Paver Patio Costs in 2024: Understanding Material, Labor, and Installation Charges
Wondering how much it costs to install a paver patio? The price can vary based on where you live, the type of pavers you choose, and the company you hire. On average, you’ll pay between $21 to $40 per square foot for a professional installation.
This guide will walk you through the key factors affecting the final price, from materials like concrete or porcelain, to labor, operational fees, and company overhead. We’ll break down each cost to give you a clearer picture of what to expect for a 400-square-foot (as an example) paver patio project.
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Note: All of the figures presented in the price guide are based on Southern California pricing and should be adjusted based on your geographical location.)
Take a look at our paver costs calculator to see a ballpark estimate for your desired paver project. Artificial grass is a beautiful addition alongside patio pavers. Learn about the cost of installing artificial grass as well.
Pavers Costs
TL;DR
For a small 400 sq ft paver job, expect to pay between $21-$40 per sq ft, all-inclusive. This range covers basic concrete pavers to high-end proclean options, including professional installation.
Pavers should cost at least $16.5 per square foot to install in your home. Anything below that and you should question the quality of installation and materials used.
To ensure the highest quality of installation and materials for your project, certain costs are necessary, and InstallItDirect is committed to being fully transparent about these expenses. Click on the icons below to learn more about the costs factored into our projects:
Paver Materials Cost
TL;DR
- The two most popular landscape paver materials we use are concrete and porcelain. Concrete is typically more affordable, while porcelain offers a high-end look mimicking natural stone.
- Prices range from $3 to $20 per square foot, plus additional costs for materials like base, sand, etc..
- For a 400 sq ft project, the total cost can range from approximately $2,200 to $7,000.
When considering the materials needed for a paver installation, you will be looking at the following:
- Costs for Different Types of Pavers
- Class II Road Base
- Geotextile Fabric
- Bedding Sand
- Concrete
- Joint Sand
Costs for Different Types of Pavers
There are different pavers to choose from for your next patio, driveway, pool deck, or walkway project. Patio pavers come in different textures, colors, and styles, which can be laid down in various patterns.
The most popular types of landscape pavers we work with are:
We also get inquiries for natural stone and cobblestone, but due to higher prices, lack of material guarantees, and increased labor costs, we often recommend concrete or porcelain as better long-term options.
- Concrete Pavers Cost: $3 to $170 but can increase depending on patterns.
- Porcelain Pavers Cost: $15 to $205. Pricing depends on specific styles.
- Natural stone generally runs more expensive. $5-$40. Pricing depends on specific natural stones.
Note:Another popular material for pavers for patios, driveways, and walkways is concrete slabs. Compare the costs of concrete and pavers.
When installing pavers, you will have to account for wasted paving stones. This is to make sure that there is more than enough for the project. 10% is the usual amount of waste accounted for when installing pavers.
The price we will use for the standard pavers for the guide, based on the above, is $3.23 per square foot (with taxes) with the amount of waste at 10%.
| Total pavers (including waste) | 400 sq ft + 10% waste | 440 sq ft of pavers |
| Pavers cost (before taxes) | 440 sq ft x $3.23/sq ft | $1,421.2 |
| Pavers cost after taxes (Southern California) |
$1,421.20 subtotal + 8% tax | $1,534.90 |
| Pavers cost per square foot | $1,534.90 ÷ 400 sq ft | $3.83/sq ft |
Costs for Class II Road Base
Class II road base is composed of crushed rock from fine dust all the way up to 3⁄4” pieces. The crushed rock material will be used as the bottom base when starting the paver installation. Depending on your location, the price of class II road base will vary. We will use one of the least expensive options, priced at $0.75-$13 per square foot (taxes included).
| Class II road base (taxes included) | 400 sq ft x $0.75-1.00/sq ft | $300-400 |
Costs for Geotextile Fabric
To inhibit the class II road base from mixing with your native soils, geotextile fiber will be installed underneath the base material. The cost of the fiber is roughly $0.43 per square foot (taxes included).
| Geotextile fabric (taxes included) | 400 sq ft x $0.5-0.75/sq ft | $200-300 |
Costs for Bedding Sand
Bedding sand is the material that acts as a cushion in between the class II road base and the paving stones. For 400 square feet, we will be looking at roughly $0.36 per square foot (taxes included).
| Bedding sand (taxes included) | 400 sq ft x $0.45-0.55/sq ft | $180-220 |
Costs for Concrete
The next item to consider is the amount of concrete you will need. The concrete is used to reinforce the borders, which is often referred to in the paver world as a concrete bond beam. The concrete bond beam is going to be needed in all areas where we are abutting a softscape surface, such as grass, dirt, bark or plants.
For this example, with the 20 foot patio slab, we are going to add the other three sides to find the perimeter. The perimeter abutting a softscape surface will equal to 80 feet of concrete for the bond beams. At 6-8 inches deep and 6-8 inches wide, we will be looking at roughly $1.33 for each square foot.
| Concrete material | 80 feet x $1.33/ft | $258.00 – $300.00 |
Costs for Joint Sand
The last item is regular joint sand, which fills the joints of the pavers. The joint sand will help keep the pavers uniform and in place. The price for joint sand comes out to roughly $0.12 per square foot.
| Joint sand (taxes included) | 400 sq ft x $0.12-0.2/sq ft | $48.00-80.00 |
Materials Total
| Pavers cost after taxes (Southern California) | $1,534.89 | |
| Class II road base (taxes included) | $300.00-$400.00 | |
| Geotextile fabric (taxes included) | $200.00-$300.00 | |
| Bedding sand (taxes included) | $180.00-$220.00 | |
| Concrete material | $258.00-$300.00 | |
| Joint sand (taxes included) | $48.00-$80.00 | |
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Materials Total | $2,520.89-$2,834.89 |
|---|---|---|
The above just about covers the very basic, standard material costs for a 1,000 square foot driveway.
Operation Fees
TL;DR
Dumping, delivery, and other operational fees can be a mix of fixed costs and variable costs depending on yard size. For a 400 square foot project, these fees will add approximately $2,200 to your total cost.
Operational fees include dump costs (dirt, concrete, etc.), fueling, delivery, a porta potty on site, pallet fees, and clean up.
Dump Costs
For a 400 square foot patio, there will be roughly two and a half truckloads of concrete and one half of a truckload of dirt to take to the dump, since dirt loads more efficiently (smaller material than concrete). The price for each dirt load comes out to approximately $160 and $121 for each concrete load.
| Dirt Loads | $160 per load x 0.5 truckload | $80.00 |
| Concrete Loads | $121 per load x 1.5 truckloads | $181.50 |
| Dump Costs | $350 – $500 | $350.00 – $500.00 |
Fueling Costs
The costs of fueling are difficult to gauge because of multiple factors, such as proximity to the dump, current fuel costs, and the exact materials being hauled away. To be safe, we will use an estimated cost of $500 for the driveway project.
| Fueling | Estimated $500 | $250.00-$500.00 |
Delivery Costs
Delivery costs cover the operations of bringing the materials to your project. Depending on the manufacturer and distance, pricing ranges from $520 to $670 per trip. Each truck has the ability to hold 1,400 square feet of pavers. For the price guide, we will use an estimated figure of $550 to deliver the 400 square feet of paving stones.
| Delivery | Estimated $550 | $350.00-$500.00 |
Porta Potty (Portable Bathroom) Cost
For a 400-square-foot job, we would order a porta potty (portable bathroom) to be on-site for the crew to use throughout the project, which we estimate will cost about $200.
| Porta Potty (Portable Bathroom) | Estimated $200 | $175.00-$200.00 |
Pallet Fees
For pallets, each manufacturer will charge the installation company a pallet fee which comes to $0.09 per square foot for a 400 square foot project.
| Pallet Fees | 400 sq ft x $0.09/sq ft | $36.00 |
Clean Up Cost
The last item is the cleanup fee, which is the cost that the company incurs to have all the leftover material and pallets picked up from the installation site. This fee will range depending on the manufacturer used and the distance the truck driver must drive to pick up the materials. The fee can range from $255 to $325. In this example, we will use the absolute cheapest cleanup fee of $255.
| Clean Up | Estimated $250-500 | $255.00 |
Excavation Costs
The last potential item is excavation. When planning a landscape paver project, excavation may be necessary to level or regrade the area. Costs for this service can have a wide range, but can range from $0.47 to $2.28 per square foot. For this example, we’ll assume a $1.00 per square foot rate.
| Excavation | Estimated $400.00 | $250.00-$500.00 |
Operation Fees Total
| Dump costs | $350.00-$500.00 | |
| Fueling Costs | $250.00-$500.00 | |
| Delivery Costs | $350.00-$500.00 | |
| Porta potty (portable bathroom) Cost | $175.00-$200.00 | |
| Pallet fees | $36.00 | |
| Clean up Costs | $250.00-$500.00 | |
| Excavation Costs | $400.00 | |
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Operation Fees Total | $1,811.00-$2,636.00 |
|---|---|---|
The above just about covers the very basic, standard material costs for a 1,000 square foot driveway.
Common Additional Costs for Paver Projects
TL;DR
Certain additions can increase the costs of your paver projects . These include unforeseen extra costs until we start demolition (like limited backyard access and root removal and common additions to enhance the aesthetics and functionality (such as drainage system and lights.
When planning your paver installation project, it’s important to be aware of potential additional costs that may arise. These fall into two categories:
- Unforeseen extras that are only discovered once construction begins
- Common additions that you might choose to include in your project.
Costs for Unforeseen Extras
We can’t know about these items until we start the demolition or construction process. We’ll discuss these possibilities with you before we begin the job to set proper expectations. You’ll only pay for items we actually encounter.
At INSTALL-IT-DIRECT, we’ll discuss with you before the job starts to avoid any additional costs being seen as a surprise. If we encounter any of these issues, we’ll send you a Change Order document for billing purposes:
| Thicker concrete (more than 4 inches) | $0.50-$1.00 per sq ft |
| Limited backyard access (if we can’t use a bobcat) | $1.00-$2.00 per sq ft |
| Rebar or mesh in existing concrete | $0.50-$1.00 per sq ft |
| Root removal | $100-$350 per load |
| Tree stump removal | $100-$550 per stump |
Costs for Common Add-ons for Paver Projects
Some add-ons can enhance the aesthetics and functionality of your paver project. It’s good to know what you might pay extra for before we start. Here are the common charges:
| Better sand | $0.75-$1.00 per sq ft |
| Drainage system – Pipes | $15-$20 per linear foot |
| Drainage system – Drain caps | $50-$150 each |
| Sealer application | $0.75-$1.25 per sq ft |
| Lighting – Lights | $75-$200 each |
| Lighting – Transformer | $300-$450 |
| Lighting – Wire | $50-$115 per roll |
Note: Some projects won’t need a drainage system, but rather proper grading so that all water flows away from your property to areas that can handle the excess water flow.
Labor
TL;DR
- Don’t cut corners on labor—you want the best crew to avoid problems down the line.
- In California, skilled paver installers charge $7 to $10 per sq ft.
- For a 400 sq ft project, expect around $3,400 for quality labor.
The one cost of any paver installation that will make the biggest difference is the quality of labor. This is where the saying “you get what you pay for” comes into effect If you are looking for a quality paver installation. For guaranteed quality, you should work with installers with the most experience.
There are a number of installers on the market who have been installing pavers for only a couple years. But there are also teams who have been installing pavers for 20+ years. The more experienced crew may be more costly, but the quality, durability, and integrity of the project will be night and day, compared to new installers.
For a crew of experienced paver installers, you will be looking at $7 to $10 per square foot for the labor. See below for a range of labor costs depending on crew experience.
| Labor cost (outstanding crew with 25+ years of experience) | 400 sq ft x $10.00/sq ft | $4000.00 |
| Labor cost (outstanding crew) | 400 sq ft x $6.01/sq ft | $2404.00 |
| Labor cost (good crew) | 400 sq ft x $7/sq ft | $2800.00 |
Labor Total
For a 400 square foot patio, we will assume an outstanding crew for the labor costs, priced at $6.01 per square foot. This would take about five days to complete with a four to five person team.
The labor cost is the last thing you want to regret, so consider budgeting for the best installers possible. Cheaper paver companies may be unreachable down the road when your project is falling apart. Be sure to keep situations like that in mind.
 |
Labor Total | $2,404.00 – $4,000.00 |
|---|
Company Overhead
TL;DR
Overhead costs, including insurance and licensing, typically add 10% to your total.
Contractors and other paver installation companies have a lot of overhead costs that can be included in the overall price of your paver project. Overhead will range depending on the project, but we will assume a 10% overhead figure. This includes:
- Workers compensation insurance
- General liability insurance
- CA licensing fees
- Contractors bond
- Corporation fees
- CDLB home improvement sales (HIS) license fees
- Payroll expenses
- Accounting fees
- Business taxes
- Lawyer fees
- Advertising/marketing expenses
- Administrative staffing fees
- Auto/truck expenses
- Certifications (bbb, icpi, etc.)
- Office expenses (business cards, contracts/diagrams, yard signs, car magnets, company shirts, company phones, website, hosting fees, internet, computers, camera, credit card processing system, office rent, yard expense, electricity, general supplies — like tape measures, landscaping paint, etc.)
| Company overhead cost | (cost so far) x 10% | $673.59-$947.09 |
Keep in mind that there are other companies that do not intend to use the best installation crews or operate legally, so the price may seem more enticing.
 |
Company Overhead Total (10%) | $673.59-$947.09 |
|---|
Company Profit
TL;DR
- Let’s be realistic—companies need to make a profit and prepare for potential future repair costs.
- However, anything above 40% profit margin is excessive in our opinion.
- We’ve typically seen margins between 10-40% in the industry
The money that is left over, which we have labeled “Company Profit Share,” is to pay for the field supervisor, the design consultant who assisted you with your project, and the company as a whole, so they can continue to grow and run the business as smoothly as possible.
If you come across any repairs that need to be addressed during the warranty of your installation, the company profit share pays for that as well. Paver installation companies need to make sure that a repair contingency fund is set aside for each project for any call or email that comes in requesting a repair. This will ensure that we can provide complete customer satisfaction, instead of taking money from other jobs to pay crews to resolve any issues.
That said, the following are a few different profit margins for you to take in:
| 10% | $7,548.00 + 10% | $8,302.80 |
| 20% | $7,548.00 + 20% | $9,057.60 |
| 30% | $7,548.00+ 30% | $9,812.40 |
| 40% | $7,548.00 + 40% | $10,567.20 |
For our price guide, we will assume a profit margin of 10%.
 |
Company Profit Total | $740.95-$1,041.80 |
|---|
Recap
| Materials | $2,520.00-$2,834.89 | |||||
| Operation Fees | $1,811.00-$2,636.00 | |||||
| Labor | $2,404.00-$4,000.00 | |||||
| Company Overhead (10%) | $673.59-$947.09 | |||||
| Company Profit (10%) | $740.95-$1,041.80 | |||||
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Grand Total | $8,150.43-$11,459.78 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
In this pavers cost guide, we have been assuming the least expensive scenarios for all the components involved with determining the cost of pavers for your project. With the exception of the crew where we went with a more experienced crew, we know a more experienced crew is always going to cost you more.
We cannot stress this enough, but labor is not the area to shave dollars on, and you should always consider using the most experienced crew possible. This will be money well spent, guaranteed!
When looking at these prices, you can get a very good idea as to what you might expect your paver project will cost on the low end.
Low end? What do you mean?
Several factors can influence the cost of your project. The location of the install—whether it’s in the front yard, backyard, or through your house—can impact pricing. The type of paver stone, drainage issues, and excessive roots are also important considerations.
The final price is also affected by the square footage, the use of a sealer, and any extra features such as steps, walls, or mow strips. Each job is unique, so the estimate will be customized to fit your specific project.
What about other sized projects?
To compare the costs of a 250, 400, 650, and 1000 square foot paver project, see the graph below. Use our paver cost calculator to obtain an estimate for your paving project.
The Bottom Line
The key takeaway of this post is to really shed some light as to what a typical paving stone project might cost. By pulling back the curtain and allowing you to have a sneak peek inside to see how the numbers break down, we hope that this provides you with the confidence you need to make the right decision on which contractor to use to install your landscape paver stone project.
As you can see from the breakdown above, the only way a company could possibly offer you a lower price than what we have mapped out for you is if they are:
- Using a less experienced crew and paying them less than what we have outlined (which is considered industry standard).
- Not running a healthy company and neglecting to pay the overhead items listed above, which are essential for operating a legal and healthy California business.
- Not paying themselves what they should to remain in business.
The company that falls into any of these three criteria listed above will not be in business very long. A business based solely on price is simply not sustainable and often times results in a lose-lose scenario for all parties involved in the transaction.
We hope this paver installation breakdown helps with your decision-making process.
Find the inspiration for your next paver project with our interactive paver patio ideas roundup!
If you are interested in finding out what your paver project will cost, please contact Install-It-Direct today to get your FREE Paver Design and Estimate by clicking on the “Free Estimate” button or feel free to give us a call at 858-391-6552.
Also, be sure to check out our paver cost calculator to see how much your project may cost!
Whether you’re in Cardiff-by-the-Sea, Fairbanks Ranch, Scripps Ranch, we look forward to answering all your questions and working with you to transform your home!
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Our paver professionals will design and build the patio, pathway, or driveway you’ve always dreamed of.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to seal pavers?
Pricing of paver sealing services have a wide range depending on products used, and processes taken out. Paver sealing can range from $20-$45 depending on the services carried out and the company executing them.
How much does a 20 x 20 feet paver patio cost?
The cost to install a 20 x 20 feet (400 square feet) paver patio is $8,302.80. This price includes $2,255.30 for materials, $2,202.50 for operation fees, $2,404.00 for labor by an experienced crew, $686.18 for company overhead, and a 10% company profit margin totaling $754.80. This cost ensures the use of high-quality materials and skilled labor for a durable and well-installed patio.
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