Patio
Concrete Patio Cost Calculator
A patio is a slab with a walking load. The calculator starts at 4 inches. Change it if your detail says otherwise.
Your region
Feet, inches, cubic yards, and 40–80 lb bags
Concrete Calculator
Example measurements — replace them with yours.
Common sizes
Most orders add 5–10% for spillage, uneven ground, and the last bit left in the chute.
Cost, truck size, and concrete weight
Leave a price blank to skip that estimate. Use the number your supplier quoted.
This job
Add each pour — slab, piers, steps — and Concrete Calculator totals them.
How to use a concrete patio cost calculator
A patio is a walking slab. Use length along the house, width into the yard, and thickness — usually 4 inches on a firm base. Slope about ⅛–¼ inch per foot away from the wall so water leaves the foundation. Average the thickness if the slab wedges for drainage; volume cares about the average depth you will fill, not the high corner alone.
L-shaped patios are two rectangles. Run the calculator twice and add both pours to the job list. Steps, seat walls, and fire-pit rings are separate volumes — a circular slab calculator handles the ring; stairs get their own shape.
Worked example with the concrete patio cost calculator
At 4 inches: 12 × 16 × 0.333 = 64 ft³ = 2.37 yd³ neat. With 10% waste ≈ 2.61 yd³ → order 2.75. That is over 100 bags of 80 lb mix — usually a truck, not a weekend of wheelbarrows.
Bump to 5 inches for a heavier outdoor kitchen pad: 12 × 16 × 0.417 ≈ 80 ft³ = 2.96 yd³ neat. Same footprint, almost a third more concrete.
Cost and access on a patio pour
Enter your plant’s delivered rate or bag price in the cost calculator fields — Concrete Calculator will not invent a national patio price. Short-load fees matter on 2–3 yard patio pours. If the truck cannot reach the backyard, bags or a buggy show up in the real budget even when ready-mix looks cheaper on paper.
Common mistakes
Forgetting slope and ordering as if the slab were perfectly flat is fine for volume; missing a step or thickened edge is not.
- Pricing only bags without counting mixing time underestimates the job.
- Pouring against the house without a gap or isolation joint is a detailing issue — volume still needs the full pad.
- Treating a covered patio like a driveway thickness without a reason wastes money; treating a driveway like a patio understates it.
Bags, yards, or a truck?
Past about a yard, ready-mix usually wins on labor. Enter your bag price and yard price to see the split. A 2.75 yard patio is roughly 124 bags of 80 lb mix before you count waste on mixing — most crews call the plant.
The formula Concrete Calculator uses
Same rectangle formula as any slab. Add a second pour for steps or a thickened edge.
Who this is for
Homeowners planning a backyard patio.
Remodelers comparing 4 in vs 5 in thickness.
Cement patio and outdoor kitchen pads
Cement patio searches mean concrete patio volume — cement alone is not what you place. Outdoor kitchens and hot-tub pads may need thicker sections or separate thickened areas; add them as second pours instead of faking one average thickness.
Concrete patio cost calculator: enter installed $/ft² or material $/yd. A 12×16 patio is 192 ft²; at 4 inches the neat volume is 2.37 yd³ before waste.
Related calculators and guides
Open the pages that match the next question on the job — volume is only the first number.
Frequently asked questions
How many yards for a 12×16 patio?
2.37 yd³ at 4 inches before waste; about 2.75 ordered with 10% and quarter-yard rounding.
Can I bag a patio?
You can, but 2+ yards is 90+ bags of 80 lb mix. Mix and place before the first batches stiffen.
What thickness for a patio?
4 inches is common on compacted gravel. Follow the detail if you have one.
Does this include a fire pit ring?
Calculate the main rectangle, then the circular pad or ring separately.
How do I price it?
Enter $/yd or $/ft² installed from your quotes — Concrete Calculator multiplies; it does not invent rates.