If you’re in the market for a new patio, but lack the confidence to set your plans in stone, you’re in luck; a patio contractor is your one way ticket to a beautiful, budget-friendly patio that will age gracefully along with your property. But how do you even approach a patio contractor? What sort of questions should you ask? Come take a stroll with the patio professionals at Greenstone Gardens as we guide you on what to look for, what to ask, and what to expect when it comes to patio contractors!
3 Questions To Ask Yourself
Before you even approach a patio contractor, there are some things you need to ask yourself. We’ve filed down a long list of potential questions to find three essential questions to ask yourself about your potential patio:
- What Style Patio Am I Looking For?
You’ll save yourself and your contractor a wealth of time if you do a bit of stylistic research on your own. Do you remember a specific style of patio that you fell in love with, maybe at a friend’s house? What about something you saw in an online gallery?
- What Do I Plan To Use The Patio For?
Are you the neighborhood barbeque master or an introvert who likes to cuddle up outside with a book? Do you want a sprawling space to share with the community or a cozy hideaway for you and a friend or two? Nailing down your intentions for your patio is a great way to get a headstart on your future work with a contractor.
- What Is My Budget?
This may be the most important question to ask yourself before moving forward with a patio contractor, simply because everything from materials to labor cost revolves around the amount of money you can devote to the job. That’s not to say you can’t get a beautiful patio for a reasonable price; it’s just that you and your contractor need to have an honest idea of what you’re willing to pay for the job. That way nobody ends up feeling shortchanged.
Questions For The Contractor
- How Many Projects Do You Complete Per Year?
It may seem like a silly question, but a trustworthy, experienced hardscaping contractor should be completing a minimum of 12-15 projects a year, and that’s a very generous minimum. Frankly, you want a contractor with the ongoing experience and output of anywhere from 50-100 projects a year. Obviously, this all depends on the size of the company building your patio.
- Can You Build A Patio That’s Not A Pain In The Drain?
Because the process of building a patio necessarily alters your yard, you need your contractor to be able to assure you that it won’t adversely affect the drainage on your property. A competent patio contractor will know how to build a patio into the flow of your property to avoid pooling and other drainage issues.
- What Does Your Base Prep Look Like?
Any construction is only as solid as its foundation. A good patio contractor should be able to explain in detail their process for creating a solid patio foundation that will keep your investment from shifting and sinking as the years go by.
- What Are You Going To Do To My Yard?
Again, this may seem like a silly question, but let us clarify. One of the biggest causes of fallout and bad blood between clients and contractors is the often ruinous state of the client’s lawn after a hardscaping job. A torn up lawn is actually pretty common after the long process of driving, hauling, or dragging heavy equipment during patio construction. That’s why a good patio contractor will also include a lawn repair fee in the cost of the whole project, or at least be willing to discuss your best options for post-patio lawn repair.
Greenstone Gardens: The Patio Contractor For You
At Greenstone Gardens, we bring over 44 years of industry experience to each of our lovingly-crafted patios. We’ve laid plenty of stones in the earth, but we have zero skeletons in the closet. That’s why we’re more than happy to answer any and all patio-related questions – ESPECIALLY the essential questions listed above. Don’t hit rock bottom while trying to build your dream patio; go with Greenstone Gardens today!