Why does nobody talk about drainage before pouring a concrete patio?

I was talking to a guy at the gravel yard last weekend who said he's ripped out THREE concrete patios this year because the homeowners didn't add any drainage layer underneath. He said it's crazy how people will spend like 2 grand on concrete but skip a 200 dollar base of crushed rock and pipe. On one hand I get it, you want to save money and time. But on the other hand if that water pools up and cracks your slab in 2 years you're paying double to fix it. So which side do you lean on? Is a gravel and drain tile setup worth the extra work or have you had good luck just pouring straight onto dirt?

2 comments

2 Comments

ray_martinez8220h ago

Maybe it's just me but I've had better luck setting up a gravel base with a slight slope away from the house. Spent a bit extra on some crushed rock and a drain pipe, been five years now and that patio still looks solid. Cheap gravel and some pipes beats redoing the whole thing later.

emma_flores16h ago

People spend so much time and money on the fancy surface stuff... but nobody talks about the bones underneath. It's like painting your living room but ignoring the crack in the foundation. Seen way too many nice patios get all wonky after a couple of winters because people skipped the drainage part. You're right, a little planning on the base goes a long way, same with houses or even driveways. Nobody wants to be the one tearing it all up in a few years.