What Is a Concrete Patio Installation?
A concrete patio is a reinforced slab poured on grade in your backyard or side yard, and the difference between one that lasts and one that fails is base preparation and drainage. We excavate to depth, compact a granular A base with geotextile fabric where the ground is soft, set wire mesh or rebar, and place air-entrained concrete finished with a bull float and then a broom or magnesium float.
The detail most homeowners never see is the slope. Every patio we pour falls at a minimum of one quarter inch per foot away from the house. Expansion joint felt goes in where the slab meets the foundation so the two can move independently through a Toronto winter without one cracking the other. That single detail is why some patios push meltwater into a basement and others do not.
We also overlay. Where the existing slab is structurally sound, a polymer-modified cementitious coating or a self-levelling topping renews the surface at $5 to $10 per square foot instead of $9 to $15 for a replacement. We test the base first and tell you when an overlay will not hold.
What’s Included
- Excavation, disposal and compacted granular base
- Geotextile fabric over soft or clay subgrade
- Wire mesh or rebar reinforcement
- Air-entrained concrete with a broom or magnesium float finish
- Slope-to-drain grading away from the foundation
- Expansion joint detailing at the house and any fixed structures
- Saw-cut control joints and a penetrating sealer
Common Problems We Solve
Water Pooling Against the Foundation
A flat or back-pitched patio is a basement problem waiting to happen. We re-grade during replacement and, where the yard genuinely cannot shed water, add a trench drain tied into the storm system or a dry well.
Random Cracking Across the Slab
Concrete shrinks as it cures. If control joints are cut too late or spaced too widely, the slab picks its own crack line. We saw-cut on a grid sized to the slab thickness, within the correct window after placement, so cracking happens inside the joint.
Surface Scaling After a Few Winters
Patios take snow, salt tracked from boots, and repeated freeze-thaw. Air entrainment and a penetrating sealer are what keep the surface intact. A patio that has started to scale but is still solid underneath is a good candidate for a bonded overlay.
A Tired but Solid Slab
Not every worn patio needs demolition. If the concrete rings solid, is not heaved, and drains reasonably, a decorative overlay gives you a new surface with a new colour and texture for roughly half the cost of a tear-out.
How Much Does a Concrete Patio Cost in Toronto?
Installed patios run $9 to $15 per square foot. The main cost drivers are:
- Size and shape. Simple rectangles pour efficiently; curves, steps and multiple levels add forming labour.
- Reinforcement. Wire mesh is standard; rebar is used where the slab spans soft ground.
- Access. Backyards without truck access need wheelbarrow or line-pump placement, which we price into the quote.
- Finish. Broom finish is included. Integral colour, exposed aggregate and stamped borders add to the rate.
- Site work. Removing an existing slab, importing fill, or adding drainage all sit outside the base rate and are itemised.
A 400 sq ft patio therefore lands roughly between $3,600 and $6,000. Overlays over a sound slab run $5 to $10 per square foot.
Types of Patio Finish
Broom finish gives the best winter grip and hides minor imperfections. Magnesium float leaves a smoother, tighter surface that suits covered patios and modern architecture. Exposed aggregate reveals decorative stone with a surface retarder and controlled wash-off, giving grip and a natural look. Stamped patterns in ashlar slate, London cobblestone or wood plank read as stone without the joints of pavers. Integral colour runs pigment through the full depth so chips do not show grey.
When Should You Replace Rather Than Overlay?
Replace when the slab has heaved out of plane, when the base has washed out, when cracks run through multiple panels with vertical displacement, or when the surface has scaled to the point that aggregate is exposed across most of the area. Overlay when the slab is level, sound, and only tired on the surface. We make that call on site, in front of you, before writing the quote.
Send us the dimensions and a photo and we will come back with a written published-rate quote inside two hours.
