A patio project almost always scores a 9.9 in sweat equity. You'll be amazed at the amount of dirt you remove, even with the smallest patio.
Compacted earth, once dug up and tossed, tends to double its previous size. Move it as few times as possible—preferably just once. If you're going to use the dirt to fill in a low area, shovel the sod and dirt right into the wheelbarrow and dump it in its final resting spot. If it's going to be hauled away, back in the trailer, truck or trash bin as close as you can.
Be equally wise with the materials you haul in. Do all your excavating, then have your subbase dumped directly on the patio site. Have your leveling sand and pavers delivered close to the patio. A patio could take hundreds if not thousands of pavers—that's a lot of hauling by hand! Consider access to your backyard. Can you back a truck close to the patio site? If not are you prepared to do a lot of hauling by wheelbarrow? Will a heavy truck damage any tree roots or your soft asphalt driveway on a hot day? Have you carefully figured the amount of materials you need before ordering, so you don't wind up with tons of extra sand, subbase or pavers? Does it make sense to temporarily remove a section of fence for access during the project?
Finally, consider recruiting help for some of the more labor-intensive work like excavating, spreading the subbase and lugging the pavers.
The Reader’s Digest Association, Inc./GID
Before digging a patio site, plan what you will do with the extra dirt.
