Patio

A patio is a flat outdoor recreational area adjacent to a house. While usually located on grade and at the rear of a house, a patio could be located on any side of the house and could be raised above grade. Patios that are more than 30 inches above surrounding grade should have guards installed. A patio that is completely surrounded by walls on four sides is sometimes called a courtyard.

Photo of a typical patio. Caption reads "Typical Patio. Note the Patio Level Relative to the House. This Patio is Above the Wood Floor Framing. Extensive Wood Deterioration was Observed in the Crawl Space.