Travertine is a natural stone with a warm, light color and small natural holes in its face, and a travertine patio reads very differently from a field of concrete pavers. It suits a bright, open space: a pool or hot tub surround, or a terrace that looks out over the yard.
We build travertine patios across Northern Virginia, and marble patios as well. Marble, the cooler-toned cousin of travertine, has its own section below.
What we build
- Travertine patios behind the house, in the color you choose
- Travertine pavers around pools and hot tubs
- Borders and banding in a darker stone that frames the travertine
- Marble patios, for a whiter, cooler look
- Travertine walkways that match the patio
- Stone over an old concrete patio or pool deck, when that concrete is sound and not heaving
Around the travertine, the rest of the yard can be planned at the same time: a seating wall at the edge, a fire pit or an outdoor fireplace, an outdoor kitchen by the door, a retaining wall to hold a slope, and a front stoop at the entry. It is all part of our patios and hardscapes work.
How a travertine patio is built
Digging comes first, then concrete. Capitol Concrete, Jose Abrego's own concrete supply company, pours a base 4 inches thick, and we slope it away from the house so water runs off toward the yard. The travertine is set over that base and cut to fit the outline and any steps or walls it meets.
For most travertine patios, time on site runs from a few days to two weeks, with the size of the patio and the number of cuts setting the pace.
Marble patio pavers
Marble gives a patio a brighter, cooler look than travertine, often white or gray with veins running through it. It goes over the same concrete base as the travertine, and we bring marble and travertine samples to the estimate so you can see them side by side.
Travertine, marble or pavers?
| Travertine | Marble | Concrete pavers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | Limestone formed around mineral springs | Limestone changed by heat and pressure underground | Concrete pressed into shape in a factory |
| The look | Light and warm, with small natural holes | Often white or gray, with veining | Many colors and blends from Techo-Bloc and Belgard |
| Cost | Usually more than pavers | Usually more than pavers | Usually less than natural stone |
For a natural stone with more variation from piece to piece, see flagstone patios.
Picturing travertine by the pool?
Call or send a note, and we will bring travertine and marble samples to see in the light of your own yard.
Where We Build Travertine Patios
Centreville is in Fairfax County and Haymarket in Prince William, while Chantilly straddles the Fairfax and Loudoun line, and each county runs its own permit office; when walls or steps mean a permit, we file it with the right one. For the HOA, we prepare the plan drawing, the stone samples and the product sheets its review board requests.
What drives travertine patio cost?
The stone comes first: travertine or marble, and the size of the pieces. Next is what is there now: an old patio or pool deck that is sound can stay under the stone, and one that is not has to come out. The cuts around a pool, steps or walls add to it, and the size, the digging and the access count the same way they do on a paver patio. The price is firm and in writing, given after the site visit, as one number, not a range.
Can travertine pavers go around a pool?
Yes: pool and hot tub surrounds are one of the patio uses we build for, and the same travertine can run from the edge of the pool to the back door with no change of material. A new surround goes over the same sloped 4-inch concrete base as a new patio.
Who are the travertine patio installers on a JK job?
JK General's masons lay the travertine, and Capitol Concrete pours the base beneath it. Our paver patios page says who they are, with the license, insurance and two-year warranty behind every job.
