Adding a patio to your home is a great way to make the outdoor space more usable and enjoyable. You can sit on the patio as you enjoy your morning coffee, and you can even host summer parties out there. It will give you a place to put potted plants, and also an area to stand when the rest of the ground is wet. But there is one downfall to having a patio built — it can be expensive. Luckily, there are ways you can keep costs down throughout the project.
Get multiple quotes.
Different patio builders are going to charge different amounts. And what they charge will be based on more than just the quality of their work. It will be affected by the size of their team, how much overhead they have, and how far their office is from your home. It's worth getting at least three different quotes before choosing a patio building company to hire. You may be pleasantly surprised by the price one of them quotes you.
Don't raise it if you don't need to.
Some people really want or need a raised patio. If your yard is really wet, for instance, it makes sense to put the patio on legs. However, adding legs to the patio and raising it will increase the cost. So, if you don't need to raise the patio, don't. A patio built at ground level costs less than a raised one because it requires fewer materials and takes less time to build.
Consider finishing it yourself.
If you have a wood patio built, the patio builders will generally install it unfinished. They will then return a few months later to seal or paint the wood once it has aged. However, you can ask the builders not to return and finish the patio. You can instead do this part yourself, which will take you time but save you money.
Downsize a bit.
Yes, it is nice to have a huge patio. But ask yourself if you really need one that big. Will you use all of that space, or will a smaller patio be good enough? A good approach is to think about how you plan on using the patio, and then decide how large it needs to be to accommodate those needs. Don't go big just because the neighbors did!
The steps above will help you keep costs manageable when having a patio built. Speak to deck contractors for more info.
