Paver patio cost by state
Installed paver patios average $14–$30 per square foot nationally and paver driveways $18–$40. Labour is around 40% of the job, so the state you build in moves the number more than the paver you pick. Choose your state for a local estimate with base, labour and materials broken out.
Where the money goes
On a typical patio, roughly 40% of the price is labour, 30% the pavers, 20% the excavation and compacted base, and the rest bedding sand, edge restraint and jointing sand. That split is why paver pricing spreads wider across states than asphalt does — hand-laid work carries local wages straight into the square-foot number.
The base is where the installation is won or lost. A patio needs 4 to 6 inches of compacted aggregate, a driveway 8 to 12, and freeze-thaw states need more again because the base has to drain before it can freeze. A quote that skips base depth is not a quote you can compare, and settling two winters later almost always traces back to it.
Paver choice matters less than people expect: moving from a standard concrete unit to a tumbled or large-format one adds around 25% to materials, but materials are under a third of the job, so the finished price moves under 10%.
Ten cheapest states
| State | Patio per sq ft | 300 sq ft patio |
|---|---|---|
| Mississippi | $11.82 – $25.32 | $3,546 – $7,596 |
| Arkansas | $11.98 – $25.68 | $3,594 – $7,704 |
| Alabama | $12.32 – $26.40 | $3,696 – $7,920 |
| Oklahoma | $12.32 – $26.40 | $3,696 – $7,920 |
| South Carolina | $12.49 – $26.76 | $3,747 – $8,028 |
| Georgia | $12.66 – $27.12 | $3,798 – $8,136 |
| Tennessee | $12.66 – $27.12 | $3,798 – $8,136 |
| Kansas | $12.82 – $27.48 | $3,846 – $8,244 |
| Kentucky | $12.99 – $27.84 | $3,897 – $8,352 |
| Nebraska | $12.99 – $27.84 | $3,897 – $8,352 |
Ten most expensive states
| State | Patio per sq ft | 300 sq ft patio |
|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $22.40 – $48.00 | $6,720 – $14,400 |
| Alaska | $21.56 – $46.20 | $6,468 – $13,860 |
| New York | $19.04 – $40.80 | $5,712 – $12,240 |
| California | $19.04 – $40.80 | $5,712 – $12,240 |
| Massachusetts | $18.70 – $40.08 | $5,610 – $12,024 |
| New Jersey | $18.20 – $39.00 | $5,460 – $11,700 |
| Rhode Island | $18.03 – $38.64 | $5,409 – $11,592 |
| Connecticut | $17.70 – $37.92 | $5,310 – $11,376 |
| New Hampshire | $17.02 – $36.48 | $5,106 – $10,944 |
| Vermont | $16.86 – $36.12 | $5,058 – $10,836 |
Every state
- Alabama$12–$26/sf
- Alaska$22–$46/sf
- Arizona$13–$28/sf
- Arkansas$12–$26/sf
- California$19–$41/sf
- Colorado$15–$33/sf
- Connecticut$18–$38/sf
- Delaware$16–$34/sf
- Florida$13–$28/sf
- Georgia$13–$27/sf
- Hawaii$22–$48/sf
- Idaho$14–$31/sf
- Illinois$16–$34/sf
- Indiana$14–$29/sf
- Iowa$13–$29/sf
- Kansas$13–$27/sf
- Kentucky$13–$28/sf
- Louisiana$14–$29/sf
- Maine$17–$35/sf
- Maryland$17–$35/sf
- Massachusetts$19–$40/sf
- Michigan$15–$32/sf
- Minnesota$16–$34/sf
- Mississippi$12–$25/sf
- Missouri$13–$28/sf
- Montana$15–$32/sf
- Nebraska$13–$28/sf
- Nevada$15–$32/sf
- New Hampshire$17–$36/sf
- New Jersey$18–$39/sf
- New Mexico$14–$29/sf
- New York$19–$41/sf
- North Carolina$13–$28/sf
- North Dakota$15–$33/sf
- Ohio$14–$30/sf
- Oklahoma$12–$26/sf
- Oregon$16–$34/sf
- Pennsylvania$15–$33/sf
- Rhode Island$18–$39/sf
- South Carolina$12–$27/sf
- South Dakota$14–$31/sf
- Tennessee$13–$27/sf
- Texas$13–$28/sf
- Utah$14–$30/sf
- Vermont$17–$36/sf
- Virginia$15–$32/sf
- Washington$17–$35/sf
- West Virginia$15–$31/sf
- Wisconsin$15–$32/sf
- Wyoming$16–$34/sf
Frequently asked questions
+How much does a paver patio cost in 2026?
$14 to $30 per square foot installed nationally, with most projects landing near $20. A 300 square foot patio therefore runs about $4,200 – $9,000. Paver driveways cost more — $18 to $40 per square foot — because they need a deeper compacted base to carry vehicle loads.
+Why does paver cost vary more between states than asphalt?
Because labour is roughly 40 percent of a paver job against far less on asphalt. Pavers are laid by hand, unit by unit, so a state with high crew wages carries that premium straight through to the square-foot price. The pavers themselves cost much the same everywhere.
+Which state is cheapest for a paver patio?
Mississippi prices lowest at roughly $12 to $25 per square foot installed, while Hawaii is highest at $22 to $48.
+Are pavers more expensive than a concrete slab?
Upfront, yes — usually 30 to 50 percent more than a plain broom-finished slab. Over the life of the installation the gap closes, because a settled paver area is lifted and relaid with the same units rather than demolished, and a cracked slab is not repairable in any honest sense.
+What should a paver quote specify?
Compacted base depth and material, bedding sand type and depth, edge restraint, jointing sand, and the paver model and thickness. Base depth is where corners get cut: 4 to 6 inches compacted for a patio, 8 to 12 for a driveway, more in freeze-thaw states.
+Do paver patios need maintenance?
Very little, but joints need re-sanding every few years and sealing is optional. Open joints let the bedding sand wash out, which is what causes the settling people blame on the pavers.
Also useful: the paver quantity calculator, asphalt driveway cost by state or find a licensed contractor.