Building up area before extending patio

Hello, my husband and I are trying to prepare the area around our current cement patio (8X8) to have cement poured and extend the area quite considerably (approx 16 X 40). However, the drop off our current patio is 10 inches. The ground also gradually slopes downhill from there.

Here's my question. Before preparing the area, do we need to have a load of dirt? sand? or fine gravel? brought in to level the area? How many inches would we need to build up the area? Then, after we build it up, we build our frame and then fill that with sand? We want to attempt this on our own but I'm not sure if we're taking on too much or not.

 

Leave a little slope so that the water flows away. If you don't want any step down between the sections at all, I would use some crushed recycle to raise the section.

Once the cement is poured, do you know how to screed & float it? Consider a brick extension instead.

 

You say build a frame and fill with sand. Is this going to be a poured concrete slab or bricks as Pulpo suggests?

If concrete, the preparation underneath becomes more critical as you can't just pick up the slab and level it out again. Let us know.

Bud