How Much Does It Cost to Put in Concrete Patio?

Please note that the price information in this article was based on data from 2018 and may now be outdated. 

The concreting only will cost you anywhere from $50 to $85 per square metre. This doesn’t include any additional finishes like polishing your concrete, colouring it or creating stencils on it. This is the price of the bare minimum concreting for your patio.

A one-slab, square patio of 16 sqm will cost you anywhere around $800 to $1,360. Keep in mind that this only involves the concrete slab and not the roofing, pillars or other additional work. Therefore, your patio will easily ramp up to $3,000.

Cheaper prices per square metre are usually reserved for easy, clean concreting in level. If your patio is difficult to reach or it is on a slope, you are looking at the prices closer to $85.

Pouring a slab of concrete can be your own DIY project, if you think you are up for it. However, if this is the first time you want to venture into concreting, it is better to leave your patio to the professionals. Concrete patios can crack when not done well, so try to avoid that and get in touch with the best concreters in your part of Australia.

What Is the Average Patio Size?

Standard sizes for patios depend on the patio function and type.

Diagram from concretenetwork

If you are opting for a small, bistro patio in the backyard with a counter, you need a round concrete surface for around 3m in diameter. A smaller patio for an afternoon coffee for two doesn’t have to be larger than 2 m x 2 m.

However, if you want a larger patio that you can use as your outdoor living room, you are looking at a concrete slab that has at least 3m x 2m if you are planning a table for 4 people, or 4m x 3m if you want to have a big family table that will seat 6 people.

Also, let’s not forget a nice sun deck that can have two sunbeds a small table and a shade. Due to sunbed average sizes, this patio should be at least 3m x 2.5m.

How Thick Is Concrete Patio?

The overall thickness of your patio is around 15 cm if you want it to be in level with the ground or 20 cm, if you want it to go above the ground level.

You first need to dig a hole in a ground and use gravel to fill it and create a strong base. You need around 10 cm of well set gravel. If you plan on using your patio for a heavy, brick BBQ or something similar, you need to pour concrete base at this point, as well. You can have a gravel/concrete ratio of 50:50 if you want, but that is up to you.

How Much Slope Should a Concrete Patio Have?

To ensure the proper drainage, you need to create a slope that will lead the water away from the house. The rule of thumb is to create a slope in the ratio of 1:80. This means that for every 80cm of your patio, it needs to drop one centimetre. Let’s see this on practical examples.

Click the image to magnify

How to Decorate Concrete Patio?

All the prices and estimates we did so far are there to get you to have a nice, solid and durable concrete slab that you can use for you patio. But, if you want to add some style to that, you can try and decorate your concrete patio. Among the most common choices are:

• Polished concrete
• Stamped concrete
• Concrete colours

These are definitely additions that boost your concrete patio price. The estimates to those costs are as follows:

How Much Does Concrete Polishing Cost?

Depending of the complexity of your polishing, you can expect the price to be around $50 to $60 per square metre. The cheaper version is the regular grind and seal method and the honing technique is closer to the upper price limit.

Image from southeastfloors

Keep in mind that you cannot use mechanical polished concrete for outdoor areas and this is usually replaced with the honed concrete. If you want your aggregate to be visible, that will include more grinding and that will definitely cost you extra. Decide on your precise wishes with your concreter before you agree on the price.

How Much Is Stamped Concrete Patio?

Expect to pay around $200 per square metre for stamped concrete on your patio. This is one of the most effective and the most expensive decorations for a concrete patio.

The process of stamping the patio goes in several steps. At first, the hardener is applied in a 3 mm layer. The next layer is the release agent which is followed by the moulds. After three days, the patio is washed to remove all the excess of the release agent. It is then left to dry.

How Much Does It Cost to Colour Concrete?

There are two ways to colour concrete. The first way is to put the colour into the concrete while it is being mixed and the other is to put the coloured hardener on the poured slab of concrete while it is still wet. This is not a special technique or method, so the price is usually just the price of the material.

The oxide colours are sold per bags. A 12.5 kg bag can be anywhere from $100 to $170. How much you spend depends on the shade you want to achieve. Per 20kg of cement add 800g of oxide for a light colour, 1.2kg a medium colour and 2kg for a dark colour.

Colouring hardener adds colour and durability to your patio. A 20kg bag is around $30. You need to use it according to the manufacturer’s directions.

Having an expert to do your concreting for you is priceless. However, you still need a price for your project. Ask for concreting quotes from experts that always get their job done. Get several quotes and then see which one of them fits your budget.