Patio Options

There are a few options when it comes to building a patio. The patios main use is likely a big factor in this choice. Is it a place to host get togethers or just a place to to open up space? Or both?

Patio pricing varies depending on the style of patio you want as well the material used to build it. Here are a few patio options below.

If you also have a style in mind you can jump ahead check out our pricing:

Paving stone vs. Slab Patio

What is the difference between paving stones and slabs? Generally speaking, paving stones are small thick concrete pieces that fit together to create outdoor patios, walkways and driveways. 

Paving stone patios are our most popular style of patio because the stones come in a variety of styles and colours Paving stones can be laid in a variety of patterns that can add to the aesthetics as well as the integrity of a paved area.  

Slab patio pricing generally comes in on the lower end of our patio pricing. Slabs are larger (usually over 100 square inches) and thinner than pavers. Because slabs are thinner they are not designed for driveways or parking pad constructions; those are jobs for paving stones. 

Most commonly slabs range of 12"x12" up to 24"x24". These large pieces can cover a lot space and really expand an outdoor sitting area. While the more generic square shaped slabs are the most cost effective there are also premium slabs available that come in a variety of colours and textures and in some cases can be laid to create patterns.

Here is a front entrance renovation we did at a strata. The slabs were reused and raised up leading to the doorway and a new paving stone patio was built beside it paved in a pinwheel pattern.

Paving Stone Patterns

Pinwheel Pattern

This Atkinson patio is done using a pinwheel pattern with standard paving stones. The pinwheel paving stone pattern consists of larger square pavers surrounding smaller square pavers. The pattern is name because it resemble the look of a pinwheel or windmill.

Completed large patio with Allan Block Border

Herringbone Pattern

This patio extension really expanded the usable space of this strata unit. The patio is framed in using a stack stone wall. The patio pattern is done in a herringbone pattern with standard grey pavers. Herringbone pattern is a very strong pattern and is commonly used for driveways but can also look great in a backyard patio space.

Soldier Course

This patio is done with another pinwheel pattern but this time has a charcoal border framing in the area. This charcoal boarder is called its soldier course and can be an eye catching way to create additional definition to your yard space.

Slab Patterns

For larger projects we can also custom order large slab pattern systems. These systems can be of the more traditional patterns above or more complex as seen in the Atkinson patio on the left. This patio was done in Barkman's Brookside slab in Sierra Grey colour blend.

Flagstone Patio

Flagstone offers a very unique look for your patio. If you are looking for attractive natural rock texture and colour then you may consider a flagstone patio. Constructed using natural Blue Pennsylvania Flagstone you will have a truly one of a kind patio. Flagstone patio pricing is on the higher end of our patio pricing due to its need to be quarried rather than manufactured at a concrete plant. 

While the texture is a feature of this patio option it may also prevent rain water from draining the way a paving stone or slab patio does. You may find this one small detail worth it to have such an impressive looking space.

Flagstone Options

The flagstone patios we construct usually have two choices for filling in the spaces between stones. Either an aggregate or pebble fill that provides great drainage options or a solid "locked in place" polymeric sand that adds a classy finish to the are. Expect some minor drainage issue with the polymeric option as the natural features of the rock may prevent flawless water runoff the same way a paving stone patio does.

Refurbished Stones

Occasionally we have requests to build a patio using refurbished stones. If you have pavers from a previous patio we are able to reuse them to construct a new patio if they are in decent condition. We do advise to use new stones if the option is available mainly due to the constraints on being able to find matching stones if more are needed. There may also be existing damage with old stones and they may crack or break more easily over time. In some cases we may not be able to install polymeric sand as the process requires a heavy plate compactor to be run over them and this could break stones if they are brittle.

Have a look at the example photos here. It is definitely possible to get an amazing looking patio and walkway out of reused pavers!

Atkinson Pricing Details

There are many factors that determine the price of a paving stone patio making it difficult to create a set square foot price. Most patios we install are under 500 square feet. Typically, these range between $25 and $40 per square foot. Some of the factors that determine the cost are as follows:

Uneven Yard (Slope Changes) – If the yard is sloped or uneven, additional time and materials may be needed to install the patio.

Curved Edges vs. Straight Edges – The shape of the patio will influence the number of cuts needed. More cuts will lead to increased costs.

Access – Patios require a 4-6-inch base of crushed gravel plus the paving stones required for the patio. Poor access will increase the labour time moving the materials in for the project.

Type of the Existing Material/Excavation – If the existing material is a heavy hard packed clay, additional labour time or machine time will be needed to remove it.

Patio Cost Calculator

[patio_calculator]

Patio Case Studies

Large Curved Patio

First we will look at the cost of a large curved patio done with standard paving stones in a pinwheel pattern. The paved area here is just under 600sqft. You can see that about half of the perimeter is curves. A patio design like this will require a fair amount of additional labour simply due to the marking and cutting of each stone. While this was a backyard patio project, the access was pretty good.

PRICE: $18,140 (575sqft patio ≈ $31.54/sqft)

Side Walkway Slab Paving

Here is a secondary paving project at the same property as above. Here a slab stone walkway was constructed. We featured this walkway as a great way to outline the difference in paving stone vs. slab. This walkway area is just under 300sqft so approximately half the area as the large patio. With most other variables the same you can see that the slab paving cost less than standard pavers. It is worth mentioning that there were no cuts needed on the walkway as well as less base material was needed since it was not built up to match the patio height.

PRICE: $6,342 (290sqft walkway ≈ $21.86 )

Slab Patio and Slab Walkway

This backyard transformation came in on the higher end of our slab patio pricing so we thought it would be a good one to look at. There are a few factors that contributed to the patio price here. First is the type of products that were used in this build. Premium slabs with a more textured look as well as stack stone perimeter used for style as well as to help raise the height. Additional base material was brought in and installed as well in order to raise the height up to the preexisting hot tub platform level. While this patio was not curved, there was still a considerable number of cuts needed as we were building to fill a fixed area.

PRICE: $12,221 (290sqft paved area ≈ $42.14)