It also depends on where you live because both labor and materials can vary greatly.! You can google it to find info for your area.

You can find average estimates online. Here's one from HomeAdvisor: "Installing a brick or paver patio costs an average of $3,400 with a typical range of $2,400 to $7,000 for the average 280 square foot patio. For large or complex jobs that include additional prep work or artistic designs, you might pay $10,000 or more. Expect to pay anywhere from $8 to $25 per square foot although high end stone installs can hit almost $50 per square foot."

I'd pay closest attention to the first sentence. Although slightly larger than your project, it should get you close.

There is no way to answer this question. Go get 3 estimates that will tell you how much it will cost where you live.

@Patricia Colwell Consulting Thank you. We have been getting estimates but most have first asked us for our budget which confuses us a little since we are new to this process & this is one of our first projects in our house.

@gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9) Thank you so much for your detailed reply & for almost exactly understanding our dilemma. It's our first project in our first house so we are a little clueless as to the process & cost involved (even though we have been researching but online research only takes us so far). When you say we need to have a "scaled plan" do we need to make it ourself or do we pay someone to do this for us? Also, do you have any suggestions/ recommendations on the kind of questions that we should ask the landscape/ hardscape designers/ contractors when we meet them?

If you feel comfortable doing so, sketching out a measured drawing (the scaled plan) for a simple 200sf paver patio is something you can do yourself. Or you can hire it out if you prefer. That will at least provide a rough but consistent basis for any estimates. Whoever you decide to work with can flesh out the plan with any details you might have overlooked.

When you hire a landscape professional, you want someone with whom you can communicate with clearly and easily and who you are comfortable with - it is a pretty interactive process. And you want someone whose work you admire and who has experience with similar projects. Ask to see a portfolio or finished projects and ask for references. And make sure they are licensed, bonded and insured.

Just an aside but not all the 'pros' you find on the Landscape Design forum are actually landscape professionals :-) It seems to draw a fair number of interior designers, house flippers and similar that may not have the landscaping experience or the information you are looking for. And there are a number of pros that do not advertise themselves as such as well.

@gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9) Understood. You seem to understand my landscaping/hardscaping needs well! :) Do you provide any design/ consultation services yourself? Hopefully, one last question, should we already know what kind of paver stones we want to put in? We have looked around to see what we like, but the variety on HomeDepot & other similar stores seems a bit overwhelming. Also, am I right in assuming that it is fair to expect the contractor/landscaper to help us out a bit on that as well?

Yes, I do design and consultation work....but only locally, so probably not going to be much use to you that regard :-)

A mason or landscape contractor skilled in hardscape installation should be able to provide you with a bunch of paving choices. You can also visit local stoneyards or landscape supply outlets to see a wider range of products than what the box stores may carry.

@gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9) Thanks a lot for all your inputs & the discussion. Really appreciate it. :)