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Create a comfortable outdoor living space with a custom concrete patio in Scranton, PA. We design and pour patios that match your home and yard, from simple broom finishes to decorative stamped patterns. Enjoy a low maintenance, long lasting surface perfect for grilling, relaxing, and entertaining.
Superior Concrete Scranton provides professional concrete patio throughout Scranton, PA, Pennsylvania and the surrounding area. Our licensed, insured crew delivers safe, clean, on-time work with a free estimate before anything begins. Call (570) 708-4358 or request your free quote.
Concrete patios built for Scranton homes and weather
A concrete patio should feel solid underfoot, drain properly after a Scranton thunderstorm, and hold up through years of freeze and thaw. At Superior Concrete Scranton, we focus first on how you plan to use the space, then on what our local soil, slope, and weather will do to that patio over time.
For most Scranton backyards, we start by checking the grade, where the water currently runs, and how close we are to foundations, property lines, and city easements. A patio that looks good on paper will crack or settle if it is dropped on top of soft fill dirt or pitched toward your house. We take soil depth readings, look for buried utilities, and set the finished height so melting snow drains away from your foundation.
We explain thickness, reinforcement, and finish options in plain language. A typical backyard concrete patio here is 4 inches thick with rebar or wire mesh, but if you park a mower, snowblower, or small vehicle on it, we may bump the design to 5 inches in key areas. We talk through joints, slope, and the rough size and shape that fits your yard so you know exactly what you are getting before anyone starts forming or digging.
How our concrete patio installation process actually works
Our concrete patio installations in Scranton follow a step by step process that keeps surprises to a minimum and quality high.
1. Layout and permitting: We mark the patio outline in your yard with paint and stakes, double check dimensions with you on site, and confirm any needed permits with Scranton or Lackawanna County when required. If we need to adjust shape to avoid septic lids, trees, or drain lines, we do it here before excavation.
2. Excavation and base prep: We remove topsoil and any soft or organic material until we reach firm subgrade. For most patios we dig 6 to 8 inches down to allow for a compacted stone base and the concrete slab. We add 4 inches or more of compacted crushed stone, then run a plate compactor in multiple passes. This step is critical in this region because our freeze thaw cycles will push around any patio that sits on loose dirt.
3. Forms, slope, and reinforcement: We build wood or rigid plastic forms to the exact shape and elevation of your patio. We set a gentle slope away from the house (usually about 1/8 inch per foot) so water sheds and does not pool against your foundation. We then install rebar or wire mesh on chairs so it sits in the middle of the slab, not on the dirt, which greatly improves crack control.
4. Concrete placement and finish: We schedule the pour at a time that fits both the weather and your driveway access. Superior Concrete Scranton typically uses a 4,000 PSI mix for patios, sometimes with air entrainment to handle freezing temperatures. We place the concrete, strike it off level, bull float it, then cut in control joints at the proper spacing to encourage cracking along straight lines. For the surface, we can leave a simple broom finish for traction, or apply decorative finishes like stamped texture or exposed aggregate.
5. Curing, sealing, and cleanup: After finishing, we use curing compound or plastic sheeting to slow water loss, which strengthens the slab. In cooler Scranton weather, we may also use insulating blankets to protect concrete from cold nights. Once cured, we recommend sealing the patio to reduce salt and moisture penetration. We clean up forms, haul away debris, and walk the finished space with you to explain joint lines, color variations, and care.
Design options for a concrete patio that fits how you live
A concrete patio does not have to look like a plain gray slab. Superior Concrete Scranton offers options that still respect our climate and budget realities.
Finish choices: The most common request here is a broom finish because it is cost effective, slip resistant in rain and snow, and stays cooler in direct sun. For customers who want a more decorative look without going overboard, we often do a smooth border with a broomed interior. This frames the space and subtly upgrades the appearance.
Stamped and colored concrete: If you like the look of stone or pavers but want one solid surface that does not shift or grow weeds between joints, we can stamp the concrete with patterns like ashlar slate, cobblestone, or wood plank. Color can be added with integral pigments mixed into the concrete or with surface color hardeners. We advise against very dark colors in full sun because they can get hot to the touch in July and August.
Shape and layout: In many Scranton neighborhoods the yards are sloped or irregular. We often design patios with gentle curves along fences, step downs to follow the grade, or integrated pads for grills and fire pits. If you want a future pergola or roof extension, we can plan and pour thicker footings or pier pads now so you are not cutting your patio later. For smaller lots in the city, we pay close attention to access paths for wheelbarrows or pump trucks and design in pieces that can be built without damaging your existing landscaping.
Edges, steps, and add ons: We can form rounded or beveled edges that are more comfortable to sit on and less likely to chip. If your back door is higher than the yard, we cast concrete steps with proper riser and tread dimensions so they are safe in winter boots. Popular extras in this area include recessed areas for hot tubs, integrated slabs for sheds, and small pads that connect patios to driveways or walkways.
What affects the cost of a concrete patio in Scranton
Concrete patio pricing is not just square footage times a flat rate. Several factors matter more than many homeowners expect, and understanding them helps you compare quotes fairly.
Site access and prep: If we can bring a concrete truck close to the patio location, costs stay lower. Tight alleys, long wheelbarrow runs, or the need for a concrete pump will increase labor and equipment charges. Also, if we hit buried debris, thick tree roots, or soft fill from an old pool or structure, we may need extra excavation and stone to build a stable base.
Thickness and reinforcement: A basic 4 inch broom finished patio with wire mesh is the most economical option. Upgrading to 5 inches, adding heavy rebar, or increasing base stone depth for problem soils will add cost but can be smart in areas where you plan to put a hot tub, outdoor kitchen, or heavier loads.
Decorative finishes and complexity: Stamped patterns, colored concrete, borders, insets, and multi level patios involve more labor and often additional materials. Complex shapes with many curves or tight inside corners also take longer to form, which shows up in the price. A simple rectangle with a broom finish will always be more budget friendly than a freeform stamped patio with borders and multiple steps.
Timing and weather: In Scranton, our outdoor concrete season is limited by cold weather. Early spring and late fall work can require thermal blankets, accelerators in the mix, or extra visits to protect curing concrete from freezing, which can slightly increase costs. Summer pours on very hot days may require more manpower for finishing because the concrete sets faster.
When Superior Concrete Scranton provides a written estimate, we break out major items like base prep, concrete, reinforcement, and finish so you can see where your money is going and what can be adjusted to fit your budget without sacrificing long term performance.
Common patio problems here and how we prevent them
Scranton homeowners usually call us after seeing patios that settled, cracked badly, or held water in the wrong spots. Many of these issues come from shortcuts in prep or ignoring our local climate.
Frost heave and settling: In northeastern Pennsylvania, water in the soil freezes and expands in winter. If a patio sits on topsoil or poorly compacted fill, it will move. We address this by excavating to firm subgrade, installing and compacting a proper stone base, and separating the patio from structures with expansion material where needed. Around the house, we often use isolation joints so the patio can move slightly without pulling on your foundation wall.
Random cracking: All concrete will crack, but where and how badly is largely controlled by design. We space control joints at the right intervals for the slab thickness and dimensions, avoid long narrow sections when possible, and use sufficient reinforcement. We also manage water content in the mix so we are not adding excess water on site that leads to weaker concrete.
Poor drainage and puddles: A flat patio might look fine at first, but after the first summer storm you will notice standing water that can become ice in winter. We set slopes carefully during forming and double check them with levels before any concrete is poured. If your yard is very flat or already wet, we can tie in patio edges to drains or create subtle channels to move water away.
Salt and surface damage: In this region, sidewalk salt and deicers from boots and vehicles can spall concrete surfaces. We recommend air entrained mixes, proper curing, and penetrating sealers. We also give you clear guidance on what deicing products are safe and when it is okay to start using them on a new patio.
When you hire Superior Concrete Scranton, you get a crew that works with Scranton soils and weather every day, and we design your concrete patio specifically to handle what this area will throw at it over the years.
