Short answer: A plain broom-finished 4-inch concrete patio costs about $10 to $20 per square foot installed by our estimate, or $1,600 to $3,100 for a 12×12 and $4,100 to $8,100 for a 20×20. Exposed aggregate runs about $13 to $26, stamped $16 to $32. Tear-out of an old slab, steps and poor access cost extra.
$10–$20 per sq ft, plain broom-finish 4-inch patio installed (estimate; see method)
$16–$32 per sq ft, stamped and colored concrete installed (estimate; see method)
$443 vs. $193 per cubic yard of 4,000 psi concrete delivered as a 1-yard vs. a 7-yard load (Village of Oak Park, IL 2026 bid)
$27.41 an hour, median pay for cement masons and concrete finishers (BLS OEWS, May 2025)
Most concrete patio cost pages give one per-square-foot range with nothing behind it. This one is built from records anyone can check: 2026 ready-mix price lists published by five concrete producers and three government supply contracts, 18 public bid tabulations and price reports for 4-inch concrete flatwork, published 2026 prices for rebar, wire mesh, form lumber, stains, sealers and stamp rentals, federal wage data for the cement masons who finish the slab, and the Census Bureau’s cost structure for concrete contractors. The arithmetic is in the method note near the end, and the calculator below uses the same numbers.
Concrete patio cost by size: 10×10, 12×12, 16×20, 20×20 and larger
These are the sizes people search for. Each total is the per-square-foot range times the area, plus the small-load and delivery fee a ready-mix plant charges for that size of order. Small patios carry that fee over fewer square feet, which is why a 10×10 costs more per foot than a 20×30. All columns assume a new 4-inch slab on open, reasonably level ground with a gravel base; no demolition.
| Patio size (ft) | Sq ft | Concrete to order (cu yd) | Plain broom finish | Exposed aggregate | Stamped and colored |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10×10 | 100 | 1.5 | $1,200–$2,300 | $1,500–$2,900 | $1,800–$3,500 |
| 12×12 | 144 | 2 | $1,600–$3,100 | $2,000–$4,000 | $2,500–$4,800 |
| 10×20 | 200 | 3 | $2,200–$4,200 | $2,800–$5,400 | $3,400–$6,600 |
| 12×16 | 192 | 2.5 to 3 | $2,100–$4,100 | $2,700–$5,200 | $3,200–$6,400 |
| 16×16 | 256 | 3.5 | $2,700–$5,300 | $3,500–$6,800 | $4,300–$8,400 |
| 16×20 | 320 | 4.5 | $3,300–$6,500 | $4,300–$8,500 | $5,300–$10,400 |
| 20×20 | 400 | 5.5 | $4,100–$8,100 | $5,300–$10,500 | $6,500–$12,900 |
| 15×30 | 450 | 6 to 6.5 | $4,600–$9,100 | $5,900–$11,800 | $7,300–$14,500 |
| 20×30 | 600 | 8 | $6,000–$12,000 | $7,800–$15,600 | $9,600–$19,200 |
| 20×40 | 800 | 10.5 (two loads) | $8,200–$16,300 | $10,600–$21,100 | $13,000–$25,900 |
The 15×30 and 20×40 rows answer two common questions directly: a 450 sq ft plain patio comes to about $4,600 to $9,100, and an 800 sq ft one about $8,200 to $16,300. At 20×40 the pour usually needs two trucks, and the second, smaller load brings its own short-load fee.
Uses the per-square-foot ranges in this guide. Tear-out adds about $2 to $4 per sq ft, a 6-inch slab about $0.85 to $1.29, and contractor sealing about $2.50 to $5.00 (public prices $3.33 to $5.00). Pump: $300 plus $13 a yard to $500 plus fuel on published price lists. Exposed aggregate and stained ranges are the least certain. Local prices vary; see How we built these numbers.
Cost per square foot by finish: broom, colored, exposed aggregate, stained, stamped
The finish changes the price more than anything except size. A broom finish is part of the basic pour. Every decorative option adds material, a second visit or a timing-critical step, and most add a sealer that has to be renewed. Public bids give a direct read on the biggest jump: in Riverdale City, Utah’s July 2026 street project, the median of 11 bidders was $10.05 per sq ft for 4-inch sidewalk and $19.50 for 4-inch stamped and colored concrete; Oklahoma’s DOT paid an average $8.85 per sq ft for 4-inch sidewalk and $21.31 for 4-inch “decorative” sidewalk in 2024 and 2025.
| Finish | What it involves | Published material costs | Installed per sq ft (estimate) | Upkeep |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Broom (plain) | Bull-floated, edged, jointed, broomed for grip | n/a | $10–$20 | Optional sealer |
| Integral color | Pigment mixed into the truck, about one bag per cu yd (Walttools); plants charge a washout fee | $0.21–$0.94 color; $50 to $125 washout per load | $11–$23 | Fades slowly; sealer optional |
| Exposed aggregate | Surface retarder sprayed on, the top paste washed off next day to show the stone; often a small-stone mix | Retarder $0.05–$0.10 ($77.63 per 5 gal; 150–300 sq ft per gal); small-stone mix +$8 to +$9.90 per cu yd | $13–$26 | Sealer recommended |
| Acid-stained | Cured slab stained, neutralized, rinsed and sealed | Stain $45–$51 per gal, about 250 sq ft; sealer $40 per gal or $149 per 5 gal, about 200 sq ft: $0.66–$0.81 for two coats of each | $13–$28 | Reseal every few years |
| Stamped and colored | Color hardener and release broadcast, texture mats pressed in, then sealed | Hardener $36–$45 per 60 lb, about 100 sq ft; release $33 per gal or $94 per 5 gal, about 150 sq ft; stamp sets $175 to $250 a day to rent | $16–$32 | Reseal every few years |
Stamped is the best-documented premium. We add $6 to $12 per sq ft to plain, giving $16 to $32. Three public data points sit inside or near that band: Riverdale’s +$9.45 (median stamped and colored $19.50 vs. $10.05 plain), one Middletown, Connecticut bidder’s $32 stamped vs. $20 plain in January 2026 (bid 2026-001), and Oklahoma’s decorative walk at about $12.50 over plain. Stamped slabs still need control joints through the pattern, and the color sits mostly in the surface.
Integral color is the cheapest upgrade. The pigment adds about $0.21 to $0.94 per sq ft at one bag per yard, and the plant’s washout fee ($50 at Gehring and Short Load Concrete, $125 on Cleveland Metroparks’ contract) adds $0.35 to $0.87 per sq ft on a 12×12. We put the installed premium at $1 to $3. One public bid priced colored sidewalk alone: South Dakota DOT’s 945 sq ft at two interstate rest areas drew bids of $25 to $35 per sq ft in 2024 (bid abstract), but a small, remote state job is a poor guide to a backyard.
Exposed aggregate and stain are the least certain. No 2024 to 2026 public bid we could find priced exposed aggregate as a separate item, and the only stain items we found (a Missouri DOT lump sum and a one-job Arkansas DOT line) were not clearly flatwork. Their materials cost little (under $1 per sq ft); the premium is labor and timing, a second visit to wash the surface or to stain, neutralize and seal it. We place both between plain and stamped: exposed aggregate at plain plus $3 to $6, staining a new slab at plain plus $3 to $8, the high end reflecting contractor sealing prices of $3.33 per sq ft (Missouri DOT’s 2025 average for penetrating sealer) to $5.00 (Darien’s 2026 program). Treat these two ranges as informed estimates and get quotes.
What is inside the price of a 12×12 concrete patio
A contractor’s quote is one number, but it is built from a short list of parts. Here is a 144 sq ft plain patio priced line by line from published 2026 prices. The materials are the part you can check; everything else (crew time, equipment, trucks, insurance, overhead and profit) is what is left of the installed price.
| Line item | Published price used | Per sq ft | 12×12 patio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ready-mix concrete, 4,000 psi, about 1.9 to 2 cu yd | $132 (Los Angeles) to $182 (Augusta, GA) per cu yd at producers; $154 and $180–$190 on government contracts | $1.71–$2.58 | $246–$372 |
| Small-load and delivery fees | $150 short load + $25 fuel (Ohio) to $210 cartage + fuel (Illinois) for a 2-yard order | n/a | $175–$220 |
| Gravel base, 4 in. compacted | $38.50 a ton (Ohio) to $99.99 a cu yd (Houston) | $1.04–$2.00 | $150–$288 |
| Reinforcement: fiber, wire mesh or #3 rebar grid | Fiber $4 to $15 per cu yd; 6×6 W1.4 mesh $24 per 8×15 sheet to $29.50 per 8×20; #3 rebar $5.79 per 20 ft | $0.05–$0.45 | $8–$64 |
| Forms, stakes and an isolation joint at the house | 2x4x12 $7.39; steel stakes and 4-in. Nomaflex joint strip $2.99 and $11.00 | $0.28–$0.62 | $40–$89 |
| Curing compound | $38 a gallon, about 250 sq ft | $0.15–$0.26 | $22–$38 |
| Materials and delivery subtotal | $4.45–$7.44 | $641–$1,071 | |
| Labor, equipment, overhead and profit | The rest of a $10 to $20 per sq ft installed price | $6.66–$14.09 | $959–$2,029 |
| Installed total | $10–$20 (rounded) | $1,600–$3,100 |
That split matches how the industry’s own books look. In the 2022 Economic Census, poured concrete contractors (NAICS 238110) spent 34.5 percent of revenue on materials and supplies, 22.8 percent on payroll, 5.6 percent on employee benefits and 9.7 percent on subcontracted work; the remaining 27.4 percent covered equipment, fuel, insurance, office costs and profit (Census Bureau, EC2223BASIC, our arithmetic). Our 12×12 build puts materials and delivery at about 35 to 40 percent of the installed price, in the same range. One caveat: the NAICS index files concrete patio and residential sidewalk work under a different code, 238990 “all other specialty trade contractors”, which mixes many trades, so 238110 is the closest clean comparison (2022 NAICS index).
What contractors bid for 4-inch concrete on public jobs
Homeowner quotes are private; public bids are not. These are the most recent tabulations and price reports we could find for plain 4-inch concrete walk or flatwork, the same slab as a patio. They are public-works prices: larger jobs, sometimes prevailing wages, sometimes traffic control. Treat them as a floor-to-ceiling benchmark, not a quote.
| Agency, date | Item | Price per sq ft |
|---|---|---|
| Florida DOT, 2025 | 4-in. sidewalk and driveways (156 contracts) | $7.64 weighted average |
| Wisconsin DOT, FY 2025 | 4-in. concrete sidewalk | $7.63 average |
| Des Moines, IA, Nov. 2024 | 4-in. PCC sidewalk (5 bidders) | $5.22–$8.07 (median $7.40) |
| Missouri DOT, 2025 | 4-in. concrete sidewalk (198 bids) | $7.71 average |
| Tennessee DOT, 2025 | 4-in. concrete sidewalk | $8.21 statewide; $7.24–$11.32 by region |
| Oklahoma DOT, 2024–2025 | 4-in. concrete sidewalk (60 items) | $8.85 average awarded |
| Darien, IL, 2026 | Sidewalk, resident program (prevailing wage) | $9.50 |
| San Marcos, TX, June 2025 | 5-in. concrete sidewalk (2 bidders) | $9.89–$13.01 |
| Sidney, OH, Feb. 2025 | 4-in. sidewalk incl. excavation (7 bidders) | $8.50–$14.00 (median $10.00) |
| Riverdale City, UT, July 2026 | 4-in. sidewalk (11 bidders) | $8.00–$16.00 (median $10.05) |
| Arkansas DOT, 2025 | Concrete walks | $10.32 weighted average |
| Hastings, MN, March 2025 | 4-in. concrete sidewalk (5 bidders) | $9.50–$12.55 (median $10.75) |
| South Dakota DOT, 2024 | 4-in. concrete sidewalk | $10.82 average low bid |
| Middletown, CT, Jan. 2026 | 4-in. concrete sidewalk | $17.00 and $20.00 |
| Happy Valley, OR, 2025 | 4-in. sidewalk incl. 2-in. leveling rock (9 bidders) | $15.56–$27.22 (median $19.89) |
| Park District of Highland Park, IL, Aug. 2025 | Concrete paving and base, 1,725 sq ft (7 bidders) | $13.85–$43.05 (median $24.00) |
| Albany, CA, May 2025 | Sidewalk repair, 3,100 sq ft (10 bidders) | $21.00–$50.00 (median $37.50) |
Big state programs in the South and Midwest, and city sidewalk programs in Iowa, Ohio, Minnesota and Utah, cluster at about $7.50 to $11 per sq ft; small city and park jobs in Connecticut, suburban Portland and the Chicago suburbs land at $17 to $24; the Bay Area is higher still. A one-off backyard patio has none of a state contract’s volume, which is why our plain range starts at $10 rather than $7.50.
Ready-mix concrete: what a yard costs, and why small patios pay more
Concrete is the one material every patio buys, and its price per yard is not the price you pay for a small order. Plants add a short-load or cartage fee when a truck leaves half empty, plus fuel, environmental and sometimes minimum charges. These are the published 2026 price lists we could find from producers that sell to homeowners and small contractors, alongside three government contracts.
| Producer or contract | Where | 3,000 / 4,000 psi per cu yd | Small-order charges | 2 cu yd of 4,000 psi delivered |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gehring Construction & Ready-Mix | Columbus, NE (eff. Jan. 1, 2026) | $148 / $156 | $50 small-load charge under 4 cu yd; fiber $8/yd; winter service $5/yd | $362 ($181/yd) |
| Short Load Concrete | Paterson and Bridgewater, NJ | $115 / $135 | Delivery $190–$260 by zone; fiber $15/yd | $460 ($230/yd) |
| Townsend Concrete | Vacaville, CA (mixed on site) | $162 / $170 | Delivery $120–$350 by town; short-load fee up to $100; Saturday +$100 | $560 ($280/yd) |
| Supreme Concrete | Los Angeles County | $127.05 / $132.00 | Zone A delivery $363.88 per trip plus $55 environmental fee; 9.5% tax | $683 ($341/yd) before tax |
| American Concrete | Augusta, GA (eff. Apr. 1, 2026) | $174 / $182 (cash, no account) | $820 minimum for 4 cu yd or less (3,000 psi); $85 delivery under 6 cu yd | $905 ($452/yd) |
| Cleveland Metroparks contract | Ohio (2025) | $144 / $154 | Short load $150 under 4 yd; fuel $25; environmental $3/yd | $489 ($245/yd) |
| Village of Oak Park bid (two plants) | Illinois (2026) | $174–$180 / $180–$190 | Cartage $200–$210 for 2 to 2.5 yd; fuel $9–$10 | $596–$605 ($298–$303/yd) |
| City of Kingsport bid (three plants) | Tennessee (Apr. 2025) | $158–$176 / $164–$182 delivered | Minimum 4 to 6 cu yd per delivery; two bidders add $40 or $75 per load | n/a (below minimum) |
The same 2 yards cost $362 in central Nebraska and $905 in Augusta, Georgia: a 2.5-fold spread that has nothing to do with the concrete and everything to do with how each plant prices a small truck. The Oak Park bid shows the curve most clearly, because it prices every load size.
- Elmhurst Chicago Stone
- Ozinga Ready Mix
Source: Village of Oak Park, IL, Concrete Materials Bid Tab Sheet 26-109 (2026); per-yard division by The Green Industry Report 6-bag (4,000 psi) mix, non-winter service, including cartage, fuel and environmental charges as tabulated by the village.
Show the numbers
| Elmhurst Chicago Stone | Ozinga Ready Mix | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 yd | 443 | 442 |
| 2 yd | 298 | 302.50 |
| 3 yd | 248 | 255.67 |
| 4 yd | 224.25 | 232.25 |
| 5 yd | 210 | 218.20 |
| 6 yd | 200.50 | 209 |
| 7 yd | 193 | 202.29 |
At Oak Park’s prices a 1-yard load of 4,000 psi concrete costs $443 delivered and a 7-yard load $1,351, or about $193 a yard (Concrete Materials Bid Tab Sheet 26-109). A 12×12 patio sits on the steep part of that curve. Two neighbors pouring on the same day from one truck, or adding a walkway or pad to the same order, is the cheapest discount available.
Prices are still rising, slowly. The Producer Price Index for ready-mix concrete was 2.3 percent higher in August 2026 than a year earlier and 40.0 percent above August 2019 (BLS PPI WPU1333, August 2026 preliminary). Reinforcing bar moved faster: the index for fabricated bar joists and concrete reinforcing bars rose 23.6 percent in the 12 months to August 2026 (BLS PPI WPU1074051). Contractors’ own selling prices, measured by the PPI for concrete contractors on nonresidential buildings, rose 5.6 percent over the same year (BLS PPI PCU23811X23811X), ahead of the 3.4 percent rise in consumer prices (BLS CPI-U).
- Ready-mix concrete (WPU1333)
- Bar joists and concrete reinforcing bars (WPU1074051)
- Concrete contractors, nonresidential (PCU23811X23811X)
- Consumer prices, all items (CPI-U)
Source: BLS Producer Price Index and CPI-U annual averages, rebased by The Green Industry Report Annual averages. Rebar series from wp.data.11b, contractor series from pc.data.75, CPI from cu.data.1.
Show the numbers
| Ready-mix concrete (WPU1333) | Bar joists and concrete reinforcing bars (WPU1074051) | Concrete contractors, nonresidential (PCU23811X23811X) | Consumer prices, all items (CPI-U) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| 2020 | 102.60 | 100.20 | 102.10 | 101.20 |
| 2021 | 106.40 | 134.50 | 109 | 106 |
| 2022 | 117.40 | 167.70 | 128.20 | 114.50 |
| 2023 | 130.40 | 168.60 | 130.70 | 119.20 |
| 2024 | 138 | 139 | 132.60 | 122.70 |
| 2025 | 139.10 | 144.20 | 136.80 | 125.90 |
Rebar, wire mesh or fiber: what each adds
Reinforcement gets a lot of attention in quotes, but the cost difference between the options is small. Per square foot of a 4-inch patio, at the prices above:
| Option | Published price | Per sq ft | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| Synthetic microfiber in the mix | $4 (residential fiber, GA), $8 (NE), $12 (OH), $15 (NJ) per cu yd | $0.05–$0.20 | Reduces early plastic-shrinkage cracking; no structural role |
| 6×6 W1.4/W1.4 welded wire mesh | $24.00 per 8×15 sheet (IN); $29.50 per 8×20 sheet (GA) | $0.20–$0.22 with 10% lap | Holds cracks tight if it stays mid-slab; useless if it ends up on the gravel |
| #3 rebar grid, 18 in. each way | $5.79 per 20-ft bar (KY) | about $0.43 plus chairs | Holds cracks tight; easier to keep at mid-depth on chairs |
| #4 rebar grid, 24 in. each way | $13.30 per 20-ft bar (Houston, 1 to 49 bars) | about $0.73 plus chairs | Heavier option for hot tub pads or poor soil |
On a 12×12 the gap between the cheapest and the most expensive choice is about $100. Reinforcement does not stop a patio from cracking. “Wire mesh and reinforcement in slabs cannot prevent cracking,” the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association says; placed correctly, it limits how wide cracks open (NRMCA CIP 4). The things that decide where a slab cracks are cheaper: control joints at about 10 ft spacing on a 4-inch slab, panels no longer than 1.5 times their width, and joints cut at least a quarter of the slab depth (NRMCA CIP 6). A quote that lists rebar but no joint layout has its priorities backward.
Labor: what concrete finishers earn, state by state
After materials, labor is a concrete contractor’s biggest cost. Cement masons and concrete finishers (SOC 47-2051) earned a median $27.41 an hour in May 2025 across 206,170 jobs, with the middle 80 percent between $18.84 and $41.10 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). They work alongside construction laborers, whose median was $22.66. Wages are only part of what a contractor pays: in June 2026, wages were 69.5 percent of total compensation for construction-industry employers, with benefits the other 30.5 percent (BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, Table 4). That makes a $27.41 finisher cost about $39.44 an hour before equipment, overhead or profit.
How many hours does a patio take? Nobody publishes residential crew hours, so we worked backward. If payroll and benefits are 28.4 percent of a concrete contractor’s revenue (the 2022 Economic Census ratio for NAICS 238110), a $1,600 to $3,100 12×12 patio carries roughly $450 to $880 of labor, or about 12 to 22 hours at the national loaded rate: a three-person crew for most of a day, split between a forming day and a pour day. The table applies those hours to each state’s finisher wage.
Swipe the table sideways to see every column.
| State | Finisher jobs | Median hourly wage | 10th–90th percentile | Loaded cost per hour | Labor in a 12×12 patio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. | 206,170 | $27.41 | $18.84–$41.10 | $39.44 | $450–$880 |
| Alabama | 2,110 | $21.50 | $16.77–$28.96 | $30.94 | $360–$690 |
| Arizona | 7,520 | $28.32 | $22.88–$36.90 | $40.75 | $470–$910 |
| California | 28,700 | $30.15 | $22.36–$48.95 | $43.38 | $500–$970 |
| Colorado | 5,140 | $29.18 | $22.18–$36.32 | $41.99 | $480–$940 |
| Florida | 15,240 | $23.40 | $18.38–$30.44 | $33.67 | $390–$750 |
| Georgia | 3,400 | $22.23 | $15.38–$34.69 | $31.99 | $370–$710 |
| Illinois | 5,890 | $37.58 | $23.58–$51.77 | $54.07 | $620–$1,210 |
| Massachusetts | 1,590 | $30.69 | $23.72–$53.81 | $44.16 | $510–$990 |
| Michigan | 6,350 | $28.78 | $21.09–$36.37 | $41.41 | $480–$920 |
| Minnesota | 3,070 | $32.13 | $23.74–$47.41 | $46.23 | $530–$1,030 |
| New York | 9,060 | $30.79 | $23.82–$49.50 | $44.30 | $510–$990 |
| North Carolina | 4,610 | $22.49 | $17.83–$28.99 | $32.36 | $370–$720 |
| Ohio | 6,060 | $30.28 | $21.22–$39.10 | $43.57 | $500–$970 |
| Oregon | 2,170 | $32.95 | $23.56–$45.45 | $47.41 | $550–$1,060 |
| Pennsylvania | 5,180 | $29.62 | $21.20–$37.55 | $42.62 | $490–$950 |
| Tennessee | 3,920 | $23.04 | $17.30–$29.06 | $33.15 | $380–$740 |
| Texas | 26,430 | $22.84 | $17.48–$29.22 | $32.86 | $380–$730 |
| Virginia | 4,020 | $24.49 | $17.99–$34.95 | $35.24 | $410–$790 |
| Washington | 4,440 | $37.27 | $23.90–$60.44 | $53.63 | $620–$1,200 |
The spread is wider than most cost pages admit. A median finisher in Illinois ($37.58) or Washington ($37.27) costs 1.6 to 1.7 times one in Alabama ($21.50), Georgia ($22.23) or Texas ($22.84); Hawaii ($46.10) and Alaska ($44.69) are higher still. On a 12×12 that is roughly a $260 to $520 difference in labor alone, before overhead follows it up. Public bids show the same pattern: plain 4-inch walk bid at $7.63 to $10.82 per sq ft in Wisconsin and South Dakota and a median of $37.50 in Albany, California.
Replacing an old patio: tear-out and haul-off
If there is already a cracked slab where the new patio will go, add $2 to $4 per sq ft by our estimate, or roughly $290 to $580 for a 12×12. Public agencies pay less per foot because their jobs are bigger, but the spread is informative:
| Agency, date | Item | Price per sq ft |
|---|---|---|
| Riverdale City, UT, July 2026 | Removal and disposal of existing concrete flatwork, 2,300 sq ft | $0.66–$5.53 (median $2.40, 11 bids) |
| Hastings, MN, March 2025 | Remove concrete sidewalk or driveway pavement | $1.74–$4.22 (median $3.22, 5 bids) |
| Tennessee DOT, 2025 | Removal of rigid pavement, sidewalk, etc. | $2.69 statewide average |
| Arkansas DOT, 2025 | Remove and dispose of concrete driveways | $2.80 weighted average |
| Des Moines, IA, Nov. 2024 | Removal of sidewalk | $1.22–$3.50 (median $1.67, 5 bids) |
| Oklahoma DOT, 2024 to 2025 | Removal of sidewalk | $1.42 average awarded |
| San Marcos, TX, June 2025 | Concrete sidewalk removal | $0.90–$1.66 (2 bids) |
| Florida DOT, 2025 | Removal of existing concrete (all types, incl. roadway) | $4.21 weighted average |
Most public removal items run $1.40 to $3.25 per sq ft. A backyard job is smaller and harder to reach, so we use the upper half of that band plus a margin: $2 to $4. Thicker or reinforced slabs, wheelbarrow-only access and long haul distances push it higher. Ask whether the quote includes disposal; Riverdale’s item, like most residential quotes, bundles removal and disposal together.
4 inches or 6? What a thicker slab costs
Four inches is the standard patio thickness, and it is what every price on this page assumes. A 6-inch slab uses 50 percent more concrete: 1 cubic yard covers 81 sq ft at 4 inches but only 54 sq ft at 6 inches. At $132 to $190 a yard plus waste, that adds about $0.85 to $1.29 per sq ft, or roughly $120 to $190 on a 12×12, plus a little more forming and finishing time. It may also push a 12×12 order from 2 yards to 3, which on some plants’ price lists lowers the per-yard small-load fee enough to offset part of the extra concrete. Go thicker under a hot tub, where a vehicle will drive, or where the joint spacing has to stretch; NRMCA’s 24-to-36-times-thickness rule allows joints about 15 ft apart on a 6-inch slab instead of 10 (CIP 6).
Do you need a permit for a concrete patio?
Often not for the building code, but often yes for something else. The model International Residential Code exempts “sidewalks and driveways” from building permits and does not name patios; states adopt it with their own edits, as Massachusetts does in 780 CMR R105.2. Cities fill the gap in both directions:
| Jurisdiction | Ground-level concrete patio | Fee or condition |
|---|---|---|
| Coon Rapids, MN | “No permit is needed for a patio” | Patio defined as uncovered hard surface, not a sidewalk or driveway |
| Sterling Heights, MI | No permit if poured on grade with no footings | City asks for care within 18 in. of a property line so water is not sent to the neighbor |
| Prince William County, VA | Exempt from building permit if not designed to support a future addition | Zoning or watershed approval may still apply |
| Portland, OR | No building permit listed for a patio on grade | Contact Planning and Zoning to see if a zoning permit is needed |
| Bay Village, OH | Permit required | Pre-pour and final inspections |
| Mokena, IL | Permit required for all flatwork, patios included | $70; plat drawing showing the slab |
| Coppell, TX | Permit required for patio paving | $100 residential flatwork permit |
| Little Elm, TX | Residential driveway/flatwork permit | $50 |
Where a permit exists, it is cheap next to the patio: $50 to $100 in these examples. The real cost of skipping one is a stop-work order or a slab that ends up over a setback or easement. Ask in the quote who pulls the permit and whether the price includes it, and check the contractor first with our guide to checking a contractor’s license; licensing for concrete and hardscape work differs by state, as our state license table shows.
This page is general information, not legal advice. Permit, zoning and stormwater rules vary by parcel and change; confirm with your city or county building and zoning offices before you build or sign a contract.
Pouring it yourself: what you save and what you take on
On a 12×12, the materials and delivery in the line-item table come to about $640 to $1,070. A contractor charges $1,600 to $3,100. So doing it yourself saves very roughly $950 to $2,000, before any tools you buy or rent. Where that saving goes:
- Bagged concrete is not cheaper. A 4-inch 12×12 is 48 cu ft of concrete. At the 0.60 cu ft an 80 lb bag yields (Quikrete Concrete Mix 1101 data sheet), that is 80 bags before waste, about 84 with it: roughly 3.4 tons to mix by hand, and about $800 at $9.50 a bag. Two yards of ready-mix cost $362 to $905 delivered on the price lists above, and arrive mixed.
- The clock is the cost. Plants charge for every minute a truck waits beyond its allowance: $2.25 to $2.50 a minute on Oak Park’s 2026 bid, $3.00 a minute on Cleveland Metroparks’ contract after 30 minutes for small loads, and $75 an hour after the first hour at American Concrete. Townsend allows 20 minutes for a load of 4 yards or less, then charges $10 per 5 minutes. Forms, base and reinforcement have to be finished and checked before the truck is called.
- Finishing is the skilled part. Screeding, bull-floating, edging, jointing and brooming happen in a window set by weather and the mix. NRMCA lists improper finishing and insufficient curing among the causes of surface scaling, notes that overfinishing or finishing while bleed water is on the surface can make a slab peel (NRMCA CIP 2), and puts the curing period at typically 3 to 7 days (CIP 11).
- Stamping is a bigger jump. Stamp sets rent for $175 a day (Texas Stamp Concrete Supply, including a set, a flex mat, a texture skin and a tamper) to $250 a day (Ozinga, $200 if you buy their concrete). The timing is less forgiving than a broom finish, and mistakes are permanent.
Our view: a small plain slab is a reasonable DIY job for someone with a strong helper or two, a ready-mix order placed close to the house, and forms set to grade the day before. Stamped, colored or exposed-aggregate finishes on anything larger than a landing are where hiring pays for itself.
What a good concrete patio quote spells out
Concrete quotes are easy to compare on price and hard to compare on substance. These are the lines that separate a durable patio from a cheap one, with the published standard behind each:
- Thickness and strength. 4 inches minimum; 4,000 psi with about 6 percent entrained air where it freezes and de-icers are used, 3,500 psi where they are not (NRMCA CIP 2). Air entrainment need not cost more: Cleveland Metroparks’ contract prices air-entrained and plain 4,000 psi at the same $154 a yard.
- Base. Depth and material of the gravel base, and that the subgrade and base will be compacted; NRMCA lists improper subgrade preparation among the main causes of cracking (CIP 4).
- Joint layout. Control joints about every 10 ft on a 4-inch slab (24 to 36 times the thickness, 15 ft at most), cut or tooled to a quarter of the depth, with nearly square panels, and an isolation joint where the slab meets the house (NRMCA CIP 6).
- Slope. Fall away from the house so water does not pond against the foundation; ask the contractor to state it.
- Reinforcement named by type and placement (fiber, mesh or rebar, and chairs to hold it mid-slab), with no claim that it prevents cracking.
- Curing and sealing. Whether curing compound is applied, and whether sealer is included or extra; Darien, Illinois’ 2026 program contractor charges $5 per sq ft to seal (city price sheet).
- Exclusions. Demolition and haul-off of old concrete, soil export, steps, pump or wheelbarrow access, and permit fees are where a low quote turns into a high invoice. Where the truck cannot reach the patio, a line pump costs $300 plus $13 a yard on Supreme Concrete’s list to $500 for two hours plus a $25 fuel charge at a Portland, Oregon pumping company.
- Timing. Who decides to pour or postpone in rain or cold, and whether winter charges ($5 a yard at Gehring; $15 at Oak Park) are passed on.
Red flags: a per-square-foot price with no thickness or psi, a demand for most of the money before forms are set, no mention of control joints, and “crack-proof” claims of any kind.
Concrete vs. pavers vs. a deck
Plain poured concrete is the cheapest of the three by a wide margin. Our paver patio cost estimate puts standard concrete pavers at $29 to $45 per sq ft installed, two to three times plain concrete, and the trade-offs (cracking vs. settling, salt, repairs, resale data) are laid out in our pavers vs. concrete patio comparison. A deck costs more again: in the 2023 Remodeling Impact Report from the National Association of Realtors and the National Association of Landscape Professionals, a 14×18 cedar deck was estimated at $16,900, about $67 per sq ft, against $10,500 for an 18×16 paver patio (NAR/NALP, 2023). The report does not price a poured concrete patio. If your patio needs a wall to hold a slope, price it separately with our retaining wall cost guide; for whole-yard budgets, see how much landscaping costs.
How we built these numbers
We have no job data of our own. Everything here comes from published documents: government bid tabulations and price reports for concrete flatwork (2024 to 2026), government ready-mix supply contracts, producers’ and suppliers’ own price pages, federal wage, compensation, price-index and Economic Census data, and the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association’s technical bulletins. Prices were checked Oct. 14, 2026.
Plain broom finish, $10 to $20 per sq ft. The central band of the public bid prices for 4-inch concrete walk in the bids table: the low end matches Midwest and Plains averages (Sidney, OH median $10.00; South Dakota DOT $10.82; Darien, IL $9.50), the high end Connecticut and suburban Portland, Oregon ($17 to $20; $19.89 median). Bay Area prices sit above it. Two cross-checks: our line-item materials for a 12×12 ($4.45 to $7.44 per sq ft including delivery) are 35 to 40 percent of the installed range, close to the 34.5 percent materials share in the 2022 Economic Census for poured concrete contractors; and the labor that share implies (12 to 22 hours at a loaded $39.44) is a plausible crew-day. The range is the same one used on our pavers vs. concrete page.
Finishes. Stamped and colored, $16 to $32: plain plus $6 to $12; the low add is Darien’s $5 sealer price plus about $0.36 to $0.45 of color hardener and $0.13 to $0.22 of release, rounded up; the high add is one Middletown, CT bidder’s $12 gap between stamped and plain; Riverdale City, UT’s 2026 medians (+$9.45) and Oklahoma DOT’s decorative walk (+$12.46) fall inside it. Integral color, $11 to $23: plain plus $1 to $3, from pigment at $16.50 to $69 per bag at one bag per yard ($0.21 to $0.94 per sq ft with waste) and a $50 to $125 washout fee per load ($0.35 to $0.87 per sq ft on a 12×12), plus handling. Exposed aggregate, $13 to $26, and stained, $13 to $28: no current public bid prices either for flatwork, so these are judgment estimates placed between plain and stamped: plain plus $3 to $6 and plus $3 to $8, with the stain high end reflecting contractor sealing at $3.33 (MoDOT 2025 average) to $5.00 (Darien 2026) per sq ft. Demolition, $2 to $4 per sq ft: the upper half of public removal prices ($1.42 to $3.22 for sidewalk items in five documents), raised for small residential jobs.
Per-job load fees: by order size, low = Cleveland Metroparks’ 2025 short-load fee plus its $25 fuel charge; high = Oak Park’s 2026 cartage plus about $10 fuel. 1.5 cu yd $190 to $260; 2 to 2.5 cu yd $175 to $220; 3 to 3.5 cu yd $170 to $175; 4.5 cu yd $135 to $145; 5.5 cu yd $90 to $145; 6 to 6.5 cu yd $55 to $130; 8 cu yd $10 to $25 (fuel only); 20×40 two loads $190 to $290. Size totals = area times the per-sq-ft range plus the fee, rounded to $100.
Labor hours: installed price times 28.4 percent (payroll 22.8 plus benefits 5.6 percent of revenue, NAICS 238110, 2022 Economic Census) divided by $39.44 (BLS OEWS May 2025 median for SOC 47-2051, $27.41, divided by the 69.5 percent wage share of compensation for construction employers in BLS ECEC June 2026). For a 12×12 that is 11.5 to 22.3 hours. This is an implied figure, not a measured one.
Limits: public bids are larger jobs, some at prevailing wages; residential quotes can be lower or higher. The Economic Census ratios are for NAICS 238110, while the Census index places patio work in 238990. Steps, curves, poor access, soil export, drainage work and sales tax are not included unless stated.
Concrete patio cost: the questions people ask
How much does it cost to pour a 20×20 concrete patio?
About $4,100 to $8,100 for a plain broom-finished 4-inch slab (400 sq ft), and $6,500 to $12,900 stamped and colored, by our estimate. That includes a gravel base and the small-load fee for about 5.5 cu yd of concrete, but not removal of an old patio, which adds roughly $800 to $1,600.
How much does a 15×30 concrete patio cost?
About $4,600 to $9,100 plain and $7,300 to $14,500 stamped for 450 sq ft. The pour needs about 6 cu yd, close to a full truck, so the per-foot price is lower than on a small patio.
How much does a 12×16 concrete patio cost?
About $2,100 to $4,100 for a plain 4-inch patio of 192 sq ft, and $3,200 to $6,400 stamped. Expect to order 2.5 to 3 cu yd of concrete.
How much concrete does it take to pour a 12×12 slab?
At 4 inches thick, 1.78 cubic yards (48 cu ft); with 5 to 10 percent for waste and uneven base, order 2 yards. At 6 inches it is 2.67 cubic yards, so order 3. In 80 lb bags that is 80 bags at 4 inches before waste, using the 0.60 cu ft yield on the Quikrete data sheet.
How much does a 20×40 patio cost?
In plain concrete, about $8,200 to $16,300 for 800 sq ft by our estimate; stamped, about $13,000 to $25,900. At roughly 10.5 cu yd it usually takes two trucks.
Is it cheaper to pour a concrete patio or build a deck?
A concrete patio, by a wide margin. Plain concrete runs about $10 to $20 per sq ft installed by our estimate; the 2023 NAR and NALP Remodeling Impact Report estimated a 14×18 cedar deck at $16,900, about $67 per sq ft. A deck makes sense on a steep slope or where the floor needs to meet a raised door.
Is it cheaper to pour a concrete patio or use pavers?
Concrete. Plain poured concrete is about $10 to $20 per sq ft installed against $29 to $45 for standard concrete pavers in our paver cost estimate; stamped concrete at $16 to $32 is usually cheaper than pavers too. Pavers buy repairability and salt resistance; our pavers vs. concrete comparison covers the trade-offs.
What is the downside of stamped concrete?
It costs $6 to $12 more per sq ft than plain, needs resealing every few years, and still needs control joints that cut through the pattern (about every 10 ft on a 4-inch slab, per NRMCA). Cracked or scaled panels are cut out and repoured, and matching weathered color and texture is hard.
More project pricing lives on our costs hub, and how we build every estimate is explained on our methodology page.
Sources
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