Cheap Ways to Build a Patio
Building a patio is not terribly expensive if you eliminate expensive labor costs, which can add up to more than what you pay for the materials. One way to do this is to build the patio yourself. If you have any handy friends, ask them to help you out. If you live in an area that has a trade school, you can ask them if they are interested in bringing a class out to your home to do a patio project.
Build It Yourself
Build a concrete patio that you pour yourself and you will save a stack of money. Bags of concrete are cheap as building materials go, and doing the work yourself will save the price you would pay for labor.
Build a BBQ grill for your patio using cinder blocks and mortar, also cheap cement products. These pre-made blocks also make solid foundations for stationary benches and tables on a patio.
Make a half wall for your patio with the same cinder blocks and mortar if you want to section off this outside area. You can make the wall chair height and attach wooden planks along the top of the wall for extra seating.
Install your own wood burning fire pit, which is nothing more than a dug out hole in the ground with a border of rock, blocks, or bricks. This can be built adjacent to your patio with clean playground sand around it so you can put your bare feet in the nice warm sand on cool nights. This will also extend the season for your patio and it is another cheap way to build an area of a patio. Make sure you call your municipal building department for any permits or specs you may need for the patio or a fire pit.
Trade School Services
Find a cheap way to have your patio built for you if you are not able to do this yourself. The elderly and people who have a disability are especially eligible for help from a nearby trade school. Depending on how busy the schools are, they may be able to fit your project in.
Trade schools will often come out to your home and do a project at no cost, as long as you pay for the materials. Sign up at the beginning of the semester to increase your chances of receiving this service. Many trade high schools also offer this service. Students learn from hands-on experience in the field, so many of these schools welcome the chance to do this with their students.
Look up your area trade schools and see if there is one that offers this type of service. You can have a patio made from stone, brick or concrete from the masonry division of a trade school or a wooden patio constructed like a deck from the carpentry division. The savings is tremendous and best of all the work is done with the supervision of a master craftsman, the instructor.
