How Much Should a Patio Cost?

We recently did a Google search to see what would pop up when searcing "how much should a patio cost" and we were blown away! There were about 15 results on the first page including organic and ad results and they were all way off the mark. None of the 15 results were from contractors that actually install brick paver patios. The information being fed to property owners about how much a patio should cost was extremely misleading, albeit possibly unintentionally.

To answer this question with integrity requires to point out how many factors impact the cost of the pavers per square foot. Access, distance to job site, existing conditions, soil types, water management for the patio, market rate for employees, etc. Each of these can make a major impact. For example, some markets pay laborers $10 per hour with little to no benefits where others pay over $20 plus benefits. That is over double the cost just in that 1 category!

Can you excavate the soils before the base work with a piece of equipment or does it need to all be done by hand due to access? Are the soils sandy or heavy clay? Do the soils have to be hauled off site and properly disposed of or can they stay on site? These are other relevant questions that determine how much a patio should cost.

In the midwest, the range we are seeing firsthand is $25 to $55 per square foot and everything in between. Other markets may be below or above this range. What did our non installing friends say when I researched "how much should a patio cost"? $8 to $25 per square foot! This is probably not the case.

Be sure to note that these ranges do not take into consideration the cost of steps, restoration, permits, etc. It's important to do your homework when attempting to discover costs for patios and other landscaping projects.