The different types of pavers for a patio in DFW come down to six: concrete pavers, clay brick, travertine, flagstone, porcelain, and permeable pavers. For most North Texas patios we recommend light or mid-tone concrete pavers set on a compacted gravel base, because they flex with our expansive clay, hold their color under Texas sun, and land in the $18 to $28 per square foot range that most budgets can handle. Travertine is the upgrade when barefoot comfort matters, and flagstone wins when you want a natural look. Here is how each type behaves in Carrollton, Plano, Frisco, and the rest of the metroplex.
Quick comparison
| Paver type | Heat underfoot | Durability on clay | Look | Cost tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete pavers | Cool to warm, depends on color | Excellent on a proper base | Modular, many styles | Budget to mid |
| Clay brick | Warm | Very good, dense and dry-set | Classic red or tan | Mid |
| Travertine | Coolest | Very good, dry-set | Cream, elegant | Premium |
| Flagstone | Cool to warm, depends on color | Very good, dry-laid | Natural, irregular | Premium |
| Porcelain | Cool | Good, needs a very flat base | Modern, large-format | Premium |
| Permeable | Depends on color | Excellent, drains through | Modular with gravel joints | Mid to premium |
Concrete pavers
Concrete pavers are the workhorse of DFW patios and the type we install most. They are dense, pressed concrete in set shapes (rectangles, cobbles, large-format slabs) and come in dozens of colors and textures, from tumbled cottage looks to smooth modern planks.
Colored concrete pavers deserve a closer look, because Texas sun is hard on color. Some pavers are through-mixed, meaning the pigment runs all the way through the unit. Others are surface-colored, with a thin pigmented face over a plain gray core. Through-mixed pavers fade slowly and evenly, and a chip does not show gray. Surface-colored pavers can look great on install day but fade faster and show wear at edges and in high-traffic spots. Ask which one you are buying. We steer toward through-mixed for anything in full sun.
- Heat underfoot: depends almost entirely on color. Light tans and grays stay comfortable. Charcoal gets hot.
- Durability on clay: excellent. Pavers move as a group when Houston Black clay swells and shrinks, and a single unit can be lifted and reset.
- Look: the widest range of any type.
- Cost tier: budget to mid. This is the type behind the $18 to $28 per square foot figure in how much a paver patio costs in DFW.
Clay brick pavers
Clay brick pavers are fired clay, not concrete, and the color is baked in, so it does not fade. They give a traditional look that suits older homes in Highland Park, University Park, and the established parts of Carrollton and Plano.
- Heat underfoot: warm. Most brick is red or dark tan, which absorbs sun.
- Durability on clay: very good. Brick is dense, and a dry-set brick patio flexes with the soil the same way concrete pavers do.
- Look: classic. Herringbone and basket-weave patterns.
- Cost tier: mid. Priced per square foot after a free on-site measure.
Travertine pavers
Travertine is a natural limestone cut into uniform tiles and pavers, usually in cream, ivory, and light walnut tones. It is the material we recommend most for pool decks and patios you walk barefoot.
- Heat underfoot: the coolest of the group. Travertine reflects sun and stays comfortable in August, which is why it shows up around so many DFW pools. See the best patio material for Texas heat.
- Durability on clay: very good when dry-set on a compacted base. It should not be mortared to a slab on our soil, because the slab cracks and takes the stone with it.
- Look: elegant and light, with natural pitting and veining.
- Cost tier: premium. Priced per square foot after a free on-site measure.
Flagstone
Flagstone is irregular split stone, mostly Oklahoma sandstone and Texas limestone around here. It is technically a paver too, just not a uniform one. It is the pick for a natural, organic patio or a walkway through planting beds.
- Heat underfoot: depends on color. Pale limestone is cool, rust sandstone is warmer.
- Durability on clay: very good dry-laid on compacted gravel. Every piece is hand-fit, so the base and the installer matter even more than with modular pavers.
- Look: natural and irregular.
- Cost tier: premium. Flagstone walkways start around $22 per square foot installed.
We wrote a full breakdown in are flagstone patios and walkways worth it in DFW.
Porcelain pavers
Porcelain pavers are thick fired ceramic tiles (usually 2 cm) made for outdoor use. They come in large formats and can mimic wood, stone, or polished concrete with sharp, modern lines. They suit the contemporary builds going up in Frisco and Southlake.
- Heat underfoot: cool in light colors, and porcelain does not hold heat the way dense stone does.
- Durability on clay: good, with a catch. Porcelain is hard but thin, and it will crack if the base is not dead flat and fully compacted. On our clay that means a more demanding base build than concrete pavers need. It resists stains and fading better than any other type.
- Look: modern, large-format, very uniform.
- Cost tier: premium. Priced per square foot after a free on-site measure.
Permeable pavers
Permeable pavers are concrete pavers made with wider joints filled with small open-graded gravel, set over a deep gravel base, so rain drains down through the patio instead of running off it. They are the answer when a patio sits in a low spot or your yard already has a drainage problem.
- Heat underfoot: same as regular concrete pavers, depends on color.
- Durability on clay: excellent, and they help the clay by moving water down and away instead of letting it pool at the patio edge.
- Look: modular, with visible gravel joints.
- Cost tier: mid to premium, because the base is deeper. Priced per square foot after a free on-site measure.
What we recommend for most North Texas patios
For most patios in DFW, through-mixed concrete pavers in a light or mid tone, dry-set on a compacted crushed-rock base with proper edge restraints, give the best combination of price, heat comfort, color life, and repairability on Blackland Prairie clay.
Step up to travertine if you have a pool or walk barefoot a lot. Choose flagstone if you want a natural look next to native plantings. Pick clay brick for a traditional home, porcelain for a modern one, and permeable pavers when water is the problem you are really solving.
Whatever the paver, the base underneath decides whether it lasts. That is the theme of pavers vs concrete vs stamped in DFW and the whole complete guide to hardscaping in DFW.
Want to see how each type would look in your own yard? We talk through paver options on site, measure the space, and give a fixed written quote. Request a free on-site estimate for hardscaping in Carrollton.
This article is part of The Complete Guide to Hardscaping in DFW.
