Concrete is the usual choice when you want a flat, firm surface for chairs, a grill or a table. It suits homeowners with a bare or uneven spot they already use, or an old slab that has gone past patching.
What does a concrete patio cost in Lakeland?
A basic 20×20-foot plain concrete patio runs $1,450 to $4,300 roughly $3.50 to $11 per square foot. Concrete Group of Lakeland can quote that kind of range over the phone. The final figure goes in writing after we walk the site, since the spot itself moves you around inside that range.
That range is for plain concrete. Level ground with nothing to remove and a short carry to the back of the house prices near the bottom of it. A spot that needs work before any concrete goes down sits higher. We'd rather say that up front than hand you a low number that grows later.
A common next step is stamped concrete installation. Need a concrete contractor in Lakeland for another job? Start on our home page.
Helpful next: Budgeting for Concrete Work: Real Price Ranges Explained · When a Problem Calls for Concrete Work: Signs to Watch
Why do two patios the same size get different quotes?
Because the slab is only part of the job. Concrete Group of Lakeland prices the footprint, the finish, and whatever has to happen before the pour: old concrete to remove, ground to level where the forms sit, and how far materials have to travel to the back of the house.
Each of those is labor or material, and they stack. The written quote shows which one is driving the total, so if a number surprises you, you can point to the line.
How does the pour actually go?
We form the slab, screed it level with a straight 2×4, float it, cut control joints, broom the surface, then cure it damp or under plastic. Concrete Group of Lakeland works in that order because each step sets up the next, and rushing one shows up later as cracks or a slick surface.
The forms set the shape and the edges. The 2×4 screed board rides on them and strikes off the extra concrete, which is what makes the surface flat. The float then closes up the top and knocks down the screed marks. A patio that holds puddles stays slippery, so flat matters.
Joints and broom come once the concrete is firm enough to hold texture. We form control joints at planned locations so any cracking follows a straight line we chose. The broom finish gives your feet grip, wet or dry.
Curing is the step people skip. We keep the slab damp or cover it with plastic sheeting, following the concrete manufacturer's instructions.
How long does a patio take?
The pour itself is the quick part, but curing stretches the calendar. Concrete Group of Lakeland can't give one number for every Lakeland patio, since the timeline depends on size, prep, weather and the manufacturer's curing instructions. We put the schedule in your quote once we've seen the site.
Plan on the slab being off limits while it cures. Furniture, grills and foot traffic wait until we tell you it is ready, and the instructions for the mix we use set that call.
How do you know you need a patio?
You need one when the spot you actually use outside is bare dirt, mud or uneven ground, or when an old slab has broken up past patching. Concrete Group of Lakeland looks at the situation and tells you plainly whether new concrete is the right fix or something smaller will do.
The usual signs are chairs that rock, water that collects where you want to sit, a surface that sheds crumbs and dust, or cracks that have shifted and left one edge higher than the next. A hairline crack alone is not always a reason to replace. A tripping lip usually is.
If a repair covers it, that's what the quote will describe.
Does a patio in Lakeland need a permit?
It depends on the project, and Concrete Group of Lakeland confirms it with the city before we quote. Lakeland uses the Florida Building Code, Eighth Edition (2023), and lists driveways among the work requiring a permit. We don't assume a patio follows the driveway rule.
If a permit applies, it goes in the written scope so nothing surprises you mid-job.
Storm exposure here is high, and it affects scheduling too. A severe hailstorm in Polk County dropped golfball-sized hail around Lakeland and damaged roofs on many homes. If roof work is coming at your house, tell us, and we'll schedule the patio so ladders and dumpsters aren't parked on fresh concrete.
What's Involved
In detail, a few of the specifics:
- Place the concrete continuously into the forms and distribute it into corners and around reinforcement without disturbing the forms or rebar.
- Screed the surface level with the forms, then float it and edge the perimeter.
Other Services We Offer
Questions Welcome
Talking it through by phone takes a few minutes, no hard sell.