A concrete patio runs $8 to $20 per square foot in 2026, so a standard 300-square-foot slab lands between $2,400 and $6,000 installed. Most homeowners with a basic broom-finish patio pay somewhere in the $10 to $13 range — call it $3,000 to $3,900 for that same 300 feet.
That's a wide spread for what looks like a simple gray rectangle. Here's what actually moves the number.
Finish is the single biggest lever
A plain broom finish is the floor of the price range. The moment you add decorative work, the per-square-foot cost climbs fast.
Stamped concrete that mimics stone or brick typically runs $12 to $18 per square foot. Stained or colored concrete adds $2 to $6 on top of the base. Exposed aggregate lands in the middle. If you're seeing a quote near $20, you're paying for a decorative finish, integral color, and a sealer — not just concrete.
People think they're buying concrete. What they're actually paying for is labor hours and finish detail. A stamped patio is three times the handwork of a broom finish.— Concrete finisher, 15 years in residential work
Thickness and site prep hide under the slab
A patio you'll only walk on can be poured at 4 inches. If you're parking anything on it or the soil is unstable, you're going 5 to 6 inches — and that's roughly 25% more concrete plus rebar or wire mesh reinforcement.
Site prep is where budgets quietly blow up. A flat, accessible yard with good drainage is cheap to prep. A sloped lot that needs grading, a tree stump that needs removal, or clay soil that needs a gravel base can add $1,000 to $3,000 before a single yard of concrete shows up. Old slab that needs demolition and haul-away? Add $2 to $6 per square foot just to clear the space.
Region, permits, and the pour distance
The same patio costs noticeably more in San Francisco or Boston than in rural Texas. Labor markets drive that — a region where skilled finishers are booked out charges premium rates, and 2026's tight construction labor market has kept those rates high.
Permits vary from a $50 flat fee to a few hundred dollars depending on your municipality, and some areas require inspections that add days to the timeline. Then there's the literal pour distance: if the truck can back up to your slab, you're fine. If it can't, the crew pumps or wheelbarrows the concrete — and pumping alone can add $600 to $1,200.
Timeline: faster than you'd think, slower than you'd hope
The pour itself is one day. Forming and prep is one to two days before that. But concrete needs to cure — you can walk on it in 24 to 48 hours, but it won't reach full strength for about 28 days, and you shouldn't put furniture or heavy loads on it for at least a week.
The real timeline variable is scheduling. Booking a reputable crew in peak season (late spring through early fall) can mean a two-to-six-week wait. Weather delays a wet pour, and cold snaps below 40°F stall curing entirely.
Getting a number you can trust
The gap between $2,400 and $6,000 on the same slab comes down to decisions you make and conditions you can't fully control. The best way to narrow it is to get two or three itemized quotes that break out prep, materials, finish, and labor separately — vague lump sums are where surprises live.
When you're comparing bids and handing over deposits, it helps to work with contractors who'll put your payment in escrow so funds only release as the work gets done.