Concrete Patios in Columbus, OH

Big enough for what you will really do out there, plus room to walk around the furniture. A 12 by 12 foot square fits a table for six; a dining spot with a grill corner usually wants 14 by 16 or more, and adding a lounge area pushes you toward 16 by 20. Mark it with a hose or stakes before deciding, then add a couple of feet if it feels snug.

Broom finish if you want simple, slip-resistant and low upkeep. Stamped and colored if the patio is the centerpiece of the yard and you like the look of stone or brick, knowing it needs resealing every few years. Many people split the difference with a broom center inside a decorative border.

Square footage comes first, then the finish, then the site. Stamped and colored work takes more hands and more material than broom finish. Breaking out an old slab, building up a low yard, adding steps at the door or wheeling concrete around the house when the truck cannot reach the backyard all add to the job, and the quote spells those out after a look at the yard.

A typical backyard patio takes a few days from dig-out to finished surface, depending on weather, and most are poured between spring and late fall. Foot traffic is fine after a day or two, and the furniture can come back after about a week. It keeps gaining strength for roughly a month, so save the really heavy loads for later.

Yes, when it is built for them. Air-entrained concrete stands up to the constant freezing and thawing, the pitch keeps meltwater from pooling and turning to ice, and the joints decide where any cracking goes. For the first winter, use sand for traction instead of rock salt while the surface toughens up.

The 811 call comes first, a few business days before anyone digs, so buried utility lines get marked. Whether a patio needs a permit depends on whether your address falls under a city, a village or a township, so ask the office that issues building permits for your street. If you have an HOA, expect its architectural committee to want the size, finish and color before work is scheduled.

Columbus and 31 towns around it. That includes Dublin, Hilliard, Upper Arlington, Worthington and Powell to the north and west; Westerville, Gahanna and New Albany to the northeast; Bexley, Whitehall, Reynoldsburg, Pickerington and Pataskala to the east; and Grove City, Obetz, Groveport, Canal Winchester and Lithopolis to the south. Small villages like Riverlea, Minerva Park and Brice are on the list too.