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We are getting ready to start getting quotes on a patio and was wondering what the cost might be or what material you went with and why. We know we don't want to get poured concrete and we don't want a typical square form either. We are hoping to get a fireplace or pit built in.
I am open to any suggestions, ideas or comments that anyone may have and even what you paid or what we can expect to pay.
It really depends on the size, and the complexity of the pour. You should just shop around and get many quotes. dont take the lowest, but i would not take the highest quote ither. Get plenty of customer feedback on each, and ask to see some of the work they have done.
It would also be good to know where you're located. Prices vary widely based on location, as do recommendations for the best materials to use. What works well in the South doesn't necessarily hold up to the winters in the North.
In our area, colored/stamped concrete is $6/sf, versus poured slab at $4/sf. That is the concrete contractor's cost, not counting the ground prep work.
I got pavers in a red/charcoal mix. I'm doing the work myself. It is costly to pay for the labor as most of it has to be done by hand. There's about a 9-10 times the material cost for the labor here. They run about $2.30-$5/sq. ft. here depending on what you choose. Plus 4 inches depth of gravel and an inch of sand.
As a do it yourself project, it isn't hard to do. You just portion out the work and weight you lift in amounts you can handle and stop or rest as needed. It is a great workout.
We are getting ready to start getting quotes on a patio and was wondering what the cost might be or what material you went with and why. We know we don't want to get poured concrete and we don't want a typical square form either. We are hoping to get a fireplace or pit built in.
I am open to any suggestions, ideas or comments that anyone may have and even what you paid or what we can expect to pay.
Thanks
I'm not sure where you are since freeze/thaw cycles can play havoc on your patio. I would not recommend the poured concrete patio at all, no matter where you are.
We had a large paver patio put in on our last home and after doing a lot of research we chose to go with a contractor. The most important part of the patio is the underlayment which needs to be prepared well. The guys dug out the area by hand, used an electric tamper to tamp down the ground, added a layer of gravel, tamped again, set in strips around the perimeter and then added the paver sand (not the regular playground sand) and began to set in the pavers. We trimmed costs (not sure if that is an issue for you) by doing the paver laying part and paid one of the workers to help/teach us how to do it right. The patio was also graded to allow rain water to drain off in case of heavy rain.
We have had the patio for 6 years now and haven't regretted it one bit. Despite awful weather it has not heaved, the pavers have held up well and all we had to do was sweep in some paver sand last year. (again, not playground sand!)
The only issue I have had is that sometimes weeds take root in between the pavers but a quick round up spray once or twice a season takes care of that.
You can find contractors for this kind of work through angie's list which at least gives you honest reviews from other customers. If you are still looking for info the library will have tons of books on patios - brick, paver, concrete, etc and you can get plenty of ideas from on shape and structure from books as well.
Here's an idea... If there is a possibility that someday this patio will become a sun-room, plan ahead. You may not need the permits for a patio, but you will for an extra room. Thus, make the patio beams to fit conventional windows, roof lines, ets. That way, if you decide to make it a room instead, just add windows and roof. It's a great way to get around permits, and improving vs. rebuilding is a huge money saver.
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