We're a concrete contractor based in Boston, and we pour driveways, patios, walks and steps for homeowners across Cambridge. I come out to look at the job myself, and our own crew does the work.
(857) 770-0722
Most of what we see in Cambridge is older houses, a lot of them two- and three-family, set close to the lot line with a narrow drive down one side and a short walk and steps out front. The yards are small, so a patio usually has to fit between a fence, a back porch and a neighbor's garage, and there's rarely room to back a truck up to where the concrete goes.
When we get called here, it's usually for a slab that has sunk, cracked or started pooling water by the back door. The surface usually isn't the real problem. Somebody poured it on dirt that was raked level instead of dug out and packed, so the slab settled when the dirt did.
We reply within one business day to set a time, and then I come out to your Cambridge property myself to look at the job and give you the estimate. It's free and there's no obligation, so you can take the number and think it over. If you go ahead, our own crew does the work with me running it.
(857) 770-0722Most of our Cambridge calls are for flatwork, which covers the driveways, walks and patios you walk and park on. That usually means replacing a narrow driveway that has sunk along the house, or front walks and steps that have heaved or chipped. In a small yard, concrete patio construction often makes the biggest difference, because a level slab turns a patch of uneven ground into a spot you'll actually use. We also pour garage floors, footings and short retaining walls. When a section has to come out cleanly without damaging what's next to it, we cut the concrete.
In Cambridge, building permits are issued by a building inspector at the city's Inspectional Services Department, and whether your job needs one is their call, not ours. When it does, the permit has to be issued and posted at the house before any work starts, so it sets the earliest day we can break out the old slab. You can check two things on any contractor. The first is their Massachusetts Home Improvement Contractor registration, which the state requires for work on an owner-occupied home with one to four units. The second is the business certificate they have to file with the city if they work under a name other than their own. Before work starts, we check with the city about the permits your job may need and help you get the paperwork in order.
The price here mostly turns on how much old concrete has to be broken out and hauled away, how much base we have to dig out and pack, and how big and thick the new slab is. It also matters how far we have to wheel concrete from the truck when the street is as close as it can park. The schedule turns on the permit, the weather on pour day and curing, the wait while the slab hardens before you can use it. I'll give you your own number at the estimate so you know what you're paying for before we start. It's the same kind of work we do in Medford and the other cities around Boston, and the houses and drives there are a lot alike.
I come out to look at your driveway, patio or steps and give you the estimate myself, and our own crew does the work with me running it. You deal with the same person from the first visit to the cleanup, so nothing gets lost between a salesman and a crew.
We dig down to a firm subgrade, the ground the slab sits on, pack a solid base and check where the water runs before anything gets poured. If the budget has to give somewhere, I'd rather trim the finish than the base, because a fancy top on a weak base still sinks.
Before work starts, we check with the city about the permits your job may need and help you get the paperwork in order. That way the permit question is settled up front, and you're not left with a torn-out driveway while you wait on paperwork.
We've been in business since 2017, we're licensed and insured, and satisfaction guaranteed is our promise on every job. If you want to talk through your Cambridge job, call (857) 770-0722 or use the form above, and I'll come out and take a look.
I can't give you a fair number until I've seen the job, because the price turns on the things covered above, mainly what has to come out, how much base work it needs and how hard the spot is to reach. The estimate is free and done at your house. I'll walk you through what each part of the job costs before we start.
The only work the city lists as needing no building permit is ordinary repairs, as the Building Code defines them, and sheds under 120 square feet, so don't assume a new slab, steps or wall is exempt. When a permit is needed, it has to be issued and posted at the job before work starts, as the city's building permit page explains. Work on a house in a historic district or neighborhood conservation district, on a designated landmark or on a property under a preservation restriction also needs approval from the Cambridge Historical Commission.
The city issues building permits to construction supervisors licensed by Cambridge or by the state. Homeowners working on a one- or two-unit house they live in, or plan to live in, can also get one. The state construction supervisor license only covers structures under 35,000 cubic feet. We'll go over which route fits your job at the estimate.
Yes. If the work is on an existing, owner-occupied home with one to four units, the contractor has to be registered with the state as a Home Improvement Contractor. For work estimated at $1,000 or more, the law also requires a written contract between you and the contractor that includes certain provisions. Ask any contractor you're considering for their registration and check it with the state.
The city allows construction in residential areas Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Work on a Sunday or a holiday needs a special permit from the police department. We plan our pour days to fit inside those hours.
Most cracking we see goes back to a weak base, water running under the slab, or control joints that were cut late or skipped. Control joints are grooves cut on purpose, so when concrete shrinks and cracks a little, as it all does, the crack follows the groove instead of wandering across the middle. We slope the slab away from the house, cut the joints on time and avoid pouring in the worst midday heat, which can leave a weak, dusty top.
You can usually walk on a new slab within a few days, but a driveway needs longer before it can take a car, because concrete keeps getting stronger as it cures. I'll tell you at the estimate what to expect for your slab. Keep in mind that the permit and the weather on pour day can move the start date.
