A lot of Fort Worth houses came with a small slab outside the back door, about big enough for two chairs. We pour patios that fit how you use the yard: a place for the table, the grill, a fire pit or a hot tub. Call (817) 207-5579 and we will come out, walk the yard with you and stake out the size before we price it.
We also extend existing patios. The new section gets drilled and doweled into the old slab so the two pieces stay level with each other.
What we check before we pour a patio
Slope and drainage
A patio has to shed water. We pitch it away from the house, about a quarter inch per foot, so rain does not sit against the foundation or run under the back door. If the yard already holds water near the house, we sort that out in the plan before the forms go in.
The tie to the house
Where the patio meets the foundation we set an expansion joint. The house and the patio move a little on their own, and the joint lets them.
Steel, thickness and joints
A standard patio is four inches thick with rebar on chairs. Under a hot tub, an outdoor kitchen or a masonry fireplace we thicken the slab and add steel. Joints go in on a grid that suits the shape, so any crack runs in a straight line at a joint.
| Job | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Broom finish patio, per sq ft | $6 to $10 |
| Exposed aggregate patio, per sq ft | $9 to $14 |
| Stamped or colored patio, per sq ft | $12 to $20 |
| 12 by 16 foot broom finish patio | $1,500 to $2,300 |
| 20 by 20 foot broom finish patio | $2,400 to $4,000 |
| Small pad for a grill or AC unit | About $1,500 minimum |
Typical ranges, not quotes. A small patio often lands at our job minimum because the truck and crew cost the same.
Patio covers, posts and permits
Fort Worth treats gazebos and outdoor fireplaces as accessory structures, and the city wants a building permit for those. A flat patio at grade is a different matter. If a cover is going over the new patio, tell us where the posts will stand. We can pour footings at those spots during the same pour, which saves cutting into a new slab later.
Platforms and walks more than 6 inches above grade also need a Fort Worth building permit. That comes up when the back yard falls away and the patio has to be raised.
Call and we will come stake it out and price it at no charge.
Finishes that make sense in a Texas back yard
Broom finish is grippy and cheap. Exposed aggregate looks good and feels rough underfoot. Stamped concrete can pass for flagstone or slate. Fort Worth averages 95 degrees for a high in August, so lighter colors are worth thinking about. A dark stamped patio in full sun gets hot enough that bare feet notice.
To get a starting number, plug the size into our cost calculator. If you are torn between stamped concrete and pavers, the stamped concrete vs pavers guide lays out the tradeoffs.
Questions about Concrete Patios in Fort Worth
- Can you make my existing patio bigger?
- Yes. We drill into the edge of the old slab, epoxy steel dowels into it and pour the new section against it. The color of new concrete will not match old concrete exactly, so some people pick a stamped or stained finish for the addition to make the line look planned.
- How thick should a patio be?
- Four inches with rebar handles chairs, tables and foot traffic. A hot tub, a brick fireplace or a heavy outdoor kitchen calls for a thicker slab under that spot, and we price that in.
- When can we use the new patio?
- Light foot traffic the next day. Wait about a week before moving heavy furniture or a grill onto it, and longer before a filled hot tub sits on it.
Call us, or send the form, and we will set a time to look at the job and price it in writing.