Frequently Asked Questions

Ask for an on-site visit and a written, itemized estimate. A good repair estimate tells you why the concrete failed, such as water, settling, roots or salt, and whether the fix will last or the slab should be replaced. Be careful with any quote that does not mention the cause.

Most residential concrete is priced by the job or by the square foot, not by the hour. HomeGuide's national ranges are about $6 to $10 per square foot for a plain driveway, $4 to $12 for a plain patio and $7 to $17 for a sidewalk. Small jobs cost more per foot because setup, delivery and crew time are fixed.

Get a written estimate that spells out the base depth, slab thickness, reinforcement, mix, finish, joints and whether sealing is included. Ask how the contractor handles freeze-thaw and drainage. Make sure you know what happens if the weather delays the pour.

A handyman can patch a small crack or set a few bags of concrete for a post. Driveways, patios, walks and slabs need excavation, a compacted base, forms, a ready-mix delivery, finishing tools and a crew that can place and finish the concrete before it sets. That is a concrete contractor's job.

That is called scaling. Water soaks into the surface, freezes and expands, and de-icing salt makes it worse. It is most common on concrete that was not air-entrained, was finished while bleed water was on the surface, or was never sealed. Sealing and avoiding rock salt help protect sound concrete.

Spring through fall is the main season. We avoid pouring on frozen ground or when hard freezes are forecast during early curing. In hot July and August weather we start early and keep the concrete moist so it does not dry too fast.

It depends on the work and where you live. Work in the public sidewalk or a new curb cut for a driveway is the kind of job most likely to need approval. We check with the City of Wilmington or New Castle County for your address before we schedule.

HomeGuide's national range for a two-car, 20 by 20 foot driveway is about $2,400 to $6,000, and a larger 24 by 24 foot driveway runs about $3,500 to $8,600. Removing the old driveway adds about $2 to $6 per square foot. We give you a written number after measuring.

HomeGuide lists 4 inches as the minimum for passenger cars and 5 to 6 inches for heavier vehicles, with thickened edges of 6 to 8 inches. We size the slab to what you park on it.

Usually about a week for cars, and longer for heavy vehicles. Cooler weather slows curing, so in spring and fall we may ask you to wait a few more days.

Avoid rock salt and other de-icers on new concrete for the whole first winter. Use sand for traction and shovel early. After that, sealing the driveway helps protect it from salt.

Often, yes. If one or two slabs are sunken or broken and the rest are sound, we can cut them out at the joints and replace them. The new concrete will be a slightly different shade at first.

By HomeGuide's patio guide, a plain 12 x 12 foot slab lands between $600 and $1,700 nationally, and a 16 x 16 foot one between $1,000 and $3,100. Color, stamping and a tight rowhome yard push the number up. We price your exact size and access in writing.

For ordinary furniture and foot traffic, 4 inches. HomeGuide calls for 6 inches plus extra steel where a hot tub or outdoor kitchen will sit, and we follow that.

Usually. We bring material in through the alley, by wheelbarrow, or with a concrete pump when the yard is hard to reach. We plan it at the estimate and include it in the price.

Light foot traffic is fine after roughly 48 hours. Give it about seven days before chairs, tables or a grill go on, and longer before a filled hot tub.

Often the base settled over time or the patio was poured without enough pitch. A replacement patio should fall away from the house so water drains to the yard.

HomeGuide lists stamped patios from $9 up to $30 a square foot and stamped driveways from $8 up to $26, national figures. More colors, a complex pattern or a border raise it. Your design gets its own written number.

It can be smoother than broom finish, especially when wet or icy. We use textured patterns on walks and steps and can add an anti-slip additive to the sealer.

All concrete can crack, and control joints are placed so cracks form in straight lines. An air-entrained mix, a good base and regular sealing keep stamped concrete in good shape through freeze-thaw winters.

Every few years, depending on sun, traffic and salt. Reseal when water stops beading on the surface or the color starts to look dull.

They are different. Stamped concrete is one slab with no joints for weeds and no pieces to shift. Pavers can be lifted and reset individually. We can talk through which fits your project.

HomeGuide's national range for new concrete sidewalk is about $7 to $17 per square foot, or $28 to $68 per linear foot for a 4 foot wide walk. Removal of the old concrete adds about $3 to $8 per square foot. Small jobs cost more per foot.

It depends on the city or county. Property owners are often responsible for keeping the sidewalk in repair. We check the rules for your address before any work in the public sidewalk.

Yes. We remove the lifted section and look at what can be done at the slab edge. Cutting roots of a city street tree may need approval, so we check before we cut.

If the slab is intact and has only settled, leveling with mudjacking or foam can raise it. If it is broken, scaled or root-heaved, replacement lasts longer.

Usually within a day, with care. Keep bikes, carts and heavy loads off for about a week.

HomeGuide's national range is about $6 to $8 per square foot for a 4 inch slab and $8 to $10 for 6 inches. A 10 by 10 foot slab runs about $600 to $1,200 and a 20 by 20 foot slab about $2,400 to $4,800.

About 4 inches is typical for a shed. Heavier buildings, workshops or anything with a vehicle inside need a thicker, reinforced slab.

Small pads often do not. Larger slabs, garage floors and slabs that carry heavy loads usually get rebar or wire mesh. We decide based on size, soil and load.

Usually, yes. We break out the old floor inside the walls, prepare the base and pour a new slab. Access and the condition of the garage walls are part of the estimate.

Simple pads often do not, but slabs for additions, garages and porches are usually part of a permitted project. We check what your city or county requires.

Narrow cracks in otherwise sound concrete can be filled. HomeGuide says cracks wider than a quarter inch, major spalling or severe deterioration usually mean replacement is the better long-term choice.

HomeGuide's national range is about $4 to $9 per square foot for mudjacking and $8 to $25 for polyjacking. A 100 square foot sidewalk runs about $400 to $900 with mudjacking.

Flaking, or scaling, comes from water freezing in the surface, often made worse by de-icing salt. A resurfacing overlay can fix sound concrete. If the damage goes deep, replacement with an air-entrained mix lasts longer.

HomeGuide says professionally leveled concrete lasts 5 to 10 years or more. It lasts longest when the drainage problem that caused the settling is fixed.

If the steps are solid and only the edges or treads are broken, yes. If they have pulled away from the house or are cracked through, rebuilding them is usually the safer choice.