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If you're in the bid-collection stage on a DuPage patio in 2026, three numbers will arrive in your inbox: a low one that's almost suspiciously cheap, a middle one that lines up with what your neighbor told you, and a high one that gives you sticker shock. They're usually all real bids — they're just for three different patios that you're being asked to imagine as the same one.
Here's what we've quoted across the six DuPage cities we work in this spring, and what each price actually buys.
Concrete: $12–$18 per square foot
A 600-square-foot concrete patio in 2026 lands between $7,200 and $10,800 installed. The variance is mostly in the base. The cheap quote at $12/sq ft assumes a 4-inch stone-and-sand subbase; the better quote at $18/sq ft includes 6 inches of compacted CA-6 with control joints cut at 8-foot grids and fiber-reinforced mix.
The $12/sq ft slab will fail in 8–10 winters. The $18/sq ft slab will outlive your time in the house. The Naperville HOA we did last fall went for the upper end — they'd already replaced one patio in 2014 and were not interested in doing it again.
What the cheap quote skips
- 4-inch base instead of 6 (saves ~$2/sq ft).
- No fiber reinforcement in the mix (saves ~$1/sq ft).
- No control joint cuts ($350 saved on labor on a 600-sq-ft patio).
- No permit pull (saves $200–$400 in permit + filing).
[!warning] If a Naperville concrete patio bid comes in below $13/sq ft, the contractor is either not pulling the permit or is cutting the base. Either is a tell.
Pavers: $22–$32 per square foot
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Patios & Walkways
Unilock-trained crew, no subcontracted base prep, and a 5-year installation warranty. Two decades of paver experience under one project lead.
See the service →Pavers are where most of our hardscape work lands in 2026. A 600-square-foot Unilock Brussels Block patio with polymeric joints and a poured concrete edge restraint runs $13,200 to $19,200 installed in DuPage.
The variance here is product line and base depth. Unilock's entry-level Stonehenge runs around $22/sq ft installed; the mid-range Brussels Block (most popular in DuPage) lands at $26–$28; the high-end Estate Wall + Senza pairings push to $32 with cap stones.
Aurora has been steady at $24–$26/sq ft for Brussels Block jobs this spring; Naperville and Wheaton run $1–$2 higher because the lots are larger and the landscape integration takes more crew time.
Where pavers actually save you money
The 25-year math is where pavers beat concrete. A $19,000 paver install with $400 of polymeric-sand refresh every 5 years totals $21,000 over 25 years. A $9,000 concrete slab plus one $5,000 jackhammer-and-repour at year 12 totals $14,000 — but the homeowner now has a 13-year-old patio that doesn't match the rest of the property.
Natural stone: $36–$60 per square foot
Bluestone is the most-quoted natural stone in DuPage, running $42–$50/sq ft installed for thermal-finish pieces. Travertine sits in the same range. Limestone (Indiana cut, popular here) runs $36–$45 installed. Premium custom bluestone with random-pattern thermal can push past $60/sq ft.
We did a 480-square-foot bluestone patio in Wheaton last August at $24,000 installed. Same job in concrete would have cost $7,000 less; in pavers, $3,500 less. The homeowner picked stone because the back of the house is stone, and the patio reads as architecture instead of landscaping.
What changes the price
Five things move the price more than people expect:
- Access. A backyard reachable only through a 4-foot side gate adds $2–$4/sq ft because every wheelbarrow runs by hand.
- Demolition. Tearing out an existing surface adds $4–$8/sq ft. Some bids quote demo separately; some bury it in the install number.
- Drainage. A patio that drains toward the house needs French drain, swale, or both. Add $2,000–$5,000 for engineering.
- Steps. Steps off a slab add $400–$900 each. Stone steps add $1,200–$2,400.
- Lighting. Low-voltage in-paver lights add $80–$140 per fixture installed.
City-by-city: 2026 averages we've quoted
Real spring bids on a 600-square-foot Unilock Brussels Block paver patio with polymeric joints and a poured edge restraint:
City
Average bid
Range
Aurora
$14,800
$13,200–$16,800
Naperville
$16,400
$15,400–$18,200
Wheaton
$16,800
$15,800–$18,800
Lisle
$15,200
$14,400–$17,000
Bolingbrook
$14,200
$13,200–$15,800
Batavia
$14,600
$13,800–$16,200
Naperville and Wheaton are the high end because larger lots, more landscape integration, and stricter permit review. Bolingbrook is the low end because the lots are flatter and the access is usually easier.
What we'd write on the back of an envelope
If you're scoping a patio in 2026 and you want a starting number:
- Concrete: lot size × $15/sq ft = realistic average; add 15% for a quote that includes everything done right.
- Pavers (Unilock): lot size × $26/sq ft = realistic average; add 10% for premium product.
- Natural stone (bluestone): lot size × $46/sq ft = realistic average; add 25% for premium pattern.
Multiply by your square footage. That's the number to compare bids against. Anyone significantly below the realistic average is cutting something — usually the base or the permit.
Get a real bid
We do free 30-minute site walks across DuPage County. We measure the lot, sketch the patio shape, list the spec line-by-line, and email a one-page bid within 48 hours. Request a free estimate and we'll come look at the property.
