A well-designed patio can transform a backyard, turning it into a welcoming gathering space for family dinners and Saturday morning coffee. It can also add value to a property—returning 95% of its cost upon sale, according to the National Association of Realtors.
If your customers are planning a new patio, the first step is to determine how they want to use the space. They can look for inspiration online or talk to friends about their favorite outdoor rooms to get an idea of what they’d like their own to include. From there, they can create a list of must-have items for the patio. “Start with the most important things to have on the patio,” Frisch says, such as a dining area for big family meals and a fire pit that everyone can gather around.
Once the must-haves are identified, it’s time to map out a general plan for the patio’s dimensions. It’s important that the size of the furniture is accounted for, Frisch says—you don’t want to have to awkwardly scoot chairs back and forth to push them away from tables. “I would recommend using interior furniture to help with measurements,” he says, or simply placing lawn-safe chalk on the ground to outline how many feet square a chair should be for a specific set.
Once the basic layout is on paper, it’s time to consider how the garden and paving will connect to the patio. For example, if the garden includes plants that will spill over onto the patio and soften its edges, they will need to be considered during sizing and planting, Welsch says.