Concrete Pavers Guide

How much does flagstone cost?

The cost of flagstone will depend on a large number of factors. Flagstone is mined from a quarry and shaped into whatever shapes the customer needs. As such, this product is more expensive to produce, as it must be quarried, cut, shaped, and transported to the needed locations. Concrete pavers and other manufactured products can be made more cheaply and thus are cheaper for the customers. However, natural stone pavers give off an appearance that cannot be replicated or imitated by other materials. The natural stone material is quite impressive and beautiful to behold, making it well worth the flagstone cost.

Factors That Affect Flagstone Prices

There are a whole host of factors that will affect the price of flagstone pavers and products. Here are the major ones:

• Location. This will largely determine much of the price you’ll pay in two ways. First, an area with a higher cost of living will naturally, due to fundamental economic forces, demand higher prices for the product. Second, transport costs may be higher to move flagstone to your area, leading to increased costs for the entire supply and consumer chain. Fuel is expensive, so if you can get flagstone that’s closer to your project, you’ll probably pay less than if you have to get stone from a distant supplier.
• The dimensions of the flagstone. The flagstone cost per square foot will depend on the thickness of the stone, as this dimension can vary even when a project’s area is constant. Thus, thinner stone will be cheaper, but it may not be as solid and strong as thicker stone, though all flagstone is very durable.
• Type of flagstone. Flagstone is really a ‘catch-all’ term for any natural stone that has been quarried and cut to a flattened shape. Thus, there are many different types of stones that fit within the category, and thus different values for each. In addition, color matters, as does the quality of the stone, its finish, its composition, rarity, etc.
• The shape, size, cut, and finish on the stone can also impact the final price.
• The availability of the stone. Rarer stone, or stone that needs time to be ordered and supplied, will cost more.

Thus, it’s difficult to narrow down an exact price for flagstone, but we can give a very general estimate to put you in the ballpark – around $20 to $35 a square foot, though more is often common. If you are lucky to find flagstone wholesale, you’ll pay less, but this will not happen often. Buying the pavers used may also help, though you’ll want to be careful to purchase quality material. Some more ways to save on flagstone are:

• Have a tight design created for your flagstone project. Make the pattern very regular so as to minimize waste stone as much as possible. For instance, the more cuts required, the more stone you’ll have to order to make sure there’s enough.
• Buy used or wholesale flagstone if you can (as explained above).
• Cannibalize flagstone from another part of your yard, or find out if your contractor has any extra that he or she’d be willing to sell to you.
• Contact companies and suppliers directly to find the best rates.

Note that these prices and discussion is just based on purchasing the material. Installing a flagstone patio, driveway, walkway, or pool deck can have significant costs as well, since flagstone is heavy and can be difficult to work with, especially if it is irregularly shaped.