Outdoor Living · Hardscape & landscape
Patios, walkways, and landscaping
Walks, patios, and the apron in front of the garage take snow, ice, boots, and plows. We form and pour concrete flatwork ourselves, and the landscape crew we work with handles stone, pavers, walls, and plantings, or you can take on the landscaping yourself.
Every option is compared on the same five things:
Patios & walkways
Choose your surface
We pour the concrete ourselves. Pavers, flagstone, and gravel are built by the landscape crew we work with.
Our usual finish
Exposed aggregate concrete
Concrete whose top layer is washed off as it sets to show the small stones inside. Textured, grippy in snow and ice, and good at hiding wear. Our usual finish.
- Look / Style
- Textured, natural stone
- Maintenance
- Low
- Lifespan
- 30+ years
- Relative Cost
- $$
- Best For
- Walks, patios, and entries in snow country
Why people pick it
- Good grip in ice and snow
- Hides dirt and wear
- Natural, stony look
Trade-offs
- Rougher on bare feet
- Harder to shovel clean than smooth concrete
Broom-finish concrete
Concrete brushed with a broom while it sets, leaving fine ridges for traction. Simple, affordable, and easy to shovel.
- Look / Style
- Simple, utility
- Maintenance
- Low
- Lifespan
- 30+ years
- Relative Cost
- $–$$
- Best For
- Garage aprons, side paths, budgets
Why people pick it
- Lowest-cost hard surface
- Easy to shovel
- Good traction
Trade-offs
- Plain, utility look
- Shows stains more
Pavers or flagstone
Concrete pavers or natural stone laid on a compacted base. A softer, garden look, and one cracked piece can be lifted and replaced. Built by the landscape crew we work with.
- Look / Style
- Garden, natural stone
- Maintenance
- Medium
- Lifespan
- 30+ years
- Relative Cost
- $$$–$$$$
- Best For
- Patios, garden paths, fire pit areas
Why people pick it
- Natural, crafted look
- Repairable piece by piece
- Flexes with frost
Trade-offs
- Costs more than concrete
- Joints need weeding and refilling
Gravel
Compacted crushed rock or pea gravel with an edge. The most affordable path or patio, it drains well, and near the house it's one of the best ways to keep embers from catching.
- Look / Style
- Informal, rustic
- Maintenance
- Medium
- Lifespan
- Ongoing (top up)
- Relative Cost
- $
- Best For
- Side paths, the first 5 feet around the house, budgets
Why people pick it
- Lowest cost
- Drains, no puddles or ice sheets
- Won't burn
Trade-offs
- Needs raking and topping up
- Hard to shovel; not for wheelchairs
Side by side
| Tag | Exposed aggregate concrete | Broom-finish concrete | Pavers or flagstone | Gravel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Look / Style | Textured, natural stone | Simple, utility | Garden, natural stone | Informal, rustic |
| Maintenance | Low | Low | Medium | Medium |
| Lifespan | 30+ years | 30+ years | 30+ years | Ongoing (top up) |
| Relative Cost | $$ | $–$$ | $$$–$$$$ | $ |
| Best For | Walks, patios, and entries in snow country | Garage aprons, side paths, budgets | Patios, garden paths, fire pit areas | Side paths, the first 5 feet around the house, budgets |
Every Bedrock walk and patio
How we pour it
Concrete outside has to survive freeze-thaw, snow, and plows.
Mixed for freeze-thaw
Every outdoor slab is air-entrained concrete: tiny air bubbles mixed in give freezing water room to expand so the surface doesn't flake. It's poured on compacted gravel with joints cut to control cracking.
Surface won't scale or flake
Cracks stay in the joints
Sloped away from the house
Walks and patios next to the house slope away from it, so meltwater runs off instead of toward your foundation or freezing at the door.
Water away from the foundation
Fewer ice patches at doors
Driveways and garage aprons
Driveways are gravel by default, built by our excavator. We pour the concrete apron in front of the garage. A full concrete or paved driveway is available through a paving contractor.
Clean garage entry
Gravel drive keeps cost down
Landscaping
Allowance, or do it yourself
Our excavator does the final grade around the house and driveway. Everything planted or built beyond that is an allowance in your estimate, or left out for you to do yourself.
Landscaping allowance
Our excavator does the final grade around the house and driveway. Beyond that, your estimate can carry a landscaping budget for seeding, plantings, and paths by the local landscape crew we work with, or you can leave it out and do it yourself.
Covers
- Final grade around the house always included
- Seed or native revegetation of disturbed ground
- Plantings and paths within your budget
Good to know
- Left out, landscaping is yours to do after we finish
Relative cost: $–$$
Full landscape build
A larger landscaping budget for a finished yard: stone or block retaining walls, a fire pit, irrigation, planted beds, and patios, designed and built by the landscape crew we work with.
Why people upgrade
- Finished yard on move-in day
- Walls, fire pit, and irrigation built in
- One schedule with the house
Good to know
- Higher cost
- Plantings need watering the first seasons
Relative cost: $$$–$$$$
How the landscaping allowance works
- 1We set the allowanceYour estimate includes a landscaping budget based on your site and the finish you're after, or leaves it out if you'll do it yourself.
- 2You plan it with the landscaperWalk the site with the landscape crew we work with and choose plantings, paths, and features.
- 3We settle upSpend more and the difference is added; spend less and it's credited back.
Fire season
Plan the first 5 feet with the house
What surrounds your home matters as much as the house in a wildfire. Gravel, not bark mulch, in the first 5 feet, and spaced plantings beyond.
Gravel or concrete right around the house
Fire-resistant plants spaced out to 30 feet
FAQ
Common questions
What is exposed aggregate concrete?
Concrete whose top surface is washed off while it sets, uncovering the small stones mixed into it. It has more texture and grip than smooth concrete, hides wear and dirt, and is our usual finish for walks and patios.
Concrete or pavers for a patio?
Concrete costs less and has no joints for weeds. Pavers and flagstone have a more natural look and are easy to repair one piece at a time, but cost more and need the joints kept up. Either works in our winters when the base is built right.
Do you do landscaping?
We pour the concrete and our excavator does the final grade around the house. Plantings, stone, walls, irrigation, and fire pits go to a local landscape company we work with, or you can do them yourself after we finish.
Planning the yard?
We'll lay out walks and patios with your plans and bring the landscape crew in early.