Hey everyone! I have a wooden deck that's over 20 years old, and it's rotting and needs a full replacement. The quotes I've received for plastic decking materials are shocking—over $20K for materials alone! Including labor, I'm looking at potentially $30K to $40K. This seems excessive compared to a $25K job I did six years ago for some home repairs. My current deck is about 24-30 inches off the ground with railings, but I'd prefer to have it at ground level without railings. Considering all of this, I'm curious about the cost of installing a concrete patio of similar size. What can I expect for that? Has anyone done something similar, and how much did it cost?
3 Answers
In my experience, concrete is often cheaper than wood. I got a quote of $7K for a 14x30 concrete slab compared to $22K for a deck. That's roughly $12 per sqft for concrete versus $45 for decking. If you go for a simple white or sand integral color, it can look really great with decorative saw cuts instead of stamping.
You might want to consider using pavers instead of concrete. They look really nice and, if done correctly, you won't have issues. Plus, since pavers aren't considered permanent, they won’t add to your property taxes!
I had a 20'x30' stamped concrete patio put in last year for $13K, which included tearing out the old failed patio and installing a French drain. Without the drain, it was only $8K. You can usually expect a concrete patio to be about half the cost of a deck, and it lasts much longer!
That’s a good point—I’ll definitely think about pavers!