Caution
Rain sits on the surface for days instead of soaking away, and the same part of the garden is under water every winter.
High risk
Rain runs off the patio towards the wall instead of away from it, and the paving sits level with or above the damp-proof course.
A wall holding back a bank or a raised level has started to lean, bulge or crack, and the ground behind it is moving.
Low risk
The garden slopes so much that there is nowhere flat to sit, play or put a table, and mowing it is a chore.
Freshly laid turf has gone brown, shrunk at the joints, or lifts away in sheets instead of rooting into the soil.
Artificial turf has developed ripples, waves or lifted edges, and joins between rolls have opened up or become visible.
Garden or terrace steps have settled, cracked or worn to different heights, and people catch their feet on them.
Sleeper-built raised beds or low retaining walls have gone soft, bowed outwards, or the stacked courses have slipped apart.
A spade hits brick, block and plastic a few inches down, and the lawn above it is thin, lumpy and dries out fast.
The deck is slippery in wet weather, boards flex or feel spongy underfoot, and fixings have started to lift.
Describe the job and get a fixed price from a local landscaper.
