Paver patio cost in Modesto, CA
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (300 sq ft)
- $3,450 – $6,250
- Per sq ft
- $11.50 – $19.50
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- +15%
- US $4,250
- Rank of 300 metros
- #30
- 1 = most expensive
A paver patio in Modesto, CA usually costs $3,450 to $6,250 for 300 sq ft. That works out to about $11.50 to $19.50 per sq ft before permits. Compared with the national midpoint that is $620 more. Construction laborers earn a median of $29.15 an hour in the Modesto area, 29% above the US median of $22.66.
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Estimated cost for 300 sq ft in Modesto, CA, standard level
$4,300 to $5,400
About $14 to $17 per sq ft before permits. Labor is about 64% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $1,450 | $1,700 |
| Labor | $2,700 | $3,450 |
| Permits and fees | $110 | $260 |
| Total | $4,300 | $5,400 |
Cost breakdown for 300 sq ft in Modesto, CA
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $1,250 | $1,600 | $1,900 | 33% |
| Labor | $2,200 | $3,100 | $4,000 | 64% |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $180 | $360 | 4% |
| Total | $3,450 | $4,850 | $6,250 | 100% |
What is behind the Modesto number
The wage side of the estimate leans on construction laborers, who do 50% of the hours on a typical job. Their local median is $29.15 an hour. Add the other trades involved and the blended wage index for Modesto is 1.21 (US = 1.00), which puts labor at 64% of the total.
Materials are scaled with BEA's regional price parity for goods. Modesto is at 105.2 against 100 for the US, so a materials line of $1,500 nationally becomes $1,600 here (midpoint, 300 sq ft). Permits follow the all-items index of 104.1: $0 to $360.
Data note: 30% of the labor weighting for this project uses a statewide median because BLS has no published metro figure for that trade in Modesto. The wage table below marks each row.
What nearby projects cost in Modesto
Jobs that often go together with paver patio are priced below at their usual sizes, using the same Modesto wage and price inputs. Compared with national midpoints, concrete driveway comes out highest (+24%) and wood deck lowest (+13%); the gap comes from the trades each job uses.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete patio | 300 sq ft | $1,450 – $4,850 | +19% |
| Stamped concrete | 400 sq ft | $3,800 – $9,500 | +19% |
| Retaining wall | 200 sq ft of wall face | $8,200 – $15,100 | +14% |
| Wood deck | 300 sq ft | $8,550 – $17,100 | +13% |
| Concrete slab | 400 sq ft | $2,900 – $6,000 | +17% |
| Concrete driveway | 600 sq ft | $4,450 – $11,500 | +24% |
Modesto weather and the paver patio calendar
Climate numbers on this page come from NOAA's 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals at the nearest suitable station, Modesto City Co Ap (5 miles from the city center). They are 30-year averages, so any one year can run hotter, colder or wetter.
For digging, grading and setting material in the ground, the comfortable months in Modesto are September through May: 9 of 12. Outside them, June, July and August have an average daytime high of 90°F or more.
Modesto gets about 12 inches of precipitation in a normal year. The wettest months are January, February and December (2.6 inches in January). Inside the workable window, September and October are the driest, at 0.1 and 0.6 inches. The station averages about 90 days a year at 90°F or above.
We do not adjust the estimate by month, because we have no reliable published data on seasonal pricing. It is still worth asking contractors whether an off-peak start date changes their bid.
| Month | Avg high °F | Avg low °F | Precip (in) | For this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 56 | 39 | 2.6 | Workable |
| Feb | 62 | 42 | 2.2 | Workable |
| Mar | 68 | 45 | 1.8 | Workable |
| Apr | 74 | 48 | 1.0 | Workable |
| May | 82 | 54 | 0.7 | Workable |
| Jun | 90 | 59 | 0.1 | Hot |
| Jul | 95 | 63 | 0.0 | Hot |
| Aug | 94 | 62 | 0.0 | Hot |
| Sep | 89 | 59 | 0.1 | Workable |
| Oct | 79 | 52 | 0.6 | Workable |
| Nov | 66 | 43 | 1.1 | Workable |
| Dec | 56 | 39 | 2.2 | Workable |
Pick a size, pick a tier: paver patio pricing in Modesto
The cited range is split into basic, standard and premium bands, then scaled to Modesto. Bands overlap, because plenty of standard jobs cost as much as a light premium one. Sizes run from 12x12 (144 sq ft) to pool deck (800 sq ft).
Basic
$3,450 to $4,550
Basic concrete pavers, simple pattern, level yard
Standard
$4,300 to $5,400
Mid-grade pavers, a border or curve, some regrading
Premium
$5,150 to $6,250
Natural stone or clay brick, complex pattern, slope or retaining edge
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12x12 (144 sq ft) | $1,650 – $2,250 | $2,100 – $2,750 | $2,550 – $3,200 |
| 16x16 (256 sq ft) | $2,950 – $3,900 | $3,650 – $4,650 | $4,400 – $5,400 |
| 20x20 (400 sq ft) | $4,600 – $6,050 | $5,700 – $7,150 | $6,750 – $8,200 |
| pool deck (800 sq ft) | $9,150 – $11,900 | $11,200 – $14,000 | $13,300 – $16,100 |
What local crews earn in Modesto
The labor line is built from BLS wage data, one trade at a time. This job draws on 3 trades. We compare each trade's local median with the US median, weight the ratios by how much of the job each trade does, and apply the blend to the national labor cost. For Modesto the blend is 1.21.
For construction laborers (47-2061, weighted 50%) the local median is $29.15 an hour, which is 29% above the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $22.89 and $38.02 an hour. BLS counts 1,070 of them working in the area, 54.8 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 70.5), so the local bench is thinner than average.
Brickmasons and blockmasons (47-2021) carry 30% of the labor weighting. BLS does not publish this trade for the Modesto metro, so we used the California statewide median: $33.20 an hour against $29.87 for the US. The middle half of them earn between $28.24 and $38.26 an hour.
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers (37-3011), 20% of the weighting: a median of $21.99 an hour, 17% above the US median of $18.82. The middle half of them earn between $18.76 and $26.67 an hour. About 1,080 work in the metro. That is 55.3 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 61.3 nationally, so the supply of crews looks typical.
A quick sensitivity check: moving the lead trade (construction laborers) from the median to the 75th percentile wage adds about $500 to the midpoint estimate; the 25th percentile takes off about $350. That is a swing of roughly 7.3% to 10.3% of the total, which is useful for judging whether a bid reflects wages or something else, such as scope or margin.
Modesto has 195,230 jobs in total (BLS, May 2025), ranking 117th by size among the 300 metros on this site.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 50% | $22.89 | $29.15 | $38.02 | $22.66 | 1.29 | metro |
| Brickmasons and blockmasons (47-2021) | 30% | $28.24 | $33.20 | $38.26 | $29.87 | 1.11 | state |
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers (37-3011) | 20% | $18.76 | $21.99 | $26.67 | $18.82 | 1.17 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 1.21 | |||||
Extras that change the Modesto total
Add-ons start from national price ranges and are scaled by 1.13 for Modesto, which is the average of the area's wage index (1.21) and goods price index (1.05). The estimator above can add them to your total.
| Add-on | Local range |
|---|---|
| Excavation and haul-away | $340 – $1,700 |
Why two Modesto quotes can differ
Permit
At-grade patios often need no permit; add a retaining wall, a cover, or a connection to the house and that changes.
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.
How Modesto compares
Of the five closest metros, 3 are cheaper than Modesto. Merced is the lowest at about $4,650 (midpoint, 300 sq ft), 30 miles away.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Modesto, CAthis page | $3,450 – $6,250 | $4,850 | |
| Stockton, CA30 miles | $3,400 – $6,200 | $4,800 | level |
| Merced, CA30 miles | $3,300 – $5,950 | $4,650 | −4% |
| San Jose, CA50 miles | $3,650 – $6,700 | $5,200 | +7% |
| Santa Cruz, CA65 miles | $3,400 – $6,200 | $4,800 | −1% |
| Vallejo, CA70 miles | $3,450 – $6,350 | $4,900 | +1% |
| California (statewide) | $3,450 – $6,300 | $4,850 | level |
| United States | $3,000 – $5,450 | $4,250 | −13% |
Out of the 300 metros we cover, Modesto ranks #30 for the cost of this job (#1 is the most expensive). Statewide, Modesto is 0% below the California figure.
Elsewhere in California
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles, CA | 6,271,560 jobs | $3,350 – $6,150 | $4,750 | −2% |
| San Francisco, CA | 2,373,920 jobs | $3,800 – $6,950 | $5,350 | +11% |
| Riverside, CA | 1,716,760 jobs | $3,300 – $6,050 | $4,650 | −4% |
| San Diego, CA | 1,538,060 jobs | $3,350 – $6,100 | $4,750 | −2% |
| San Jose, CA | 1,134,970 jobs | $3,650 – $6,700 | $5,200 | +7% |
| Sacramento, CA | 1,080,590 jobs | $3,450 – $6,300 | $4,900 | +1% |
Metros of a similar size
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Modesto against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Savannah, GA | 198,360 jobs | $2,650 – $4,800 | $3,750 | −23% |
| Corpus Christi, TX | 192,580 jobs | $2,750 – $4,950 | $3,850 | −20% |
| Manchester, NH | 199,560 jobs | $3,050 – $5,600 | $4,350 | −10% |
| Boulder, CO | 192,390 jobs | $3,050 – $5,600 | $4,350 | −10% |
Get 3 local quotes
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Paver patio in Modesto: your questions
+How much does it cost to install a paver patio in Modesto?
For 300 sq ft, expect $3,450 to $6,250 in the Modesto area. A standard-spec job lands at $4,300 to $5,400. Small jobs usually cost more per sq ft and large ones less.
+What is the price per sq ft for paver patio in Modesto?
About $11.50 to $19.50 per sq ft for materials and labor, plus $0 to $360 for the permit if one is needed. The US range is $10 to $17.
+Is paver patio cheaper in Modesto or Stockton?
Stockton is 30 miles away. The midpoint for 300 sq ft there is $4,800, which is 0% less than Modesto ($4,850). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Modesto?
About 64% at the midpoint, or $3,100 out of $4,850. Materials are 33% and permits 4%. Nationally, labor is 60%.
+What would 20x20 (400 sq ft) cost in Modesto?
$4,600 to $8,200. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does paver patio need a permit in Modesto?
Often, but rules are set by your city or county building office, so call before you hire. Budget $0 to $360 for fees in the Modesto area (our national range of $0 to $350 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Modesto expensive for paver patio compared with the rest of California?
Modesto is 0% below the California statewide estimate ($4,850 at the midpoint). We cover 23 metros in California; see the state page to compare them.
+What do construction laborers earn in Modesto?
The BLS median is $29.15 an hour in the Modesto area, compared with $22.66 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $22.89 to $38.02.
+What do basic and premium paver patio work cost in Modesto?
For 300 sq ft, basic work runs $3,450 to $4,550 and premium work $5,150 to $6,250. Basic means: basic concrete pavers, simple pattern, level yard. Premium means: natural stone or clay brick, complex pattern, slope or retaining edge.
+When is the best time to install a paver patio in Modesto?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are September through May. September and October are typically the driest of those months. Local contractors' schedules matter as much as the weather, so book early for the busy months.
+What does "excavation and haul-away" add in Modesto?
$340 to $1,700 for 300 sq ft, from a national range scaled by the local wage and goods indexes.
Paver patio near Modesto
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: 2026 Paver Patio Cost | Paver Installation Costs (accessed November 4, 2026)
- HomeGuide: How Much Does Stamped Concrete Cost? (2026) (accessed November 4, 2026)
- HomeGuide: 2026 Building Permit Costs | Fees & Cost Calculator (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