What's the Best Time of Year to Build a Patio in Coastal Georgia?

Most people who call me about a patio already have this picture in their head: cool evenings, a fire going, friends gathering outside. They want to know when the right time is to start a patio so it’s done by the time that picture is possible, and whether they’ll have to wait behind everyone else if they call during busy season.

My name is Randy Thompson, and I founded All Out Hardscapes & Lighting Solutions. We’ve built more than 150 patios, walkways, and outdoor living spaces over 10+ years in Savannah and the Lowcountry, from Wilmington Island and Savannah Quarters to Pooler and Richmond Hill. I’m a certified Techo-Pro installer, a certification from the paver manufacturer Techo-Bloc. Over the years I’ve seen our schedule fill and empty in the same pattern every year.

That schedule is almost the opposite of what homeowners would think it is. Once you know it, you can plan when to build your patio so our crew can be there in your yard while the calendar has an opening. That way you can be out enjoying your finished patio when the weather turns good.

When Is the Best Time of Year to Build My Patio?

Summer. People tell us that sounds backward all the time: isn’t the summer your busy season? You’d be surprised to know that June through early September is our off season. June, July, and August are the slowest months for us, because it’s so hot that nobody is enjoying a backyard unless they have a swimming pool.

That quiet time works in your favor. When the demand slows down, our calendar has more free dates, and if you start your patio in July you’ll be sitting out on it when the first cool nights begin. Other than the jobs carrying over from spring, most of our summer work comes in one or two jobs at a time, and that holds us over through the month. A full backyard project scheduled during that period of time isn’t trying to fit into a busy calendar to get started.

Where the Busy and Slow Seasons Fall on Our Calendar

Patio demand in the Lowcountry goes up when people start to think about spending time outside. The spring is when they also wish they had a pool, which is why most of the pools are installed during April and May, and our April and May are very busy with pool work. In fall, when the evenings start to get cooler, we see lots of demand for fire pits. In between, the heat keeps everyone inside and our business goes quiet.

Here’s the problem with following that way of thinking. Homeowners tend to call about a patio just when they want to use it. A project that has to be designed, put on the schedule, and built over a week or more can’t be completed for that moment if everyone starts planning at the same time. The homeowners who get the most out of a fall patio are the ones who planned it while the yard was still too hot to be outside in.

Here are the three time periods that shape our schedule, and what each one means for a homeowner planning a build.

Early summer depends on spring. If April and May are filled up, there will be carryover into the first part of June. After that, the calendar opens up through the end of August.

How Long Will My Patio Take Once the Crew Arrives?

The size of the project will determine building time more than anything else. A bigger patio requires more digging, more base stone to spread and compact, and more pavers to set and cut to fit.

From our own experience with building, a $15,000 patio takes about a week to a week and a half, and a $2,000 to $3,000 job takes about a day. So a mid-size patio started in mid-August will be completed in early September, just as the evenings start to cool down.

The build itself is just what you see in your yard. As soon as we have your down payment, you’re on the schedule, and from that point we’ll call you at least once a week, so you always know what your start date is.

What If Rain Hits During My Build Window?

Rain can delay the start date in any season, and summer afternoon storms are part of life on the Georgia coast. Weather is important because of what’s below the pavers. A patio sits on a compacted base, clean crushed stone firmed up with a plate compactor, and that is a job that goes best in dry conditions.

The joints between the pavers get filled with polymeric sand, a joint sand mixed with a binder that hardens after it’s misted with water. It needs to stay dry until it has set, or rain can wash it back out of the joints. So if a storm’s coming, we’d rather wait a day than rush that step.

We’re transparent at any time. Sometimes we feel like we over-speak. If we’ve got rain coming, we’ll call and tell you we may need to delay, and why. You’ll never have to find out about a delay by looking out the window and seeing an empty yard.

When a Summer Start Isn’t the Right Fit

Summer is the best time for most patio projects. It isn’t always the answer for every one, and we’d rather you hear that from us.

If your patio is going to be built around a new pool, then the timing of it will be determined by the pool installation. Pool installs usually occur during April and May. Plan on that project being during the spring rush.

If you’re ready to build in April, waiting three months for a less busy schedule doesn’t make sense. The busy season changes how full our schedule is, but the base, the materials, and the way we build are the same every month.

And if spring runs longer than normal, an early-summer start may be later than you’d hoped. We’ll tell you what the schedule looks like the day we talk.