How to Build a Patio: A Step-by-Step Guide 2025 Assuming you still have grass, use a shovel to clear the area of all grass and excavation. No fancy tools are required, just a pick axe to loosen and remove the grass, and a steel garden rake to smooth the area. When I bought my house four years ago, there were two trees, an unsightly shed, and a basic concrete patio off the back door.
This sand serves as a bed for your pavers and helps them stay level.Installation is less intense than that of pavers, but you’ll still need to place a layer of gravel base over compacted soil before adding the decorative gravel.If you started in the morning, I think you could definitely do this in one day.
Once the initial planning is out of the way, you can begin the process of excavating your lawn and installing the foundation layer-by-layer. When it’s all said and done, you’ll have an idyllic, professional-looking outdoor haven to show for your efforts. One-in.-thick bluestone weighs about 14 pounds per square foot. Square piece tips the scales at about 87 pounds, and a 2-in.-thick piece of the same Homepage dimensions weighs about 175 pounds. But if you plan to drive over the stone, you'll have to use material that's at least 2 in. If installation speed and light work are important to you, then bricks or concrete pavers are probably the better choices.
Projects and Plans
Gravel and crushed stone patios can be installed in one to two days. For novice DIYers, more advanced projects like pavers and poured concrete patios often take two to three days. I recommend getting extra help as this speeds up the work significantly. To install, you’ll first mark the patio area and dig out grass and plants.
It’s important that the entire base layer is well compacted. If it’s not compacted tightly, the soil will shift and so will your pavers. When it comes to base layer and top layer materials, a landscape supply company in your area will know the best base material for your patio pavers. Depending on the paver material you choose, expect to pay around $1,700 to build your own paver patio. Hiring a local patio builder will set you back $3,700 on average. Move the pipe or rebar as you work across the patio. Pour and screed the sand in sections until the whole patio has a firm layer of sand.
