Our new patio solved the mud and created a pond beside the back door

We replaced a patch of muddy yard outside the back door with a small paved patio. It looks clean, the table no longer sinks into the ground, and after the first heavy rain a shallow pond formed exactly where we step outside.

The water eventually disappears. It does not enter the house, and I have not seen movement in the paving. Still, the puddle reaches the bottom step and leaves a stripe of dirt when it dries. The old yard was messy, but water spread into grass instead of collecting against the route into the house.

The installer returned on a dry afternoon and said the patio looked fine. He poured a bucket of water near the center, where it ran away. The puddle forms along one edge after sustained rain, not where he tested. I showed photos, and he suggested the surrounding soil was saturated. That may be true. It does not explain whether the new surface is directing more water toward the door or merely revealing a problem that was always there.

I am resisting two bad impulses: arguing that one puddle proves defective work, and buying bags of material to build up the edge myself. Changing levels without understanding where water should go seems like an excellent way to move the problem somewhere more expensive.

For now I have photographed the same points during and after rain, marked the deepest area with a temporary reference and noted how long the water remains. I am also checking whether downspouts, hose discharge or runoff from another surface contribute. I want the installer or another appropriate professional to assess the full wet-weather pattern before anything is altered.

What evidence would make the follow-up useful: rainfall timing, depth, duration, direction of visible flow, or photos from before the patio? When is a temporary outdoor puddle ordinary, and when does its location justify faster investigation even if no water has entered the home?