Frequently Asked Questions

Get two or three written bids and compare what they include, not just the total. Each should state slab thickness, base material and depth, steel, joint layout, how the slab will drain and who handles any permit. Ask each bidder why your old concrete failed. The one with a clear answer is more likely to build something that lasts.

Mostly because of water and soil. Clay in western Alabama swells when wet and shrinks when dry, and heavy rain soaks and softens the ground under poorly drained slabs. Fast drying on hot days adds surface cracks. A compacted stone base, good slope, steel, control joints and careful curing address all three.

HomeGuide's national cost guide lists standard concrete driveways at $6 to $10 per square foot installed and $2,400 to $6,000 for a 20 by 20 foot two-car drive. Removing an old driveway adds $2 to $6 per square foot. Prices around Tuscaloosa can differ, so the written estimate after we measure is your price.

The city's permit page says permits are required for all new construction, remodels and alterations, and work in the street right-of-way needs a right-of-way permit from the Office of the City Engineer. Northport and the county set their own rules. We confirm what your address needs and include it in the schedule.

Yes. We start pours early in the morning, have enough crew on site to finish quickly, and keep the new concrete damp or covered with curing compound so it holds its water while it gains strength. On the hottest days, an early start is the main thing that protects the surface.

Tuscaloosa's Historic Preservation Commission reviews certain exterior work in the city's local historic districts, such as Druid City, Glendale Gardens and Pinehurst. Before we change a visible driveway or front walk there, we check with the commission's staff so the project does not get held up later.

HomeGuide's leveling guide lists leveling at $3 to $12 per square foot on average, compared with $6 to $15 for replacement, and says replacement may be better when cracks are wider than a quarter inch or the concrete is badly deteriorated. A sound slab that has simply sunk is often a good leveling candidate.

Walking is usually fine after a day or two. HomeGuide recommends at least 7 days before driving on it and about 30 days before heavy vehicles. We give you dates for your slab based on the mix and the weather that week.

HomeGuide's guide gives 30 to 40 years for a well-built, maintained driveway. Around Tuscaloosa, the base and the drainage around the slab decide most of where yours falls in that range.

HomeGuide says at least 4 inches for standard vehicles and 5 to 6 inches for RVs and heavy traffic, with thicker edges. We add depth where heavy vehicles park and at the apron.

We rarely recommend it. New concrete over a cracked, settled driveway picks up the same cracks and raises the surface at the garage and the street. Taking out the old slab and fixing the base is the dependable route.

The city requires permits for new construction and alterations, and work at the street can need a right-of-way permit from the Office of the City Engineer at (205) 248-5380. We check the rules for your address, including Northport and county addresses.

HomeGuide recommends at least 7 days for cars and about 30 days for heavy vehicles. We give you exact dates for your driveway.

HomeGuide's patio guide says plain, stained and stamped concrete patios last 30 to 50 years with regular maintenance. Good drainage and a solid base matter most on clay soil.

HomeGuide says most residential patios should be at least 4 inches thick. A hot tub or outdoor kitchen calls for 6 inches and extra reinforcement.

Yes, but it is easier and stronger to plan footings or thickened areas for the posts when the patio is poured. Tell us at the estimate if a cover is likely.

It depends on the project and the address. The city's permit page covers new construction and alterations, and a covered patio adds a structure. We confirm the requirement before scheduling.

Any slab can crack. Stamped slabs get control joints like plain concrete, and we place them along pattern lines so cracks follow the design.

Sealed stamped concrete is slicker when wet than a broom finish. A textured pattern and grit mixed into the sealer help on walks, steps and pool surrounds.

Every few years on most patios, sooner on busy paths and in full sun. When water soaks in instead of beading, it is time.

If it is solid and level, a stamped overlay may work. HomeGuide lists single-pattern overlays at $7 to $15 per square foot. A sunken or cracked slab should be replaced.

Stamped concrete is one continuous slab with no sand joints to weed or units to shift. Pavers can be lifted and reset one at a time. Price both for the same space and choose the trade-off you prefer.

Walks in the public right-of-way are city property, so start with Tuscaloosa 311 at 205-248-5311. Walks, stoops and steps on your lot are the owner’s, and that is the work we quote.

HomeGuide's steps guide puts typical step repair at $300 to $800 for cracks or small sections. Steps that have sunk, pulled away from the house or have uneven risers are usually better replaced.

Often, if the panels are mostly intact. HomeGuide lists mudjacking a 100-square-foot sidewalk at $400 to $900. Our repair and leveling page covers this in more detail.

HomeGuide says most walkways are 4 to 6 inches thick, thicker for heavy traffic. Any section a car crosses should match the driveway's thickness.

HomeGuide's slab guide describes two-car garage floors as typically reinforced and 4 to 6 inches thick. We go thicker where heavy trucks, lifts or equipment will sit.

HomeGuide notes shed foundations are usually about 4 inches thick without reinforcement. On clay soil or for heavier sheds and shops, we often add wire mesh or rebar for crack control.

HomeGuide's slab guide says foot traffic after 1 to 2 days, driving after 1 to 2 weeks, and full cure in 28 to 48 days. We give you dates for your slab.

Yes. We pour reinforced pads sized to the shelter maker’s requirements. Send us the shelter specifications so the pad and anchor layout match.

HomeGuide's leveling guide says professionally leveled concrete lasts 5 to 10 years or more, with polyjacking often lasting longest. Fixing the drainage around the slab makes the biggest difference.

Mudjacking costs less per square foot. Foam uses smaller holes, cures faster and adds less weight to soft soil. We recommend one based on the slab, the soil and your budget.

The injection holes are patched with cement-based filler. They are visible up close, but on a broom-finished slab they blend in after a short time.

Hairline cracks can be filled and covered. HomeGuide's resurfacing guide says cracks wider than a quarter inch usually point to deeper problems that an overlay will not fix.