Concrete Pavers Cost: Per Square Foot and Per Project
Concrete pavers cost $8 to $15 per square foot installed. See material-only estimates, 60 mm versus 80 mm pricing, project totals, and add-ons.
Concrete pavers cost $8 to $15 per square foot installed, the lowest of the common paver materials. Units alone run roughly $3 to $6 per square foot; base, cutting, compaction, and labor make up the rest.
- Installed, 60 mm patio
- $8–$15 per sq ft
- Estimated unit cost
- $3–$6 per sq ft
- 300 sq ft project
- $2,400–$4,500
- Paver weight, 60 mm
- about 28 lb per sq ft
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Concrete pavers cost $8 to $15 per square foot installed, which makes them the least expensive paver option and the one most patios actually use. The units themselves are only part of that number — base aggregate, bedding sand, cutting, compaction, and labor account for the majority of the price.
Installed Price Versus Material Price
Concrete pavers are factory-made units of cement, aggregate, and pigment, molded under vibration and pressure so each unit holds a consistent dimension. That consistency is why they lay quickly and why the price is predictable.
Split the installed rate and the picture changes. Units typically run about $3 to $6 per square foot — an estimate, since color, finish, and local manufacturing shift it. For a 300-square-foot patio at $8 to $15 installed, the total is $2,400 to $4,500, while the units alone are roughly $900 to $1,800. The rest buys excavation, 4 to 6 inches of compacted base, an inch of bedding sand, edge restraint, joint sand, saw time, and the crew.
Thickness Determines Where It Can Go
| Thickness | Typical use | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 60 mm (2-3/8 in) | Patios, walkways, pool decks | Standard pedestrian rating |
| 70 mm (2-3/4 in) | Light vehicle areas | Less common, check availability |
| 80 mm (3-1/8 in) | Driveways, parking | Vehicle-rated, heavier, costs more |
Thickness is not a style choice. A 60 mm paver on a driveway will crack or rut, and no base depth compensates for a unit that was never rated for the load. If a truck or RV will cross the surface, specify 80 mm and expect the driveway end of the price range.
Cost by Project Size
| Square feet | At $8 | At $11.50 | At $15 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 150 | $1,200 | $1,725 | $2,250 |
| 300 | $2,400 | $3,450 | $4,500 |
| 500 | $4,000 | $5,750 | $7,500 |
| 800 | $6,400 | $9,200 | $12,000 |
Small jobs rarely hit the low end because mobilization and minimum crew charges are spread over fewer square feet. A 150-square-foot patio can quote 30 to 50 percent above the rate a 500-square-foot patio receives for the same pavers.
What Moves the Unit Price
- Color and finish. Standard gray is cheapest. Tumbled, shot-blasted, and multi-color blends add cost per square foot.
- Pattern. Running bond wastes little; herringbone and basketweave generate more cuts and more waste.
- Borders. A soldier course around the perimeter is labor-intensive but hides cut edges.
- Region. Freight and local manufacturing capacity swing unit pricing more than labor.
- Access. A backyard reachable only by wheelbarrow adds hours that a rate cannot show.
- Availability. Popular colors and tumbled finishes go on backorder in spring, and a crew waiting on material either reschedules or substitutes a unit you did not choose.
Unit price also varies by how the material is sold. Some suppliers price per pallet, some per square foot, and coverage per pallet changes with thickness, so two quotes can look different while describing the same load. Compare the delivered cost per square foot at the same thickness before you compare anything else.
Concrete Versus Brick Versus Travertine
| Material | Installed rate | Best for | Weak point |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete pavers | $8–$15 | Budget patios, driveways, large areas | Color fade over decades |
| Brick pavers | $10–$20 | Traditional look, high-traffic entries | Efflorescence, chipping corners |
| Travertine pavers | $15–$30 | Pool decks, premium patios | Etches from acid, needs sealing |
Concrete sits below brick and well below travertine. The gap is smaller than it looks on a small patio because base and labor are shared, and larger on a big one because material dominates.
Weight, Waste, and Delivery Math
At 60 mm thick, a square foot of concrete paver weighs roughly 28 pounds. A 300-square-foot patio is therefore around 8,400 pounds of pavers — over four tons — on top of roughly 7.4 cubic yards of base aggregate for a 6-inch base.
Add 5 to 10 percent for cuts and breakage. That means ordering about 315 to 330 square feet of material for a 300-square-foot patio, and it means having somewhere to put the pallets before installation starts. Delivery is usually by forklift-equipped truck, so a driveway or street access matters.
Sealing and Base Repair
Sealing is optional and runs $1 to $3 per square foot. On 300 square feet that is $300 to $900, and it is normally done a season after installation once the pavers have dried and any efflorescence has worked its way out.
Base repair, when the subgrade is soft or an old surface has to come out, runs $4 to $8 per square foot. On the same 300 square feet that is $1,200 to $2,400 — enough to exceed the entire paver cost, which is why base condition belongs in the first conversation with a contractor.
Getting a Quote You Can Use
- State the square footage and whether a vehicle will ever cross the surface.
- Ask for 60 mm or 80 mm to be named explicitly.
- Require the base depth and compaction method in writing.
- Confirm 5 to 10 percent waste is included in the material line.
- Ask whether edge restraint and joint sand are in scope.
- Price sealing separately so you can decide later.
For the rate audit, see paver patio cost per square foot; for total project budgets, see paver patio cost. If you are weighing surfaces, paver patio versus concrete covers the slab comparison, and paver sealing cost explains the one add-on most homeowners delay.
Frequently asked questions
How much do concrete pavers cost per square foot installed?
Eight to fifteen dollars per square foot including base preparation, bedding sand, edge restraint, joint sand, and labor. Sites with difficult access or demolition work land at the top of that range or above it.
How much are the pavers themselves?
Units typically run about $3 to $6 per square foot depending on color, finish, and region. That is an estimate; unit pricing varies more than labor pricing from one market to the next.
Is 60 mm or 80 mm right for a patio?
Sixty millimeters is standard for patios, walkways, and pool decks. Eighty millimeters is the vehicle-rated thickness used for driveways and any surface a truck will cross.
Do concrete pavers need sealing?
Not required, but sealing at $1 to $3 per square foot slows joint sand loss, limits staining, and helps in freeze-thaw climates. Wait until the pavers have dried and efflorescence has finished coming out.
How much does a 300 square foot concrete paver patio cost?
Two thousand four hundred to four thousand five hundred dollars at $8 to $15 per square foot. Add $300 to $900 for sealing, and $4 to $8 per square foot if base repair is needed.
Are concrete pavers cheaper than stamped concrete?
Often comparable once stamped concrete includes color, release agent, and sealer. Basic broom-finished concrete is cheaper than pavers, but it does not deliver the same jointed, repairable surface.
Sources
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