How Much Does a Concrete Patio Cost?

Common Range: $7 to $12 / Square Foot

National Average: $9.75 Per Square Foot, Installed

Updated: December 27, 2023. Written by: Steve Hansen

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Concrete Patio Installation Cost

The price to build a concrete patio varies greatly depending on the size of the patio and any special features such as curved shapes, built-in concrete stairs to the yard or pigment that can make your concrete almost any color you want. This brings our total range for building a concrete patio to anywhere from $3 to $12 per square foot.

This concrete patio price estimate does not include acid-stained or stamped concrete patios or those accented with embedded tiles or other materials. All those upgrades push cost a little higher than our current estimate for basic, finished concrete. To get an approximate cost for your exact project, use our concrete slab cost calculator.

Average Cost Table

Average Do It Yourself cost
$3.00 – $5.00 per square foot
Average Contractor Installed Cost
$7.00 – $12.00 per square foot
Typical Cost Average
$9.75 per square foot

concrete cement patio in backyard

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Overview of Concrete Patio Installation

Building a concrete patio is one of those outdoor home improvement projects that can maximize your enjoyment of your property. A simple 10 foot by 10 foot patio is perfect for a picnic table and a grill.  Some concrete patios cover more than 400 square feet and include an outdoor kitchen and a dining area. There are many options in between for the kind of outdoor living most desirable to you.

With a little forethought, you can outfit your concrete patio with the amenities you’d most enjoy – a gas fire pit, for example, or a patio enclosure that will keep you out of the rain.

Concrete patios are a highly durable alternative to a wooden deck built with pressure treated wood. They require much less upkeep than a deck, and the work can go quick compared with building a wood or composite deck.

This concrete patio cost estimate is for a simple patio constructed of finished concrete. The cost of a stamped concrete patio will be higher, and is discussed in our Stamped Concrete Patio Cost Estimate.

This page includes cost factors to help you budget, retail supply and upgrade costs plus reader-submitted prices. Please consider bookmarking this page and returning to Costimates to share your concrete patio cost to assist other readers.

Concrete Patio Cost Factors

custom concrete patio with stained finish

These factors will help you determine where your price will fall on the spectrum.

  • Who Builds the Concrete Patio – The home owner can pour and finish a concrete patio, and many do. Others prefer that a landscaper or concrete contractor do the work to ensure a “perfect” finish. Materials are affordable at about $2-$4 per square foot, while labor charges are several times that.
  • Difficulty of the Project – If your backyard is flat, with a small amount of topsoil covering sand or gravel and few obstacles to deal with, labor cost will be low. If slopes, a foot of hard clay, unstable soils or things like bushes must be removed, the cost to higher a landscaper or concrete specialist will rise.
  • Size of the Concrete Patio – Bigger patios cost more, but that’s not the whole story. Concrete patios usually range from 100 square feet to 400 square feet or more. The price usually lowers per square foot as the size of the concrete patio increases. This is due to the fact that there is generally a minimum price to bring the concrete truck to the building site. Use our concrete volume calculator to see how much you’ll need.
  • Complexity of the Design – Patios that have steps, angles, curves, etc. will be more costly than just a basic square or rectangle.
  • Enhancements – In addition to making the concrete patio more intricate, you can change the look of your concrete patio with pigment or paint, coatings, an “exposed aggregate” look, texturing and more. Acid-staining the concrete and stamping the concrete are additional options that tend to push the total cost a little higher than these estimates.
  • Site Access – If the concrete truck can’t pour concrete patio using the boom because getting to the patio site is impossible, manually hauling the concrete using wheelbarrows will raise labor time and cost.
  • Where you Live – The cost to build a concrete patio varies greatly throughout the United States.  The cost of concrete is not standard. The cost to hire a concrete contractor also changes from state to state.  For example, Michigan has an average price of around $1400-$3700 and San Francisco, California averages between $2300-$6700 to build the same concrete patio.
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Concrete Patio Supplies Cost

Here is a list of the materials and tools needed to frame, pour and finish a concrete patio.

  • $2 – $4 per Square Foot | Concrete by the bag costs more than by the truck, but unless you pour a large concrete patio, a full truck load likely won’t be required
  • About a $1 per Linear Foot | Lumber to frame the perimeter of the patio for pouring the concrete – lumber prices remain volatile, so this is subject to change
  • $12 – $15 per Box | Duplex nails used to fasten the framing together
  • $15 – $25 per Cubic Yard | You’ll want about 4 inches of it, unless you’ve had to dig out more topsoil. One yard of gravel covers about 80 square feet 4 inches deep.
  • $.25 – $.33 (25 to 33 cents) per square foot | Steel or Fiberglass concrete reinforcement
  • $15 – $30 | Edging Trowel for working the concrete along the edges
  • $25 – $40 Finishing Trowel of Float | Required for finished concrete to give it a smooth surface (Also rentable)
  • $35 – $40 per Gallon or $170-$200 for a 5-gallon Pail | Concrete Sealer with 200 square foot per gallon coverage
  • $300 – $500+ for purchase; $50 – $100 per day Rental | Concrete Saw with Diamond Blade (If expansion joints are needed)
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Permits, Inspection, Related Costs and Installation Time

Permits and Inspection Cost

  • $0 – $100 | Whether you need a permit often depends on the size of the patio. Your local officials might want to know you’re improving your home – so they can raise your appraised value and taxes.

concrete pad being installed

Related Costs and Installation Time

The amount of time it takes to complete a concrete patio depends on who does the work the size of the patio, and the site conditions.  Generally, it will take a concrete contractor around 4-8 hours to frame, pour and finish a 200 square foot concrete patio.  Once it is completed, let the concrete cure for 48 hours before any weight is put on it.  The concrete will fully cure after about a month, and then it can be sealed.  If you decide to tackle the job by yourself, then the time will most likely double or more, depending on your skill level and the equipment you have available to clear the area for the patio of topsoil and other materials.

The time schedule might look something like this:

  • Up to 1 Day | Site Prep – removing and hauling away topsoil, framing the perimeter.
  • About a Half Day | Pouring and Finishing the concrete
  • Two Days | Curing Time before use
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The projects listed below are commonly related to concrete or outdoor patios in general.

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DIY or Hire a Pro?

Most of the job cost is labor – between $6 and $10 per square foot, according to Homewyse, a figure that is pretty accurate. So there is money to be saved by doing it yourself.

And keep in mind that this Costimate is about basic, finished concrete patios without upgrade options such as acid staining, stamping, tile or stone borders and more. Including those features drive price as high as $18 per square foot, says HomeGuide – or up to $20 per Home Advisor, costs we generally agree with.

The more complex the patio design and difficult the site conditions, the more it makes sense to hire a pro.

A 10-foot square patio on flat, workable soil can be a done fairly easily. Remove the topsoil, fill the space with sand or gravel to 4 inches below the desired height of the patio, and then frame and add 4 inches of concrete reinforced with fiberglass mesh. Bags of concrete can be mixed with a rentable, portable mixer on wheels that you can tow to your home with a 2-inch hitch. For best drainage, make sure the patio slopes away from the house at about 1/8” to 1/4” inch per foot – and this is one of the most challenging aspects of the work. This Home Depot tutorial is worth a look if you’re considering doing it yourself.

Finishing concrete using a trowel or a float is a time-sensitive process. There’s a window of opportunity when the concrete is set up enough to work and stay in place and the “moment” working it further becomes impossible. For a 10×10 patio, that would be about 30-40 minutes, so be sure you have a game plan for using a long 2×4 screed for the initial smoothing and a float with an extension pole to produce finished concrete.

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Reviewed and edited by Steve Hansen of Costimates

steve hansen of costimates-sm Steve Hansen, that's me, the Senior Editor of Costimates. (Learn more about myself and our team) I'm an avid home improvement professional with more than 37 years experience working on all types of residential new home building, upfits, repairs and remodeling.

"Like most homeowners, I was frustrated with the lack of quality information available on specific home improvement repairs and renovations. In 2015, Costimates was formed to help homeowners learn as much as possible about various projects and their costs so they could make better financial decisions."