How Much Does a Concrete Patio Cost?

Studies show that roughly half of all structures in the world are made of concrete. With such a ubiquitous material, it's important to know how much it costs to use concrete in your home renovations.

How much does a concrete patio cost, and what factors alter the price? While this seems simple on the surface, there's a wealth of knowledge that can help you better estimate the costs.

If you're looking into hiring concrete patio contractors, we're here to offer our guidance. Read on to learn more about how much you should budget when installing a patio.

Choosing a Design

The first factor in cost is the design of your concrete. Some home renovators assume that the design has little to nothing to do with the final price. However, by the time you've tallied your bills, you'll find that the design is one of the most important parts.

Designs can range from simplistic, minimal surfaces to elaborate showcases. Custom designs can alter the price as well, with some adding exponential costs. Here are some of the primary categories of concrete designs.

Plain

A plain design is practically no design at all. Some concrete patios are poured without decoration, flattened, and allowed to cure.

These are ideal if you don't intend to showcase the area aesthetically. If you're choosing a patio solely for function, there's no reason to pay more for a design.

Another factor is if you intend to cover the concrete. It's common practice to seal or coat concrete with exterior substances, which would hide many designs. In some cases, concrete designs can interfere with a concrete coating.

Simple

Simple designs are a step above plain concrete. These are designs that provide some aesthetic value but are often minimal enough that some would overlook them.

An example of this design is concrete with lines to make it look like laid bricks. Hexagonal lines or other similar designs all count as simple designs.

Simple designs provide some aesthetic value without dramatically increasing costs. These are a good idea if you intend to leave your concrete uncovered but may cover parts with rugs or furniture.

Lustrous and Elaborate

Lustrous and elaborate designs are often the most expensive, though this depends on some other factors. These are designs that showcase your concrete as an aesthetic highlight rather than flooring.

Examples include filigree carvings, intricate designs, and more. The focus on craftsmanship and detail can add many hours to the job, increasing the costs.

In some rare cases, a design may need specialty concrete. These can include colors, concrete of a certain strength, multiple applications, and more.

These concrete designs are typically not in place on most patios, as patios are often covered by rugs or furniture. However, you may use these designs for accents such as steps or near your pool.

Custom Designs

Custom designs are difficult to estimate the cost of. As they're custom, the price will depend heavily on what style you're asking for.

The intricacy will also add more hours of labor, which is one of the biggest factors in cost. You should discuss a custom design with the contractors beforehand.

In rare cases, a custom design is cheaper than some other options. Most often, this is the case if your custom design is simple and won't take many hours of labor.

Other Factors

There's more that goes into the cost of installing a patio than the design of the concrete. Here are the primary and secondary factors that you should consider in your budget.

Status of Property

What is the current condition of your patio? That's the first thing you should ask yourself before you begin looking for reliable contractors.

As an outdoor area, the residential patio often suffers from damage due to the elements. These can include algae growth, fungi, plants damaging the concrete, and more.

You may also not have a patio of any sort yet. If you have a plot of land attached to your house that you want to turn into a concrete patio, there's some work you'll need to do first.

For example, the area may need leveling. In some climates, it's sometimes necessary to remove unsteady soil and lay a firmer foundation.

It's a good idea to have contractors come out to survey the condition of the land. Concrete patios installed on unstable ground will crack, break, and can even fail. Make sure you're installing the concrete on good, sturdy ground to avoid this.

Naturally, this will also increase the cost. The amount this adds to your bill depends on how much work was necessary to prepare the land.

Size of Patio

For many concrete contractors and home projects, costs are decided by the size of the project. The larger the project, the more materials you'll need. In this case, larger patios require more concrete.

Due to this factor, a large patio will almost certainly cost more than a smaller patio. If you're installing a sizeable patio, you should consider how much you're increasing the cost.

For example, most contractors will charge by the project. You should discuss what your contractors charge by the project or what measurement they use. From there, you can math out a rough estimate of how much your patio might cost.

Concrete Patio Contractors

Ultimately, a large portion of the cost is decided by the contractors. These are the professionals who will pour your concrete for you and, in most cases, are giving you a guarantee of quality.

Due to this being such an important factor, you shouldn't skimp on research when finding the right professionals. Texas is full of skilled pavers, but that doesn't mean the competition is all equal.

At Gray Horse Paving, we're experts in paving of all sorts. Concrete is one of our specialties, and we offer unmatched transparency on our prices. Contact us today to request an estimate so we can begin discussing your future residential patio.

Resurfacing or Replacing

Is there already concrete in place that you want to fix up? In some cases, you may have the foundation laid but still need a top layer for concrete.

If you're only replacing the surface of the concrete, this is called "resurfacing." Resurfacing is often the cheapest option. Primarily, this is because covering only the surface of the concrete often doesn't use much.

However, if the concrete in place is in bad shape, you'll need to replace it. Otherwise, the faults in this lower layer of concrete can cause the surface to break or crack, ruining your concrete.

If you need to remove and replace concrete, this will add to the cost of the overall project. Most professional crews can dispose of the old concrete for you. If not, you'll need a way to dispose of the previous patio.

Making Your Concrete Last

Once your concrete is in place, how can you avoid needing to replace the concrete again? Here are some of the best ways to keep your concrete in good shape so you don't have to add future repairs to your budget.

High-Quality Concrete

The most important factor in making your concrete last is using high-quality concrete. Concrete is a mixture of several ingredients, and making a poor mixture can result in bad concrete.

Professional pavers are experts at getting the right mixture for their concrete. Doing so as a DIY enthusiast can often lead to mixtures that have too much of one ingredient.

For example, too much water can make your concrete take too long to set. If you use too much cement dust, spreading the concrete before it hardens is difficult.

There are also methods of laying and letting the concrete cure that you should consider. If your concrete doesn't cure properly, the overall quality will suffer.

If you're looking for professional contractors that bring the highest quality pavement, contact us at Gray Horse Paving. We're happy to provide unparalleled quality to give you the residential patio of your dreams.

Proper Maintenance

Pouring a patio isn't the last step to maintenance. Once your patio is in place, you should practice proper maintenance. You'll want to do so over the course of the average year, meaning this isn't something contractors can aid you with.

One way to keep up with maintenance is not to expose the concrete to harmful materials. Rust or chemical spills can cause stains on the concrete or eat into the surface.

Clean the concrete at least once a year using gentle chemicals that won't eat into the concrete. You also should avoid using rough cleaning tools like steel wool or firm fabrics.

Estimating the Cost of Installing a Patio

Installing a patio won't have a flat cost and will depend on dozens of factors. Consider what design you want in the concrete, how large the patio will be, and any extra work that will go into the project.

If you're looking for trustworthy concrete patio contractors, Gray Horse Paving is happy to help. Our high-quality work is focused on giving you long-lasting results so you can accomplish your dream project and rest confident in your new patio. Contact us to see how we can help you today.