Paving Stone Ideas (Patio & Walkway Designs)

This gallery showcases a variety of paving stone ideas covering popular materials used for outdoor patios and walkways. Using pavers for your outdoor living areas is great for those who want a DIY project you can do without much knowledge or expense. Take a look at the different paving stone designs for inspiration to create your own beautiful backyard projects. Below are the best materials to use for your paving stone patio and walkway projects. Visit our patio ideas page for additional designs.

Brick Pavers

Brick pavers are attractive and popular for driveways, walkways and patio designs. They come in various characters that can be set up in different patterns. These are used in patios as they are able to hold heavy foot traffic. The brick pavers are made in varied sizes, shapes, colors, and finishes making them appear old or new. For DIY installation, you will be spending $3 to $5 for each square foot.

With this set-up, you will need to have a brick saw or rent one because it is a heavy table-mounted saw making the cutting masonry fast. This will cost you $60 to $95 daily. Keep in mind that you need to figure out the way of getting the brick saw to your home. A professionally installed brick patio would cost $12 to $18 per square foot. Read more about red brick patio design here.

Concrete Slabs

Concrete can have finishes which can be created through brushing, adding acid, scoring, washing, and stamping of so many colors. It has become known for its long lifespan and inexpensive installation. Colder climates can spend $1 to $2 for each square foot for the specialized base preparation as well as for the concrete additive. The stamped concrete stimulates the brick, flagstone, cobbles, or other decorative patterns but with additional $3 for each square foot for the cost of installation.

Concrete Pavers

These come in varied sizes, shapes, colors, and textures. They can appear plain, like real stones, or patterns which are embossed on the surfaces. These are available in home improvement centers and are ideal for DIY installation. The interlocking concrete pavers is like piece of puzzle as they have the slots and tabs that can fit together. An advantage of this is that is it not costly, has minimal maintenance, and can be installed fast. The cost is about $2 to $8 for each square foot. For professional installation, it would cost you $7 to $15 for every square foot and this already include the materials. Read more about stone paver patio designs here.

Flagstone, Slate, and Marble

These kinds of stones are often used as a paver material. Keep in mind that you can get them at lesser cost when purchased at locally operated quarries. You may take into consideration of checking the local stone supplier prior to checking the national home improvement chains. The stone pavers are cut in standard sizes. The uncut pavers appear rough with irregular edges as well as different sizes. Installation of the uncut stone is best done by an experienced pro and this will cost $12 to $28 for every square foot. Read more about DIY stepping stones and materials here.

Decomposed Granite and Pebble Surfaces

While not technically a paving stone, decomposed granite is commonly used with larger granite stones to create a rustic patio or walkway. It is made from small pieces of granite ranging in size from 1/4 inch to the size of sand. It is affordable. Its underfoot, which has a slight crunchy texture, is perfect, especially because it produces no puddles as the rain disappears from it.

The surface can erode with time, so it is important to replenish the granite from time to time. The cost is $1 for each square foot every 3 years. Because its appearance is not solid, furniture legs tend to sink, so stabilizers are needed to strengthen the surface. The cost is $1.50 for each square foot without a stabilizer and $2 for those with stabilizers. 

Rubber Paver Tiles

These are made out of the poly material or even from old recycled tires. Their design is made to be available for use in any surface. They can be used on decks because their weight is light. Their appearance resembles the concrete tiles and their finished is somehow like the terra cotta and brick. You make these materials, and they snap together using the connector clips. They are best use to quickly cover the cracked, old, and worn patio surfaces. This costs about $3 to $5 for each square foot.

Recycled Materials

You can use recycled materials that have uniform thickness for an effective patio or walkway surface. One idea is to consider the cast-off concrete sections from the neighbor’s old driveway or sidewalk. The old materials from construction sites can also be used. Additionally, you can use any old brick or stone that has been discarded from any building that is scheduled for demolition. A typical 12×12 foot patio will save you $500 to $800 compared to buying new pavers.

Mixed Materials

To customize the patio’s appearance, you can combine various materials, like bricks with concrete or stone with rock trim. Artists frequently use mixed materials to create fanciful designs for their backyard patios.

Flagstone and river rock pathway leading to wood pergola over concrete patio with outdoor furniture. visit our gallery page for more walkway design ideas located here.