I recently came upon this home improvement during a home inspection.  By just looking at it, it looks quite nice and has provided a nice space in the backyard where there used to be a slope.  However...

There are quite a few problems with this new patio.

1.  The patio is over 30-inches high and therefore needs guard rails.  This is especially important when small children are present.

2.  There are 5-steps therefore a hand rail is needed.  This is also a safety issue in case someone loses their balance while going up the stairs.  Hand rails also help the elderly and those with physical limitations.

3.  The rise for the stairs are not even.  The rise is the vertical height of the step.  When the rise of the stairs  are uneven it is a trip hazard since we expect them to be the same.

So though there was a nice improvement in the backyard, there was still work needed to be done.

I hope this gives you a little more information about home inspections and their value.  Be safe out there.