How to Pour a Small Concrete Patio Slab

Lay out the project outline with string and wood stakes. Drive the stakes just outside where the concrete will be poured. Connect the stakes with string. Make sure the corners are square.

Remove the sod in the patio pad area. Dig down about 6 inches for a 4-inch deep slab. Set some of the sod aside to backfill around the edges of the finished pad.

Create a form from 2-by-4 inch lumber to hold the poured concrete. Cut the 2-by-4s to the finished length and width of the patio pad. Use stakes to secure the forms. Connect the exterior frame lumber with deck screws and lightly coat the inside of the frames with vegetable oil or a release agent to keep the concrete from bonding to the frame.

Pour at least 2 inches of gravel into the forms. Compress with a tamping tool until the gravel is even and compressed.

Use 3/8- to 1/2-inch rebar to create a grid by cutting the bars to size then place them running each way every 2 feet. Tie the rebar together using wire. Use rocks to elevate the grid so it is in the center of the slab.

Use a concrete mixer to prepare the concrete. Transfer the mixed concrete to a wheelbarrow and take it to the patio site.

Distribute the concrete evenly with a shovel, ensuring you get plenty into the corners and against the forms. Build it up about 1/2 inch above the form then use your shovel to "stab" at the concrete vigorously to vibrate the concrete and help it settle and compact.

Pull a screed -- a 2-by-4 board works – across the concrete in a sawing motion to level the concrete with the top of the forms. Fill in any low spots as you work until you get the concrete distributed evenly and flush with the top of the form.

Swing a concrete float in circles across the entire surface until the surface looks fairly smooth and there are no visible gouges or marks.

Smooth the concrete with a trowel once the concrete has lost its surface sheen. If you want a textured surface finish that is more slip-resistant, use a stiff bristled broom and lightly sweep it across the surface.

Keep the concrete wet while curing; the best way to do this for smaller projects is to cover the concrete with plastic. For larger surfaces, use a sprinkler or manually wet it with a hose frequently. After about 48 hours, remove the wood forms. Use some of the soil that was excavated to backfill up to the slab.