In planning for the basement to be finished into living space in a couple years, it seemed like it was now or never to make a patio for the basement space following the same footprint as the deck. After the septic system is installed in a month or so, we will no longer be able to drive vehicles down to the backyard. After considering installing crushed stone, pavers, or a concrete slab, I settled on concrete. It’s cost-effective (about $3 per sq. ft. —materials plus a day of labor forming, placing, and finishing), durable, and easy to care for.
Since we were delayed waiting for some materials to be delivered and the garage to be backfilled, I figured we could keep busy and add some value to the house. Usually I plan ahead and give the concrete plant a couple days notice for a delivery. In this case, it was on a whim. We finished compacting the gravel, installing rebar, and forming by noon. With rain forecast for the following day, I called with my fingers crossed. They had a free truck and could deliver in an hour. By 2:30 we had the patio concrete placed plus the front porch placed and bull-floated. By 4:30 we had roughly 400 sq. ft. finished and edged.
