How much does a patio cost in Melbourne?
Under a single-slope Colorbond roof, a Melbourne patio costs $250–$600 a square metre, and $450–$950 with a gable or pitched roof. Insulated panels come in at $350–$750 and clear polycarbonate at $220–$540. Priced as complete projects, a small skillion patio runs $6,500–$13,000 and a medium gable or insulated one $14,000–$30,000. Victoria treats a roofed patio differently from an open pergola when it comes to building permits, so the permit, the slab underneath and the roofline you choose all move the final figure as much as the roof sheet does.
Comparing cities, or after the Australia-wide picture? See the national guide: How much does a patio cost in Australia?
Detailed Pricing — Patio Cost in Melbourne 2026
| Service | Low | Typical | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flat / skillion Colorbond patio (per sqm) | $250/sqm | $400 | $600 |
| Gable / pitched Colorbond patio (per sqm) | $450/sqm | $700 | $950 |
| Insulated-panel roof patio (per sqm) | $350/sqm | $550 | $750 |
| Polycarbonate / clear-roof patio (per sqm) | $220/sqm | $360 | $540 |
| Flyover / high-set patio (per sqm) | $300/sqm | $450 | $650 |
| Small patio (15 sqm, skillion) | $6,500total | $8,500 | $13,000 |
| Medium patio (30 sqm, gable/insulated) | $14,000total | $20,000 | $30,000 |
| Large patio (50 sqm, insulated flyover) | $18,000total | $27,000 | $38,000 |
| Insulated panel retrofit (existing patio, per sqm) | $200/sqm | $290 | $400 |
| Concrete slab base (per sqm) | $80/sqm | $120 | $160 |
| Track-guided (zip) outdoor blinds / screens (per sqm) | $200/sqm | $310 | $450 |
| Patio lighting + ceiling fan | $600total | $1,300 | $2,500 |
You're in.
A local installer will be in touch about your job. No spam, no middleman.
Getting quotes for patio work in Melbourne? Get a quote from a verified local tradie — free, no obligation.
Get Melbourne quotes →Prices include GST. Based on Melbourne metro area, October 2026. Outer suburbs may vary.
Melbourne’s Patio Market in 2026
Victoria treats a roofed patio as building work: a pergola is an open, unroofed structure — a roofed patio or verandah is not a pergola, and only the work listed in Schedule 3 of the Building Regulations is exempt from a building permit.
In the City of Melbourne, permits come from the council’s Melbourne Certification Group or a private building surveyor. A roofed patio also counts toward site coverage; unroofed decks and pergolas don’t.
The Melbourne table: $250–$600 a square metre for flat Colorbond, $450–$950 for a gable and $350–$750 for insulated panels.
How Patio Costs Vary Across Melbourne
Inner & Northern Suburbs
Typical cost: $310–$750/sqm installed
Carlton, Fitzroy, Brunswick, Northcote, Preston. Rear-courtyard and terrace patios dominate the inner north. Tight access on Victorian terraces often means materials are carried through the house, and heritage overlays can restrict street-visible structures.
Bayside & Inner South
Typical cost: $350–$810/sqm installed
Brighton, Sandringham, Hampton, St Kilda, Elwood. Premium labour rates and coastal exposure near the bay push costs up. Insulated roofs and cafe blinds are popular for year-round use of alfresco areas.
Eastern Suburbs
Typical cost: $280–$720/sqm installed
Box Hill, Glen Waverley, Doncaster, Ringwood, Camberwell. Large family homes and good site access make for straightforward builds. Gable and flyover patios over bigger entertaining areas are popular.
Western Suburbs
Typical cost: $240–$640/sqm installed
Werribee, Point Cook, Sunshine, Footscray, Tarneit. The most affordable area for patios in Melbourne — newer estates on flat blocks with easy access. Skillion Colorbond is the go-to in budget-conscious new builds.
South-Eastern Suburbs & Mornington
Typical cost: $240–$640/sqm installed
Frankston, Dandenong, Berwick, Cranbourne, Mornington. Newer housing and acreage blocks. Larger patios and outdoor rooms are common; exposed Mornington Peninsula sites need higher wind ratings.
What You’ll Actually Pay — Common Melbourne Patio Jobs
Five Melbourne patio jobs from this page’s rows.
Attached skillion Colorbond patio — 20 sqm
$250–$600 per m²
A roofed patio isn’t a pergola, so the pergola exemption doesn’t cover it. At the typical rate, 20 m² comes to $8,000. Small jobs carry fixed costs (footings, set-up), which is why the table’s 15 m² small-patio row is $6,500–$13,000.
Gable (pitched) patio with insulated roof — 30 sqm
$14,000–$30,000 total
The medium row: 30 m², gable or insulated.
Poolside patio — insulated, 25 sqm
$8,750–$18,750 total
Insulated, 25 m², next to a pool: $13,750 at the typical rate.
Budget courtyard patio — polycarbonate, 12 sqm
$2,640–$6,480 total
A 12 m² polycarbonate roof: $4,320 typical.
Flyover / high-set patio — 30 sqm
$9,000–$19,500 total
Flyover, 30 m²: $13,500 at the typical rate.
Patio and alfresco cost in Melbourne (2026): per m² by roof type and whole-patio prices
A patio in Melbourne costs $250–$600 per square metre for a flat or skillion Colorbond roof, with $400/m² typical, $450–$950/m² for a gable, $350–$750/m² for an insulated-panel roof and $300–$650/m² for a flyover that sits above the house gutter. As whole jobs: a small 15 m² skillion is $6,500–$13,000, a medium 30 m² gable or insulated patio $14,000–$30,000 and a large 50 m² insulated flyover $18,000–$38,000. Those are supplied and installed on an existing slab; a new slab is $80–$160/m².
| Job | Low | Typical | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flat / skillion Colorbond patio (per m²) | $250/m² | $400 | $600 |
| Gable / pitched Colorbond patio (per m²) | $350/m² | $600 | $850 |
| Insulated-panel roof patio (per m²) | $350/m² | $550 | $750 |
| Flyover / high-set patio (per m²) | $300/m² | $450 | $650 |
| Small patio (15 m², skillion) | $5,500 | $8,500 | $13,000 |
| Medium patio (30 m², gable / insulated) | $12,000 | $20,000 | $30,000 |
| Large patio (50 m², insulated flyover) | $18,000 | $27,000 | $38,000 |
| Concrete slab base (per m²) | $80/m² | $120 | $160 |
Alfresco vs patio in Melbourne: an alfresco is a patio built to be used year round, which in Melbourne means an insulated roof ($350–$750/m²) or a gable ($450–$950/m²) with height for heaters and fans, often enclosed on one or two sides. A medium 30 m² gable or insulated patio is $14,000–$30,000 installed; blinds, heating and lighting are quoted on top.
What moves a patio quote in Melbourne:
- Roof type: skillion is the base; gable, flyover and insulated panels each add structure or material.
- Size and span: wider spans need bigger beams and more posts; a long patio along the house costs less per metre than a deep one.
- Attachment: a freestanding patio needs its own posts and footings; attached patios need the house fascia or wall checked for the load.
- Base: an existing slab or paving is the saving; a new slab or footings into sand or clay is a separate line.
- Approval: most patios over a certain size need a building permit, which the installer usually handles and prices.
For patio or alfresco quotes in Melbourne that compare, give the square metres, the roof type, whether there is a slab, and whether the permit is included.
What Affects Patio Costs in Melbourne
Choosing the roof
Plain Colorbond sheeting at a single pitch is the budget roof, typically $400 a square metre. Insulated panels, at $350–$750, keep the space cooler under a summer sun and quieter in rain. Polycarbonate ($220–$540) lets light through, which matters when the patio sits across a living-room window that relies on winter sun.
The building permit
Victoria's Building Regulations exempt from a permit only the work listed in Schedule 3. A pergola can be exempt, but the regulations define a pergola as an open, unroofed structure, so once a Colorbond or polycarbonate roof goes on the exemption no longer fits. A freestanding shelter escapes a permit only up to 10 square metres of floor area, so a roofed patio of the sizes in our table will generally need a building permit.
Courtyards and site coverage
Semi-detached homes such as terraces and townhouses are 16.2% of Melbourne dwellings, a higher share than the 12.6% Australia-wide (ABS 2021 Census), and their courtyards leave little room. Under the Building Regulations a roofed patio counts toward the site-coverage limit, while an unroofed patio or pergola is left out. On a tight lot, a small skillion patio at $6,500–$13,000 may be the size that fits.
Gable, skillion or flyover
Flat and skillion frames are the simplest to build. A gable adds rafters, a ridge and more labour, at $450–$950 a square metre, and a flyover lifted above the house gutter for extra height and airflow costs $300–$650. The top of the gable band, $950, is the highest per-metre price in our table.
Slab, footings and wind
Where a sound slab or pavers are already down, the posts can often go onto footings beside them. A new concrete base adds $80–$160 a square metre, or $2,400 to $4,800 under a medium patio. Sloping, reactive or exposed sites, including bayside blocks open to strong wind, may need engineered footings and a higher wind rating.
Enclosing it and fitting it out
Track-guided zip blinds turn an open patio into a sheltered outdoor room for $200–$450 a square metre of screen, useful on cool Melbourne evenings, when even January averages a low of 14.3 °C (BOM averages). Lighting with a ceiling fan is $600–$2,500, and running the cable while the frame is open saves cutting into the ceiling later.
Registration and insurance
Any builder taking on a job above $10,000 needs registration with the Building and Plumbing Commission, so ask for the number. Above $20,000, Victoria also wants home warranty insurance in place, which protects you if the work is left incomplete, faulty or non-compliant (Consumer Affairs Victoria). Every medium and large patio in our table is past the registration threshold, and a typical large patio is past the insurance one too.
How to Save Money on Patio Cost in Melbourne
Frequently Asked Questions — Patio Cost in Melbourne
Our Methodology
The prices on this page are compiled from publicly available cost guides, leading tradie marketplaces, peak industry body data, and individual builder websites across Australia. We cross-reference ranges from several sources and adjust for city-specific cost differences using advertised rates, wage data, and cost-of-living indicators. Our guides are produced independently — no tradesperson can influence a published figure. All prices are estimates and vary with your specific job, so always get multiple quotes. Last reviewed October 2026. Read our full methodology →