Of course, you want to be sure that you don’t overspend but you also may be worried that taking a shortcut with materials could lead to wasted money or aggravation.
You likely want to make the best possible choice in order to be able to get a good return on your investment—and a lot of enjoyment out of the finished product.
In order to help simplify “what’s out there,” we’ll take a look at some of your options and what points to keep in mind. Whether you’re looking at pavers vs. a concrete patio, pavers vs. natural stone, or stamped concrete vs. natural stone, we can help guide you in deciding what’s right for you.
You might also be looking at natural stone and comparing it to a paver patio. Whether you’re exploring pavers vs. flagstone or pavers vs. travertine, because they must be excavated from a quarry, all natural stone options are going to be more costly than pavers and poured concrete. Natural stone also requires more labor to install.
And therein lies the biggest disadvantage. For some budgets, natural stone may be cost-prohibitive.
But the advantages to using natural stone are plentiful. Natural stone is incredibly durable (even outlasting your time in your home), it is classic and elegant, and, like pavers, it is easy to perform repairs or run utility lines underneath of it if necessary. It can simply be lifted up and then replaced with no sign that work was done.
Natural stone is also authentic. Instead of having a product that is made to look like natural stone, you could have the real thing.
But it’s all about making the right choice to match it to your home or setting. You might even consider mixing and matching products. Many people blend both natural stone and pavers in the same project.
If you’re looking at natural stone vs. stamped concrete vs. pavers cost, there are going to be big variations in exactly how much you could spend. Put simply, concrete is your least expensive option, followed by pavers at a mid-price point, and then natural stone at the highest price point.
Here are some specific examples on what you would expect to spend, based on a 500 square foot patio that is fairly flat. Site preparation, excavation, and other project elements can all affect the cost.
Of course, there are a lot of factors that can cause variation in these costs. Everything from pattern to site conditions has an impact. How long you plan to stay in your house is an important factor to bear in mind as you make the choice that you think is best. If you may be moving in the next 5 to 7 years, it might not make sense to go with the most expensive option as there won’t be time to get the return on investment—or return on enjoyment—that would come with longevity.
Your patio will ultimately be a space where you spend a large amount of your time outdoors. That’s why you want to be sure to choose a material that is going to be right for you.
You could try to get something in quickly and for the least amount of expense, but you could wind up wanting to replace it in only a short time. Jack-hammering up cracked concrete in order to lay pavers or natural stone adds even more labor cost to your project than had you just done one of these options in the first place.
There’s a lot involved in the decision making process, but when all is said and done, you want a patio that you can truly enjoy to the fullest. You must weigh whether that means investing a little bit more at the onset in order to ensure you have something to enjoy for the long haul. You want to feel confident that you’re going to have a patio space that you love and can use to the fullest.
Reaching that decision can feel overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to. By choosing to work with a Registered Landscape Architect (RLA), you’ll have expert guidance from someone who has worked through hundreds of patio projects. Together, you can decide upon the best option for you and your home.
If you’d like to discuss adding a patio to your Harrisburg, Lancaster, York, Hershey, or Reading, PA home, then contact us for a free consultation and let us help create the space you’ve been dreaming of.