A poured concrete patio is a slab, not a paver field and not a stamped pattern. HomeGuide’s 2026 national ranges put plain concrete at $4 to $12 per square foot installed, broom finish at $6 to $13, and stained or stamped work at $8 to $30. A 20x20 patio is 400 square feet, so that same source puts a plain slab at $1,600 to $4,800 and a decorative finish at $3,200 to $12,000. Those are aggregator bands, not a San Diego market average and not a Bloom Pro SD price. Access, soil, demolition, drainage, and finish can move a local bid anywhere in or beyond that table. Bloom Pro SD does not pour concrete. We match you with a licensed independent hardscape contractor, and you contract with that company directly.
This page is the poured-slab version of the question. If you already want a patterned surface, use our stamped concrete patio cost guide. If you want individual units you can lift later, use the paver patio cost guide.
What a 20x20 concrete patio costs
Twenty by twenty is a common sketch size. At 400 square feet, HomeGuide’s 2026 table is:
| Finish | National installed range | 20x20 (400 sq ft) |
|---|---|---|
| Plain / smooth | $4 to $12 per sq ft | $1,600 to $4,800 |
| Broom finish | $6 to $13 per sq ft | $2,400 to $5,200 |
| Stained | $8 to $25 per sq ft | $3,200 to $10,000 |
| Stamped | $9 to $30 per sq ft | $3,600 to $12,000 |
| Exposed aggregate | $7 to $18 per sq ft | $2,800 to $7,200 |
Ask the contractor to price a broom-finish 20x20 and a stamped 20x20 as two line items so you are comparing the same pad. A truck that cannot reach the backyard, extra excavation, or haul-off can change the total without changing the finish.
What should be in the quote
A usable bid names the work, not a single lump. For a San Diego patio, that usually means:
- Demolition and haul-off of any existing slab, if there is one
- Excavation and grading so water runs away from the house
- Compacted base (ask the contractor to name the material and depth)
- Reinforcement: wire mesh or rebar
- Concrete thickness, mix strength, and finish
- Control joints and expansion joints
- Cleanup and curing or use restrictions
HomeGuide lists labor as roughly half to 60 percent of a patio bid, with materials the rest. Reinforcement is called out separately at $1 to $3 per square foot. If a quote hides base prep inside one number, that is where change orders show up later.
What changes the number in San Diego County
Access. Some lots cannot take a ready-mix chute to the backyard. Labor rises when the mix is carted. That is a site condition, not a neighborhood average.
Soil. Have the contractor assess the actual subgrade. Expansive soil can justify a thicker section or more steel, but that is a site call, not a county-wide default.
Finish. Broom finish is a common slip-resistant choice for uncovered patios. Stamped work costs more in HomeGuide’s table and is harder to patch if a slab later moves. That tradeoff is the point of the stamped guide.
Drainage. A patio that holds water against stucco is a repair, not a feature. Slope belongs in the scope before the truck arrives.
Do you need a City of San Diego permit?
An uncovered at-grade slab is not what City of San Diego Information Bulletin 206 covers. IB 206 (March 2026) is about patio covers: one-story shade structures, not more than 12 feet above grade, used for outdoor living. Covers at or under 300 square feet of projected roof area can be exempt from a building permit on single-family and duplex lots, and a permit is still required if the site has environmentally sensitive lands, the cover sits in a required setback, the property is in the Coastal Zone or a planned residential development, or it is in a historic district. Electrical, mechanical, and plumbing permits can still apply. Footings on that bulletin use a 2,500 psi minimum mix.
A plain slab can still trigger zoning, lot coverage, drainage, or overlay rules. County unincorporated lots use Planning & Development Services, not City DSD. Ask the jurisdiction that issues your building permits before you treat a cover exemption as a slab exemption.
Concrete vs pavers for the same 400 square feet
HomeGuide’s 2026 material table puts plain concrete at $4 to $12 per square foot with a 30 to 50 year lifespan, stained or stamped at $8 to $30, and pavers at $10 to $30 with a 25 to 75 year lifespan. Those lifespan figures are the aggregator’s, not a guarantee for a San Diego yard. Concrete is usually cheaper on day one in that table. Pavers win when a single unit cracks, because you replace one piece instead of living with a slab crack. Pick the system, then size it.
When you can walk on it
HomeGuide says you can walk on new concrete after 24 to 48 hours, keep pets off for about three days, and treat full cure as about 30 days. Confirm the schedule with the installer for the mix being poured. Heavy planters and furniture wait until the contractor says the slab can take the load.
How Bloom Pro SD fits
Hardscaping is in scope. We match you with a licensed San Diego County contractor who quotes the pad after walking it. You contract with that company. For a poured patio, a stamped upgrade, or a paver yard, call (760) 400-6355.