Trace where water comes from and goes
Start with observations from your property. Note where rainwater arrives, where it collects and the direction it appears to leave. You do not need to calculate a slope to explain that water sits beside the garage or crosses the patio.
Make a simple sketch with four labels:
- Water entering the area, such as a nearby downspout.
- Places where water remains after rain.
- Doors, garage openings and adjoining paving.
- The current apparent route away from the area.
Mark uncertain observations as questions. A photograph taken from a safe place after rain may help explain the concern better than a dry-day close-up. See the measurement guide for combining the sketch with an approximate footprint.
Check doors, garages and adjoining paving
Concrete levels must work with the surfaces they meet. NRMCA’s flatwork guidance includes drainage and site preparation in the planning of concrete work.
For a patio beside a back door, ask how the proposed surface relates to the threshold, the yard and an existing path. At a garage, discuss both the opening and the adjoining driveway. Widening a driveway also creates an edge beside ground that may be at a different level.
A useful design discussion uses the whole connection. It does not start with one generic slope copied from another property. If the job changes a step or entry, make that part of the scope rather than leaving it to be discovered after placement. The patio guide covers layout and access alongside the surface itself.
Distinguish surface grading from drainage systems
Changing the concrete’s surface level and installing a drainage system are separate kinds of work. Ask the provider to explain whether the identified problem can be addressed within the concrete project or needs a drainage specialist.
For example, a proposal to remove a low spot should say what happens to the water after it leaves that spot. It should not rely on an unstated assumption about a neighbor’s property or an existing drain.
Do not treat this guide as permission to redirect runoff. It also cannot diagnose groundwater, flooding or building waterproofing. The permit guide helps identify which local authority to ask when the work affects more than private paving.
Write the drainage intent into the quote
Ask the contractor to record the intended water path and the work needed to achieve it. This gives you something more useful to compare than “slope as needed.”
| Quote question | Point to resolve |
|---|---|
| What levels will be checked? | Doors, garage opening, retained paving and yard |
| What concrete changes? | The affected area and its connection to existing surfaces |
| Are drains part of the price? | Included work, separate trades and exclusions |
| What remains uncertain? | Assessment or approval needed before a final proposal |
Use this alongside the quote comparison guide. If you are unsure how to describe the problem, start simply: “Water stays near the back door after rain.” Get a Concrete Quote for your Burleson or nearby-area project without preparing a technical drawing.