Having a patio built...

I'm in a M&S TH in SW. What are the rules for building a brick/stone patio? We don't yet have a deck. Is it best to build one before the other? If so, what is the reasoning behind it? Any good recommendations? Thanks!

 

See the Arch guidelines for the rules.
My one comment for the "which should come first question?" I had a deck at my old townhouse built after the patio was installed. Depending on how good your deck guy is - if the patio is already there and in the way - they may or may not be able to cut the bricks/stone correctly around the posts. Menaing you might have to have someone come back out to do this after the deck. Just a thought.

 

We're in the same situation in a Courtyard SF in SW, and since we want our patio on poured concrete rather than just a sand and gravel bed, we are doing the deck first.

 

If you do the patio first, you have to consider the footings for the deck posts, and the associated inspections (so, even if you pour them when you build the patio, if the deck inspector doesn't see them you might not pass the inspection).

I'd say you need the design of both before you build either. Then the deck guy won't put a support beam where you want your patio table, and you won't have to jackhammer up the patio for a deck post.