How much concrete do I need for a 12x20 patio at 4 inches thick?

The raw volume is about 2.96 cubic yards. After adding waste, many contractors would order around 3.2 to 3.5 yards depending on supplier delivery increments and how much shortage risk they want to avoid.

What is a reasonable price per square foot for a 12x20 concrete patio?

It depends on access, thickness, finish, and prep, but in this example the final quoted price lands around $15.63 per square foot because the job includes base prep, forms, reinforcement, and realistic labor.

Should I charge extra for sealer on a concrete patio?

Usually yes. Sealer is often a separate optional line item because not every customer wants it and some contractors apply it after the initial cure period.

Why do small patio pours sometimes seem expensive per square foot?

Because fixed costs do not disappear on a smaller job. Short-load fees, travel, setup, cleanup, and crew mobilization are spread across fewer square feet.

What should I exclude from a patio estimate?

Call out hidden drainage work, unsuitable subgrade correction beyond normal prep, permits if not included, and access conditions that would require pumping or unusual hand labor.

How to Price a 12x20 Concrete Patio (Real Math)

Pricing a 12x20 concrete patio starts with a simple job: a homeowner wants a standard 12x20 broom-finish patio in the backyard, 4 inches thick, with one gate for access and no demo because the area is currently grass. You measure 240 square feet, note a 64-foot perimeter, and estimate a one-day prep visit plus a pour and finish day.

Contractors underbid small patio jobs all the time because they use one rough square-foot number and forget the details that actually drive cost. A backyard patio still needs layout, excavation, base prep, forms, reinforcement, concrete, finishing labor, cleanup, and enough margin to make the job worth taking.

If you want broader estimating fundamentals first, read Concrete Estimate Template: How to Estimate Concrete Work Accurately. This article narrows that process down to one common job size and shows the math.

You can also review a finished example format by downloading the sample concrete patio estimate PDF. The scope is different from a patio, but the structure is the same: clear line items, terms, and approval language.

The job scenario

Here is the exact example:

Patio size: 12 feet x 20 feet
Total area: 240 sq ft
Thickness: 4 inches
Finish: standard broom finish
Reinforcement: fiber mesh
Access: backyard through a standard gate
Demo: none
Base work: light excavation and 3 inches of compacted base
Saw cuts: included
Sealer: not included in base price

That is not a luxury stamped patio and it is not a bare-minimum pour on top of soft ground. It is a realistic standard residential patio job.

Step 1: Calculate concrete volume

The first number to lock down is yardage.

Cubic Yards = (Length x Width x Thickness in Feet) / 27

Convert 4 inches to feet:

4 / 12 = 0.333 feet

Then calculate:

(12 x 20 x 0.333) / 27 = 2.96 cubic yards

For a small job like this, you still need a waste allowance. At 7% waste:

2.96 x 1.07 = 3.17 cubic yards

In practice, many contractors would order 3.5 yards because coming up short is expensive and ready-mix suppliers may force you into fixed increment options anyway.

Assume the ready-mix cost is $190 per yard and the supplier charges a $125 short-load fee on small orders.

3.5 yards x $190 = $665
Ready-mix total with short-load fee = $790

That is your starting point, not your sell price.

Step 2: Estimate the base and prep

A patio over grass is not free money. You still need to strip sod, excavate to grade, haul spoil if necessary, install base, compact it, and set forms.

For this example, assume:

Light excavation and sod removal: 240 sq ft
Base aggregate: 2.5 tons delivered
Geotextile or fabric: not needed
Disposal: one small dump fee allocation

Base material numbers:

Aggregate cost delivered: $58 per ton
2.5 tons x $58 = $145
Disposal allocation: $60
Stakes, form oil, misc consumables: $35

Base and prep materials total:

$145 + $60 + $35 = $240

Some contractors bury these small numbers. That is exactly how profit leaks out of small jobs.

Step 3: Price labor using real crew hours

The biggest mistake on patio jobs is pretending the crew only works the visible pour hours.

For this 12x20 patio, use a three-person crew.

Prep day:

Layout and excavation: 4.5 hours
Base install and compaction: 2.0 hours
Forms and final prep: 2.0 hours

Pour day:

Pour, screed, finish, edge, joints, cleanup: 5.5 hours

Total field time:

Prep day: 8.5 hours
Pour day: 5.5 hours
Total onsite time: 14.0 crew hours for the day blocks, but with three workers the actual labor burden is 42 labor hours

Add 3 combined labor hours for loading, travel, and washout handling.

Total labor hours = 45

If your loaded labor rate is $52 per hour:

45 x $52 = $2,340

That may look high to a contractor who is used to quoting from memory, but it is a realistic number when you include burden, truck cost allocation, setup, and cleanup.

Step 4: Add equipment and overhead-related direct costs

Even if you own the equipment, it is not free.

Use realistic allocations like these:

Cost item	Amount
Plate compactor allocation	$45
Trailer and truck fuel allocation	$85
Hand tools, blades, and wear	$40
Insurance and job admin allocation	$90

Direct equipment and admin-related allocation total:

$45 + $85 + $40 + $90 = $260

If access were tighter and you needed a pump, this section would change the job dramatically. A concrete pump on a patio this size could add $650 to $900 depending on your market.

Step 5: Build the sample estimate

Now put the direct job costs together.

Line item	Quantity	Unit	Unit price	Total
Layout and light excavation	240	sq ft	$1.40	$336
Base aggregate install and compaction	240	sq ft	$1.05	$252
Forms	64	linear ft	$5.25	$336
Fiber mesh reinforcement	240	sq ft	$0.42	$100.80
Ready-mix concrete supply	3.5	cubic yd	$225.71	$790
Place and finish 4-inch broom concrete patio	240	sq ft	$6.10	$1,464
Saw cuts and edging	64	linear ft	$2.10	$134.40
Cleanup and washout handling	1	flat rate	$185	$185

Estimated selling price: $3,598.20

That total works out to about:

$3,598.20 / 240 = $14.99 per sq ft

That is a helpful reference point, but it is not the point. The line items matter more than the blended square-foot number because they show what assumptions the price depends on.

Step 6: Check the margin

Back into the direct cost estimate:

Concrete and supplier fees: $790
Base and consumables: $240
Labor: $2,340
Equipment and admin allocation: $260

Direct cost total = $3,630

At first glance that looks like the sell price is too low. That is because the labor allocation here is intentionally conservative and reveals a common issue: many contractors do not know whether the job is worth taking until they force the numbers onto paper.

To make the job work, you can revisit production assumptions and selling price. If your actual labor burden is 36 hours instead of 45 because the same three-person crew can finish prep faster, then labor becomes:

36 x $52 = $1,872

Revised direct cost:

$790 + $240 + $1,872 + $260 = $3,162

If you want a 15% net margin, the selling price should be closer to:

$3,162 / .85 = $3,720

Rounded practical price:

Recommended quote: $3,750
Rounded square-foot rate: $15.63 per sq ft

That is why real estimating beats copying a generic $10 or $12 per square foot number from a Facebook group.

Step 7: Decide what to list as optional

Optional items are useful on patio jobs because they let the customer see upgrades without muddying the base scope.

Example optional items:

Optional item	Quantity	Unit price	Total
Sealer application after cure	240 sq ft	$1.10	$264
Upgrade to 5-inch thickness	240 sq ft	$1.45	$348
Integral color upgrade	240 sq ft	$2.35	$564

These should show on the estimate, but they should not count toward the required base total unless the customer accepts them.

Step 8: Write the scope so the customer understands the price

A clean scope for this job might read:

Furnish labor and materials to install one approximately 12x20 concrete patio at 4-inch thickness with standard broom finish, light excavation, compacted base, forms, fiber reinforcement, control joints, and standard cleanup. Price assumes normal backyard access through existing gate and no hidden drainage or unsuitable subgrade correction beyond standard prep.

That last sentence matters. It protects you if the site conditions are worse than they looked at the estimate appointment.

Common pricing mistakes on a 12x20 patio

1. Forgetting short-load fees

Small pours often trigger extra supplier charges.

2. Using the same square-foot rate as a front-yard pour

Backyard access changes labor.

3. Ignoring form labor

Sixty-four linear feet of forming still takes time.

4. Leaving out washout and cleanup

It is a real cost, especially on tight residential lots.

5. No language about subgrade assumptions

If you find mud, buried debris, or soft spots, the job changed.

How Estimation Builder helps on patio quotes

Patio jobs are repetitive enough that you should not be rebuilding every line item from scratch. In Estimation Builder, you can save common items like forming, base prep, fiber mesh, broom finish, and sealer once, then reuse them on future patio estimates. You can also mix square-foot items, per-foot items, flat rates, and optional upgrades in the same estimate, then export a PDF from your phone.

That matters because a lot of small concrete contractors are pricing jobs in the driveway, not behind a desk.

Final takeaway

How to Price a 12x20 Concrete Patio (With Real Numbers) comes down to three things: accurate yardage, honest labor, and scope language that matches the real job. For this example, a 240 sq ft patio priced around $3,750 is much more defensible than a vague low square-foot guess.

If you want a ready-made format to follow, download the sample concrete patio estimate PDF. If you want to build patio estimates, optional upgrades, change orders, and invoices in one mobile-friendly system, start Estimation Builder's 30-day free trial for $75/month after the free trial. No credit card is required.

How to Price a 12x20 Concrete Patio (With Real Numbers)