Is a Brick or Concrete Patio Cheaper? Costs Compared

Concrete is almost always cheaper than brick for a patio. A plain poured concrete patio runs about $5–$12 per square foot installed, while a brick paver patio typically costs $14–$40 per square foot installed once you factor in base prep, labor, edging, and jointing sand. For a 12x12 patio, that gap can mean paying $720–$1,700 for concrete versus $2,000–$5,800 for brick. If budget is the primary driver, concrete wins. That said, brick holds its own on durability, repairability, and curb appeal, so the right answer depends on more than just the upfront price.

Quick bottom-line comparison: brick vs. concrete

The biggest cost driver separating the two is labor intensity. Pouring concrete is faster per square foot. Laying brick pavers takes considerably more time because each unit gets set individually, joints need polymeric sand, and edge restraints must be installed around the perimeter. That extra labor is baked into every contractor quote you receive.

Material cost per square foot: what you're actually paying for

Concrete materials

For a standard poured concrete patio, the material cost covers ready-mix concrete (typically a 3,000–4,000 psi mix at 4 inches thick), wire mesh or rebar for reinforcement, and control joint cuts to manage cracking. If you are comparing stone patio versus concrete, the total cost usually hinges on stone type, thickness, and the underlayment and base prep required For a standard poured concrete patio. Raw material alone usually runs $2–$5 per square foot. Labor and base prep make up the rest of the $5–$18 installed range. HomeGuide also lists professional labor for concrete patios as typically $2, $18 per square foot depending on complexity Labor and base prep make up the rest of the $5–$18 installed range.. Add decorative finishes and costs climb: staining or coloring adds $1–$3 per square foot, and stamping can push the total to $8–$30 per square foot installed.

Brick paver materials

This is where people get tripped up. Brick paver material alone is often listed at $1–$15 per square foot depending on the source and paver type, which sounds like it might be competitive with concrete. But that number is just the units sitting in a pallet at the supplier. Once you add the compacted gravel base, bedding sand (about 1 inch of leveling sand goes over the base before pavers are set), polymeric jointing sand for the joints, plastic or metal edge restraints, and spiked anchors every 12 inches, your material total climbs fast. A realistic all-in material cost for a standard brick paver patio is $6–$18 per square foot before a contractor touches it.

Installation cost breakdown: base, labor, and finishes

Base preparation (both options need this)

Both concrete and brick patios require a properly prepared base, and this is the line item most DIYers underestimate. Per ICPI specifications, pedestrian paver applications need 4–6 inches of compacted aggregate base. Concrete slabs need the same. If your yard has soft soil, poor drainage, or clay that shifts seasonally, you may need 6–8 inches of base plus a geotextile fabric underneath to prevent base migration. Excavation, hauling spoils, and compacting gravel typically adds $1–$3 per square foot to any patio project. Skip or rush this step and you will pay for it later with cracked concrete or sunken pavers.

Labor

Professional labor for a plain concrete pour runs roughly $2–$8 per square foot. For a stamped or decorative pour, expect $8–$18 per square foot in labor alone. Brick paver labor is consistently higher, typically $8–$15 per square foot for a standard residential project, because of the individual placement, compaction passes, and joint work involved. A contractor also needs to slope the entire surface correctly (generally 1/8 to 1/4 inch per foot away from the house) to handle drainage, and that detail matters just as much for pavers as it does for concrete.

Finish options and their cost impact

• Plain broom-finish concrete: lowest cost, $5–$10/sq ft installed, very functional
• Exposed aggregate concrete: adds texture and slip resistance, $8–$15/sq ft installed
• Stained or colored concrete: $8–$15/sq ft installed, good visual upgrade at moderate cost
• Stamped concrete: mimics brick or stone look, $12–$30/sq ft installed (some contractors quote $20–$35 for complex patterns)
• Standard clay or concrete brick pavers: $14–$22/sq ft installed
• Premium or specialty brick (tumbled, reclaimed, oversized): $22–$40/sq ft installed

One practical note: if you want the look of brick but are working with a tighter budget, stamped concrete that mimics a brick pattern at $15–$20 per square foot can get you most of the visual appeal at roughly half the price of actual brick pavers. The trade-off is repairability. A cracked stamped slab is hard to fix invisibly; a damaged brick paver just gets swapped out.

Total project cost by patio size

These ranges reflect a professionally installed patio including excavation, base, materials, labor, and basic accessories. Patio steps cost can follow similar pricing drivers, especially labor and base preparation, so it helps to estimate those line items early patio cost. They assume average soil conditions and standard finishes. Costs on the high end reflect premium materials, complex shapes, or higher-cost regions.

For a 20x20 concrete patio specifically, most published data aligns around $3,200–$7,200 installed for a basic to mid-grade finish, which tracks with the per-square-foot ranges above. Once you move into stamped or heavily decorative work, costs can exceed $12,000 for that same footprint, which starts overlapping with brick paver pricing. At that upper end, brick pavers often become the smarter investment because they hold value longer and are easier to maintain. For a more exact budget, compare concrete patio costs versus flagstone patio costs by size and finish level brick pavers often become the smarter investment.

DIY vs. contractor: when it saves money and when it doesn't

DIY brick pavers

Brick paver installation is genuinely DIY-friendly compared to concrete. You can rent a plate compactor, buy your own base gravel, sand, pavers, and edge restraints, and install a solid 10x10 or 12x12 patio over a weekend. No curing wait, no forms to build, no concrete truck to schedule. DIY material costs for a standard brick patio typically land around $6–$12 per square foot, cutting the total cost roughly in half versus hiring a contractor. On a 12x12 patio, that is a savings of $1,000–$3,000.

DIY concrete

DIY concrete is trickier. Mixing and pouring concrete correctly at scale (anything larger than a small 6x8 slab) requires experience with forming, screeding, floating, and finishing before the concrete sets. A beginner pouring a 12x12 slab risks an uneven surface, poor drainage slope, or a slab that cracks within a year because the base was not properly compacted or the mix was not right. Concrete also needs adequate curing time: at 7 days you are only at roughly 65–75% of design strength, and foot traffic or furniture loads before full cure can damage the surface. If you want to go DIY on concrete, limit it to small patios and do serious research first.

Common DIY pitfalls on both

• Skimping on base depth: 4 inches of compacted gravel is the minimum for residential patios, and soft or clay-heavy soil may need 6 inches or more
• Poor drainage slope: both concrete and pavers need to pitch away from the house; aim for at least 1/8 inch drop per foot
• Skipping edge restraints on pavers: without them, the edges creep and the field pavers shift over time
• Using regular sand instead of polymeric jointing sand: regular sand washes out and invites weeds; polymeric sand hardens and locks joints
• Underestimating excavation: for a 4-inch slab plus 4–6 inch base, you need to dig 8–10 inches down, and soil removal adds up fast
• Not accounting for material waste: order 5–10% extra pavers to cover cuts and breakage

What drives costs up (or down)

Project-specific factors

• Shape complexity: straight rectangular patios are cheapest; curves, angles, and custom patterns add 15–30% to labor costs
• Soil and drainage conditions: wet, soft, or clay-heavy soil requires deeper excavation and sometimes a geotextile base layer
• Existing concrete removal: demo and haul-away of an old slab typically adds $1–$3 per square foot
• Site access: if equipment cannot reach the backyard easily, expect a 10–20% labor premium
• Edging and steps: adding patio steps or a raised border in matching material adds cost; patio steps can run several hundred to over a thousand dollars depending on the design

Regional price differences

Labor rates vary significantly by region and are the biggest regional cost variable. The Northeast and West Coast (especially California, New York, and the Pacific Northwest) consistently run 20–40% above national averages for patio installation. The South and Midwest tend to be at or below national averages. Material prices fluctuate with local supply, but labor is where you will feel the regional difference most acutely. In a high-cost market, a plain concrete patio that costs $8 per square foot nationally might run $11–$14 per square foot. That same market pushes brick paver installs toward the top of the $14–$40 range.

How to choose what's actually cheaper for your specific project

Here is a straightforward decision framework. Ask yourself these questions before you get a single quote. If you want a concrete vs wood patio cost estimate, compare total installed price for your size, including base prep, labor, and finish options.

1. What is your budget ceiling? If you need to keep a 20x20 patio under $5,000 installed, plain concrete is your realistic option. Brick pavers at that size rarely come in under $5,600 even in lower-cost regions.
2. Are you doing any of it yourself? If yes, brick pavers are the safer DIY choice and can cut your total cost nearly in half. DIY concrete on anything larger than 100 sq ft carries real risk of a subpar result.
3. Do you want the look of brick without the price? Get quotes for stamped concrete with a brick pattern. On a 200–400 sq ft patio, you can often achieve that look for $3,000–$8,000 less than actual pavers.
4. How important is repairability? If one area might settle due to tree roots, drainage issues, or heavy furniture, brick pavers let you fix just that section. Concrete repairs are almost always visible.
5. What is your soil situation? Heavy clay or wet soil increases base prep costs for both options equally, so it does not change the relative comparison much, but it does push both estimates toward the higher end of their ranges.
6. What finish does concrete need to compete aesthetically? If plain broom-finish concrete looks fine to you, it is hands-down cheaper. If you need stamped or heavily decorated concrete to meet your expectations, run the numbers carefully because high-end stamped concrete and entry-level brick pavers can end up in the same price range.

What to ask for in contractor quotes

When you request quotes, ask each contractor to itemize these line items so you can compare apples to apples. Vague lump-sum quotes make it impossible to know what you are actually getting.

• Excavation depth and soil disposal (confirm whether hauling spoils is included)
• Base material: type, depth, and compaction method
• For concrete: mix design (psi rating), thickness, reinforcement (wire mesh or rebar), and control joint placement
• For pavers: paver type and unit price, bedding sand depth, edge restraint brand and spacing, and jointing sand type (polymeric vs. regular)
• Drainage slope specification (ask what pitch they plan for and how they verify it)
• Finish details: for concrete, confirm whether sealing is included and what product; for pavers, confirm whether joint sand is polymeric
• Warranty or workmanship guarantee terms
• Permit costs if required in your municipality

Getting three itemized quotes using this list will quickly show you where contractors differ and give you real leverage to evaluate pricing. If one quote is significantly cheaper, ask specifically which of those line items they reduced or excluded. The most common shortcuts are a shallower base, thinner concrete, or skipping edge restraints on pavers. All three lead to problems within a few years. Beyond concrete and brick, if you are weighing other materials, it is worth knowing how these two compare to stone, flagstone, and other paver options, since each has its own cost curve and trade-offs worth understanding before you commit. If you want a quick patio materials cost comparison, focus on the full all-in material total plus labor for your specific surface size.