Concrete patios in Dallas-Fort Worth

What goes into a patio that lasts

A patio is a slab sitting on Blackland Prairie clay, right up against your foundation. That clay swells when it's wet and shrinks when it's dry, so the base under the slab and the way water leaves the slab matter as much as the concrete itself.

Our standard patio is the same build we use on driveways: a compacted base (not just graded dirt), 4 inches of 3,500 PSI ready-mix, rebar on 18-inch centers set on chairs so it ends up in the middle of the slab, control joints and a broom finish. Tear-out and haul-off of an old patio are included, and we leave the yard clean. The patio section of our concrete guide goes deeper on each piece.

Sizing it for how you'll use it

Most people undersize a patio. The best way to avoid that is to set out the furniture you actually own, or plan to buy, and walk around it. Pull the chairs back like you're getting up from the table. Leave room for the grill lid to open and for someone to walk past the cook.

A few things worth thinking through before we measure:

• Where the shade falls in the afternoon. A patio that bakes from 3 to 7 p.m. in July doesn't get used much.
• Where it meets the yard. A straight edge is easiest to mow along. Curves look nice and cost a little more to form.
• Walkways. If the patio needs to connect to a gate, a side yard or the driveway, it's cheaper to pour the walk at the same time. See sidewalks and walkways.
• Trees. Roots lift slabs and big trees pull moisture out of the clay. Pouring right at the trunk is asking for cracks.

Slope and the connection to the house

Every patio we pour falls away from the house at least 1/8 inch per foot. That doesn't sound like much, but on a 16-foot patio it's 2 inches, and it's the difference between water running to the yard and water sitting against your foundation.

Where the patio meets the foundation we put an isolation joint, a strip of expansion material that lets the slab and the house move separately. The patio shouldn't be tied rigidly to the house. Your foundation and your patio are going to move different amounts as the clay changes, and the joint keeps one from cracking the other.

The top of the patio also needs to sit below the door threshold and below any weep holes in the brick. On some older houses the existing grade is too high, and we'll tell you if that means digging down further than usual.

If the new patio meets concrete that's staying, like a sidewalk or an existing slab, we drill and set dowels into the old concrete and put an expansion joint between them. That keeps the two pieces level with each other over time.

Covered patios, pergolas and outdoor kitchens

This is the one thing we really want to hear about early. A pergola post, a patio cover or an outdoor kitchen puts a concentrated load on one spot. A 4-inch slab isn't built for that by itself, so we dig thickened footings in those spots before we pour.

That's cheap and easy when the forms are going in. It's a lot harder after the fact, because someone has to cut out the slab and pour footings in the holes. If you think you might add a cover in the next few years, mark where the posts would land and we'll plan for it. The footings section of the guide has more on this.

Finish options

Broom finish is our standard. It's the cheapest, it gives good grip when wet and it's easy to keep clean. We also pour exposed aggregate, salt finish, integral color and stamped concrete. Stamped includes the sealer, takes 2 to 3 days and needs resealing every few years.

Decorative finishes cost considerably more than broom. Our stamped and decorative concrete page compares how each one looks, how slick it gets and what upkeep it needs.

Getting concrete into the backyard

A ready-mix truck's chute reaches about 15 to 20 feet. Most backyard patios are farther than that from the street or driveway, behind a fence or a gate. When the chute can't reach, we bring a pump or use buggies to move the concrete.

We price that as its own line so you can see it. A pump usually adds roughly $1,000 to $1,600. On a small patio that's a big share of the total, which is part of why small backyard jobs cost more per square foot.

What drives the price

To get a ballpark before you call, try the cost calculator. It's built on our driveway data, so treat it as a starting point for a patio.

We pour new concrete. We don't install pavers, and we don't do foam or mud leveling, overlays or patching on existing patios.

Timeline from yes to dinner outside

We measure from aerial imagery and your photos and usually get you a written, itemized estimate within one business day. A 20-minute walk with a tape measure confirms it. Once you accept, the pour is usually 2 to 3 weeks out, depending on permits and weather.

The work itself takes 1 to 2 days for broom finish and 2 to 3 days for stamped. You can walk on it after 24 hours. On decorative finishes, keep furniture off for 7 days and give the sealer 48 dry hours.

Ready for a number? Start your estimate and send a few photos of the backyard, including the path from the street.

Questions people ask