Document the condition
Note where it shows up, when you noticed it, how it's changed, and any past repairs. A few photos and rough measurements help the first call go faster.
Read the local context
Pull the plat before anything else. On a planned-neighborhood lot the recorded drainage and utility easements frequently run along exactly the side and rear edges where a patio or a widened drive would naturally go, and new hard surface changes where storm water travels on ground that was graded as part of an engineered subdivision plan. Then look at the existing flatwork for how this lot has already moved, and check what mature roots are doing under the slabs you intend to keep, since they complicate both removal and new excavation.
Ask what will be hidden
Excavation, compacted base, soil condition, thickness, reinforcement, slope, joints, curing, access, and runoff determine performance long after the surface is finished. Ask the provider to put in writing exactly what prep and verification work will be buried under the finished slab.
Compare complete scopes
Weigh protection, access, materials, permits, testing, cleanup, exclusions, warranty terms, and change-order rules across every Cary proposal.
What official local sources add
This is the trade the stormwater side reaches most directly, because new flatwork adds impervious surface to a lot that was graded as part of an engineered subdivision plan. Where that surface goes and where it sends water are regulated questions rather than design preferences, and recorded drainage and utility easements in planned neighborhoods frequently run along exactly the side and rear edges where a patio or a widened driveway would naturally go -- so pulling the plat before laying out the work is the cheap step. Landmark designation reaches concrete only where it is visible and the property is designated, which is a small share of the town.
Reviewed June 20, 2026 — confirm current flood-zone, historic-district, and permit requirements directly with the Town of Cary before work begins.