overall average near $10, while Today's Homeowner ranges the whole category from $8 to $30. A basic broom finish sits at the low end, and decorative finishes like stamped or stained cost more. Your final number depends on size, thickness, site prep, and local labor rates, so treat any per-foot figure as a planning range.

Is a stamped concrete patio worth the extra cost?

It depends on the look you want. A plain or broom-finish slab is the cheapest way to get a durable patio, while stamped concrete costs more because it mimics stone, brick, or slate. The Concrete Network puts basic stamped at $10 to $14 per square foot, mid-range at $14 to $20, and high-end multi-color work at $20 and up. Today's Homeowner notes stamped concrete adds roughly $6 to $15 per square foot over plain and needs resealing to keep its look. If you want the decorative pattern and will maintain it, it can be worth it; if you mostly want a solid, low-cost surface, a broom finish does the job.

Is a concrete patio cheaper than pavers?

Usually yes, at least up front. A plain concrete patio often starts around $6 to $8 per square foot installed, while HomeAdvisor puts concrete pavers at $8 to $25 per square foot and Today's Homeowner puts them at $15 to $25. Pavers cost more because each unit is set by hand, but they resist cracking and a damaged one can be swapped out. Concrete is a single poured slab, which is cheaper and faster but harder to repair if it cracks. The cheaper choice depends on your budget now versus how you want to handle repairs later.