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The best backyard ideas start with how you'll use the space: a patio sized for your furniture, shade over part of it, privacy along the edges, layered planting beds and only as much lawn as you play on. Here are ideas by job, plus typical costs.
October 9, 2026
A flagstone patio usually costs $15 to $27 per square foot installed, or about $3,600 on average. Most are dry-laid on compacted gravel and sand; mortared stone on a concrete slab costs more and can crack in freeze-thaw climates.
October 3, 2026
Fire pit ideas run from a portable steel bowl on gravel to a stone pit or gas fire table built into a patio. HomeAdvisor puts the average at about $850, with most projects between $200 and $3,000.
September 29, 2026
A patio cover can be a $120 shade canopy or a $30,000 gable roof. This Old House puts most patio roofs at $14,000 to $31,000, and the right type depends on whether you need shade, rain cover or snow strength.
September 27, 2026
Lay pavers on at least 4 inches of compacted crushed-stone base (more on clay or in freezing climates), then 1 inch of screeded concrete sand. Set the pavers, add edge restraints, compact and sweep in joint sand, with a slope of 1/8 to 1/4 inch per foot.
September 24, 2026
A stamped concrete patio usually costs about $8 to $25 per square foot installed, so a 20 x 20 ft patio often runs $4,000 to $8,000. It looks like stone or brick for less than pavers, but it can crack and needs resealing every 2 to 3 years.
September 15, 2026
On flat ground, a patio is usually cheaper than a raised deck and outlasts a wood deck. For 16x20, HomeAdvisor puts pavers at about $2,600–$8,000, a ground-level deck at $3,200–$6,400 and its size-table deck at $12,800–$19,200. Decks suit slopes.
September 6, 2026
Poured concrete is cheaper up front, at roughly $4–$10 per square foot versus $8–$25 for pavers. Pavers cost more but are made two to three times stronger, handle ground movement better and can be lifted and reset instead of patched. Stamped concrete sits in between.
September 1, 2026
Most paver patios cost $8–$25 per square foot installed, or about $2,275–$6,950 for a typical 280-square-foot patio. Material, base prep, shape, slope and local labor rates decide where your quote lands.
August 26, 2026
