The Short Answer
Nobody can price your patio from a web page. Size is just the start. Base depth, demolition, access, drainage, and the pattern you pick all move the total, and on a lot of valley yards they move it more than size does.
Three Patio Sizes & What Each One Fits
| Patio size | Square feet | What it fits |
|---|---|---|
| 12 x 12 | 144 sq ft | A table, four chairs, room to walk behind them |
| 16 x 18 | 288 sq ft | Dining zone plus a lounge zone. The size most people land on |
| 20 x 20 | 400 sq ft | A full outdoor living room with a clear path to the grill |
Doubling the size doesn't double the price, because showing up, setting up, and hauling cost about the same on a small patio as a big one. Pick the size by how you'll use it and let the measure set the number.
Where the Money Goes
About 55 to 65 percent of a valley patio is labor. The pavers cost the same no matter who buys them, so a low bid usually saves its money under the surface with a thin base, skipped compaction, or no edge restraint. It looks fine the day it's finished and starts to wave two summers later.
What Moves Your Number
| Driver | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Base depth | 4 to 6 inches of compacted aggregate, laid in layers. Soft or disturbed soil needs more. |
| Demolition | An old slab has to be broken up, loaded, and hauled off before anything new starts. |
| Access | A machine through a wide gate is fast. Wheelbarrows down a side yard add hours. |
| Drainage | Water has to run off the patio and away from the house. Fixing bad grade is real work. |
| Material and pattern | Travertine costs more than concrete pavers, and busy patterns and curves mean more cuts. |
| Extras | Seat walls, fire pits, steps, and lighting. All easy to add later if you want to build in phases. |
How to Compare Bids
Three bids only help if they all quote the same job. Ask every contractor to answer these in writing.
- How deep is the base, and what is it made of? You want a number in inches and a named material.
- Is demolition included, or an allowance? An allowance is a placeholder that can move.
- Which way does the water go? If nobody can tell you on site, they haven't thought about it.
- Edge restraint on every open edge? Polymeric sand in the joints? Both cost a little more, and both are why a patio lasts.
- License number. Check it at the Nevada State Contractors Board. Ours is #0088433.
Run that list and the cheapest bid usually stops being the cheapest. A low number almost always means a line is missing from the bid.
The Best Season to Install
Summer is our busiest season and the calendar fills early, so if you want the patio for summer, book in spring. Fall and winter have the mildest working weather and the shortest wait.
Do You Need a Permit in Clark County?
A ground level paver patio usually doesn't. A patio cover, gas line, electrical, or a tall retaining wall can, and HOAs in Cadence, Summerlin, and Skye Canyon have their own approval step. We sort out both as part of the quote.
New Build? Start Here
The New Home Backyard Starter
Just got the keys to a bare dirt lot? This package covers a set patio footprint, the right compacted base, your choice of paver, and a slope plan that moves water away from the new foundation. You get one quoted price, and turf and planting can come later.
A Las Vegas patio is priced by the ground under it. We'll come measure, walk the layout with you, and put an itemized price in writing at no charge.