Concrete Patio Ideas for Your Backyard
A concrete patio is one of the best investments you can make in your outdoor living space. It gives you a durable, flat surface that works for grilling, dining, lounging, entertaining, or just sitting outside with a cup of coffee. And concrete offers way more design flexibility than most people realize — from simple broom finishes to elaborate stamped and colored designs that look like natural stone.
Here are some of the most popular patio ideas we build for homeowners in the Plainfield area, ranging from budget-friendly to higher-end.
Classic Broom Finish
Don't underestimate the simplest option. A clean, well-poured broom-finish patio with tooled edges looks sharp and works for everything. The textured surface provides great traction — even when wet — and it's the most affordable option at $10 to $13 per square foot installed. If your budget is tight or you just want a functional space, this is the way to go.
Pair it with a nice set of outdoor furniture and some string lights, and it looks better than 90% of the patios out there.
Stamped Concrete Patio
Stamped concrete is where things get interesting. Patterns are pressed into the wet concrete to mimic natural stone, brick, slate, or even wood planks. Add integral color and a contrasting release agent, and you get a surface that genuinely looks like high-end hardscaping.
Popular patterns for backyard patios include:
- Ashlar Slate — Our most-requested pattern. Clean, modern, and works with almost any home style.
- Flagstone — Organic, natural-looking shapes. Pairs well with landscaping and garden settings.
- Wood Plank — Looks like a wooden deck without the rotting, warping, or annual maintenance. Great for homeowners who want the deck aesthetic without the upkeep.
- Herringbone Brick — Traditional, clean, and especially good with colonial and craftsman homes.
Stamped concrete patios typically run $15 to $22 per square foot. For a deeper comparison of stamped concrete with other options, see our post on stamped concrete vs. pavers.
Colored Concrete
Integral color is mixed directly into the concrete before pouring, creating a consistent tone throughout the entire slab. Unlike surface-applied stains that can wear off, integral color goes all the way through — so chips or scratches don't reveal plain gray underneath.
Popular colors for patios in the Plainfield area: buff, sandstone, desert tan, terra cotta, and charcoal. Earth tones tend to look best and complement most home exteriors. Colored concrete adds about $2 to $4 per square foot to the base price.
Exposed Aggregate
After pouring, the surface is washed to reveal the natural stone and gravel in the mix. The result is a pebbly, textured surface with a natural, organic look. Exposed aggregate provides excellent traction and hides dirt well — a practical advantage for high-traffic patios.
This is a great middle-ground option: more visual interest than broom finish, less costly than stamped. Typically $12 to $16 per square foot.
Broom Finish with Decorative Border
This is one of our favorite recommendations for homeowners who want some visual flair without the full cost of stamped concrete. The main patio area gets a standard broom finish, but we add a stamped or colored border (usually 12 to 18 inches wide) around the perimeter. The border creates a framed, finished look that elevates the entire patio.
You get 80% of the visual impact of a fully stamped patio at about 60% of the cost.
Multi-Level Patio
If your yard has a slope or you want to create distinct zones (dining area, lounge area, fire pit area), a multi-level patio is a great option. We pour separate slabs at different heights connected by a step or two. Each level can have the same finish or different finishes for contrast.
Multi-level patios work especially well on larger lots where a single flat slab would feel monotonous. They also solve the problem of dealing with grade changes without building retaining walls.
Fire Pit Integration
One of the most popular patio additions right now. We pour a dedicated fire pit pad — typically a circular or square area with a different finish or color to set it apart from the main patio. The fire pit can be a simple portable unit, or you can have a permanent stone or block fire pit built on top of the pad.
The fire pit pad should be at least 12 feet in diameter to allow safe clearance and seating around the fire. We pour it slightly thicker (6 inches) to handle the heat stress.
Outdoor Kitchen Pad
If you're planning a built-in grill, countertop, or full outdoor kitchen, you need a properly sized and reinforced concrete pad underneath. We pour these to the exact dimensions your kitchen design requires, with utility stub-outs (gas, electric, water) planned in advance. The pad is typically 6 inches thick with rebar to support the weight of stone or block construction.
Budget-Friendly Patio Ideas
If you're working with a tighter budget, here's how to maximize your patio investment:
- Start with a smaller slab — A 200-square-foot broom-finish patio ($2,000 to $2,600) gives you a functional outdoor space that you can extend later.
- Use broom finish with a colored border — Big visual upgrade for minimal extra cost.
- Keep the shape simple — Rectangles and squares are the most efficient to form and pour.
- Plan for expansion — We can pour an initial section now and add to it later. We'll plan the joint placement and base prep so the future expansion connects cleanly.
Planning Your Patio Layout
Before you call for an estimate, think about:
- How you'll use the space (dining, lounging, cooking, fire pit?)
- How much furniture you want to fit
- Sun exposure and shade at different times of day
- Access from the house (which door leads to the patio?)
- Drainage — water should flow away from the foundation, not toward it
- Utilities — do you need gas, electric, or water access for an outdoor kitchen?
We handle the technical details (base prep, drainage grading, thickness, reinforcement), but knowing your vision helps us design something you'll actually enjoy using.
Get Started
Ready to plan your concrete patio? We offer free design consultations — we'll come to your backyard, discuss your ideas, and give you a detailed estimate. Call (815) 581-9859 or fill out our contact form.