A patio is the highest-use concrete most homes ever pour - and in the Sacramento area, where outdoor season runs most of the year, it earns its budget like nothing else in the yard. Here is what patios cost in 2026 and how to spend the money well.
The short answer
National 2026 guides put plain concrete patios at roughly $4 to $12 per square foot installed, broom-finished work in the $6 to $13 band, and stamped or stained decorative concrete at roughly $9 to $30. Typical full projects land near $3,000, with common ranges from about $1,600 to $4,500 and larger or decorative builds running past that:
| Patio | Published 2026 range |
|---|---|
| Plain / broom finish | $4 - $13 per sq ft |
| Exposed aggregate | $7 - $18 per sq ft |
| Stamped or stained | $9 - $30 per sq ft |
| Typical 20x20 project | $1,600 - $4,800+ |
As always: national ranges, not quotes. The site writes the real number.
Where the money goes
The slab itself is often less than half the bill. Site prep, forming, base and finishing carry the rest, which is why per-square-foot prices drop as patios grow - the fixed costs spread out.
The finish is the biggest choice you control. Plain gray does the job. A stamped or stained finish turns the same structural slab into the floor of an outdoor room, at a fraction of what natural stone or pavers run installed. Our stamped concrete cost guide for the Sacramento area breaks those decorative ranges down by design tier.
The base and drainage are where good patios differ from cheap ones. Our clay holds winter water, and a patio poured without proper slope and base preparation ponds, settles and cracks. Every patio we pour is graded to shed water away from the house - and on wet lots, drainage work comes first.
Patio thinking, Sacramento edition
Design for the heat as much as the rain. A patio that bakes in full western sun all summer gets less use than one planned around shade - existing trees, a future cover, or orientation. Lighter finishes run cooler underfoot than dark ones. And if the patio is part of a bigger plan - turf, planting, walls - building it inside one designed backyard project sequences the work right and usually beats piecemeal pricing.
The honest cost-saving advice
Keep the shape simple, choose broom finish over decorative if budget is tight, and never save money underground. A cheap bid that skips base compaction returns the savings as cracks within a couple of winters. Concrete’s whole argument is longevity: with proper care a slab serves for decades, which makes the properly built version the cheap one over time.
Getting a real number
RMR Construction pours patios across the Sacramento area, from simple broom-finished squares to curved entertaining spaces with stamped borders - licensed (CSLB #1088628), family-owned, rated 4.7 stars on Google. A site walk and a written quote beat every online range - call (916) 533-4758.