Decks may cost more than a patio to build, but often have a higher return on investment. If a deck is out of your price range, or your property doesn’t lend itself to a deck, you might consider a patio instead. According to the NAR survey, a backyard 18-foot-by-16-foot concrete paver patio (dry set over a compacted gravel and sand base) costs an average of $7,200, with an average of $5,000 recovered at resale, for a 69% return on investment.