Athens Concrete Pros · Services
Concrete patio contractors in Athens, GA
A level place to sit is hard to come by in a hilly Athens back yard, so most of our patios are carved into a slope or built up on one side. We pour patios, grill pads, fire pit circles and pool surrounds that shed water toward the lawn and feel solid underfoot.
Quick answer
We build concrete patios across Athens and Oconee County, including the sloped back yards where a patio has to be cut into the bank or raised on its low side. You stand in the staked outline before we order anything, then get a free written estimate covering the grading, the slab and the finish. Broom, exposed-aggregate, colored and stamped surfaces are all available.
Athens soil, slope and weather
Walk behind almost any house in Homewood Hills, Forest Heights or the newer Oconee County subdivisions and the yard either rises behind the house or drops away from it. That slope sets the design. A yard that rises means digging the patio into the bank, holding the cut with a low wall and catching the water that comes down the hill before it crosses the slab. A yard that falls means building up the outer edge on compacted stone and usually adding a step to the grass. Underneath is clay that stays soggy for days after a storm, so we never let a patio trap water against the foundation. The surface has two seasons to deal with: bare feet in a hot July and frost in January.
How we do it
- 1
Mark it on the grass
Stakes and string show the real footprint. Bring out the table and chairs if you like. It is far cheaper to move a string than to wish the slab were a little wider.
- 2
Decide heights and water
We set the finished surface a step below the door, pick the direction of fall and work out what the uphill and downhill edges need: a cut, a wall, extra stone or a step.
- 3
Excavate
Sod, roots and loose topsoil are stripped. On a cut-in patio the bank is dug back far enough to fit drainage stone behind any wall. Rock, if we meet it, is dealt with as the estimate describes.
- 4
Base, forms and reinforcement
Compacted crushed stone goes over the clay. Forms follow the outline, straight or curved, and steel is set with deeper footings under posts, a hot tub or a masonry fire feature.
- 5
Pour and finish
In summer the truck comes at first light so we are finishing before the heat and ahead of afternoon storms. In winter we choose a mild stretch and cover the slab overnight if frost is forecast.
- 6
Cure, seal, put the yard back
The slab is cured, decorative surfaces are sealed when they are ready, forms are pulled and the soil along the edges is graded and raked so grass can grow back to the concrete.
Options and finishes
Light broom finish
Pale, grippy and inexpensive. It reflects heat better than dark colors and is easy to pressure wash after pollen season.
Exposed aggregate
Rounded stone showing at the surface. Good footing in wet weather and a natural look next to woods and planting beds.
Stamped and colored surfaces
Stone, slate or plank textures with color through the slab. Our stamped concrete page covers patterns and upkeep.
Cut-in patio with a seat wall
The bank is held by a low concrete wall at sitting height, which turns the awkward uphill side into the best seat in the yard.
Two-level layout
An upper pad at the door and a lower pad for the fire pit or grill, joined by a couple of steps. Often simpler than one tall raised slab.
Footings for covers and heavy items
Thickened concrete under pergola posts, a future screened room, a spa or a built-in grill, poured with the patio so nothing is added later.
What's in our estimate
Every estimate is written, itemized and free. For concrete patios it covers:
- Staked layout and height plan agreed with you
- Excavation, compacted stone base and edge grading
- Forms, steel, concrete and placing
- The agreed finish with joints placed to plan
- Sealing of colored, stamped and aggregate surfaces
- Drain or swale where the hillside sends water at the slab
- Cleanup and removal of spoil
What moves the price
- Square footage and whether the edges are straight or curved
- How much the yard rises or falls across the patio
- Cutting into a bank, and any wall that holds the cut
- Rock or roots met during excavation
- Finish and sealer
- Path for a buggy or pump hose to reach the back yard
- Add-ons: steps, drains, footings, seat walls
We don't publish Athens prices: the site decides them, so we measure first. Where this page quotes a figure it is a national range from a named source, listed at the bottom.
Why Athens homeowners call us
Nothing hidden in the price
The estimate lists thickness, stone base, steel, finish and removal separately. Put another quote beside it and the gaps show.
We ring back the same day
As a rule on the same working day, to go over the job and settle a time for the visit that fits your week.
Insured, permits included
Liability insurance on every crew, with the certificate attached to your estimate. If the job needs a permit, we apply for it.
Frequently asked questions
How much do people pay for a concrete patio?
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ConcreteNetwork's national brackets are a fair guide: around $5 to $8 per square foot for a basic broom-finished slab, $8 to $11 with a simple decorative treatment, $11 to $18 for custom work and $18 and up for the most detailed designs. Hillside grading and walls are extra. We fix your price in writing once we have seen the yard.
The yard climbs steeply behind my house. Where does the patio go?
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Into the hill. We excavate a level shelf, hold the bank with a short concrete wall and put drainage stone and a pipe behind it. A drain or shallow swale along the uphill edge keeps runoff from sheeting across the patio toward your door.
Is winter a bad time to pour a patio in Athens?
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Not usually. Many winter days here are mild enough to pour. We watch the forecast, skip the hard freezes, protect the fresh slab on cold nights and allow extra time before it is used. A winter pour also means the patio is ready when spring arrives.
Clay in my yard stays wet for days. Will that hurt the slab?
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It will if the concrete sits directly on it. We dig out the soft layer, replace it with compacted stone and pitch the surface so rain leaves quickly. Downspouts that empty beside the patio get extended past it.
Does a patio in Athens need a permit?
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A plain patio on the ground usually does not. One that will carry a roof, a screened room or a wall generally does, and in the local historic districts such as Boulevard or Cobbham, changes seen from the street may need review first. We find out for your address and pull whatever permit is required.
Can a patio be added behind a rental duplex?
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Yes, provided the owner signs off. We work with many landlords near campus and usually recommend a plain broom finish there: it is the cheapest to pour, the hardest to damage and needs no resealing between tenants.
What to have ready
None of it is required to send the request. It just makes the callback shorter and the estimate more accurate.
- The property address, so we can check the permit office and get the right crew
- Rough dimensions: pace it out or measure the longest and widest points
- What it's for: cars, a work truck, a hot tub, a shed, foot traffic
- A couple of photos of the area and the route a concrete truck would take
- Anything you've noticed about water: puddles, a downspout, a low corner
- When you'd like it done
Where we do patio work
Other concrete work we do
Sources
- Concrete Patio Cost, ConcreteNetwork.com (updated January 20, 2026)
- What is curing?, American Concrete Institute (checked October 6, 2026)