Pick the best paver for your outdoor project
Whether you’re building a new patio, garden, or walkway, you have a lot of choices when it comes to the material you use. Three of the most popular options are concrete, stone, and brick pavers, each of which comes in hundreds of styles and colors.
From brick patios to flagstone walkways, we’ll break down the strengths and weaknesses of each type to help you choose the best pavers for your outdoor space.
Concrete, brick, and stone pavers can all look great in your yard, but if you’re having a hard time deciding between them, it helps to know what makes them unique.
Manufacturers make concrete pavers using concrete and aggregate materials, and baked clay is used for brick pavers. These two paver types are pre-cut, while natural stone pavers are shaped on-site. Moreover, manufacturers make natural stone pavers with quarried rock, so each paver is unique.
Concrete pavers are the most economical, while stone pavers are the most costly. Brick pavers are resistant to stains and fading, while stone pavers can crack under heavy foot traffic.
Concrete pavers are made of a mix of concrete and mineral aggregate, molded into different interlocking shapes. Their modern look is well-suited to homes with an urban or industrial style, and they’re ideal for homeowners who want to design a strong surface without spending too much money. Expect to pay $8 to $15 per square foot to install concrete pavers.
Available in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and colors
Easy to cut and install in a variety of patterns
Easily replaced if individual pavers are damaged
Most economical option to install
Gaps between pavers create good drainage
Extremely strong and durable
Can be sealed to protect from spills, leaks, and stains.
Must be sealed regularly to retain color
Susceptible to cracking from erosion
Costs more than poured concrete
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Many shape, size, and color options | Requires regular sealing |
| Economical | Can crack from erosion |
| Very strong and durable | More costly than poured concrete |
Best for:
Pool decks and any areas where you need an anti-slip walking surface
Areas with heavy foot traffic, including driveways
Homes with an industrial vibe
Natural stone pavers, or cobblestones, are made from quarried stone. Unlike manufactured pavers, cobblestones are each unique, with a rough surface that lacks artificial coloration. These pavers, from flagstone to granite, do not come pre-cut and must be shaped on-site to fit your installation. Stone paver installation costs $15 to $50 per square foot.
Absorbent surface ideal for pool areas
Can last more than 100 years with proper maintenance
Each stone has a unique appearance
Individual stones are easy to remove and repair
Naturally filters runoff
Increases property value
Expensive due to custom stonework and labor required
Can break when exposed to heavy foot traffic
Rough surface limits its uses—for example, you wouldn’t play basketball on cobblestone
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Can last over 100 years | Costly |
| Increases property value | Might not withstand heavy foot traffic |
| Each paver has a unique look | Rough surface limits use |
Best for:
Eye-catching patios
Garden paths and walkways
Homes with a luxe or unique vibe
Used in construction for centuries, bricks are blocks of molded, baked clay with a classic look. In landscaping, bricks can be laid with small gaps between them to form a permeable, non-slip surface with good drainage. They’re fragile in the face of weather and wear, but extremely strong when it comes to weight-bearing. Brick paver installation costs $10 to $20 per square foot.
Recyclable material that breaks down naturally
Resistant to stains and fading
Can bear extremely heavy weight loads
Adjusts naturally when base material moves
Creates a non-slip surface
Increases property value
Has a relatively short life span of only 25 years
Tends to flake and disintegrate with weather and wear
Requires sealing
Not as many design options as other paver types
Installation is labor-intensive
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Stain and fade-resistant | Only lasts 25 years |
| Increases property value | Can flake and disintegrate over time |
| Non-slip surface | Limited design choices |
Best for:
Homes with a classic look
Patios and walkways
Those looking for the most low-maintenance option
Concrete, natural stone, and brick are the three most commonly used types of pavers in outdoor spaces. We’ll compare each according to some key characteristics to help you decide which option is best for your next project.
The question of which paver has the best appearance largely comes down to personal preference. All three options form interlocking systems that can be arranged in a variety of patterns, with different shapes and colors available for each. Layouts have small gaps in between that allow water to drain through.
Concrete offers a modern touch that suits homeowners going for an urban or industrial style. Stone has a beautiful, natural look with a somewhat rough surface that can make your patio, walkway, driveway, or garden look completely unique. Bricks provide a more classic, elegant look.
All three paver options offer a wide variety of options for color and texture. However, brick tends to be the least versatile, as it is manufactured in fewer styles than concrete pavers, which can be dyed to look like bricks in a greater range of sizes, shapes, and patterns. Concrete can be used to create virtually any design you can imagine.
Natural stone offers the most customization options but at the highest labor costs. Common types include flagstone, limestone, bluestone, and granite. You can create old-world looks with cobblestone or a more natural appearance with slate. Because natural stone is cut on-site, it can be made to look however you want it to, as long as you have the budget.
"Natural stone flagstone also lends itself to growing groundcovers in-between, whereas this is not possible with concrete pavers," says Tara Dudley, Angi Expert Review Board member and owner of Plant Life Designs.
The raw materials used to create concrete pavers come at the lowest cost, making them the most economical option for installation. Expect to pay $8 to $15 per square foot when installing concrete pavers. Brick paver installation costs a bit more at $10 to $20 per square foot.
Natural stone pavers are generally the most expensive of the three due to the custom stonework and experienced labor required for their installation.
“The density of the stone can also play a factor in the installation labor,” says Dudley. “Dense stone can be hard on equipment and saws used to cut the product.”
You’ll pay anywhere from $15 to $50 per square foot, depending on the type of stone you’ve chosen.
Concrete and brick pavers are designed to interlock in perfect geometric patterns, making them relatively easy to install after proper leveling and surface grading. Concrete pavers tend to be easier to install than brick due to their more precise shaping and the ease with which they can be cut.
Natural stone, on the other hand, requires significantly more time and labor to install. It does not come in pre-cut pieces and must be shaped on-site by professional stoneworkers.
All three types of pavers are easy to repair. When an individual paver is damaged in some way, whether from a break, crack, or stain, you can call a local hardscape contractor or repair it yourself by simply removing and replacing it. The modular, interlocking arrangement of pavers makes it so that you don’t have to replace an entire walkway when one part breaks.
All three paver types make for a low-maintenance surface that requires minimal routine cleaning to keep your pavers looking new. Concrete pavers and certain types of natural stone need to be sealed and then resealed every three to five years to protect them from the elements and help them retain their color. Brick, however, will last for generations in its natural state.
With the right maintenance, concrete pavers tend to last anywhere from 25 to 50 years, although in some cases, they can last even longer. Brick pavers also tend to last several decades without losing their color, although heavy foot traffic, wear, and weathering can cause them to flake and disintegrate. Expect a lifespan of about 25 years on average.
A natural stone patio, meanwhile, can last practically forever. This durable, long-lasting material is known to last at least 100 years with proper care. Even then, the stones themselves tend to outlast the base they’re installed on.
Although they will not harm the environment, concrete pavers are not notable for being eco-friendly. Natural stone, however, is a permeable material that helps to filter harmful runoff, preventing chemicals from washing into rivers and other waterways. Stone creates minimal impact on the natural biological processes that take place in your yard.
Brick is also eco-friendly since it’s made solely from natural materials. It’s recyclable, reusable, and will break down naturally over time when exposed to wear and weather, returning to the earth as particles of clay. However, it does not directly benefit the environment the same way that natural stone does.
You’ll generally increase the value of your home if you choose to install pavers over a stamped concrete slab. This increased curb appeal and return on investment are why pavers are the perfect landscape update.
However, because concrete pavers are the least expensive and most common type of patio paver, they also tend to have the lowest ROI. Brick will add somewhat more value than concrete, but the character of natural stone will enhance your home’s value the most.
Nick P. Cellucci contributed to this article.
