starting a patio
I'm not sure what you mean by a 'slight edge' - do you mean a slope/fall?
Your paving has to fall away from any building and/or towards any drainage points. If you have a fixed level at one point, let's say it's adjacent to the house, and you need to establish a level at the far end, out in the garden somewhere, then transfer your level from the start point to the end point, using a spirit level, if that's all you have.
You should now have two points - a start and a finish, with the same level marked on each. To create fall from the start to the end, then measure the distance between the two, and allow 25mm of fall per metre. So, if your finish is 4 metres from the start, the 4m X 25mm is 100mm, so mark a point on your finish point that is 100mm below the level transferred via the spirit level.
There's lots more on how to set out levels on the Setting Out page
Your paving has to fall away from any building and/or towards any drainage points. If you have a fixed level at one point, let's say it's adjacent to the house, and you need to establish a level at the far end, out in the garden somewhere, then transfer your level from the start point to the end point, using a spirit level, if that's all you have.
You should now have two points - a start and a finish, with the same level marked on each. To create fall from the start to the end, then measure the distance between the two, and allow 25mm of fall per metre. So, if your finish is 4 metres from the start, the 4m X 25mm is 100mm, so mark a point on your finish point that is 100mm below the level transferred via the spirit level.
There's lots more on how to set out levels on the Setting Out page