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Yes, you can pour concrete if it rained the day before, but you’ll need to drain the construction site to ensure there isn’t standing water where your slab will sit. You might need to manually remove any puddles and set up drainage on your site to dry it before pouring. Moist soil won’t be an issue, but standing water will throw off your concrete mix ratios. Additionally, ensure there isn’t more rain expected in the near future before you pour.

If you're only working with a gravel pad, and there is no concrete foundation, you might be able to upgrade to a concrete slab, but you’d have to speak with a professional concrete expert to confirm and get pricing. If you have a concrete foundation or cement block walls around the area where you want to build flooring, you might be able to pour a new concrete floor over the existing one to forgo repairs. Again, speak with a concrete expert or foundation company to see if this is an option.

If you’ve researched everything there is to know about gravel driveways and aren’t sold on the idea, you have options. Gravel alternative materials for driveways include traditional options like concrete and asphalt. If you want the look of natural stone, stone pavers are another option that sometimes uses gravel around the pavers. For maximum drainage, permeable driveways or brick driveways are also popular choices.

You should put gravel that is 3/4 to 1 inch under a concrete slab. However, depending on the project, local building codes may dictate the proper gravel size and shape. Some concrete slabs that do not hold significant weight may have a subbase of sand. Also, keep in mind that the subbase you choose will affect the cost of your concrete patio, walkway, or driveway.