What are the dimensions of the patio? Also, you need to make a plan for the entire yard space, as you want the patio to be part of a cohesive whole, especially if you are thinking of building a deck.

Yeah, you might decide that you don't want a cement slab if you have a deck and other things going on -- think of it like rooms in a house. What would you do here if you eat and sit out on the deck? Maybe it should be a garden. Or a place for kids to have a wading pool in the summer...

Thanks for the feedback! Patio dimensions are 12ft x 18 ft. I'm leaning towards a deck that extends out past the house and widens at that point, in which case, yes, we should incorporate it into a total design plan. What do I do about the privacy problem?

We're in Sacramento, CA, near downtown, which is a higher density area. I have several friends who have put up tall fences or living walls for privacy and it doesn't appear to be a problem, or the city doesn't have time to send folks out to measure fence height. But I will check with the city. Thank you.

There is only so much privacy that a fence can provide when you have a situation where people can look down into your yard from second story windows. Before you spend money removing the existing fence, putting in a new one and removing the concrete slab, hire someone with the expertise to plan out your entire yard. It will be money well spent.

Sail shades? They look so darn cool.

Since a deck would add height and therefore more exposure from next door, how about at least ruling that out. A small arbor area might from house toward but not right up up the side fence, because the closer to the fence you stand the less visible you'll become from the second floor of the neighboring house, yes? I'd think that paying for even some general ideas might be helpful. Bistro area!