What we wish
every owner knew.

Most Hill Country lots have 4 – 12 inches of topsoil sitting over caliche and limestone shelf. That shelf is the single biggest constraint on what you can plant, where water collects, and how deep roots will ever travel.

Before any design decision, we run a percolation test: dig a 12-inch hole, fill it, and watch how fast it drains. If water stands more than 24 hours, the lot has a drainage layer problem, not a plant problem.

What you can do this weekend

• Probe-test your beds. A 36-inch soil probe tells you exactly where the shelf sits before you spend on plants that need depth.
• Top-dress, don't till. Tilling caliche brings rock to the surface. A 2-inch compost cap each spring builds soil without disturbing the shelf.
• Mulch heavy. 3 – 4 inches of hardwood mulch holds 40% more moisture and moderates root-zone temperature by 10°F in summer.

Hill Country rains are not uniform. A 1.5-inch storm can drop in 20 minutes and produce more sheet flow than a lot was ever designed for. The fix is rarely a bigger pipe. It is reading the slope, intercepting water before it concentrates, and slowing it down.

The four interventions that solve most problems

• Swales. Shallow, planted depressions that catch runoff up-slope and walk it sideways across the property.
• French drains. Perforated pipe in gravel, for the spot where water is already collecting and you need it gone.
• Berms. A small earth-shape that turns water around an entry, a foundation, or a low-grade lawn.
• Downspout extension. The single highest-ROI fix on most homes. Extend roof discharge 8 – 12 feet from the foundation and watch the water problem evaporate.

The Texas Hill Country sits on the boundary of three climate zones. A plant that thrives 30 miles east in Bastrop may collapse on a Bulverde ridge. We choose by site, not by zone map.

The three-question test

• Sun hours? Six-plus hours of direct sun is "full sun." Anything less than four is "shade." Most plant tags lie about this category.
• Soil drainage? Your percolation test from Guide 01 gives you this. Most natives need fast-drain. Most ornamentals need amended soil.
• Microclimate? South wall, north wall, under oak canopy, exposed ridge — each is a different growing environment.

A patio is 80% what you can't see. The visible stone or concrete is the finish layer. The lifespan is set by base prep, expansion control, and drainage off the slab.

What to ask before signing

• Base depth? 4 – 6 inches of compacted base for foot traffic. 8 inches for vehicle weight. Anything less heaves.
• Slope? 1/8 inch per foot away from any structure, minimum. Otherwise water pools at the door and finds the foundation.
• Expansion joints? Required every 8 – 10 feet on concrete. Without them, the slab cracks where it wants — not where you'd choose.
• Sealer? Re-applied every 2 – 3 years on stamped or colored concrete. Skipping it is the #1 reason patios fade.

Most homeowners have never watched their irrigation actually run. Spending one zone-cycle walking the yard tells you more than any controller display ever will.

What to look for

• Geyser heads. A head shooting straight up is broken. Replace, don't ignore — broken heads waste water on a single zone faster than the rest of the system uses it all month.
• Overspray onto hardscape. Any water hitting concrete, fence, or wall is wasted. Adjust the arc.
• Brown rings. Donut-shaped dry patches around a head usually mean a clogged nozzle.
• Soggy spots. Constantly wet ground in the same place = leak in the lateral line.

We've cleaned up after enough failed projects to know the patterns. Almost every disaster has the same three or four root causes. None of them are about price.

The non-negotiables

• Written scope. Every line item, every material spec, every brand name. "Patio install" is not a scope. "300 sq ft of stamped concrete, 4-inch base, fractured-slate stamp, integral color #C45" is a scope.
• Payment schedule tied to milestones. Not calendar dates. Not lump deposits. Money flows as work completes.
• Insurance certificate. General liability + workers comp. Ask for a current certificate sent direct from their insurer to you.
• Reachable references on similar work. Not "they did my neighbor's lawn." Specific to the scope of your job.
• One point of contact. One person who answers the phone for the duration of the project.