Concrete patios for Pasadena backyards
A Pasadena backyard gets used most of the year, so the patio is often the biggest outdoor job after the driveway. A new patio usually starts with one of three things: an old patio that has cracked or sunk at the house, a lawn the owner is tired of watering, or a plan for an outdoor dining area, a fire pit or a covered seating area.
Concrete suits all three. It can be poured to any shape, takes color and texture, and needs little upkeep beyond cleaning and, for colored and stamped work, a sealer every few years. On older lots it also has to work around mature trees, original garden walls and the back steps of a 1920s house.
Patio finishes for Craftsman and Spanish Revival homes
The finish matters more on a Pasadena patio than almost anywhere, because so many houses here have a strong style of their own. The common choices:
Broom finish
A broom dragged across the fresh surface leaves fine ridges that grip when wet. It is the least expensive finish, $8 to $12 per square foot in constructlytools' figures, and the easiest to patch later. Tinted gray or a warm buff color, it sits quietly beside stucco or shingle siding.
Exposed aggregate
The cement paste on top is washed away to show the stones in the mix. The pebble texture reads as natural and suits Craftsman gardens; constructlytools prices decorative finishes such as exposed aggregate at $12 to $20 per square foot installed.
Stamped and colored
Patterned mats pressed into the fresh concrete give the look of slate, flagstone, brick or terracotta tile, which pairs naturally with a clay tile roof. constructlytools puts a stamped slab at $15 to $20 per square foot. The stamped concrete in Pasadena page covers patterns and sealing.
Concrete patio cost in Pasadena
Size sets most of the price, finish the rest. A few common patio sizes at constructlytools' 2026 Los Angeles rates:
| Patio size | Reinforced, plain | Reinforced, stamped |
|---|---|---|
| 10 x 10 ft | $800 to $1,500 | $1,500 to $2,000 |
| 10 x 20 ft | $1,600 to $3,000 | $3,000 to $4,000 |
| 16 x 18 ft | $2,304 to $4,320 | $4,320 to $5,760 |
Swipe the table sideways to see every column →
Computed from constructlytools' 2026 Los Angeles rates of $8 to $15 per sq ft plain and $15 to $20 per sq ft stamped. Breaking out an old patio is extra. Quotes vary by site.
constructlytools prices a 200 to 600 square foot patio slab at $1,600 to $9,000 in total, and a 400 square foot patio at $3,200 to $6,000. More sizes, and the add-ons that sit outside the base rate, are on the concrete patio cost in Pasadena page, and the cost calculator prices your own layout.
Getting the water off a Pasadena patio
Most patio problems are water problems. A slab poured flat, or tilted toward the house, sends winter rain against the foundation and under the back door. A well-built patio falls gently away from the house toward a lawn, a planting bed or a drain, and the edge along the house gets an isolation joint so the two can move separately.
Where the patio replaces lawn, it also replaces ground that used to soak up rain. Pasadena regulates stormwater under Chapter 8.70 of its Municipal Code; a gravel or river rock border, a planted strip or a permeable section can let some of that water soak in. Whether your project size brings formal stormwater requirements is a question for the City of Pasadena's stormwater program. The Pasadena stormwater guide explains more.
Base, steel and joints under a patio
- Base: grass, roots and soft soil come out; a compacted base goes in so the slab doesn't settle unevenly.
- Thickness: 4 to 5 inches for most patios per homeblue's Pasadena pages, thicker under a spa or kitchen island.
- Steel: wire mesh or rebar on supports so it sits inside the slab.
- Joints: control joints dividing the slab into roughly square panels, so shrinkage cracks follow the joints.
- Edges and steps: a thickened edge where the patio meets a slope, and steps down from the back door built as part of the pour. The steps and walkways page covers rises and runs.
A recent job, start to finish
A driveway and raised patio, from tear-out to the finished work.
Patio extensions, pool surrounds and outdoor rooms
A small original patio can be extended rather than replaced if it is still sound and level. The new pour is tied in with dowels or separated by an isolation joint, and the finish is matched as closely as concrete allows, which is why some owners resurface the old section at the same time. Patios that wrap a pool are usually built as a concrete pool deck, with a texture that stays grippy when wet. A patio planned for a cover, a fireplace or an outdoor kitchen gets thicker sections and footings where those will sit.
