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Paver patio cost in California

Statewide estimate from BLS wages and BEA prices. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.

Statewide range (300 sq ft)
$3,450 – $6,300
Per sq ft
$11.50 – $19.50
before permit
Versus US midpoint
+15%
US $4,250
Metros covered
23

California prices for paver patio: $3,450 to $6,300 for 300 sq ft, or $11.50 to $19.50 per sq ft without the permit. The state midpoint is 15% above the national one. Local wages for construction laborers are $28.98 an hour.

Inside California, the metros we cover range from $4,450 (Visalia) to $5,350 (San Francisco) at the midpoint. Pick your closest city in the table for a tighter number.

Estimate your paver patio cost

Pick a size, a quality level and where you live. Prices update as you type.

Quality level

Mid-grade pavers, a border or curve, some regrading

Add-ons

Estimated cost for 300 sq ft in California (statewide), standard level

$4,300 to $5,450

About $14 to $17 per sq ft before permits. Labor is about 63% of the bill.

Cost breakdown
PartLowHigh
Materials$1,450$1,700
Labor$2,700$3,450
Permits and fees$120$270
Total$4,300$5,450
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Cost breakdown for 300 sq ft in California

Part of the jobLowMidpointHighShare
Materials$1,250$1,600$1,90033%
Labor$2,150$3,050$4,00063%
Permits and fees$0$190$3904%
Total$3,450$4,850$6,300100%

Basic, standard or premium: California prices

Bands overlap on purpose, since a good standard job can cost as much as a light premium one. Below are the three bands for the default size, then a grid from 12x12 (144 sq ft) to pool deck (800 sq ft).

Basic

$3,450 to $4,600

Basic concrete pavers, simple pattern, level yard

Standard

$4,300 to $5,450

Mid-grade pavers, a border or curve, some regrading

Premium

$5,150 to $6,300

Natural stone or clay brick, complex pattern, slope or retaining edge

Cost by size and quality level
SizeBasicStandardPremium
12x12 (144 sq ft)$1,650 – $2,300$2,100 – $2,750$2,600 – $3,200
16x16 (256 sq ft)$2,950 – $3,950$3,700 – $4,650$4,400 – $5,400
20x20 (400 sq ft)$4,600 – $6,050$5,700 – $7,150$6,800 – $8,250
pool deck (800 sq ft)$9,200 – $11,900$11,300 – $14,000$13,300 – $16,100

Weather windows across California

Weather decides when digging and ground work can happen, and California is not uniform. The table uses NOAA's 1991-2020 climate normals from the weather station nearest each metro we cover, and counts the months that are neither cold nor hot enough to complicate the job.

Los Angeles has the longest comfortable season of the metros we cover in California at 12 months; El Centro has the shortest at 6 (November through April). 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.

Climate by metro (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
MetroJan avg low °FJul avg high °FPrecip (in/yr)Comfortable months
Los Angeles48781412: all year
San Francisco47662312: all year
Riverside4395109: October through June
San Diego46801112: all year
San Jose42811312: all year
Sacramento41941910: September through June
Fresno4198118: October through May
Bakersfield419868: October through May
Oxnard46731312: all year
Stockton3995178: October through May
Santa Rosa38823212: all year
Santa Maria41731312: all year
Modesto3995129: September through May
Salinas42711312: all year
Visalia38941010: September through June
Vallejo38792012: all year
San Luis Obispo41781812: all year
Santa Cruz41743112: all year
Merced3796128: October through May
Chico3695279: October through June
Napa40832712: all year
Redding38100348: October through May
El Centro4310736: November through April

Related projects, priced for California

Each project weights the trades differently, so California's wage level does not push every price by the same amount. Compared with the US midpoint, concrete driveway is +16% and concrete slab +12%.

Related projects with local prices
ProjectSizeRangevs. US
Concrete patio300 sq ft$1,400 – $4,600+14%
Stamped concrete400 sq ft$3,650 – $8,950+12%
Retaining wall200 sq ft of wall face$8,200 – $15,200+14%
Wood deck300 sq ft$8,650 – $17,400+15%
Concrete slab400 sq ft$2,750 – $5,800+12%
Concrete driveway600 sq ft$4,200 – $10,700+16%

Paver patio cost by metro in California

5 of the 23 metros sit above the statewide midpoint of $4,850, and the top-to-bottom gap is 20%. 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.

MetroRange (300 sq ft)Midpointvs. state
San Francisco, CA$3,800 – $6,950$5,350+11%
San Jose, CA$3,650 – $6,700$5,200+7%
Santa Rosa, CA$3,500 – $6,350$4,900+1%
Vallejo, CA$3,450 – $6,350$4,900+1%
Sacramento, CA$3,450 – $6,300$4,900+1%
Napa, CA$3,450 – $6,300$4,850level
Salinas, CA$3,450 – $6,250$4,850level
Modesto, CA$3,450 – $6,250$4,850level
San Luis Obispo, CA$3,450 – $6,250$4,850level
Stockton, CA$3,400 – $6,200$4,800−1%
Santa Cruz, CA$3,400 – $6,200$4,800−1%
Los Angeles, CA$3,350 – $6,150$4,750−2%
Oxnard, CA$3,350 – $6,100$4,750−3%
San Diego, CA$3,350 – $6,100$4,750−3%
Redding, CA$3,350 – $6,050$4,700−3%
Bakersfield, CA$3,350 – $6,050$4,700−4%
Chico, CA$3,300 – $6,000$4,650−4%
Riverside, CA$3,300 – $6,050$4,650−4%
Santa Maria, CA$3,300 – $6,000$4,650−4%
Merced, CA$3,300 – $5,950$4,650−5%
Fresno, CA$3,300 – $5,950$4,650−5%
El Centro, CA$3,300 – $5,950$4,600−5%
Visalia, CA$3,200 – $5,750$4,450−8%

California versus the states around it

California ranks 8 of 51 (the 50 states plus DC) for paver patio, where 1 is the most expensive. The costliest is Hawaii at $5,550 and the cheapest Mississippi at $3,650, both for 300 sq ft at the midpoint. California sits at $4,850. The five states closest by workforce center are listed below.

States near California, same project and size
StateDistanceRangeMidpointvs. here
Nevada210 miles away$2,950 – $5,400$4,200−14%
Arizona430 miles away$2,900 – $5,300$4,100−16%
Utah490 miles away$2,950 – $5,350$4,150−15%
Idaho600 miles away$3,000 – $5,400$4,200−14%
Oregon690 miles away$3,350 – $6,050$4,700−3%

What construction laborers and the other trades earn in California

California's labor line is priced from 3 trades, each compared with its US median wage. After weighting by each trade's share of the work, the state comes out at 1.21 times the national level.

For construction laborers (47-2061, weighted 50%) the local median is $28.98 an hour, which is 28% above the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $23.15 and $37.75 an hour. BLS counts 88,240 of them working in the state, 48.4 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 70.5), so the local bench is thinner than average.

For brickmasons and blockmasons (47-2021, weighted 30%) the local median is $33.20 an hour, which is 11% above the national $29.87. The middle half of them earn between $28.24 and $38.26 an hour. BLS counts 3,820 of them working in the state, 2.1 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 3.4), so the local bench is thinner than average.

Landscaping and groundskeeping workers (37-3011), 20% of the weighting: a median of $21.90 an hour, 16% above the US median of $18.82. The middle half of them earn between $18.47 and $24.27 an hour. About 106,180 work in the state. That is 58.3 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 61.3 nationally, so the supply of crews looks typical.

A crew paid at the 75th percentile for construction laborers ($37.75 an hour) would add about $490 to the statewide midpoint; one at the 25th percentile ($23.15) would take off about $330. 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.

Median hourly wages behind the labor line (BLS OEWS, May 2025)
TradeWeight25th pctMedian75th pctUS medianRatioLevel used
Construction laborers (47-2061)50%$23.15$28.98$37.75$22.661.28state
Brickmasons and blockmasons (47-2021)30%$28.24$33.20$38.26$29.871.11state
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers (37-3011)20%$18.47$21.90$24.27$18.821.16state
Blended100%1.21

Add-ons priced for California

Add-ons start from national price ranges and are scaled by 1.13 for California, which is the average of the area's wage index (1.21) and goods price index (1.06). The estimator above can add them to your total.

Add-on prices
Add-onLocal range
Excavation and haul-away$340 – $1,700

Why two California quotes can differ

  • Paver material

    Pavers alone average $2-$4 per sq ft but the full range is $1-$15 depending on concrete, brick, or natural stone (HomeGuide).

  • Base prep

    The base (road base, fabric, edging, bedding and joint sand) is $1.40-$2.20 per sq ft of the materials number.

  • Excavation and grading

    Digging out is $1-$5 per sq ft; regrading a sloped yard is $0.40-$2.00 per sq ft.

  • Pattern

    Herringbone and curves take longer to lay and waste more stone than a running bond.

  • Permit

    At-grade patios often need no permit; add a retaining wall, a cover, or a connection to the house and that changes.

Get 3 local quotes

Tell us about the job and we will try to connect you with up to three local contractors for written quotes. It is free and you are under no obligation to hire. Your estimate of $4,300 to $5,450 for California is attached.

Take this estimate with you: PDF report, $9

Multi-page report for California: low, typical and high cost, a line-item breakdown of materials and labor by trade, permit notes, the best months to schedule, a quote comparison sheet, red flags, questions for contractors, checklists and every source. Save your estimate above, preview page 1 free, and unlock the full report for $9 one-time, or get every report with CostLocal Pro.

Paver patio in California: your questions

+How much does it cost to install a paver patio in California?

$3,450 to $6,300 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 paver patio?

Visalia at about $4,450 (midpoint, 300 sq ft). The priciest is San Francisco at $5,350.

+Is paver patio cheaper in California than the US average?

It is 15% more expensive: $4,850 against $4,250 for 300 sq ft at the midpoint.

+What share of the price is labor in California?

About 63% ($3,050). Materials are 33%. Statewide labor for this job is weighted 1.21x the national wage level.

+What do construction laborers earn in California?

The BLS statewide median is $28.98 an hour, against $22.66 for the US. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $23.15 to $37.75.

+Where does California rank for paver patio costs?

8th most expensive of 51 (the 50 states plus DC) at the midpoint, $4,850 for 300 sq ft. Rank 1 is the costliest.

+What do basic and premium paver patio work cost in California?

For 300 sq ft, basic work runs $3,450 to $4,600 and premium work $5,150 to $6,300. Basic means: basic concrete pavers, simple pattern, level yard. Premium means: natural stone or clay brick, complex pattern, slope or retaining edge.

+Does the season matter for paver 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 "excavation and haul-away" add in California?

$340 to $1,700 for 300 sq ft, from a national range scaled by the statewide wage and goods indexes.

Paver patio by city in California

Paver patio: all pricesCalifornia cost hub

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.