Concrete patio cost in California
Statewide estimate from BLS wages and BEA prices. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Statewide range (300 sq ft)
- $1,400 – $4,600
- Per sq ft
- $4.45 – $14
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- +14%
- US $2,650
- Metros covered
- 23
What does it cost to pour a concrete patio in California? Plan on $1,400 to $4,600 for 300 sq ft. Wages (1.20x the US blend), materials (price index 106.1) and permit costs (110.7) put the state above the national midpoint by 14%.
Inside California, the metros we cover range from $2,700 (Visalia) to $3,400 (San Francisco) at the midpoint. Pick your closest city in the table for a tighter number.
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Estimated cost for 300 sq ft in California (statewide), standard level
$2,350 to $3,650
About $7.25 to $11 per sq ft before permits. Labor is about 54% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $990 | $1,250 |
| Labor | $1,200 | $2,050 |
| Permits and fees | $170 | $330 |
| Total | $2,350 | $3,650 |
Cost breakdown for 300 sq ft in California
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $800 | $1,100 | $1,450 | 37% |
| Labor | $540 | $1,650 | $2,700 | 54% |
| Permits and fees | $55 | $250 | $440 | 8% |
| Total | $1,400 | $3,000 | $4,600 | 100% |
Concrete patio: what moves the price in California
Finish
Plain concrete is $4-$12 per sq ft and a broom finish $6-$13; designs with several colors and decorative finishes run up to about $28 (HomeGuide).
Site prep
Excavation, forms and a gravel base are the unglamorous part of the bill and vary most with soil and slope.
Size
Small patios carry fixed costs for forms and mobilization, so the per-square-foot price drops as the patio gets bigger.
Permit
Permits run $50-$400 where required. Many cities don't require one for a small at-grade patio.
How California compares with nearby states
California ranks 6 of 51 (the 50 states plus DC) for concrete patio, where 1 is the most expensive. The costliest is Hawaii at $3,650 and the cheapest Arkansas at $2,250, both for 300 sq ft at the midpoint. California sits at $3,000. The five states closest by workforce center are listed below.
| State | Distance | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nevada | 210 miles away | $1,250 – $4,100 | $2,700 | −10% |
| Arizona | 430 miles away | $1,200 – $3,950 | $2,600 | −13% |
| Utah | 490 miles away | $1,200 – $3,900 | $2,550 | −14% |
| Idaho | 600 miles away | $1,200 – $3,900 | $2,550 | −15% |
| Oregon | 690 miles away | $1,350 – $4,400 | $2,900 | −3% |
California seasons and concrete patio
Season matters for concrete patio. For each California metro below we took NOAA's 1991-2020 monthly normals from the nearest suitable station and counted comfortable months for pouring concrete.
Los Angeles has the longest comfortable season of the metros we cover in California at 12 months; Redding has the shortest at 5 (March through May and October through November). Rainfall runs from 3 inches a year in El Centro to 34 inches in Redding.
We do not adjust prices by month, because we have no reliable published data on seasonal pricing. Timing is still worth raising when you collect bids.
| Metro | Jan avg low °F | Jul avg high °F | Precip (in/yr) | Comfortable months |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | 48 | 78 | 14 | 12: all year |
| San Francisco | 47 | 66 | 23 | 12: all year |
| Riverside | 43 | 95 | 10 | 9: October through June |
| San Diego | 46 | 80 | 11 | 12: all year |
| San Jose | 42 | 81 | 13 | 12: all year |
| Sacramento | 41 | 94 | 19 | 10: September through June |
| Fresno | 41 | 98 | 11 | 7: January through May and October through November |
| Bakersfield | 41 | 98 | 6 | 7: January through May and October through November |
| Oxnard | 46 | 73 | 13 | 12: all year |
| Stockton | 39 | 95 | 17 | 6: February through May and October through November |
| Santa Rosa | 38 | 82 | 32 | 9: March through November |
| Santa Maria | 41 | 73 | 13 | 11: January through November |
| Modesto | 39 | 95 | 12 | 7: February through May and September through November |
| Salinas | 42 | 71 | 13 | 12: all year |
| Visalia | 38 | 94 | 10 | 8: February through June and September through November |
| Vallejo | 38 | 79 | 20 | 8: March through October |
| San Luis Obispo | 41 | 78 | 18 | 11: January through November |
| Santa Cruz | 41 | 74 | 31 | 12: all year |
| Merced | 37 | 96 | 12 | 5: March through May and October through November |
| Chico | 36 | 95 | 27 | 5: March through June and October |
| Napa | 40 | 83 | 27 | 10: February through November |
| Redding | 38 | 100 | 34 | 5: March through May and October through November |
| El Centro | 43 | 107 | 3 | 6: November through April |
Quality levels and sizes in California
The cited range is cut into three overlapping bands (basic, standard and premium) and scaled to statewide California wages and prices. The grid prices the same bands at 3 common sizes.
Basic
$1,400 to $2,650
Plain gray slab, broom finish, flat yard
Standard
$2,350 to $3,650
Colored or stained, saw-cut joints, minor grading
Premium
$3,300 to $4,600
Exposed aggregate or heavy decorative finish, drainage work
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10x10 (100 sq ft) | $500 – $1,050 | $900 – $1,450 | $1,300 – $1,800 |
| 12x16 (192 sq ft) | $910 – $1,800 | $1,550 – $2,450 | $2,200 – $3,100 |
| 20x20 (400 sq ft) | $1,850 – $3,500 | $3,100 – $4,750 | $4,300 – $5,950 |
California labor market for concrete patio
Statewide wages come from BLS's state-level estimates, which blend big cities with small towns and rural areas. 4 trades drive the labor line for this job, and the weighted ratio against the national wage level is 1.20 for California.
For cement masons and concrete finishers (47-2051, weighted 50%) the local median is $30.15 an hour, which is 10% above the national $27.41. The middle half of them earn between $24.73 and $40.42 an hour. BLS counts 28,700 of them working in the state, 15.8 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 13.3), so the local bench is deeper than average.
Construction laborers (47-2061), 30% of the weighting: a median of $28.98 an hour, 28% above the US median of $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $23.15 and $37.75 an hour. About 88,240 work in the state. That is 48.4 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 70.5 nationally, so expect fewer local crews to bid.
For carpenters (47-2031, weighted 10%) the local median is $36.50 an hour, which is 25% above the national $29.12. The middle half of them earn between $28.72 and $46.07 an hour. BLS counts 100,750 of them working in the state, 55.3 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 43.1), so the local bench is deeper than average.
For operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073, weighted 10%) the local median is $41.90 an hour, which is 46% above the national $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $31.36 and $60.37 an hour. BLS counts 36,020 of them working in the state, 19.8 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 30.7), so the local bench is thinner than average.
A crew paid at the 75th percentile for cement masons and concrete finishers ($40.42 an hour) would add about $250 to the statewide midpoint; one at the 25th percentile ($24.73) would take off about $130. Use that as a rough guide to how far a bid can sit from our midpoint on wages alone.
BLS counts 18,213,700 jobs across California (May 2025), which is 11.7% of US employment.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cement masons and concrete finishers (47-2051) | 50% | $24.73 | $30.15 | $40.42 | $27.41 | 1.10 | state |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 30% | $23.15 | $28.98 | $37.75 | $22.66 | 1.28 | state |
| Carpenters (47-2031) | 10% | $28.72 | $36.50 | $46.07 | $29.12 | 1.25 | state |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 10% | $31.36 | $41.90 | $60.37 | $28.78 | 1.46 | state |
| Blended | 100% | 1.20 | |||||
Extras that change the California total
Extras are quoted nationally and then scaled to California by the average of the local wage index (1.20) and goods index (1.06), a factor of 1.13. Tick any of them in the estimator above to add them to your total. Treat these as planning figures: an add-on touches different trades than the main job, so the scaling is an approximation.
| Add-on | Local range |
|---|---|
| Add an acid or water-based stain | $1,000 – $3,400 |
Concrete patio cost by metro in California
8 of the 23 metros sit above the statewide midpoint of $3,000, and the top-to-bottom gap is 26%. Each row prices the default size with that metro's own BLS wages and BEA price levels, so the gap between rows is real local variation rather than a flat markup.
| Metro | Range (300 sq ft) | Midpoint | vs. state |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco, CA | $1,550 – $5,250 | $3,400 | +14% |
| San Jose, CA | $1,500 – $5,100 | $3,300 | +10% |
| Modesto, CA | $1,450 – $4,850 | $3,150 | +5% |
| Napa, CA | $1,450 – $4,800 | $3,150 | +5% |
| Salinas, CA | $1,400 – $4,650 | $3,000 | +1% |
| San Diego, CA | $1,400 – $4,600 | $3,000 | +1% |
| Santa Rosa, CA | $1,400 – $4,650 | $3,000 | +1% |
| Los Angeles, CA | $1,400 – $4,650 | $3,000 | +1% |
| Vallejo, CA | $1,400 – $4,600 | $3,000 | level |
| Oxnard, CA | $1,400 – $4,550 | $2,950 | −1% |
| Sacramento, CA | $1,400 – $4,500 | $2,950 | −1% |
| San Luis Obispo, CA | $1,350 – $4,500 | $2,950 | −2% |
| Santa Cruz, CA | $1,350 – $4,450 | $2,900 | −3% |
| Santa Maria, CA | $1,350 – $4,400 | $2,900 | −3% |
| Redding, CA | $1,350 – $4,400 | $2,850 | −4% |
| Riverside, CA | $1,350 – $4,400 | $2,850 | −4% |
| Chico, CA | $1,350 – $4,350 | $2,850 | −5% |
| Stockton, CA | $1,350 – $4,350 | $2,850 | −5% |
| Bakersfield, CA | $1,350 – $4,300 | $2,850 | −5% |
| Fresno, CA | $1,350 – $4,300 | $2,800 | −6% |
| Merced, CA | $1,300 – $4,200 | $2,750 | −8% |
| El Centro, CA | $1,300 – $4,150 | $2,750 | −9% |
| Visalia, CA | $1,300 – $4,100 | $2,700 | −10% |
Related projects, priced for California
The table prices neighboring jobs at their usual sizes using statewide California wages and prices. Against national midpoints, asphalt driveway comes out highest (+22%) and concrete slab lowest (+12%), because each job leans on different trades.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete slab | 400 sq ft | $2,750 – $5,800 | +12% |
| Stamped concrete | 400 sq ft | $3,650 – $8,950 | +12% |
| Paver patio | 300 sq ft | $3,450 – $6,300 | +15% |
| Wood deck | 300 sq ft | $8,650 – $17,400 | +15% |
| Concrete driveway | 600 sq ft | $4,200 – $10,700 | +16% |
| Asphalt driveway | 600 sq ft | $3,650 – $9,100 | +22% |
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Concrete patio in California: your questions
+How much does it cost to pour a concrete patio in California?
$1,400 to $4,600 for 300 sq ft, using statewide wages and prices. Metro areas inside California can sit above or below that.
+Which city in California is cheapest for concrete patio?
Visalia at about $2,700 (midpoint, 300 sq ft). The priciest is San Francisco at $3,400.
+Is concrete patio cheaper in California than the US average?
It is 14% more expensive: $3,000 against $2,650 for 300 sq ft at the midpoint.
+What share of the price is labor in California?
About 54% ($1,650). Materials are 37%. Statewide labor for this job is weighted 1.20x the national wage level.
+What do cement masons and concrete finishers earn in California?
The BLS statewide median is $30.15 an hour, against $27.41 for the US. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $24.73 to $40.42.
+Where does California rank for concrete patio costs?
6th most expensive of 51 (the 50 states plus DC) at the midpoint, $3,000 for 300 sq ft. Rank 1 is the costliest.
+What do basic and premium concrete patio work cost in California?
For 300 sq ft, basic work runs $1,400 to $2,650 and premium work $3,300 to $4,600. Basic means: plain gray slab, broom finish, flat yard. Premium means: exposed aggregate or heavy decorative finish, drainage work.
+Does the season matter for concrete patio in California?
Yes where winters or summers are hard. Of the California metros we cover, Los Angeles has the most comfortable months (12 of 12) based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals. Our prices do not change by month, so ask contractors whether they charge more or less in busy and slow seasons.
+What does "add an acid or water-based stain" add in California?
$1,000 to $3,400 for 300 sq ft, from a national range scaled by the statewide wage and goods indexes.
Concrete patio by city in California
- San Francisco, CA$3,400 midpoint
- San Jose, CA$3,300 midpoint
- Modesto, CA$3,150 midpoint
- Napa, CA$3,150 midpoint
- Salinas, CA$3,000 midpoint
- San Diego, CA$3,000 midpoint
- Santa Rosa, CA$3,000 midpoint
- Los Angeles, CA$3,000 midpoint
- Vallejo, CA$3,000 midpoint
- Oxnard, CA$2,950 midpoint
- Sacramento, CA$2,950 midpoint
- San Luis Obispo, CA$2,950 midpoint
- Santa Cruz, CA$2,900 midpoint
- Santa Maria, CA$2,900 midpoint
- Redding, CA$2,850 midpoint
- Riverside, CA$2,850 midpoint
- Chico, CA$2,850 midpoint
- Stockton, CA$2,850 midpoint
- Bakersfield, CA$2,850 midpoint
- Fresno, CA$2,800 midpoint
- Merced, CA$2,750 midpoint
- El Centro, CA$2,750 midpoint
- Visalia, CA$2,700 midpoint
Where these numbers come from
Base prices are national ranges from the sources below. We scale labor by local BLS wages, materials by BEA goods prices and permits by the BEA all-items price level. Full method on the methodology page.
- HomeGuide: How Much Does a Concrete Patio Cost? (2026) (accessed November 4, 2026)
- SimplyWise: Concrete Estimate Template: Free PDF + Excel (2026) (accessed November 4, 2026)
- HomeGuide: How Much Does Stamped Concrete Cost? (2026) (accessed November 4, 2026)
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
- BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991-2020
Note on derived figures: Materials = SimplyWise's sample 200 sq ft broom-finish patio line ($500-$900 in materials) divided by 200 sq ft.