New patios · extensions · replacements
Concrete Patio Contractors in Kokomo
Most patio questions start with "how much?" so we put the estimator first. The rest of the page is about the things that decide whether a backyard concrete patio stays flat and dry next to a Kokomo house.
Size it, pick a finish, and you'll get a range from published national prices. Then read the part about water before you pick a contractor.
Building a Cement Patio on Kokomo Clay
"Cement patio" or "concrete patio," the failure is almost always the same: water. Kokomo's common soils (Crosby and Brookston) are slow-draining clay till, and Crosby's wet-season water table can sit 6 inches to 2 feet down. A patio poured flat or toward the house collects roof water against the foundation, and the clay under it stays soft.
- Fall away from the house over the whole slab, every time, set with a level line before the pour.
- Downspouts go past the patio, not onto it or under it.
- Compacted stone base. The code's 4-inch base course is waived only on well-drained sand and gravel, which Kokomo mostly isn't.
- Isolation joint at the house so the slab can move without pushing on the foundation.
- Control joints about 10 feet apart on a 4-inch slab, square-ish panels, and cuts at every inside corner of an L-shaped patio.
- No vapor barrier under an open patio; code exempts outdoor flatwork that won't be enclosed.
Lay Out the Patio's Control Joints Before the Pour
In a patio slab quote
- Removing sod, old concrete or pavers
- Digging out soft clay, stone base, compaction
- Forms, slope, isolation and control joints
- Thickened edges or pads for a hot tub, fire pit or posts
- Steps down from a door, if needed
- Finish, curing, and sealing instructions
Other trades, not concrete
- Decks, deck-to-patio builds and screened rooms
- Pergolas and roofed patio covers (and their permit)
- Gas lines, outlets and lighting
- Landscaping and plantings beyond the slab edge
Patio Slab Scope: What a Concrete Patio Builder Does and Doesn't
A concrete patio installer builds the slab and everything under it. People often search for "patio deck builders" or "screened patio contractors" in the same breath. Those are carpenters and remodelers, and a good patio quote will say clearly where the concrete work stops.
If you're planning a roof or screen room later, tell us now. Posts need footings below the 30-inch frost line, which is much easier to pour with the slab than to cut in afterward.
Concrete Patio Extension: Adding On to an Old Slab
Extending a patio is common when the original was a 10×10 slab outside the back door. The new section is tied to the old one with steel dowels drilled into its edge so the two stay level, with a joint between them. Two honest points first:
- The colors won't match at first. New concrete is lighter; it evens out over a few seasons but rarely disappears completely. A border or a different finish on the extension can look intentional instead.
- If the old slab has sunk toward the house, fix that before adding on. It can often be raised with concrete patio lifting instead of being torn out.
For a patterned or colored extension, see stamped concrete patios.
A Concrete Patio Install, Day by Day
Day 1
Layout, dig-out, base
String lines and grade stakes, sod and old concrete removed, soft clay dug out, stone base compacted.
Day 1–2
Forms and slope
Forms set to the fall line, isolation joint against the house, dowels into any old slab being extended.
Pour day
Pour, finish, joints
Air-entrained concrete, finished to your choice, joints tooled or saw-cut the same day.
Week 1
Cure
Curing compound or covers; light use after a couple of days, heavy items after about a week.
Late summer
Seal
A breathable penetrating sealer after a few dry days, then every few years.
Concrete Patio Cost by Size
HomeAdvisor's 2026 guide puts the average concrete patio at about $3,557, with most between $1,919 and $5,394, or roughly $6 to $15 per square foot. The size table below is from the same guide. Kokomo-specific factors that push a patio up: removing an old slab or pavers, extra base over wet clay, steps at a door, and a backyard the truck can't reach.
Upgrading the finish? Stamped and colored patios are priced on the decorative concrete cost section.
| Patio size | Published range | Fits |
|---|---|---|
| 10 × 10 ft | $600–$1,600 | Two chairs and a grill |
| 12 × 12 ft | $850–$2,300 | Table for four |
| 16 × 20 ft | $1,900–$5,100 | Dining plus grill area |
| 20 × 20 ft | $2,400–$6,400 | Dining and lounge zones |
Sealing and Concrete Patio Repair
Sealing a concrete patio with a breathable silane or siloxane sealer every few years keeps water and deicer out of the surface; the industry's advice is to apply it in late summer after a few dry days. Avoid thick glossy coatings on a patio that gets ice; they get slick.
When a patio is already damaged, match the fix to the problem: cracks and broken edges go to concrete repair, a flaking but sound surface to patio resurfacing, and a slab tipped toward the house to lifting. If it's cracked, sunk and flaking all at once, a new patio usually costs less than three repairs.
Concrete Patio Contractors Near Me: Permits and Timing
Kokomo's permit list names driveway and sidewalk work, not patios. A slab at ground level in the backyard usually isn't on it, but a roof over it, or anything attached to the house, can count as a structural change that needs a building permit. Call the permit office before you assume.
Spring books up quickly with patio work. Late summer and early fall are good pouring weather and leave time to seal before winter. A patio needs an Indiana 811 locate just like a driveway, because gas, cable and sprinkler lines run through backyards.
Patios are one part of what a Kokomo concrete contractor does; if you're also thinking about the walk to the patio or the driveway, pricing them together saves a mobilization.
Concrete Patio Questions
Do I need a permit for a concrete patio in Kokomo?
The city's permit list names driveways and sidewalks, not patios, so a plain ground-level slab usually isn't on it. A roof over the patio, or anything attached to the house, is a structural change and can need a building permit. Call the Kokomo permit office at City Hall (765-456-7362) before you build, and outside the city ask the Plan Commission.
How thick should a concrete patio be?
Four inches over a compacted stone base is standard for a patio that only sees people and furniture. Go thicker under a hot tub, a masonry fire pit or an outdoor kitchen, and thicken the edges where the slab will carry a seat wall or posts.
Does a patio need a vapor barrier underneath?
No. The residential code requires a vapor retarder under heated floors, but it specifically exempts driveways, walks, patios and other flatwork that won't be enclosed and heated later. If you might enclose the patio someday, say so up front.
Can you pour a patio over pavers or an old patio?
Not over pavers; they move and the new slab cracks with them. Over an old concrete patio only if it's sound and the extra height works at the door, and even then an overlay is usually the better tool. Most of the time the old patio comes out.
How long before I can put furniture on a new patio?
Foot traffic after a day or two, light furniture after a few days, and a grill or hot tub after the slab has cured for about a week or more. Keep sprinklers and downspouts from flooding it while it cures.
Get a Concrete Patio Estimate
Send the size you're thinking, a photo of the area from the back door, and where the downspouts empty. If there's an old patio or pavers, tell us what's there.