What a concrete patio costs in Fresno
As of 2026, a new concrete patio in Fresno runs roughly $9 to $14 per square foot for a standard broom finish, and roughly $16 to $24 per square foot for stamped concrete. A 400 square foot broom finish patio therefore lands somewhere around $3,600 to $5,600, and the same slab stamped and colored lands closer to $6,400 to $9,600. Those are the ranges we see on real jobs around Fresno, Clovis and Madera.
A range is not a quote, and we would rather say that plainly than let a number on a web page set your budget. Two patios of identical size can sit at opposite ends of that spread because of what is under them, how the truck reaches them, and what happens to the water when it rains. The only figure that means anything is the written estimate, which is free, which The owner does himself, and which homeowners around here can usually get the same day, or within 24 hours if it is not a weekend.
- Broom finish patio: about $9 to $14 per square foot
- Colored or saw cut decorative finish: about $12 to $17 per square foot
- Exposed aggregate: about $13 to $18 per square foot
- Stamped and colored: about $16 to $24 per square foot
- Removal and haul off of an existing slab: about $3 to $6 per square foot
As of 2026, a new concrete patio in Fresno runs roughly $9 to $14 per square foot for a standard broom finish, and roughly $16 to $24 per square foot for stamped concrete. A 400 square foot broom finish patio therefore lands somewhere around $3,600 to $5,600, and the same slab stamped and colored lands closer to $6,400 to $9,600. Those are the ranges we see on real jobs around Fresno, Clovis and Madera.
What you are paying for under the slab
Most of the money on a patio is spent before any concrete arrives. The area gets excavated to depth, the subgrade gets compacted, forms go in dead level or at a deliberate fall, and reinforcement gets tied and chaired so it sits in the middle of the pour instead of on the dirt. In this valley that prep is not optional. Hardpan sits close to the surface across much of Fresno and Clovis, and expansive clay shows up in pockets from Sanger out to Kingsburg, so what the base does in February decides whether the slab is still flat in August.
Thickness and reinforcement are the two line items people try to cut and the two we will not. Four inches with a proper mat of rebar or a heavy mesh is the baseline for a patio that carries furniture, planters and foot traffic. Going thinner or leaving out steel saves a few hundred dollars once and costs a replacement later. One customer of ours waited three years on purpose before writing a review, then reported roughly 3,000 square feet with not one crack in it. That is what the prep buys.
Finishes, and what each one adds per square foot
Broom finish is the workhorse and it is the cheapest honest option. It is durable, it grips underfoot when wet, and it stays noticeably cooler than a dark decorative surface in July. Plenty of beautiful valley backyards are broom finish concrete with a clean saw cut pattern and a crisp border, and that combination sits only a dollar or two per square foot above plain. Add a border in a second color, or a band of exposed aggregate around the edge, and you have a patio that looks designed for a fraction of what a full stamp costs.
Color and stamping are where the price climbs. Integral color runs through the whole pour, color hardener sits on the surface and takes a deeper shade, and a release color gives the stamped pattern its variation. Stamped concrete that reads as slate, stone, brick or wood plank costs more because it takes more crew on site during a short working window, and because the mats, colors and sealer all add material. Exposed aggregate sits in between: the surface is washed back to reveal the stone in the mix, which is the classic Central Valley pool deck look and the finish we get asked to match on forty year old decks more than any other.
- Broom finish with a saw cut pattern is the best value per square foot
- Integral color adds roughly $1.50 to $3 per square foot
- A stamped pattern adds roughly $6 to $10 per square foot over broom
- Borders, banding and a second color add labor, not just material
- Sealer on a decorative finish is a recurring cost every two to four years
Want your yard priced?
Free estimate, we walk it with you.
Demolition, access and how close the truck can get
If there is an old slab where the new patio goes, it has to come out first. Breaking, loading and hauling an existing patio runs about $3 to $6 per square foot depending on thickness, whether it is reinforced, and how far the debris has to be carried to the truck. Old patios poured over the top of tree roots cost more, because the roots come out too and a root barrier usually goes in so the same failure does not repeat in ten years.
Access is the quiet line item. A backyard with a wide side gate and a driveway the mixer can back down is the cheap version of your project. A yard reached through a three foot gate, or across a finished slab we have to protect, or up a slope, means concrete gets moved by buggy or pumped, and the pump is a real cost on its own. Homes on the older streets in Fresno and the newer tight lot subdivisions around Clovis and Friant both run into this, for opposite reasons. We work it out on the walk so it is in the estimate rather than in a change order.
Drainage, slope and control joints
Drainage is not an add on, it is part of the pour, and it belongs in the price from the start. Slope gets set before anything comes out of the truck, falling away from the house and away from the pool if there is one, at enough of a grade that water leaves on its own. Control joints get cut where the slab wants to move, so the concrete cracks along a line you chose rather than across the middle of your seating area. Where the grade cannot carry the water off, a deck drain or a channel drain goes in and gets tied to somewhere sensible.
Then we check it. Before we call a patio finished we look at the surface for standing water and fix anywhere it collects. That is the whole policy, and it is worth saying out loud because it is the single thing most likely to go wrong on a flat slab in a valley yard that was graded for a lawn rather than for hardscape.
- Fall set before the pour, away from the house and the pool
- Control joints cut on a spacing that matches slab thickness
- Deck drains and channel drains where the grade cannot do the job alone
- Downspouts routed so roof water does not land on the new patio
- Surface checked for standing water before the job is called done
How the free written estimate works
Send the form and tell us roughly what you have in mind. The owner comes out, usually the same day or within 24 hours if it is not a weekend, walks the yard with you, and talks through size, finish, joints and where the water goes while standing in it. You get one clear written price, so you know what the stamp costs against the broom finish before you decide, real numbers instead of a guess.
If the finished job uses less footage than the allowance we quoted, the difference goes back to you. Customers have written Google reviews specifically about being credited money back, which is not a thing people usually bother to mention unless it surprised them. We are at 5.0 from 29 reviews, family owned, and the family has been pouring here since April 1980. Send the form and we will come look at the yard.
Questions we get about this
The follow ups this subject raises once somebody starts pricing it for real.
How much is a 400 square foot concrete patio in Clovis?
As of 2026, expect roughly $3,600 to $5,600 for a broom finish and roughly $6,400 to $9,600 stamped and colored, before any demolition. Where you land inside that depends on subgrade, reinforcement, how close the truck can get and whether an old slab has to come out. We will give you the real number in writing, free, usually the same day you call or within 24 hours if it is not a weekend.
Can you extend my existing patio instead of replacing it?
Usually yes, and it is a good way to spend less. We tie a new pour into the sound existing slab, cut the joint where the two meet so it reads as a design line, and match the finish as closely as concrete allows. Perfect color matching on an old slab is not realistic, so we often recommend a border or a band at the seam, which looks deliberate instead of patched.
Salas Outdoor
Written by the crew that does the work. Family owned since 1980, backyard remodeling and concrete across Fresno, Clovis and the Central Valley.