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Backyard Concrete Patio Designs and What Each Costs

Broom finish, exposed aggregate, stamped, saw-cut and coloured concrete compared on cost, slip resistance and how each one ages.

By Salma 2 min read Save to Pinterest — opens Pinterest in a new tab
A small courtyard seen from above, with paving, planting beds and timber screening
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Concrete patio design is mostly a choice of finish, and the finish decides cost, slip resistance and how the surface looks in ten years.

Finishes compared

finishinstalled $/sq ftslip resistancehow it ages
Broom8–15BestFades, stains, very durable
Exposed aggregate12–20Very goodExcellent; hides stains
Saw-cut / scored12–20GoodJoints collect debris
Stamped15–30Fair; depends on sealerColour fades; reseal every 2–3 yr
Integral colour+2–5 over baseAs base finishFades slowly and evenly
Acid stain+3–8 over baseAs base finishVariable, patchy over time

Design moves that cost little

  • A stamped or aggregate border around a plain broom-finished field
  • Saw-cut grid in large squares or a diagonal, which breaks up the expanse for the price of cutting
  • A gravel or planted strip between the house and the patio, which handles drainage and softens the slab
  • Curved edges, which cost a little more in formwork and change the feel entirely
  • Two levels separated by a single step, instead of one large flat area

Construction, which matters more than the pattern

elementspec
Slab thickness4 in foot traffic; 5–6 in for vehicles or poor subgrade (how thick)
Base4–6 in compacted crushed stone
ReinforcementWelded mesh or fibre in the mix
Control jointsCut at 24–36× slab thickness, a quarter depth
Fall for drainageAbout 1/4 in per foot, away from the house
Expansion jointAgainst the house and any fixed structure

Ask about the sealer around water

A glossy film-forming sealer on smooth stamped concrete is genuinely slick when wet — a real issue beside a pool or on a slope. Specify a penetrating sealer, or one with grit additive, and a deeper texture pattern.

Resurfacing an existing slab

  • Viable where the slab is sound, stable and clean
  • Costs well under demolition and replacement
  • Carries colour and texture via micro-topping or stamped overlay
  • Not viable over active cracks, heave, spalling or hollow-sounding areas — the overlay cracks again in the same places

Common questions

What are the main concrete patio finishes?

Five cover almost everything. A broom finish is the plain, cheapest and most slip-resistant option; exposed aggregate washes the top paste off to reveal the stone and is both attractive and very durable; stamped concrete is textured and coloured to imitate stone or brick; saw-cut or scored concrete uses a grid of cut lines as the design; and integrally coloured or acid-stained concrete changes the colour without changing the texture. The finishes can be combined — a stamped border around a broom-finished field is a common and economical approach.

How much does a concrete patio cost?

Roughly $8 to $15 per square foot installed for a plain broom finish, $12 to $20 for exposed aggregate or saw-cut patterns, and $15 to $30 for stamped and coloured work, with regional labour rates moving all of it. Site access, demolition of an existing surface, drainage work and reinforcement all add. For comparison, pavers run broadly similar to stamped concrete but can be lifted and relaid, which is worth factoring in if anything might change later.

How thick should a backyard concrete patio be?

Four inches over a compacted base of four to six inches of crushed stone for foot traffic, with reinforcing mesh or fibre in the mix. Go to five or six inches where vehicles will drive on it or where the subgrade is poor. The base is as important as the slab — most cracked patios failed because the ground beneath was not compacted, not because the concrete was thin. Control joints should be cut at spacings of roughly 24 to 36 times the slab thickness.

Does stamped concrete get slippery?

It can, and the sealer is usually the culprit rather than the concrete. A glossy film-forming sealer on a smooth stamped surface is slick when wet, which matters around a pool or on any slope. Ask for a penetrating sealer or one with a grit additive, or choose a deeper texture pattern. A broom finish is the most slip-resistant of the common finishes, and exposed aggregate is close behind.

Will a concrete patio crack?

Almost certainly, somewhere, eventually — concrete shrinks as it cures and moves with temperature. The job of a good installer is to control where it cracks, using a properly compacted base, reinforcement, and control joints cut at the right spacing and depth so the slab fractures along those lines invisibly. Random cracking across the middle of a slab points to a base or jointing failure rather than bad luck.

Can you resurface an old concrete patio instead of replacing it?

Yes, if the slab is structurally sound. A micro-topping or stamped overlay applied over an existing slab costs considerably less than demolition and replacement, and can carry colour and texture. It needs the old surface to be stable, clean and free of significant movement — an overlay over a slab with active cracks or a failing base will crack again in the same places within a year or two. Spalled, heaved or hollow-sounding concrete needs replacing.

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