If you want a patio for next summer, October is a good month to start. Pavers can’t be laid over frozen ground, and ours freezes before long. But the planning that decides how your patio turns out can happen now, while the weather is easy and nobody’s rushing.
Here’s what we’d work out with you this fall, and why it matters.
Why the calendar favors planning now
Iowa State University Extension says the ground typically freezes by late November in much of Iowa, and the top layer typically thaws around mid-March. Paver standards from the Concrete Masonry and Hardscapes Association are clear on what happens in between: don’t place base material over frozen soil, and don’t install sand or pavers over a frozen base or on frozen sand.
So the building season starts when the ground lets it. Weather decides the exact date, and we can’t promise a start. What we can do is have the design, the layout and the quote settled before the thaw, so nothing waits on decisions when the ground is ready.
Walk the yard with us
We start every patio by walking your yard with you. We talk through what you want and take measurements. It helps if you’ve noticed where water sits after a rain, where the yard slopes and where you actually stand when you grill.
Three things move a patio’s price and plan from there: size, slope and add-ons. Size sets how much base and how many pavers we need. A sloped yard needs more excavation, and sometimes a small retaining wall, to end up flat. Fire pits, seat walls, steps and lighting each add to the project. We can’t price a patio we haven’t seen, and the quote is free.
Settle the layout and the add-ons
Fall is a good time to decide how big the space should be and what goes on it. Think about the table, the grill and how many people you want to seat. Then think about what you might want later.
You don’t have to build everything at once. We can build in phases, and we design the full picture first so phase two doesn’t mean tearing up phase one. That’s the reason to plan the fire pit or the steps now, even if you build them next year. Our Ankeny paver patios and Des Moines paver patios pages show the kinds of spaces we build, and our fire pit work shows what can grow out of a patio later.
Know what’s under the ground
Iowa law requires a locate request to Iowa One Call, by calling 811 or filing online, at least two business days before anyone digs. The service is free, and a ticket stays valid for 25 days. Utility companies mark their buried lines with colored paint or flags.
One thing to know: private lines aren’t marked. Sprinkler systems, LP gas lines and gas grill lines are on that list. If you have any of them, tell us where they run when we walk the yard.
Equipment access matters too. Paver guidelines list site access for vehicles and equipment, and overhead clearances, as part of job planning. A gate that’s too narrow is much easier to catch in October than on day one.
Why we dig deeper than you’d expect
Our clay soil holds water, and water is what moves a patio. The ground settles where it stays soft and lifts where wet soil freezes. So we excavate a minimum of 12 inches and lay two layers of geotextile fabric before the base goes in. The fabric keeps clay from working up into the base over the years.
Paver industry guidance points the same direction. It says geotextile can be used where soil stays saturated part of the year, where there’s freeze and thaw, or over clay. It also says bases need to be thicker in colder climates where soils are wet or weak. You’ll never see this part of the job. It’s what keeps a patio flat through February.
Once the base is in, a typical patio takes us 4 to 5 days to build.
If you already have a patio, check it before snow
Paver guidance recommends a fall sweep to clear dirt and leaves, and it says to repair any pavers that have heaved or lifted more than 1/8 inch before winter. It also says to top up joint sand that has dropped more than 1/2 inch, using dry masonry sand.
If a corner of your patio sank or lifted this year, now is the time to look at it. We do paver patio restoration: we lift the sunken pavers, rebuild the base under them and relay the same stone. If the original base was wrong everywhere, it’s a rebuild, and we’ll tell you that. See our patio restoration page for how it works.
Start the conversation this fall
Nick has built landscapes around the Des Moines metro since 2009, and Tebock’s opened in 2020. We build patios in Des Moines, Ankeny, Johnston, Urbandale, West Des Moines, Waukee, Clive and nearby communities.
If you want a patio next year, call us at 515-809-0690 or send a note through our contact page. We’ll walk your yard, listen to what you want and give you a clear quote. If you’re wondering whether a smaller project can still happen before the ground freezes, ask. We’ll tell you straight.