The week before a patio pour is when a job stays clean or turns into a scramble. You do not need to grade the yard yourself. You do need to make a few decisions and clear a few things so the crew can work.
Decide the finished height
The patio has to sit below door thresholds, pitch away from the house, and still meet the lawn or a future walk. We set that on the estimate walk. If you are adding an outdoor kitchen later, tell us now so the slab is thick enough and the elevation is right under the future island.
Mark irrigation, gas, and the dog
Flag irrigation heads, the gas meter, buried pet fence, and low branches you care about. Move furniture, grills, and planters well off the work zone. If a gate is the only access, measure it — a skid-steer has a width. We will tell you if we need a pump because the truck cannot get within chute distance.
Trees are not optional in this part of Texas
Live oaks on a Boerne or Bulverde lot are part of the property value. We can form around a trunk with a well. We should not cut major roots to steal two extra feet of patio. If the tree is the problem, we will say so before forms go in, not after.
What you can leave to us
Demo of the old slab, haul-off, base, forms, steel, the pour, joints, stamp or stain, and cleanup. You should not be running a plate compactor the night before. If you want to keep a section of old concrete, walk it with us so we can saw-cut a clean line.