Last Updated: September 2026
A patio is a paved outdoor living area at ground level, usually right off the back of the house. Building one that lasts starts with a layout that fits how you’ll use the space and a material that suits the house. What really decides how long it holds up, though, is the base underneath, and on Long Island freeze-thaw winters punish any shortcuts there.
If you’re past the planning stage and ready to build, we handle patio construction on Long Island, from design and 3D renderings through installation, for homeowners across Nassau and Suffolk County.
How do you plan a patio layout?
Start with how you’ll use it. A dining table and grill need a different shape than a fire pit or a lounge set. Place the furniture first, then draw the patio around it with room to pull chairs out and walk behind them. Keep the route from the back door to the yard or pool from cutting through the seating area. If the yard slopes, the patio can step down in levels, which usually means steps and retaining walls.
The laying pattern changes the look more than people expect. Running bond, a simple offset like a brick wall, reads clean and calm. Herringbone is busier and interlocks well, which is why it’s common on driveways. Basketweave feels traditional, especially in brick. Many paver lines also offer multi-size patterns that look like cut stone, plus contrasting borders to frame the edges.
Several paver manufacturers offer free online visualizer tools for trying patterns and colors, and we create 3D renderings as part of our design process so you can see the layout before work starts.
Where should a patio go, and how big should it be?
Most patios sit off the back of the house, where the kitchen or family room opens to the yard, because that’s the spot that gets used most. A patio out in the yard can also work to catch afternoon sun, sit alongside a pool or give a fire pit some distance from the house.
There’s no single right size. Measure the table, chairs and lounge pieces you actually plan to use, add room to move around them, then check the result against the scale of the yard. Too small and the chairs end up with their back legs in the grass.
How is a patio installed?
A paver or dry-laid stone patio goes in roughly the same way on most jobs:
- Mark out the patio and call 811 so underground utilities are located before digging.
- Excavate topsoil and organic material down to stable subsoil, deep enough for the base, bedding layer and pavers.
- Set the grade so the surface pitches away from the house. A patio shouldn’t be dead flat. Most installers build in a gentle slope, commonly around 1/8 to 1/4 inch per foot, so rain runs off instead of pooling against the foundation.
- Lay geotextile fabric where the soil calls for it, then spread crushed stone base in layers, compacting each one.
- Screed a thin, even bedding layer of sand or fine stone over the base.
- Lay the pavers or stone, cut the edge pieces and install edge restraint.
- Sweep polymeric sand into the joints, compact the surface so the units lock together, then mist it with water to set the binder.
Poured concrete and mortar-set stone are built differently, over a concrete slab.
Building a patio on Long Island
Long Island’s weather and soil shape how a patio should be built. Winters here bring repeated freeze-thaw cycles, and water trapped under a patio expands when it freezes, which is what heaves and cracks a poorly built surface. Much of Nassau and Suffolk County sits on sandy soil that drains well but can shift if it isn’t compacted. That’s why most installers here dig out the soil, lay a crushed stone base compacted in lifts, pitch the surface away from the house and lock paver joints with polymeric sand. Permit requirements for patios vary from town to town, and sometimes from village to village, so check with your local building department before work starts.
What are the most common patio materials?
Concrete pavers
Concrete pavers are manufactured units made from a dense concrete mix pressed into molds, in a wide range of shapes, colors and textures. Many newer lines look like cut natural stone. Unilock, Techo-Bloc and Cambridge all make pavers for patios. They’re dry-laid on a compacted base and bedding layer, with polymeric sand in the joints and an edge restraint holding the field. Because they’re separate pieces, the surface can move slightly through freeze-thaw instead of cracking like a slab, and a settled section can be lifted and reset. You can read more on our paver patio installation page.
Porcelain pavers
Porcelain pavers are thin, dense slabs, usually about 2 cm thick. They absorb very little water, resist stains and fading, and come in finishes that look like wood, concrete or stone, with textured surfaces for grip around pools. They’re less forgiving to install: porcelain can go on a compacted base with a bedding layer, on pedestals, or bonded with mortar over a concrete slab, and it takes specialized blades to cut cleanly.
Bluestone
Bluestone is a dense sandstone quarried mainly in Pennsylvania and New York. It comes as irregular stone with natural edges that fit together like a puzzle, or as cut pattern stone in squares and rectangles. The surface can be natural cleft, with a slightly uneven split face, or thermal, heat-treated for a flatter finish. Color runs from steady blue-gray to full range, which mixes in lilac, rust and green. Bluestone can be dry-laid on a compacted base with stone dust or polymeric sand joints, or set in mortar on a concrete slab. Dark stone gets hot in full sun, which matters near a pool.
Flagstone
Flagstone isn’t one type of rock. It’s a general name for stone split into flat slabs for paving, including sandstone, quartzite, slate and bluestone. Most flagstone is irregular in shape, which gives a looser, more natural look than cut stone. It can be dry-laid or mortar-set over a slab, and because thickness varies piece to piece, each stone has to be set carefully to avoid trip edges.
Travertine
Travertine is a type of limestone formed around mineral springs, with small natural pores and soft creams, tans and light grays. It stays cooler underfoot than dark stone, which makes it popular around pools. In a freeze-thaw climate, choose pavers rated for exterior use and set them on a base that drains well, since water freezing in the pores is what damages it. Many owners seal it to cut down on staining.
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock made mostly of calcium carbonate. For patios it usually comes as cut slabs in pale grays, buffs and creams, and it suits a more formal design. It’s softer than granite and reacts to acids, so wine, citrus or harsh cleaners can etch it. Most installers recommend dense, exterior-grade stone for Long Island winters and sealing it after installation.
Brick
Clay brick gives a patio a traditional look that suits older and colonial-style homes. Use brick made for paving, not wall brick, which is softer and can flake apart after a few winters. Brick is either dry-laid on a compacted base and bedding layer with sand swept into the joints, the same way pavers go in, or set in mortar over a concrete slab, which looks more finished but relies on the slab staying sound.
Poured and stamped concrete
Concrete is a mix of cement, sand, stone and water. Cement is only the binder, so the two words aren’t interchangeable. A concrete patio is a slab poured over a compacted base, with control joints so the cracks concrete eventually develops follow straight lines. Stamped concrete is pressed with textured mats while wet to look like stone, brick or slate. The tradeoff is repair: a cracked or heaved section has to be cut out and patched, patches in stamped concrete rarely match, and stamped surfaces need resealing every few years.
Gravel and pea gravel
Gravel falls into two groups. Crushed gravel has sharp, angular edges that lock together when compacted into a firm surface. Rounded gravel, like river stone and pea gravel, has been smoothed by water, so it doesn’t lock together and stays loose. Pea gravel looks casual, but it shifts underfoot, chair legs sink into it, and it migrates into the lawn and house. It needs a solid edge, a compacted base and geotextile fabric underneath, and it suits a small fire pit spot better than a main dining patio. Decomposed granite, common in the West, is rarely used here.
Permeable pavers
Permeable pavers are concrete pavers with wider joints filled with small, clean stone chips instead of sand. They sit on a deep base of open-graded stone that holds rainwater and lets it soak into the ground. There’s no mortar in the system, since that would block the water. Open-grid pavers work on the same idea with larger openings filled with gravel or grass, and they show up more on driveways than on patios. Sediment slowly clogs the joints, so they need periodic sweeping or vacuuming and fresh chips to keep draining.
Patio vs. terrace vs. deck: what’s the difference?
A patio is a paved area at ground level, usually next to the house. A terrace is a level, paved platform raised above the surrounding ground, often built into a slope with retaining walls holding it up, or set on a roof or upper floor. A deck is a raised platform framed in wood or composite on posts and footings, which makes sense where the back door sits well above the yard.
Do I need a permit to build a patio?
It depends on where you live. Requirements vary between towns and villages across Nassau and Suffolk County, and a ground-level patio is often treated differently than a raised one. Raised patios, retaining walls, grading changes that send water toward a neighbor, limits on how much of a lot can be paved, and setbacks from property lines can all bring a project under review, as can a site near wetlands or the water. Check with your local building department before work starts, and ask your contractor who’s responsible for filing any applications.
Do I need a patio railing?
A patio at ground level usually doesn’t need one. A raised patio, or one with a real drop at the edge, generally needs a guard under the New York State residential code once the surface is more than 30 inches above the ground below. Your local building department can confirm what applies to your yard before you design a raised patio.
How do you choose a patio contractor?
Most of what makes a patio last is buried under it. Ask for proof of licensing and insurance before you sign anything. Then ask:
- How deep will you excavate, and how thick will the compacted base be?
- How will the patio drain, and where will the water go?
- What edge restraint do you use?
- Will I approve a design before work starts?
- What’s in the written scope, and what isn’t?
A contractor who answers those plainly and can show you patios that have been through a few winters is a safer bet than the lowest bid.
What affects the cost of a patio?
These factors move the number most:
- Size and shape: more square footage means more material and labor, and curves or multiple levels add cutting time.
- Material: pavers, porcelain, natural stone and brick differ in material cost and installation time.
- Base depth and excavation: poor soil, an old slab to remove or a deeper base all add digging, hauling and stone.
- Access: tight side yards where equipment can’t reach mean more work by hand.
- Drainage: drywells, drains or regrading to move water away from the house.
- Steps, walls and features: retaining walls, seat walls, steps, fire pits, outdoor kitchens and lighting each add cost.
A site visit is the quickest way to a real number, since soil, grade and access don’t show up in a photo.
How long will a patio last?
A properly built paver or natural stone patio on a compacted base usually lasts for decades. The base and drainage underneath matter more than the surface material, because they’re what keep the patio from settling, shifting or heaving over time.
Upkeep depends on the material. Pavers and dry-laid stone need joint sand topped up now and then, mortared stone and brick need cracked joints repointed, and stamped concrete needs resealing.
FAQ
What is a patio?
A patio is a paved outdoor living area, usually at ground level and next to the house, used for dining, lounging and entertaining. Most patios are built from pavers, natural stone like bluestone or flagstone, brick or concrete, laid over a compacted base. Unlike a deck, a patio sits directly on the ground instead of a raised wooden frame.
What’s the difference between a patio and a deck?
A patio is built on the ground from stone, pavers, brick or concrete. A deck is a raised platform, usually wood or composite, held up by posts and framing. Patios generally need less upkeep since there’s no wood to stain or protect from rot, while decks can make sense on sloped lots or where the back door sits well above grade.
How long does a paver patio last?
A well-built paver or natural stone patio can usually last for decades. The base matters most: proper excavation, compacted stone and good drainage keep it from settling or heaving through Long Island winters. If a spot does settle, individual pavers can be lifted and reset, and topping up the joint sand every few years helps keep weeds out.
Do patio pavers need to be sealed?
No, sealing concrete pavers is optional. A sealer can deepen the color, make stains easier to clean and help hold joint sand in place, but pavers perform fine without it. If you do seal, wait until any efflorescence, the white haze common on new concrete, has faded, and plan on resealing every few years. Natural stone like limestone and travertine benefits more from sealing.
Planning a patio in Nassau or Suffolk County? Reach out to Above All Masonry, a local masonry company based in Bohemia, to set up a design consultation and site visit.
For a real-world example, take a look at Stonescape Symphony, a recent project of ours in Melville, NY.
