A lot of Tempe patio jobs start with an old concrete slab off the back door that's cracked and too small. Replacing it is the chance to build the patio you'll actually use. At The Lakes, patios run toward the water. In older flood-irrigated neighborhoods, the patio has to stay out of the flood. We plan the footprint, access and drainage before anything gets ordered.
What a Tempe paver patio runs
Most concrete paver patios we build in Tempe cost $2,500 to $6,600 for about 300 to 600 square feet. Other materials for the same patio:
- Large format pavers: $3,300 to $7,800
- Artistic pavers: $4,200 to $9,600
- Natural stone or travertine: $4,500 to $10,800
- Porcelain: $5,700 to $13,200
Removing an old concrete patio adds about $750 to $1,800. A hard-to-reach backyard adds about $150 to $300. The minimum job is $800.
Worked example: a 300 square foot concrete paver patio behind a 1970s Tempe home, replacing the original slab, in a backyard with no easy access, comes to about $3,400 to $4,500. You get the exact figure after we measure. See the pricing guide for every material.
Small backyards, better patios
On a smaller Tempe lot, the patio often ends up being most of the usable yard, and that changes the design. Large format pavers make a small space feel bigger because there are fewer joints breaking it up. A simple border keeps a patio from looking like an extension of the sidewalk. And since the old slab is coming out anyway, it's the right time to size the patio for a table and chairs instead of keeping the footprint the builder poured.
Access matters on these lots. If the side yard is narrow or there's no gate wide enough for equipment, materials go in the slow way, and that's what the hard-to-reach charge covers.
Lakefront patios at The Lakes
The Lakes was built in the 1970s around man-made lakes, and many backyards end at the water. A patio here should pitch away from the house and toward the yard or a planned drain, not dump runoff and joint sand straight into the lake. Grade gets settled first, and the runoff path is drawn out before a single paver is laid. For the bigger picture on drainage, read how water travels under a paver patio.
Because The Lakes has an HOA, its approval and any city requirements get confirmed before your patio goes on the schedule.
Patios in flood-irrigated yards
In older Tempe neighborhoods on city flood irrigation, water arrives on a weekly schedule except in November and December. A patio built inside the flood area gets soaked every week, and a soaked base is how patios settle. We keep the patio and its base above the water and outside the berm, and we keep the berm intact.
A patio never sees a car, yet every layer still goes in: compacted base, bedding sand screeded level, edge restraint holding the perimeter, then joint sand swept in and one more compaction. The bedding sand is the layer you'll never see, and here's what that sand actually does. Caliche under the yard won't absorb water, so the patio always pitches away from the house.
Paver Patios in Tempe: Frequently Asked Questions
What do Tempe homeowners usually pay for a paver patio?
Most concrete paver patios run $2,500 to $6,600 for about 300 to 600 square feet. Removing an old slab adds about $750 to $1,800, and a hard-to-reach backyard adds about $150 to $300.
My Tempe backyard is small. What material works best?
Large format pavers are a good fit, since fewer joints make the space feel bigger. They run about $3,300 to $7,800 for a typical patio. We'll lay samples out in your yard so you can judge the size and color there.
Can you build a patio at The Lakes that runs toward the water?
Yes. We pitch it so runoff and joint sand don't wash into the lake, and the HOA and city sign-offs are handled before the install is booked.
Will flood irrigation damage a new patio?
Not if the patio sits above the flood level and outside the berm. We plan the patio edge and the berm together so irrigation stays in the grass.
Can you get materials into a backyard with no gate access?
Yes. Narrow side yards just take more handling, and a hard-to-reach backyard adds about $150 to $300 to the patio.