Absolutely, and it's not just about cracks appearing early. When the subbase isn't compacted, moisture can seep in and cause heaving during freeze-thaw cycles. Without proper control joints, the concrete has no room to expand, leading to random cracking that's both ugly and a pain to repair. Contractors cutting corners to save time or underbid projects are basically setting up clients for failure. Proper reinforcement and curing might hike the initial cost, but they save thousands in long-term repairs. Diana's friend seeing that patio crack in a year is pure evidence of how skipping basics backfires.