How Much Does a Concrete Patio Cost in Modesto, CA?
Plan on roughly $9 to $13 per square foot installed for a plain broom finish concrete patio around Modesto. A California cost guide lists that range for a standard 4 inch slab in the Central Valley. One national cost guide spans $5 to $18 per square foot, from plain work to custom designs.
The same national guide puts a typical patio of about 288 square feet at an average of $3,200. At the Central Valley rate, that patio comes to about $2,600 to $3,700. These are market numbers, not our price list.
What is the concrete patio cost per square foot?
One national guide, updated in January 2026, prices plain patio designs at $5 to $8 per square foot. Its custom designs run $11 to $18, and elaborate work goes past $18. Another national guide lists plain concrete at $8 to $15 per square foot. It puts a broom finish at $9 to $18.
A California cost guide, reviewed May 2026, prices a standard 4 inch slab at $9 to $18 per square foot. That statewide price covers materials and labor, with a basic broom finish. The guide also splits the state by region. Its Central Valley row, which names Fresno and Bakersfield, runs $9 to $13 per square foot.
The Sacramento Valley row runs $10 to $14.50. Modesto lies on Highway 99 between the areas those two rows cover. Use these ranges to plan a new concrete patio in Modesto, then get a price for your own yard.
What does a concrete patio cost by size?
Start with the footprint. Length times width gives you the square feet, and square feet times the rate gives a planning number. One national cost guide publishes the ranges below by size. The last column runs the Central Valley rate of $9 to $13 per square foot.
| Patio size | Area in square feet | Published national range | Central Valley rate applied |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 by 12 | 144 | $900 to $3,000 | about $1,300 to $1,900 |
| 10 by 20 | 200 | $1,200 to $3,600 | $1,800 to $2,600 |
| Typical size | about 288 | $3,200 on average | about $2,600 to $3,700 |
| 20 by 20 | 400 | $3,200 to $7,200 | $3,600 to $5,200 |
A small patio still needs the same truck and setup as a big one. That is why small jobs can cost more per square foot. Shed and hot tub pads price as slabs, so see the concrete slab cost guide for those.
Does the patio finish change the cost?
Yes, and it is the biggest choice you control after size. Here is how one national patio cost guide prices each finish.
| Finish | Cost per square foot, national guide |
|---|---|
| Plain concrete | $8 to $15 |
| Broom finish | $9 to $18 |
| Exposed aggregate | $10 to $18 |
| Stained | $12 to $25 |
| Stamped | $14 to $30 |
Broom finish means a stiff broom gets pulled across the fresh surface. The texture gives grip when the patio gets wet.
For color, the concrete can be tinted in the mixer or stained after it hardens. Stamping presses a pattern into the slab while it is still soft, and that hand work drives the price.
If a pattern is on your list, see how a stamped concrete patio gets built. Pattern and color pricing gets its own breakdown in the stamped concrete cost guide.
Which extras push a patio price up?
Size and finish come first. These other items move the price from there.
- Shape. A plain rectangle forms fast. Curves and cutouts add form work and finishing time.
- Thickness and reinforcement. A thicker slab takes more concrete. One national guide puts wire mesh at about $0.50 per square foot and rebar at around $1 per foot.
- Access. When the mixer can back up to the forms, the pour goes fast. A narrow side gate means wheelbarrows or a pump, and more labor.
- Steps and edges. Steps and thickened edges add forming and finishing.
- A covered patio slab. The slab gets sized to the cover’s footprint, and the cover itself is a separate build.
- Drainage slope. A slight tilt carries rain off the slab and out toward the yard, away from the house.
Does base prep on Valley soil add to the cost?
It can, when the ground needs work before the pour. One national guide puts grading and leveling at $500 to $3,500. Loose dirt and roots get dug out, then a compacted base goes down.
The USDA’s official description of the Modesto soil series gives a sense of the ground here. It lists loam at the surface over light clay about 12 to 22 inches down. Water moves slowly through that clay layer. The same description places these soils on nearly level ground where surface drainage is very slow.
Soil changes from one lot to the next, so we check yours at the estimate. Slow drainage is one more reason every patio we pour tilts away from the house.
How much does removing an old patio add?
Replacing a patio means breaking out the old slab first. One national guide says removing an existing patio adds $2 to $6 per square foot. On a typical 288 square foot patio, that is about $580 to $1,730.
A sound slab that only looks worn may not need to come out. You can put a decorative overlay on it instead. That skips the tear-out and the new pour, two of the bigger costs on this page. Concrete that has lifted or settled out of level is a replacement job.
Does Modesto’s summer heat affect a patio pour?
Yes. The same USDA soil description sums up the local climate as hot dry summers and cool moist winters. Hot, dry air steals water from fresh concrete. A slab that dries too fast can end up with a weak top layer and surface cracks.
So summer pours get an early start, before the afternoon heat. After finishing, the slab gets water or a cover so it cures slowly. Winter pours wait for dry days between rains. If you want the patio ready for summer, start the estimate in spring.
What will your own patio cost?
The ranges above are good for setting a budget. The cost of a concrete patio in your yard comes down to its size and finish. The ground under it and the way the truck reaches it matter too.
Our estimates are free and happen on site. We measure the space and see how the truck gets in. You get the number in writing. Call or text (209) 606-9904 to set one up, or read how we handle concrete patio installation and replacement first.