Concrete Patios Around Wichita
A patio is usually the first concrete people pour for fun rather than necessity. It also sits right against the house, which makes slope, drainage and the joint at the foundation more important than the finish everyone sees.
Patio basics
Get the size and shape right for how you will use it, slope it away from the house, separate it from the foundation with an isolation joint, and plan the joints so cracks land where you expect. The finish comes last.
- Common asks: off the back door, wrap-around, step-down from a deck
- Ask about: slope, joints, base, finish, curing
Patios estimate request
About a minute. Send the details and expect a call back to talk the project through.
- Common scope
- Layout, base prep, forming, pour, finish, joints, cure
- Most important detail
- Slope away from the foundation
- Typical finishes
- Broom, smooth trowel, exposed aggregate, stamped, colored
- Summer watch-out
- Hot, windy afternoons can crack fresh surfaces
Start with how the space will be used
A patio that is too small gets abandoned; one that is too big bakes in the afternoon sun. Before talking finishes, walk the yard with a tape measure. Set out the table and chairs you own, or plan to own, and add room to pull chairs back and walk around them. Think about where the grill lives, where the smoke goes, and where the shade falls in late afternoon. Wichita summers bring about 65 days a year at 90 degrees or hotter, according to the National Weather Service office in Wichita (NWS Wichita, annual climate normals for Wichita, Salina and Chanute), so a west-facing slab with no shade will be hot to stand on by mid-afternoon. Lighter-colored concrete and a pergola or shade tree help.
Water: the detail that matters most
A patio sits against the house, so a slab that tilts toward the foundation sends every storm straight at the basement or crawl space. K-State Research and Extension's guide to dry basements says the ground around a home should slope away from the foundation, with about one inch for every foot over the first 15 feet as ideal and at least six inches in ten feet as the minimum to maintain (K-State Research and Extension, MF2809 Dry Basements and Crawl Spaces). A patio is part of that ground. It should fall away from the house, and downspouts should not empty onto it.
Clay is the second reason water matters. K-State notes that clay soils swell when wet and shrink when dry, with enough force to crack foundations and move sidewalks (K-State Research and Extension, Clay Soil: It Shrinks and Swells). Water that collects at one edge of a patio feeds that movement unevenly, which is how slabs crack and tilt.
The joint at the house
NRMCA recommends isolation joints where slabs meet walls, footings and other fixed elements so each piece can move on its own (NRMCA, CIP 6: Joints in Concrete Slabs on Grade). For a patio, that means a strip of joint material against the foundation, not concrete bonded tight to the house. Ask how the slab will meet the house and whether the joint will be sealed to keep water out.
Joints in the field of the slab
Patios crack like any slab. Control joints tell the cracks where to go. NRMCA suggests spacing joints at about 24 to 36 times the slab thickness, keeping panels close to square, and avoiding L-shaped panels (NRMCA, CIP 6: Joints in Concrete Slabs on Grade). On a patio with a curved edge or an inside corner, that last point matters: a crack likes to start at an inside corner, so a joint should run from it. A good estimate sketches the joint pattern.
Base and thickness
Patios carry people and furniture rather than cars, but the base still needs to be firm and even. NRMCA lists improper subgrade preparation among the leading causes of slab cracking and recommends removing soft spots and compacting the soil or fill (NRMCA, CIP 4: Cracking Concrete Surfaces). A hot tub is a special case: a filled tub is a heavy, concentrated load, so if one is planned, say so up front. The pad may need to be thicker or reinforced, and the tub maker's installation instructions usually say what support it needs.
Finishes
- Broom finish: the standard for traction around pools, steps and wet areas.
- Smooth trowel: sleek but slick when wet, so it is used sparingly outdoors.
- Exposed aggregate: the top paste is washed off to reveal the stone, giving texture and grip.
- Stamped and colored: patterns that imitate stone, slate or brick; see stamped and decorative concrete.
NRMCA cautions against finishing while bleed water is on the surface and against overworking the surface, both of which weaken the top layer (NRMCA, CIP 14: Finishing Concrete Flatwork). That is one reason an experienced finisher matters more than the finish name.
Pouring in summer
NRMCA's hot-weather guidance explains that high temperatures, wind and low humidity speed evaporation and setting, raising the risk of plastic shrinkage cracks, and recommends avoiding the hottest part of the day when possible (NRMCA, CIP 12: Hot Weather Concreting). Early-morning pours, windbreaks and prompt curing are common answers. Wichita's average wind speed is about 11.5 mph out of the south-southwest (NWS Wichita, annual climate normals for Wichita, Salina and Chanute), so wind is a factor more often than people expect.
Steps and edges
If the patio is lower than the back door, a step or landing will be needed. Steps have their own rules for rise and run and their own failure points; see concrete steps and retaining walls. A sloping yard may call for a short wall to hold soil on the uphill side.
Looking after a patio
Keep downspouts and sprinklers off it, sweep away leaf litter that stains, and consider a breathable sealer once it has cured and dried (see concrete sealing). Read drainage around driveways and patios before finalizing the layout, and the estimate factors page for what shapes the scope.
Sizing up the job: see what changes the size of a patio job on the estimate-factors page. It lists what moves the scope, never a price.
Further reading
Concrete Patios: what people ask
How big should a patio be?
Lay out the furniture you plan to use and leave room to walk around it and pull chairs back. Many people find their first sketch is too small for a table and a grill together.
Which way should a patio slope?
Away from the house. K-State Research and Extension recommends ground near a foundation slope away, about one inch for every foot over the first 15 feet as ideal.
Should the patio be attached to the foundation?
No. NRMCA recommends an isolation joint where a slab meets walls and footings so the slab and the house can move independently.
Is concrete or pavers better for a Wichita patio?
Both work. Concrete gives a continuous surface and fewer weeds; pavers can be lifted and reset if the ground moves. Clay soil and drainage matter for either one.
Can a patio hold a hot tub?
Often, but say so before the pour. A filled tub is a heavy concentrated load, and the pad may need extra thickness or reinforcement. Check the tub maker’s support requirements.
Why do new patios get fine surface cracks?
Plastic shrinkage cracks form when the surface dries before the concrete sets, often on hot, windy days. NRMCA recommends windbreaks, fog spraying and covering the slab between finishing steps in those conditions.
Does a patio need a permit?
The Wichita-Sedgwick County code lists sidewalks and driveways near grade as exempt from a building permit. Patio rules vary by city and by what is built with it, such as a roof or deck, so check with the local building office.
How long until I can put furniture on it?
Light foot traffic usually comes after a day or two, but heavy furniture and grills should wait for the cure time the estimate gives. Cold weather lengthens it.
Patio estimates by town
Soil, permit offices and housing age change from one town to the next. Pick yours for local notes.
In Wichita
North of Wichita
West and northwest
South of Wichita
East into Butler County
Often planned alongside
Stamped & Decorative Concrete
Stamped patterns, integral color, stains, exposed aggregate and decorative borders, and the extra care they need in a freeze-thaw climate.
Concrete Steps & Retaining Walls
Front stoops, back steps and low retaining walls, with attention to frost, drainage behind walls and the code exemptions for low walls.
Concrete Sealing
Breathable penetrating sealers, film-forming sealers for decorative work, and joint and crack sealing that keep water and salt out of Wichita slabs.
Planning patios work?
Send the details and expect a call back to talk the project through.