Cost to Replace a Concrete Patio: New Slab vs. Tear-Out (2026)

A new plain concrete patio costs $4 to $12 per square foot installed, according to HomeGuide (July 2025), so a 20×20 patio runs $1,600 to $4,800. Replacing an old patio adds the tear-out: HomeGuide’s removal guide (May 2025) puts concrete removal at “$3 to $8 per square foot, including disposal,” and a 20×20 concrete patio at $1,200 to $3,000 to remove. Add the two lines and a 20×20 replacement in plain gray concrete comes to about $2,800 to $7,800 before any decorative finish; that sum is ours. HomeGuide also gives one combined figure: “The average price to tear out and replace a concrete slab is $8 to $18 per square foot.” That price already includes the new slab, so don’t add it to the others; for 400 square feet it works out to $3,200 to $7,200. Either way, ask for tear-out and the new patio as separate lines in your quote.

Replacement cost by patio size

The new-patio column is HomeGuide’s plain-concrete figure. The tear-out column is HomeGuide’s removal table for slabs 3″ to 6″ thick, where the low end is unreinforced concrete and the high end is reinforced; for 20×20 it uses HomeGuide’s figure for removing a concrete patio of that size.

Patio size	Square feet	New plain patio (HomeGuide, Jul 2025)	Tear-out and disposal (HomeGuide, May 2025)	Total, our sum
10×10	100	$400 – $1,200	$300 – $800	$700 – $2,000
10×20	200	$800 – $2,400	$600 – $1,600	$1,400 – $4,000
15×20	300	$1,200 – $3,600	$900 – $2,400	$2,100 – $6,000
20×20	400	$1,600 – $4,800	$1,200 – $3,000*	$2,800 – $7,800
30×30	900	$3,600 – $10,800	$2,700 – $7,200	$6,300 – $18,000

*HomeGuide’s general removal table gives $1,200 to $3,200 for 400 square feet of any slab; its line for a 20×20 concrete patio is $1,200 to $3,000. With the general figure, the total would be $2,800 to $8,000.

HomeGuide’s removal guide adds that patio removal “increases if it’s attached to the home or has other masonry built into it,” and that removing reinforced concrete costs $1 to $3 more per square foot. Fixr’s older patio guide (2022) has a lower figure, though it excludes disposal fees: “Most demolition costs an additional $2 to $6 a square foot, plus disposal fees.”

Other cost guides put the new patio itself in a similar range:

Source (date)	Plain concrete patio, installed	Decorative
HomeGuide (Jul 2025)	$4 – $12 per sq ft	$8 – $30 per sq ft (stained or stamped)
Concrete Network (Jan 2026)	$5 – $8 per sq ft (“Plain Design”)	$8 – $18+ per sq ft
Fixr (Aug 2022)	$6 – $17 per sq ft	$15 – $30 per sq ft (stamped)

Concrete Network says a typical 288-square-foot patio “costs an average of $3,200 (about $11 per sq ft).” This Old House (June 2026, using Angi and HomeAdvisor data) gives a total of $1,793 to $4,937, with no patio size given. For colors and patterns, see stamped concrete cost.

How much concrete a patio takes

Concrete is ordered by the cubic yard: length × width × (thickness in inches ÷ 12) ÷ 27. HomeGuide says “Standard residential patios are 4 inches thick.”

Patio	At 4 inches	At 6 inches
10×10	1.23 cubic yards	1.85 cubic yards
12×16	2.37 cubic yards	3.56 cubic yards
20×20	4.94 cubic yards	7.41 cubic yards

HomeGuide says patios that carry “heavy items like hot tubs or outdoor kitchens should be 6 inches thick with additional reinforcement.” Our concrete cost calculator runs this math for your size, and concrete cost per yard explains delivered vs. installed pricing.

What the square-foot price covers

HomeGuide splits a new patio into materials at $2 to $12 per square foot and labor at $2 to $18, and says “Labor accounts for roughly 50% to 60% of the total project cost.” Its labor line includes “site preparation, constructing the concrete forms, mixing and pouring the concrete, and finishing the surface.”

Lines that can move the price:

Reinforcement: HomeGuide: “Rebar or wire mesh reinforcement adds $1 to $3 per square foot.”
Thickness: per HomeGuide, 4 inches is standard; 6 inches for heavier loads raises material and labor.
Site conditions: HomeGuide: “Poor drainage, slopes, rocky soil, or limited access for equipment increase labor costs.”
Permits: HomeGuide gives $50 to $400, depending on the place and project size. Fixr’s FAQ says that in most areas a patio needs a permit “because the patio is considered a permanent addition to the home.” Ask your local building department.
Small jobs: HomeGuide notes that “Many contractors have minimum project fees,” and Concrete Network says that for small patios “some contractors charge a minimum total rather than a per square foot price.”

Slope and base under the new slab

A patio slab on gravel sloping slightly away from the house wall — A new patio should slope away from the house; ask how much fall the bid allows.

A replacement is the chance to fix how the old patio drained. The U.S. Department of Energy’s Building America Solution Center says patio slabs within 10 feet of the house should slope down and away from the foundation, and that ENERGY STAR’s program for new single-family homes recommends “a slope of at least 0.25 inch per foot to the edge of the surface or for the first 10 feet from the foundation, whichever is less.” On a patio that is 10 feet deep, that is a 2½-inch drop from the house side to the outer edge. Fixr explains why: “Completely flat patios can collect water, causing cracking or sinking.”

Where the yard drains back toward the house, Fixr says a French or trench drain may be needed. In its 2022 figures, a 12×18 patio with a slope costs $1,296 to $6,480, and the same patio with a French drain $3,296 to $9,480. Those figures are for any patio material, not only concrete; Fixr says drains raise the cost “regardless of the material.”

Under the slab, HomeGuide notes (about extending a patio) that the area “still needs grading, along with a sand or gravel base below the concrete.” Removal and regrading involve digging, so the contractor should call 811 first. The national 811 service says “you must contact 811 a few days in advance to stay safe.”

After the pour

HomeGuide says you can walk on new concrete after 24 to 48 hours, keep pets off it for 3 days, and that it “takes about 30 days to fully cure.”

What the written quote should list

Tear-out and haul-away as their own line, with the area and whether the old slab has rebar.
Slab size, thickness in inches, and the cubic yards ordered.
Base material and depth, and how much grading is included.
Slope direction and amount, or a drain if the yard won’t allow it.
Reinforcement type (rebar, wire mesh or none) and where control joints go.
Finish (broom, stamped, exposed aggregate, color) and sealer.
Permit: who pulls it and whether the fee is in the price.

Questions to ask before you sign

Is removal of the old patio and disposal included, and at what price per square foot?
“How will you prepare the base to prevent cracking?” (HomeGuide’s list)
“What slab thickness do you recommend?” Will it be thicker anywhere, such as under a hot tub?
Which way will the patio slope, and by how much?
Will you use rebar or wire mesh, and how is that priced?
“What permits will the project require, and will you obtain them?”
When can we walk on it, and when can furniture go back?

To see the cubic yards and the price range for your own patio size, try the concrete cost calculator. If you’re still deciding on the surface, compare pavers vs. a concrete patio.

Have your own measurements? Run the concrete cost calculator — cubic yards, bags and a sourced price range for your size.

Illustrations here are AI-made sketches that show the idea. They are not photos of a real slab, driveway, product, job or person.

Sources

Updated November 2, 2026

Before you build

Call 811 a few business days before any digging so buried utility lines get marked. Driveway aprons, foundations and taller retaining walls may need a permit — ask your local building department. Wet concrete can burn skin: crews wear gloves, boots and eye protection. Get the price, thickness, base and reinforcement in a written contract with a contractor who carries the license (where your state requires one) and insurance.