Hi e, You get what you pay for. More money less comes in the house. Especially if you have kids or they are visiting. Loose material could rubbed off on a bristle mat before entering. Do as people do in Hawaii, don't where shoes in the house. It is not as inconvenient as you think. I get lots of free slippers that way. Have a cute sign beside the door as a reminder. Jmho Aloha

Our landscape designer just finished our yard. We have large existing concret surface in the back and a swiming pool (2000sf). He suggested first stained concret, then changed to flag stone over the existing concret. I have heard there are some man-made material, looks like stones but cheaper. Anyone has experience with these? Also would like to find out how much would be for installing flag stones per sf (material-normal flag stone and labor). We are in San Francisco Bay Area.

There are plenty of brick paver manufacturers that offer pavers that look similar to bluestone if you really want the look. There are others that will compliment the coping. Bluestone and any dark stone will hold heat in a sunny location. Consider tender toes when choosing a patio material.

Hi KS, I had stamped concrete at my last home, it was absolutely beautiful, no grout lines, so it never got moldy there, non-slippery if you ask for that finish and available in so many colors :-) https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https://jococoncrete.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/stamped-concrete-patios-pros.jpg&tbnid=Te1PT_PW3AQscM&vet=1&imgrefurl=https://jococoncrete.com/pros-cons-choosing-decorative-stamped-concrete-patio-kansas-city/&docid=lxk1UkRI-IMfgM&w=1200&h=1056&hl=en-US&shem=canimge&source=sh/x/im/can/3