Concrete to walk, park and build on in New Bedford, MA

It depends on your yard, so I give you a number only after I've seen it. Size, how much old concrete and soft ground has to come out, how much base goes back in, the thickness, the steel and the finish all move the price. A stamped or colored surface costs more than a plain broom finish, and a tight backyard with no truck access adds labor.

The cheaper quote usually skimps on the base, the part nobody sees on day one, by raking the dirt level instead of digging out and packing stone. That slab tends to settle with the ground, so if your budget is tight, I'd rather you go plain on the finish than cut corners underneath. For work the state's home improvement contractor law covers, a job estimated at $1,000 or more also needs a written contract with the terms that law requires.

The pour itself is the short part, and the curing, the time concrete needs to harden before it takes weight, is what keeps you off it. How soon you can walk on it and then drive on it depends on the mix and the weather, and I'll tell you what to expect for your job before we start. Digging out, base work and any permit come first, so the estimate visit is where we work out your schedule.

For work on an existing, owner-occupied home of one to four units, Massachusetts requires home improvement contractor registration, though driveways are on the state's exempt list for that registration. New construction, larger buildings and investment, vacation or second homes fall outside that law, and some projects also need a licensed construction supervisor, whose license you can check with the state. We're licensed and insured, and we'll tell you which rules apply to your job.

It depends on the job, and the state sends homeowners to the local building official because the answer turns on project specifics. When residential work does need a permit, it has to carry the contractor's active registration number. We sort out which offices your job goes through as part of the estimate and handle the permit paperwork we're able to file.

Yes, every job we do is satisfaction guaranteed. I write your estimate and run the pour myself, so the person you talk to about the job is the one who did it.

Concrete can crack, but most of the bad cracking we see traces back to a soft base, water running the wrong way, or control joints cut late or skipped, and each one is something we control. We dig out and pack the subgrade, check where the water runs so the slab falls away from your house, and cut joints in time so any crack forms where we chose. We also stay away from pouring in the worst midday heat, which can leave a weak, dusty top.

New Bedford homes fall under the Massachusetts State Building Code, and one- and two-family houses and townhouses three stories or less, along with their accessory structures, use its residential volume. Every other building falls under the base volume. For a slab, footing or foundation, that decides which set of rules the work is checked against.