What's included in the price
A concrete patio quote is typically made up of four components: materials (concrete, sub-base gravel, reinforcement), labor (excavation, formwork, pouring, finishing), equipment (concrete pump or mixer truck access), and finish (plain broom finish versus stamped, exposed-aggregate, or colored concrete).
Labor is usually the largest single line item on a straightforward slab — pouring and finishing concrete correctly is skilled, time-sensitive work, and it's the part of the price that varies most by region and contractor experience.
Typical thickness and why it matters
A patio people walk on is commonly 4 inches (about 100 mm) thick. Driveways and slabs that take vehicles are thicker. Going from 4 inches to 6 inches is a 50% increase in concrete volume for the same footprint — that shows up fast on a materials line.
Use the Concrete Calculator with your actual length, width, and depth before you compare quotes. If two contractors propose different thicknesses, the material line will not match even when the patio looks the same on a plan.
What pushes the price up
Decorative finishes (stamping, staining, exposed aggregate) typically add a large premium over a plain broom finish, since they require extra labour steps and specialised tools.
Difficult site access — a backyard a concrete truck cannot reach, for example — often means paying for a concrete pump or for the crew to wheelbarrow material by hand, both of which add labour cost.
Poor existing soil that needs extra excavation, compaction, or a thicker gravel sub-base adds both material and labour time before the pour even starts.
Getting an accurate estimate for your project
Start with the Concrete Calculator to get your own material volume — having that number ready makes it easier to sanity-check a contractor's material line item against their labour line item. Estimate the gravel sub-base separately with the Gravel Calculator.
Get at least two or three quotes from local contractors for anything beyond a small DIY slab. Concrete pricing is heavily regional — ready-mix delivery cost alone can vary significantly by market — so a national average is only a starting point, not a substitute for a local quote.
Ask each quote to split materials, labour, and finish. A lump sum is harder to compare and easier to misunderstand when extras appear.
Use a calculator for this
Concrete Calculator
Work out how much ready-mix concrete a slab, footing, or column needs.
CalculateConstructionGravel Calculator
Estimate gravel volume and weight for a driveway, path, or sub-base.
CalculateCost EstimationProject Cost Estimator
Roll materials, labor, delivery, waste, and optional markup into a planning total.
CalculateFrequently asked questions
Is it cheaper to DIY a concrete patio?
Materials alone are far cheaper than a full contractor quote, but concrete work is unforgiving of mistakes — a poorly finished or improperly cured slab can crack or need replacing. DIY makes the most sense for small, simple slabs where mistakes are lower-stakes.
How long does a concrete patio take to cure before I can use it?
Concrete is typically safe to walk on after 24–48 hours and can handle furniture after about a week, but it continues curing for roughly 28 days — avoid heavy loads like vehicles or hot tubs until then.
Does patio size affect the price per square foot?
Yes — smaller patios often cost more per square foot because setup, formwork, and minimum crew time don't scale down proportionally. A very small slab can carry a similar labour cost to a moderately larger one.