Paving Stone Ideas (Patio & Walkway Designs)

ByGiezl Clyde Ilustre - Interior Designer Patio's & Decks

Paving stone ideas

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. 

Type of Paving Stone Materials

Here’s how the eight different materials compare up side by side, including what you’ll pay to lay it yourself versus hiring it out. 

Material DIY Cost Pro Install Best For Keep In Mind
Brick Pavers $3 to $5 sq ft $12 to $18 sq ft Driveways and patios that take heavy foot traffic You’ll need a brick saw. Renting one runs $60 to $95 a day.
Concrete Slabs Not a DIY job Stamped finish adds $3 sq ft Long lifespan at a low cost per foot Cold climates add $1 to $2 sq ft for base prep and additive.
Concrete Pavers $2 to $8 sq ft $7 to $15 sq ft, materials included A first patio you’re laying yourself Interlocking tabs fit like puzzle pieces, so mistakes are easy to undo.
Flagstone, Slate, Marble Skip it if the stone is uncut $12 to $28 sq ft Rustic and high end patios Check a local quarry before the national chains. It’s usually cheaper.
Decomposed Granite $1.50 sq ft, $2 with stabilizer Rarely worth hiring out Casual paths and rustic sitting areas Budget $1 sq ft every 3 years to top it back up.
Rubber Paver Tiles $3 to $5 sq ft Rarely worth hiring out Decks and covering cracked, worn surfaces They snap together with clips, so there’s no base work at all.
Recycled Materials Salvage cost only Depends on the material Tight budgets and one of a kind looks Saves $500 to $800 on a 12×12 patio. Uniform thickness matters.
Mixed Materials Depends on the mix Depends on the mix Custom designs and awkward shaped yards Let one material dominate. Otherwise it reads as leftovers.

If you’re on the fence, going with concrete pavers are a safe first project. They’re cheap, and easy to work with and replace when needed.

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.

Red brick patio with black wrought iron table beside white clapboard house

Large red brick patio design with wrought iron outdoor furniture.

Curved red brick walkway edging a mowed lawn beside a brick home

Curved brick patio design with brick walkway surrounded by lawn.

Herringbone brick courtyard with arched stucco loggia and potted olive trees

Mediterranean style patio with red brick flooring in a herringbone design pattern.

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.

Gray concrete pavers with grass joints around a tiered stone fountain

Attractive Mediterranean style backyard with gray concrete patio stones with grass border and outdoor fountain.

Poured concrete slabs separated by dark gravel strips along a clipped hedge

Beautiful luxury backyard with poured concrete blocks bordered by small rocks.

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.

Rundle stone paver patio facing a stacked slate outdoor fireplace

Concrete rundle stone paver patio with slate outdoor fireplace.

Terracotta patio stones on a raised terrace with a wood dining set

Cheap outdoor patio made from red stones constructed from concrete.

Square concrete stepping stones crossing lawn to a low round fire bowl

Concrete stepping stones leading to a small stained concrete patio with a small fire pit and outdoor seating.

Step stones through grass to lounge chairs under a coral patio umbrella

DIY stepping stones and grass patio for outdoor lounge area next to covered porch.

Paving block walkway running beneath a vine covered garden pergola

Concrete paving block walkway leading through garden pergola with creeping vines.

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.

Irregular flagstone sitting area in grass with a black portable fireplace

DIY patio with irregular flagstone paver patio to create a small outdoor sitting area.

Golden flagstone terrace with a long wood table and stacked stone wall

Large irregular cut flagstones for rustic patio with stacked stone bench.

Chevron slate paving beside a cushioned daybed and hanging egg chair

Attractive pattern slate patio with outdoor daybed and swinging chair.

Pale marble pavers around a metal fire bowl with a rock retaining wall

Marble paver patio with small rock wall and portable metal firepit.

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. 

Decomposed granite path with a concrete edge between clipped boxwood hedges

Decomposed granite walkway with poured concrete border with hedges and outdoor sitting area.

Red paver steps in pea gravel leading to a round cedar hot tub

Red patio stone walkway in a bed of pea gravel leading to hot tub.

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.

Terra cotta rubber paver tiles snapped together across a railed wood deck

Interlocking rubber tiles in a terra cotta finish covering an older deck surface.

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.

Broken concrete pieces set in gravel forming a recycled patio corner

DIY recycled materials patio with construction remnant concrete blocks and loose gravel.

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.

Irregular pale slabs with rounded pebbles packed between them beside planters

Mixed material patio with irregular concrete paving stones and small stones.

Flagstone path across lawn to a shingled gazebo with a stone fireplace

This rustic backyard showcases a simply designed flagstone walkway leading to a gazebo on one end and a small sitting area on the other. The gazebo design provides access to an outdoor fireplace for night time relaxing or as a shady spot during the day.

Tan concrete pavers set in white gravel beside a sage green house

DIY walkway constructed from tan concrete paving stones and white pea gravel. As with many paving stone ideas its easy to experiment with different positioning to get the design you want.

River rock and flagstone path leading to a pergola seating area

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.

To showcase highly specific designs, some images on this website use advanced AI-generation software to illustrate ideas and room inspiration. See our editorial policy to learn more.

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