Please take a pic from further back to show the house and where these are .

Your instincts are right. Make sure the grade is below the foundation level and below the coping of the window well. Ask him where he plans to dump all the soil he excavates for walkway.

Here's some pics from a distance. This hasn't been graded yet away from the house. But the flagstone will eventually sit flush with my coping.

A reason to have the window wells level with the new flagstone walkway so close to and around the house is so they are not a trip hazard on the new walkway. The mason also needs to be sure everything drains away from the foundation of the house. He has to make that grade happen with a floor level walkway so close to and around the house.

Thanks. I agree optically everything flush looks better and doesn't create a tripping hazard. I'm just wondering by elevating the grade, the flagstone will essentially be at the height of my foundation wall and where the top of the foundation concrete meets the lowest brick. Does that create an issue where water can creep in between the brick and foundation? We will make sure the flagstone slopes away from the house, but in heavy rain situations could I have a problem?

I think if the slope is done right and your down spouts and gutters are done properly the risk is minimal. But that all needs to be done perfectly.

Concrete and stone patios butt up against the house foundation are as common as gubmint bribe checks. Proper drainage is part of the project. This should not create an issue where water can creep into a small crack at the foundation wall and cause damage. If it does, they did it wrong.

Thanks Worthy. My window wells were constructed as you show in your photo. In each window well there is lots of gravel with a weeper connected to the sump pump. But in your picture the slope starts below the foundation. My landscaper is suggesting I start at the top of my foundation wall such that the coping of my window well will be flush with my flagstone. You can see in the pic below in red - basically where my brick starts will be where the grade is raised to. Now assuming he does it right and slopes away from the house, could I have any water issues just from sheer rain hitting between my foundation wall and brick? Thx again.

No. Your house has eaves and gutters right? You will be able to clean your new flagstone walkway with a hose and not have to worry about water issues. If you are a worrier, have them apply a waterproof caulk in the joint to ease your mind.

First Up - I Don't believe Concrete to be Thick Enough 1.

2. I'd have " Gutters Run Underneath ~ entire Project . so there is No Over Flow Back up Debris

On Your New Surface ..

3. Concrete that Thin - they always say They will be adding Fiber , Haa

4 Has to be Commercial Grade Period !

Commercial Grade Concrete & Commercial Fiber . this Forced Contractor to Not Only Float but also Paddle Finish .

5. Water Sealer on Concrete Today is a Norm ! Period Contractor's Figure this into Quote Period !

6. Always say in Writing 4" Thick - Plus 1" _ Minus Nothing ! As concrete Work is Plus or Minus an Inch , so Yes You Guessed it ! You Will get Minus 1 Inch . .

HELLO I'm always 5" min. Plus 1 Inch Minus NOTHING . . Technically Speaking I have No Idea what Your Climate is , If Florida - yeah 2.5" -3" inch , TN 4.5"-6" - Contractor will always want to be 1" under then = BS ( Sealing sometimes 2 Coats ) Just makes Concrete Stronger !

Yes it Slows Set Up to Full Strength Time , but Only 5-7 days - You'll still be able to Walk on it in 30 hrs. Drive on it carefully in 5~7 Days . . lightweight Vehicle . .

I Inform Contractor You'd Like Him to Protect His Work with Big Saw Horses @ End of Driveway

as Sure Enough some Jealous Home Owner or Local Poop Head will Turn 5 Ton Truck around on it 3 Day fate it's Done - Gone & Your Screwed as it will crack 2 weeks Later . .

Hard Pouring Rain in 5hrs. , so through Up Protection as Roof Valley right on It !

Landscapers should stick to what they do best.

Brick walls by Code, depending on climate, should be six-18"+above the surrounding soil. Otherwise, the brick veneer will absorb water from the soil. Or in cold climates water from melting snow piled against the foundation. Contrary to popular opinion, brick and concrete are not waterproof.

I hear you Worthy. It's not much of a drop from the brick siding at the foundation, but if all the drainage needs are met, I don't see rain and snow as some major water threat in a walkway flush to the house. I'd be more worried if there was a foot wide planting bed left between the house and walkway.

The drop shown is 0" to soil, not a hard-surfaced walkway.

Delta MS Membrane installation

If the foundation has a Delta type waterproofing membrane below-grade, soil piled up next to the foundation by-passes it or actually feeds water down beside the foundation if the flashing (the black material at the top) is not installed or poorly installed. Such waterproofing is virtually standard in our jurisdiction, but not everywhere.

There must be some reason why 12" of fill is being brought in to raise the walkway to this level. Does it need to be ADA compliant? Is it an aesthetic or being level choice? Why is the walkway not a step down or not working with the grade of the lot? Without forms for the concrete to show exactly where it is going or a finished grade to see, it feels like some vital information about this new walkway is missing.

I have a pool going on the other side of my backyard. Its fairly close to the main house. The landscaper recommended that I raise the grading on the side of the house so the slope from the house runs downward towards the pool.

Now there is a pool involved. Is the 'landscaper' the same person as the pool contractor?

Yes he is

A hole at ground level sounds like an accident waiting to happen. If the grading requires it maybe you can rebuild a short wall around it or have a grate made for the top of it.

That is good to know. It does not change the question of the finished grade of the flagstone walkway with the window well coping, brick siding and foundation level, but at least you do not have two different people working at cross purposes.

As far as building codes go (and I'm sure they're fairly standard across jurisdictions when it comes to this), what is the minimum distance bricks have from the soil? Another way of asking this, is how high should a foundation wall be above grade? Thx

Worthy - You mentioned

"Brick walls by Code, depending on climate, should be six-18"+above the surrounding soil. Otherwise, the brick veneer will absorb water from the soil. Or in cold climates water from melting snow piled against the foundation."

Does the 6-18" range also apply to flagstone (not soil)? I've googled the hell out of this and I can't seem to find any articles that state whether or not you can butt up flagstone or any kind of hard surface up against the top of your foundation. All they mention is 6" minimum for soil.