Frequently Asked Questions

It varies with the job. HomeGuide puts a new driveway at $6 to $15 a square foot and a basic patio at $4 to $12, and decorative finishes run higher. Demolition, extra thickness and hard-to-reach backyards push the number up. After a free visit you get a written price.

Yes. This site covers residential flatwork: driveways, patios, stamped surfaces, walks, steps, garage floors and shed pads, plus fixing concrete that has failed.

That depends on the job and where it sits. Lakewood treats concrete in the public right of way, such as the walk, curb or driveway approach, under a different contractor class than private work. We check what applies to your address before a pour date is set.

Winter freeze-thaw, brine from treated streets, and clay that swells when it gets wet all work on slabs here. A compacted base, good drainage, air-entrained concrete and well-spaced control joints cut down the damage. Some cracking is normal; joints decide where it shows up.

HomeGuide says to give a new driveway at least 7 days before a car goes on it and the full 30-day cure before heavy vehicles. Foot traffic is usually fine once the initial set is done, about 24 to 48 hours. Your quote lists the dates for your slab.

Yes. One sidewalk panel, a short run of steps, a pad for a hot tub or trash bins, or a few feet added to a patio are all fine. If a minimum charge applies, it is on the quote.

Sound concrete that has sunk or worn on top is a candidate for lifting or resurfacing. Concrete that is broken into pieces, heaving, crumbling or split by wide cracks usually lasts longer replaced. We look at it with you and price whichever options make sense.

HomeGuide says a properly installed driveway lasts up to about 30 years with basic care, and 40 or more with better materials and careful upkeep. A solid base, air-entrained concrete and resealing on schedule push a Lakewood driveway toward the long end.

Foot traffic is fine once the initial set is done, about 24 to 48 hours. HomeGuide says to wait at least 7 days for cars, and the full 30-day cure for heavy vehicles.

It helps. A penetrating sealer slows salt and water from soaking in. HomeGuide recommends letting the slab cure 28 to 30 days first, then resealing every 2 to 3 years.

Cold-weather pours are possible with heated water, set accelerators and insulated blankets, but they cost more and the concrete still needs protection from freezing while it gains strength. Spring through fall is the usual window here.

If the existing slab is sound, yes. The new section is doweled in and finished to match as closely as possible, though fresh concrete will look lighter than the old for a while.

Four inches on compacted gravel covers most patios. A hot tub or heavy outdoor kitchen gets a thicker section and more steel.

Poured concrete usually costs less per square foot, leaves no gaps for weeds, and can be tinted or stamped. Pavers can be pulled up and reset if the ground shifts. We pour concrete and are glad to talk through which suits your yard.

HomeGuide puts it at 30 to 50 years for a properly installed patio that gets regular maintenance.

Not entirely. All concrete shrinks and moves. Control joints steer cracks into straight lines, and a solid base and good drainage keep cracks from turning into sinking.

A glossy sealer on a wet or icy surface can be. Grit mixed into the sealer and a textured pattern make a big difference.

Usually every few years, or as soon as water soaks in instead of beading. Fresh sealer keeps the color rich and blocks salt and stains.

Salt-based melts are tough on any concrete and worst in the first winter. Sand and early shoveling are kinder.

For the same area it is often similar or lower, and there are no joints for weeds or ants. Pavers have the edge if the ground moves, since they can be lifted and reset.

If it is sound and level, an overlay may work. If it has broken apart or settled, replacement is the better route.

Yes, when the rest is in decent shape. Bad panels are cut out at the joints and repoured. Expect the new ones to look lighter for a while.

That walk sits in the city right of way, and Lakewood handles that work under a separate contractor class from private concrete. We check the city requirements for your address before pricing work there.

About 3 feet is the practical minimum. Four to five feet lets two people walk together and fits a wide snow shovel.

Poured steps can fit any entry and tie into the site. Precast steps go in quickly where a stock size fits. HomeGuide lists poured steps at $200 to $500 apiece and precast at $100 to $350.

Per HomeGuide, 4 to 6 inches of reinforced concrete is typical for a garage. Heavy trucks or a shop full of equipment call for the thick end.

HomeGuide says most shed slabs do not need reinforcement. On clay soil or under a heavy building, mesh or rebar is a small added cost that buys a lot of stability.

Yes. The floor is saw-cut along the walls and broken out in pieces, then the new slab goes in with isolation joints at the walls. The garage must be empty for the work.

A sealer or epoxy coating helps it resist salt, oil and stains. Either goes on after the slab has cured.

Narrow cracks in a solid slab can be cleaned and sealed. Wide cracks, especially with one side raised, usually mean the base moved, and replacing that section holds up better.

For one or two intact panels, usually. HomeGuide expects 5 to 10 years or more from a leveled slab. When the surface is also failing, replacement is the better value.

HomeGuide puts resurfacing at 8 to 15 years before it needs repairs, on a slab that is stable underneath.

Usually freeze-thaw, made worse by de-icing salt or by a mix without enough entrained air. Light flaking can be resurfaced; deep scaling generally means replacement.

Yes. Failing sections are saw-cut out, repoured and doweled to the existing slab. New sections will look lighter at first.