Which surface are you leaning toward for your patio?
The compare pages set each of these against the others.
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Patio Scopebook · Polls
Hardscape polls: how other homeowners are deciding
These polls ask the questions homeowners face when planning a patio, wall, walkway, driveway or fire feature: which surface, what budget, what worries them, which fuel, whether to phase. Vote to see how other planners on this site split, then set the results against the sourced national statistics on the rest of the site.
Go to the pollsPoll results by topic
Every poll below is answered by visitors planning patios and hardscapes. Results update the moment you vote, one vote per poll per browser, and your own choices stay highlighted so you can compare them with everyone else's. Nothing here is a sales survey; use it to see which trade-offs other homeowners are weighing before you request estimates.
16 polls · newly opened, so every vote shapes the first results · results saved on this device. Vote on any poll you have not answered; your own votes are highlighted.
Surface and material
Which paver pattern do you prefer?
Curves and diagonals add cuts and waste; herringbone interlocks best.
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How large a patio are you planning?
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If replacing a driveway, which surface would you choose?
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Base, drainage and site
What does water do in the area you want to pave?
Drainage is priced before the surface on every well-written proposal.
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What worries you most about a hardscape project?
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Would you consider permeable pavers?
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Walls, fire and features
If you need a retaining wall, which material would you choose?
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Which fuel would you choose for a fire feature?
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Which feature would you add first after the patio itself?
Houzz's 2026 study found shade structures in 35% of outdoor projects.
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Budget and value
What total budget are you working with?
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Which best describes your project?
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Will you build the project all at once or in phases?
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Hiring and process
How many written estimates do you plan to get?
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Have you checked whether your project needs a permit?
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What has most shaped your plan so far?
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By the numbers
What the published surveys say
Poll results above are from visitors to this site; these figures come from published research.
38%
of 2026 outdoor renovations include a patio or terrace (Houzz, 1,191 U.S. homeowners)
Decks appear in 43% of projects, shade structures in 35% (up 15 points) and fire features in 18%. Patios remain the second most common structural element in outdoor remodels; the figure is a survey of Houzz users, not a national count.
Houzz, 2026 U.S. Houzz Outdoor Trends Study (magazine summary) (2026)25%
of homeowners plan to build a new patio or deck; 38% want a fire pit (Talker Research for Trex, 2025)
In a Talker Research survey of 2,000 U.S. homeowners fielded April 2025, 87% believe outdoor upgrades increase resale value and the average planned renovation budget was $13,321. Landscaping (34%) was the only project with wider interest.
Talker Research for Trex Company, Backyard Sanctuaries survey (2025)625,000
new single-family homes completed with a patio in 2025 (U.S. Census Bureau)
Of all new single-family houses completed in 2025, 625,000 included a patio, down from 641,000 in 2024 and a 2022 peak of 643,000. This counts new construction only, not patios added to existing homes, and Census rounds the figures.
U.S. Census Bureau, Characteristics of New Housing: Outdoor Features (2025)77%
of households with outdoor space say they underuse it (ICFA, 2025)
Only 23% use their patio or yard as much as they want, and 42% cite the hassle of cleaning and caring for furnishings as a barrier, in a January 2025 survey of 1,000 U.S. adults. Low-maintenance hardscape and built-in seating address exactly that complaint.
International Casual Furnishings Association (ICFA), 2025 consumer research on porch and patio living (2025)Planning a patio is easier when you can see how other people facing the same decisions are leaning. The polls below are grouped by the site's core themes: surface and material, base and drainage, walls and features, budget and value, and hiring and process. Each has neutral options and one is chosen per vote.
The results are a snapshot of people planning hardscape projects who visited this site, which is not the same as the market. For that, Houzz's 2026 study reports 38% of outdoor renovations include a patio, the Trex survey found 25% plan a new patio or deck, and the Census Bureau counted 625,000 new single-family homes completed with a patio in 2025. The polls show what those planners are choosing within that.
What the polls are for
Three things. First, calibration: if most planners here are budgeting $10,000 to $20,000 and you are at $5,000, the calculator will tell you what that buys and the poll tells you that you are not alone in stretching. Second, priorities: seeing that drainage is the top worry for many planners is a prompt to put it in your brief. Third, honesty about the trade-offs: the fire fuel and wall material polls tend to split, which is the point; both answers are right for different sites, and the compare pages explain which.
The polls are not used to rank contractors. They are a conversation among planners, and the planners are not alone: Houzz's 2026 Outdoor Trends Study found 34% of surveyed outdoor renovators want better space for entertaining. The ICFA's 2025 research found 77% of households with outdoor space underuse it; the polls about features and phasing are partly about what would change that.
How the categories map to the site
Surface and material polls connect to the paver patio page and the compare pairs. Base and drainage polls connect to the site-specific guidance on every service page and the regional notes. Wall and feature polls connect to the retaining wall and fire feature pages. Budget polls connect to the calculator and the resale data on the home page. Hiring polls connect to the reviews page and the project brief.
Vote in the ones that match your project and skip the rest. The feature polls echo Houzz's 2026 outdoor study, where 34% of renovators wanted space for entertaining and 32% wanted to extend living space. If a poll you would find useful is missing, the contact page is the place to suggest it; the set is revised as planners' questions change.
A note on reading splits: a poll that divides evenly usually means the decision depends on the site, and the right next step is the compare page for that pair. A poll with a strong majority, such as drainage as the top worry, usually reflects experience: the people voting have seen a settled patio or a wet basement. Treat those majorities as prompts for the questions to put in your brief. HomeAdvisor's install timeline of 4 to 10 days exists mostly because of base and drainage work, and the planners voting here seem to know it.
- Surface and material: what to lay and in what pattern.
- Base, drainage and site: what the ground is doing.
- Walls, fire and features: the vertical and the warm.
- Budget and value: what it costs and what comes back.
- Hiring and process: estimates, permits and phasing.
About these polls
Can I vote in more than one poll?
Yes, one vote per poll. Answer the ones relevant to your project; there is no need to complete every poll. Results update as votes come in and are shown after you vote so your view of the split is not influenced beforehand.
Are poll results used anywhere else on the site?
No. They are not cited as statistics, not used to rank or match professionals and not presented as research. The statistics on the site come from named, linked sources such as NAR, Houzz, the Census Bureau, the EIA, the EPA and published cost guides, each with its year and sample described.
Why are the options so plain?
So the poll measures the decision, not the wording. Each option is neutral and does not overlap with the others, which keeps the split honest. Where a decision has more than six reasonable answers, the poll uses the most common ones and the compare and service pages cover the rest.
Do the polls tell me what I should choose?
No. A majority of planners choosing pavers does not make pavers right for a short hold on stable soil, and a majority choosing gas does not make it right for a rural lot with generous clearances. Use the polls to see where you sit and the compare pages and quiz to decide. A matched professional's site visit settles the site-specific questions.
Can I see results without voting?
Results appear after a vote in each poll so that the current split does not steer the answer. Vote honestly for your situation; the value of the polls to everyone depends on that.
How often are new polls added?
As planners' questions shift. Permeable pavers and phasing were added because the questions kept arriving through the contact page. If a decision you are facing is missing, mention it in your brief; the ones that come up repeatedly become polls.
Is my vote anonymous?
Votes are recorded as counts per option and are not tied to a name or a project brief. The polls exist to show how planners split, not to profile anyone. Your project brief, if you send one, is handled separately as described on the contact page.
More free tools
Free toolPatio cost calculatorSize, material tier and complexity in, a realistic budget range out.
Free toolCompare hardscape options, row by rowSide-by-side tables for the decisions that change the price most.
Free toolHardscape planning quiz9 questions that show what you already know and what to check next.
Service guides
Service guidePaver Patio InstallationPaver patio installation is the excavation, compacted stone base, bedding layer, laid pavers, edge restraint and joint fill that together create a level, drained outdoor surface.
Service guideRetaining Wall ConstructionRetaining wall construction turns a grade change into stable, usable ground with a footing, a wall of segmental block, stone, timber or poured concrete, and the drainage stone and pipe behind it.
Service guideFire Pit & Fireplace InstallFire pit and fireplace installation covers built-in wood or gas fire pits, masonry or prefabricated outdoor fireplaces, the non-combustible surface around them, gas or electrical lines and the clearances local rules require.
Service guideWalkways & DrivewaysWalkway and driveway work covers paths from the street or driveway to the door, garden paths, and vehicle surfaces in pavers, permeable pavers, concrete or stone.
Service guideOutdoor Living SpacesOutdoor living space planning coordinates patio, seating, cooking, shade, lighting, fire, paths, walls and planting into one plan that can be built at once or in phases.
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