Patio Cost Calculator
Work through a patio in the order you will build it, with the stone, sand and slabs worked out for you.
Part of the 🏠 Homeowners and DIYers toolkit, with more tools made for the job.
Raised patios, steps and work near boundaries can need permits in some places. Check for pipes and cables before you dig. Rules on permits, building regulations and which work needs a qualified person differ by country and place, so check yours before you start.
Plan the patio
The size of the patio, and how deep the stone base will be, set how much stone, sand and slabs you buy.
The size of the patio
Use this instead of length and width.
Guides often suggest about 100 mm (4 in) of compacted stone, but it depends on the ground.
Added to the items priced by area or volume. Leave empty for 10%.
Mark it out and check what is underground
Pegs and string for the shape, and a check for pipes and cables before you dig.
Dig out the area
Down to firm ground, with a gentle fall away from the house.
Fill in step 1 first. The items priced by area or volume use the size from there.
Lay and compact the stone base
Stone laid in layers and compacted. Priced by the volume of stone, with the waste allowance added.
Fill in step 1 first. The items priced by area or volume use the size from there.
Bed and lay the slabs
A layer of sand and cement, then the slabs set level on top, with the waste allowance added.
Fill in step 1 first. The items priced by area or volume use the size from there.
Joint and finish the edges
Filling the gaps between slabs and edging the patio.
Fill in step 1 first. The items priced by area or volume use the size from there.
Running it afterwards
Once it is done it can still cost something. This is not part of the cost above.
Your patio, step by step
What each stage adds, and the total.
Type some prices in the steps above and the whole cost appears here, stage by stage.
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Give the size of the patio and how deep the stone base will be. This works out the volume of stone, then takes you through each stage of the build, with the cost of each step and a running total.
A patio is mostly what you cannot see: the stone base under the sand under the slabs. Guides describe the same order of work: mark out and check for pipes and cables, dig to firm ground with a fall away from the house, lay and compact a stone sub-base, bed the slabs on sand and cement, then joint and edge. Because stone and sand are bought by volume and slabs by area, the tool works both out from your size and adds an allowance for cuts and waste. You type the prices you have found.
How it’s worked out
- Step 1, the size and the depth of the stone base. The area is length times width, and the stone volume is the area times the depth, with a waste allowance (10 percent unless you change it).
- Mark out and check what is underground, then dig out the area, with the soil taken away and a weed membrane priced by area.
- Lay and compact the stone base, priced by the cubic metre or yard of stone, with the compactor hire.
- Bed and lay the slabs: sand and cement and the slabs, each priced by area with the allowance for cuts.
- Joint and finish the edges. The summary adds a share kept back for surprises, 15 percent if you leave it empty.
A 15 square metre patio with a 10 cm stone base needs 1.5 cubic metres of stone, 1.65 with waste. At 45 a cubic metre that is about 74, plus 60 for a compactor, so the stone base stage is about 134. The slabs at 30 a square metre with 10 percent extra are about 495.
Common mistakes
- Skipping the check for pipes and cables. Services can be closer to the surface than you expect, so check before you dig.
- Scrimping on the base. A thin or poorly compacted base is why patios sink and rock, and it is hidden once the slabs go on.
- Forgetting the fall. A patio needs a gentle slope away from the house so water drains, and the finished level should sit below the damp-proof course.
- Ordering slabs with no allowance. Cuts at the edges and around obstacles waste slabs, so allow some extra.
Questions
How deep should the stone base be?
Guides often suggest about 100 mm (4 inches) of compacted stone, with 30 to 50 mm of sand and cement on top, but it depends on the ground and the use. Dig deeper where the soil is soft.
Do I need a permit for a patio?
Often not for a simple ground-level patio, but raised patios, steps and work near boundaries can need permission in some places. Check your local rules.
Should I hire a compactor?
Guides suggest a plate compactor for a proper base, and a hand tamper or roller for very small jobs. Hire costs are a line in the stone base stage.
How do I work out the slabs?
The area of the patio plus an allowance for cuts, divided by the area of one slab, gives the number to buy. The tile calculator does the same sum if you want the count.
Where the method comes from
Estimates only
These are estimates and general information, not building, legal or professional advice. Costs, rules, permits and building regulations differ by country and place, so use your own quotes and check the rules where you live. Structural, electrical and gas work should be done by a qualified person.
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