Last Updated on October 20, 2026 by Umar Farooq
Arizona flagstone is a natural sandstone, quarried in Arizona and split into flat slabs, then sold by the ton in colors from pale buff and golden buckskin to rosa pink and Sedona red. It makes a good patio, but the color is the least important thing on the order form. Thickness decides how you lay it, and the grade decides what you pay.
Every top page I opened was a supplier or a contractor, so I cross-checked their numbers. For what flagstone is in general, see our flagstones guide. This article is about the Arizona kind.
Arizona flagstone is sandstone, so expect a sandstone's habits
The stone is a sedimentary sandstone, which means it is porous and varies by lot. Arizona Flagstone Supply lists eleven colors, among them Rosa (light to darker pink), Buff, Buckskin, Golden Buff, Pueblo (yellow-beige), Classic Oak (off-white), Sedona Red and Milk Chocolate, and says plainly that natural color varies from stone to stone.
A pallet is never one color. Pull pieces from several pallets as you lay, or the patio shows stripes.
Because it is sandstone, our sandstone pavers guide applies: ask for absorption and strength data, not the color name. I found no test data on the supplier pages I opened, which is itself information.
Pick the thickness grade before the color
Suppliers sell the same color in several grades. Arizona Flagstone Supply lists regular patio stone at about 1 to 1 3/4 inches, 2-inch patio stone at 1 3/4 to 2 1/2 inches, select stone from 1/4 inch to over 2 1/4 inches, and saw-cut tiles at 3/4 to 1 1/2 inches. Random patio pieces cover roughly 1 to 4 square feet each, and select pieces 4 to 12.
The rule that keeps patios flat: Earthstone says stone thinner than 2 inches is best set on a concrete base with mortar, while stone 2 inches or thicker works on sand, gravel or decomposed granite over a compacted base. Arizona Flagstone Supply goes further and puts anything under 1 inch on concrete in cold or rainy climates. Our flagstones guide uses 1 1/2 to 2 inches as the minimum for dry-laying, which sits between the two. When sources differ, take the thicker number and you will not be wrong.
What you pay per ton, and what a ton covers
Flagstone is priced by weight, not area. The numbers I found conflict, because they come from different grades and sellers:
- Arizona Flagstone Supply lists random 2-inch patio stone from $120 per ton for Rosa or Sunburst. Other grades need a quote, and you pay shipping.
- Earthstone lists flagstone from $379.99 to $850.00 per ton.
- Coverage is about 80 square feet per ton for patio stone (Earthstone). Arizona Flagstone Supply's own coverage figures run from about 40 square feet per ton for thick strip veneer to about 180 for thin select stone.
My arithmetic, labeled as such: a 12 x 16 foot patio is 192 square feet, which at 80 square feet per ton is 2.4 tons before waste. Earthstone's own estimate for that patio is about 2.5 tons including 10 percent extra. At $380 per ton that is roughly $4.75 per square foot for stone alone, before base, sand, joints and delivery. Our guide to the cost of flagstone pavers puts that beside concrete.
Dry-laid or mortared in a monsoon climate
Phoenix contractor AE Outdoor Living gives planning prices per square foot, installed: dry-laid $18 to $28, mortared over a slab $28 to $45, and tight-fit premium mortared work $38 to $60. That is one vendor, so treat it as a rough guide. It also says dry-laid joints can wash out in monsoon season, weeds move in, and dry-laid patios may need resetting within 5 to 8 years, while slab-set flagstone lasts 25 years or more with only joint refresh.
That is a contractor selling mortar, so weigh it accordingly. Two cautions:
- AE sets dry-laid stone on a 2 to 3 inch base. ICPI Tech Spec 2 asks for at least 4 inches of compacted base under a patio on well-drained soil, and Earthstone also says 4 inches, in two 2-inch lifts compacted wet. Use 4. The paver base guide has the depths.
- Do not mortar joints on a sand bed. The bed moves, the mortar cracks. Pick one system.
Heat underfoot, and how to cut it
AE says lighter buff stone runs cooler than dark Oklahoma blue, and that shade from a pergola or shade sail brings surface temperature down. For barefoot pool decks it points to travertine or lighter pavers, and uses flagstone mainly for accents and stepping stones. None of the sources I opened gives a measured temperature, so I will not either. The practical rule from our pavers that don't get hot guide holds here: the lighter the color, the cooler the surface.
Buy the thickness you can lay, then pick the sunset
Choose a grade of 2 inches or thicker if you want to dry-lay it, buy 10 percent extra by the ton, mix pallets as you go, and set it on a 4-inch compacted base. If you want a rigid, weed-proof finish for a monsoon climate, mortar it over a proper slab and accept the cost. Order a sample first, because quarry color is a promise, not a guarantee. And if the last gap wants a shape nobody quarried, that is flagstone telling you it is paid for.
FAQ
What is Arizona flagstone?
Arizona flagstone is a natural sandstone quarried in Arizona and split into flat slabs. It is sold by the ton in colors including buff, buckskin, rosa and Sedona red, as irregular pieces, select slabs or saw-cut tiles.
How much does Arizona flagstone cost?
Supplier prices I found ran from $120 per ton for the cheapest 2-inch grade to $850 per ton, before shipping. Installed, one Phoenix contractor quotes $18 to $28 per square foot dry-laid and $28 to $45 mortared. These are single-vendor figures.
How thick should Arizona flagstone be for a patio?
Use 2 inches or thicker for a dry-laid patio on sand or gravel. Thinner stone should be mortared to a concrete slab, and stone under 1 inch should always go on concrete.
Does Arizona flagstone get hot?
Darker stone does. Lighter buff runs cooler, and shade helps. For a barefoot pool deck, a lighter stone is the safer choice.
Do you need to seal Arizona flagstone?
It is porous sandstone, so sealing slows stains and algae. Use a breathable stone sealer, test a spare piece first, and reseal when water stops beading rather than on a calendar.
