Concrete vs Pavers: Which Patio Holds Up in Inland Empire Heat and Clay?

For most backyards in the Inland Empire, a concrete patio is the better value. It costs less to build and needs fewer routine chores. When it is built right and kept up, it can last as long as pavers, one cost guide says.

Pavers make more sense if you want to lift and reset pieces later. A damaged spot on a paver patio is easier to fix than a cracked slab. Pavers also win when you want the widest choice of shapes and colors.

Around the Inland Empire, a basic concrete patio runs about $7.50 to $23 a square foot installed. An average paver patio runs about $15 to $26 a square foot. If concrete suits your yard, our page on concrete patio installation shows how we build one.

Which costs less, a concrete patio or a paver patio?

Concrete costs less to put in. A slab goes in as one pour over a prepared base. Paver installers set each piece one at a time on a gravel base and a sand bed. Then they fill the joints with sand.

Here is how they compare around the Inland Empire. The last column is a 20 by 20 foot patio.

These are market numbers for the Inland Empire, not our price list. Priced by the whole job, the verdict is the same: an average concrete patio runs about $2,700 to $7,200 and a paver patio about $3,600 to $10,500.

A local quote can still land higher or lower. Size and site access move a concrete price. Our guide to what a concrete patio costs in California covers those in detail.

Which lasts longer when summers hit 100 degrees?

Both can last a long time. One national cost guide lists a concrete patio at 30 to 50 years or more. It lists a paver patio at 25 to 75 years or more. Both numbers assume good installation and regular care.

Inland Empire summers are long and hot. NOAA’s 1991 to 2020 normals for Hemet show an average August high near 97 degrees. The same records count about 120 days a year at 90 degrees or hotter. About 40 of those days reach 100 or more.

Concrete expands and shrinks as heat and moisture change, says the ready-mixed concrete industry’s guidance. That is why slabs get control joints, which the guidance calls planned cracks. It puts joints about 10 feet apart in a 4-inch slab, with 15 feet as the limit. The same guidance says stray cracks are mostly a looks problem.

A paver patio is a flexible surface. Each piece can shift a little on its own instead of cracking as one slab. The trade-off is that pieces can loosen over time, one cost guide notes.

What does clay soil do to concrete vs pavers?

Clay is the other local factor, and it changes from town to town. Riverside County’s general plan says expansive soils hold enough clay to swell when wet and shrink as they dry. In federal soil survey data, most sampled ground in Menifee and Perris rates moderate or high for that swell. Most of Hemet and Riverside rates low.

Rain comes in one short season. NOAA’s normals for Hemet and March Air Reserve Base put nearly 80 percent of the rain in November through March. Where the ground holds clay, it takes on water in winter and dries out over the long summer. The county plan says those swell and shrink cycles can damage what sits on top.

On a concrete patio, that movement can crack the slab. A slab that cracks and shifts badly is usually broken out and re-poured, one guide says. A paver patio can settle in spots too. When pavers settle, a paver maker’s care guide says they can be lifted and reset on a fixed base.

Drainage helps either surface. The county plan says moisture control and drainage can limit what expansive soil does. Water that runs away from the patio keeps the clay under it steadier.

Which needs more upkeep, concrete or a paver patio?

Pavers need more small chores. Weeds sprout in the joints from windblown seeds, the same care guide explains. They get pulled by hand or sprayed. Wind and runoff can also wash out joint sand, which gets topped up with dry sand.

Concrete is easier to clean, one cost guide notes, but harder to repair. Sealed patios of either kind get resealed every few years, a second guide says. With pavers, you can fix one spot instead of breaking out a section of slab.

Which looks better and helps resale?

Looks come down to taste. One cost guide gives pavers the edge when design options matter most. They come in many shapes and colors.

Stamped concrete presses a stone or brick pattern into the pour for an added cost. Around the Inland Empire, a stamped patio runs about $12 to $29 a square foot, close to an average paver patio. See stamped concrete patios for pattern and color choices.

Color mixed into concrete before the pour is part of the slab. Color added after the pour can fade and need a fresh coat, the guide adds. For resale, it says both surfaces can add value when they are installed and kept up well. A new slab in place of an old, damaged one can help too.

So which should you choose for your yard?

Pick concrete if you want the most patio for the money and fewer routine chores. Choose pavers if spot repairs or the widest design choice matter more than price. On clay, the base and the drainage matter as much as the material.

We pour concrete. We do not install pavers, so for a paver patio, call a paver installer.

Ready to price a concrete patio?

We pour new concrete patios and replace old ones. Covered-patio slabs and spa pads are part of that work. We look at the job and put the quote in writing. Start with our concrete patio services, or call or text (951) 483-4138.