Frequently Asked Questions

We do. "Cement work" is what a lot of people call concrete, and it covers everything on our list: driveways, patios, stamped finishes, walks, slabs and repairs in Beaumont and the Golden Triangle. Phone [PHONE] or send the form for a free estimate.

HomeGuide's national cost guide lists concrete driveways at $6 to $15 a square foot, which works out to roughly $2,400 to $8,600 for a common two-car size. The same guide adds $2 to $6 a square foot when an old driveway has to be removed. Size, demolition, culvert work and finish drive the real number, and yours comes in writing once we have measured.

Inside city limits, yes when the work reaches the public right-of-way, which includes the approach at the street. The city also requires a grading permit when private-property work disturbs over 450 square feet. Its handout lists a $37 residential fee, and inspections are booked through 311. For addresses outside Beaumont we check the local rules.

In most cases. We saw a straight edge on the old slab, drill in steel dowels and pour the added strip so both pieces stay level. Beaumont's handout caps residential driveways at 35 feet wide at the approach and requires 5 feet from the side property line, so we measure for both before laying it out.

A few cracks or one or two sunken panels can usually be sealed or lifted. Concrete broken into many pieces, with cracks over about a quarter inch wide or heavy surface spalling, is usually cheaper to replace in the long run, and HomeGuide's leveling guide draws the line in the same place. We price both options when both are reasonable.

Walking on it is usually fine within a day or two. Give it about a week before parking a car, and more time before a loaded truck or trailer. Strength keeps building for close to a month, which is why the city writes its spec as 3,000 psi at 28 days.

Runoff under a slab carries soil away and causes settling, and water held against the house causes its own problems. We compact the base, slope each slab away from the house and keep runoff from undercutting the edges. If heavy rain is forecast for pour day, we reschedule.

The City of Beaumont's minimum for a residential driveway approach is 4 inches of 3,000 psi concrete with mesh or rebar. For heavy pickups, trailers or RVs we recommend 5 to 6 inches. HomeGuide lists 6-inch driveways at $8 to $20 per square foot versus $6 to $15 for 4-inch.

Both meet the city's approach spec. Rebar at 12 inches on center gives more strength across the slab and holds cracked pieces together better, so we usually recommend it for driveways. What matters most is that the steel sits in the middle of the slab, not on the ground.

Most residential driveways take two to four days: tear-out and base prep, forms and steel, any inspection, and pour day. Rain can push the schedule, because we will not pour into a storm.

Per the City of Beaumont's driveway handout, the abutting property owner supplies the materials and labor for driveways, sidewalks and culverts. If a city project removes your existing driveway, the city replaces it.

Sealing is optional but helps keep water, oil and stains out. HomeGuide lists driveway sealing at $1 to $3 per square foot. We usually wait until the slab has cured before sealing.

HomeGuide's national guide lists a 12 x 12 plain concrete patio at $600 to $1,700 and a 16 x 16 at $1,000 to $3,100. Stamped or stained finishes roughly double those numbers. We give you a written price after seeing your yard.

HomeGuide lists 30 to 50 years for plain and stamped concrete patios. In Beaumont, a good base and correct slope have more to do with reaching that than anything else.

Yes, but it has to slope away from the house, and the top of the slab has to stay below the door threshold and any weep holes in the brick. We set those heights before we pour.

Yes. Tell us where the posts will go and we thicken the slab or add footings at those spots so the cover can be added later.

Sealed stamped concrete can be slick when wet. Deeper textures help, and on patios, walks and pool decks we mix anti-slip grit into the sealer so the surface grips better after rain.

Every two to three years for most sealers. HomeAdvisor's sealing guide uses that interval and lists professional sealing at about $1.35 to $2.50 a square foot.

Any slab can crack. A compacted base, steel at mid-depth and joints sawn along the pattern's grout lines keep cracking controlled and hard to spot.

Stamping only works on fresh concrete. A sound, level slab can sometimes take a thin stamped overlay; a cracked or sunken one has to be repaired or replaced first. We tell you which after seeing it.

LawnStarter's national guide puts concrete sidewalks at $5.89 to $12 per square foot, with an average of $8.63. A 4-foot-wide, 25-foot front walk is about 100 square feet, or $589 to $1,200 in that guide.

The City of Beaumont's driveway handout says the abutting property owner supplies materials and labor for driveways, sidewalks and culverts, and work in the public right-of-way needs a right-of-way permit. We confirm the steps for your address.

Yes. We remove the lifted panel, trim the root if that is safe for the tree, and pour a new section flush with its neighbors. On large trees we may reroute or bridge the walk instead.

Three feet is the practical minimum. Four feet lets two people walk side by side and feels more generous at the front door.

Most shop and garage slabs are 4 to 6 inches with thickened edges. If you will park heavy trucks, a lift or equipment on it, plan on 6 inches or more.

Under any enclosed building you want to keep dry, yes. It slows moisture rising through the slab, which matters in humid Southeast Texas and if you plan to coat the floor later.

HomeGuide's national guide lists a 20 x 20 slab at $2,400 to $4,800. Raising the pad with fill, thickened edges and heavy reinforcement add to that.

The City of Beaumont requires a grading permit for private-property work that disturbs more than 450 square feet. A building on the slab may need its own permit. We check for your address.

Often, yes. If the slab is in one or two solid pieces, mudjacking or foam leveling can lift it back into place for much less than replacing it. HomeGuide lists a 100-square-foot sidewalk at $400 to $900 with mudjacking.

Foam is lighter, uses smaller holes and is ready sooner, but costs more. Mudjacking costs less and works well on many slabs. We recommend one based on the slab and the soil under it.

When the slab is broken into many pieces, has cracks wider than about a quarter inch, is badly spalled or is too thin. Patching that kind of concrete usually fails again.

Repairs rarely match old concrete exactly. Sealed cracks and patches are visible. If looks matter most, replacing a full panel between joints gives a cleaner result.

It can. Flood water and heavy runoff can wash soil out from under slab edges. Signs include new cracks, sunken corners and a hollow sound when you tap the slab. We can check it.