How much is it to concrete a backyard?

Please note that the price information in this article was based on data from 2019 and may now be outdated.

Concreting a backyard is a matter of pouring one or more concrete slabs on the surface you choose. Concreting your backyard will cost you anywhere from $50 to $85 per square metre.

Your price will increase if you choose different finishes for your concrete slab or if your backyard is sloping. Also, you can expect to get a higher quote on your concreting project if you want to get creative with design, pour elevated concrete slabs or have otherwise challenging work done.

In any case, you need to list all the details about your concreting project and then ask for quotes from experienced concreters in order to understand the best way to plan your budget.

What Are the Benefits of a Concrete Backyard?

However, with all that green grass and natural look, some may even ask themselves why they would change all that and pour concrete over their backyard. There may be many reasons for opting for a concrete backyard. Here are some of them:

1. You don’t have the time to maintain the plants

A nice backyard with beautiful plants and amazing grass is really the best way to go, but have you got the time to maintain it? If the answer is no, then you are better off with some sort of concrete or paved backyard.

There is hardly anything so ugly and annoying as backyard grass that doesn’t grow nicely or grows too high. If you have the time to maintain the lawn all the time, go for the grass. If not, stay clear of it and go for concrete with easy-to-grow plant lanes.

2. The soil doesn’t support plants

Let’s say you are willing to grow and maintain the grass and the plants, but the soil is just not having it. You have exhausted all the possible ideas about how to make that grass grow evenly, but it just isn’t happening.

When you get tired of trying, simply pour over a concrete slab and design it in any way you like. Maybe even create a nice sitting area for your family.

3. Your hobby requires a solid surface

You may enjoy repairing old motorcycles and similar vehicles, and you need space in your backyard to do it. If there is grass, small parts will easily drop on your lawn and get absolutely lost. It is much harder to secure a motorcycle on grass than it is on a solid surface.

You may have kids that enjoy basketball. If you want to shoot some hoops with them, you will need a concrete slab that can be turned into a real basketball, tennis, volleyball or soccer court. The concrete court can even be surfaced with materials suitable for sports.

4. You want extended outdoor living space

By adding a little fence or a pergola for your concrete slab, you can easily turn it into a nice outdoor living room. If your weather conditions allow it, your backyard can become an extension of your indoor space.

There are endless possibilities about how to make this happen, but they all start with pouring a concrete slab of specific dimensions.

How to Make Concrete Backyard Look Nice?

First of all, concrete doesn’t have to be an unsightly surface. It doesn’t even have to be grey. Secondly, if you have an idea to pour a concrete slab over your backyard, it doesn’t have to mean that your entire backyard will be covered with it. Here are some ideas about how you can make your concrete backyard beautiful.

1. Use staining or stamping

The first thing everybody says when it comes to concrete is – grey and dull. However, it doesn’t have to be that way. You can use colouring, staining, stencilling, stamping and polishing to change the appearance of your concrete slab.

Stencilling means that your concreter will use different colouring methods to paint your concrete in the way you agree. Stamping will include pressing certain shapes into the concrete to create both shapes and texture.

Staining means that your concrete slab will be treated with acids that leave interesting shapes and colours on the surface of the concrete slab. Either way, your concrete slab will be everything but boring and grey.

2. Add outdoor rugs to the seating area

If you are about to create a seating area, decorate it with outdoor rugs. Given that your concrete slab is easily washed and there is no dust or dirt on it, you can easily throw a rug on it and make it even more interesting and homely. This will make your outdoor area seem cozier, and it will tone down the industrial feel of the concrete.

3. Create plant strips

While you can leave a part of your backyard covered in grass or plants, you can also create strips of soil in your concrete slabs and plant some bushes and flowers there. This is a very interesting idea, especially because it allows you to make your backyard more natural.

The plants can find their place in the lanes that you leave open while pouring concrete, or you can use precast concrete flower beds. Ask for tips from gardeners about which plants grow well in concrete planters so you make a good choice before planting them.

4. Add a fire pit or a BBQ area

Your concrete garden will look a lot better if there is a concrete BBQ area, an outdoor kitchen or a fire pit to sit around. These are all much easier to achieve and build if you already have a concrete slab poured over the bigger part of the backyard. Combine concrete with timber, gravel and other natural materials to achieve a unique and original feel in your outdoor area.

Image from thundercrete.com.au

If you open your mind to the possibilities and get involved in a bit of creative work, you can have a backyard that is easy to maintain and still gorgeous to look at. That is the benefit of concreting the outdoor areas around your house. List down your ideas and get quotes from serious concreters who will get the job done.