Frequently Asked Questions

It depends on the job, not an hourly rate. HomeGuide's national cost guides put a standard concrete driveway at about $6 to $10 per square foot installed, a plain patio at about $4 to $12, and a concrete sidewalk at about $7 to $17. Tear-out, grading, thickness, reinforcement and decorative finishes move the price. We measure on site and give you a written estimate, and that estimate is the price.

Most residential concrete work, including ours, is priced by the job rather than by the hour, because the cost is mostly materials, base work, equipment and the size of the crew needed on pour day. An itemized estimate shows you where the money goes, which is more useful than an hourly rate.

Ask every contractor the same questions and get the answers in writing: how deep the base will be and what it is made of, how thick the slab will be, whether the mix is air-entrained, what reinforcement is used, where control joints go, how the slab will be cured, and who handles the permit. Compare quotes line by line. A quote that leaves these out is hard to compare and easy to cut corners on.

Small fixes, like sealing a hairline crack or setting precast steps, are within a handyman's reach. A driveway, patio or garage floor is another matter: digging, a compacted stone base, forms pitched to drain, a ready-mix truck and enough people to place and finish the load before it sets. A mistake on pour day stays in the slab until it is broken out.

Yes. Front steps, a short walk, a pad for an air conditioner or trash cans, or replacing a few sidewalk panels are all jobs we price. Small pours can cost more per square foot because ready-mix suppliers often charge a short-load fee, and we explain that on the estimate.

Most pours happen between late spring and fall. Cooler-weather pours are possible with insulated blankets and mix adjustments, and in July we start early so the slab does not dry out in the afternoon heat. The firm rule is that fresh concrete cannot freeze before it gains strength, so a November pour needs protection.

Often, if the work reaches the public right-of-way, such as the apron at the curb or the city walk. The City of Decatur and the nearby villages do not all follow the same rules, so we confirm what applies to your address before booking the pour, and any permit fee shows up on your estimate.

HomeGuide puts the minimum at 4 inches for everyday cars and suggests 5 or 6 inches under RVs and heavy trucks, plus thicker edges. We choose a thickness once we know what will park on it.

Cars can usually go on after about a week, longer in cool weather. Hold off on heavy vehicles and sealer for about a month.

Rarely. A new layer over a cracked or sunken slab inherits the same cracks and low spots. If the old slab is solid and only the surface is worn, resurfacing may be an option, and we will say so.

The apron gets the most salt brine from plows and tires, and it often stays wetter than the rest of the slab. Older concrete without entrained air is especially prone to that scaling.

Yes, after roughly a month of curing. A penetrating sealer limits the water and salt that get into the surface, which helps it through freeze-thaw.

Figure about 10 by 10 feet for a small table and two chairs, and closer to 16 by 16 for a dining table for six. Add space for a grill, walkway or seating area.

Some cracking is normal because concrete shrinks while it cures. Joints tell those cracks where to form, and a solid base plus steel keeps them from opening up.

Yes, as long as the old slab is solid and level. The addition is poured with a joint between old and new. Exact color matches are rare, so some owners pick a contrasting border on purpose.

A few days for prep and the pour, depending on size and weather. Foot traffic is fine after a day or two, and furniture after about a week.

It can, like any concrete. We place control joints along pattern lines where possible so cracks follow them and are hard to see.

Plan on every two to three years in Central Illinois, sooner on driveways and walks that see salt and heavy traffic.

When wet, sealed stamped concrete can be slippery. Fine grit mixed into the sealer helps on walks, steps and around pools.

It generally costs less to install than individual pavers, but it needs resealing. Pavers can be pulled and reset one at a time; stamped concrete is repaired as a slab.

That depends on the city. HomeGuide says homeowners often are, though some cities maintain certain walks themselves. We check the rule for your address before we quote.

Work in the public right-of-way frequently does. We find out what your city or village requires and take care of it when one is needed.

Yes. Damaged panels are cut out at the joints, and the new ones are poured flush with the panels on either side.

Often, if the step is in one piece and the concrete is sound. If it is cracked through or crumbling, rebuilding is safer.

Usually after a day or two. Keep bikes, mowers and heavy loads off for about a week.

According to HomeGuide, two-car garage floors are typically 4 to 6 inches of reinforced concrete. We size yours to the vehicles and gear it will hold.

Often, yes, if the walls sit on their own footing or sill that can stay put. We inspect first and explain the options.

It is not required, but a pad keeps a shed level and dry and gives mowers and tools a hard floor.

A new garage usually needs a building permit. We check what your city, village or the county requires for your address.

Repair makes sense when the slab is in one piece and the base is stable. Replace when cracks are wide and growing, the slab is broken into pieces, or it tips toward the house.

It can last for years when the soil underneath is stable and drainage is corrected. If water keeps washing out the base, the slab will sink again.

When the slab is solid and the damage stays at the surface, a bonded resurfacer can work. Deep or widespread scaling usually calls for replacement.

New concrete is usually a little lighter than old concrete at first. The difference fades over time but rarely disappears completely.