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Some patios will cause your property taxes to increase, while others will not. A good rule of thumb is that if your patio requires a permit, your taxes will increase. That’s because permits are necessary for “permanent” land improvements, and your taxes are based partially on improvements. Something like a concrete patio that’s considered permanent will bump up your property taxes, while a “temporary” paver patio or flagstone patio will not negatively affect your taxes. Keep in mind that this can vary, so always contact your building department to see if your patio project will affect your taxes.

If you don’t put gravel under concrete, the concrete can crack, sink, bow, or crumble. Even the concrete forming process will not go as smoothly if you are working directly on the soil or bare bedrock. The lack of a proper gravel layer can also lead to drainage issues below your slab, leading to water issues throughout your lawn and around your foundation.

Concrete steps need concrete footings, which is a type of foundation. They are made of concrete with rebar reinforcement poured into a trench. The footings support the stairs, spread the vertical load, and prevent the steps from sinking. Footings need to be below the maximum depth that the ground freezes, typically at least 42 inches in depth.

It’s possible to pour concrete if the temperatures are expected to dip below freezing at night, but you need to take some special precautions before you do. Most importantly, you need to make sure your concrete won’t freeze, so the best thing to do is enclose the area and heat it. You should also make sure you’re using cold-weather concrete that’s designed for pouring in cold weather. Use accelerants to help speed up the curing process and avoid cold temperatures from resulting in weak concrete.