We're Heartland Boston Concrete Company, a concrete contractor based in Boston, MA, and we pour driveways, patios, steps and walkways for homeowners in Malden. We start with what goes under the concrete, because that's what decides how it holds up.
(857) 770-0722
A lot of the houses we work on in Malden are older two- and three-families sitting close together. The driveway is often a narrow strip between two foundations, and the backyard is small enough that every foot of patio counts. Front steps are usually the oldest concrete on the property, and by the time we get the call they've pulled away from the porch or tipped forward.
Most calls start with something you can see, like a driveway that's sunk at one end, a walkway that's heaved after a few winters, or water pooling against the house after a rain. When we dig those out, the cause is usually underneath, in loose fill that was raked flat and never packed. It's the same thing we find next door in Medford and Everett.
Send the form or call (857) 770-0722, and we'll get back to you within one business day to set a time. I come out to your Malden property myself, look at the old concrete and the ground under it, and give you the estimate. It's free, and there's no obligation to book.
(857) 770-0722Most of our Malden work is replacing worn-out concrete on older properties, like narrow driveways, front steps, walkways and small backyard patios, poured over a base we dig out and pack ourselves. Where a yard drops off or a driveway is cut into a slope, we build concrete retaining walls to hold the ground back. We also pour garage floors, footings and foundations for additions.
Whether your driveway, patio or steps need a permit is the city's call, and Malden Inspectional Services is the office that handles building permits. That's why we check with the city before any work starts and help you get the paperwork in order. If your job does need a permit, the start date waits on it, so I bring it up at the estimate instead of the week of the pour. When you're comparing contractors, check two things. The state licenses construction supervisors through the Board of Building Regulations and Standards, and businesses set up in Malden file a business certificate with the City Clerk.
The price comes down to how big the slab is, how much old concrete has to come out, and how deep we dig to reach firm subgrade, the packed ground the slab sits on. Whether you want a plain finish or something decorative matters too. The schedule turns on the permit, the weather and curing, the stretch where concrete hardens and gains strength before you can use it. I'll give you your own figure when I come out, the same way I do for jobs from Malden down to Newton.
I come out to your property, look at the old slab and the ground around it, and give you the estimate myself. Our own crew does the work with me running it, so the person who walked your driveway is the one standing there on pour day.
When money's tight, the base is the first thing people want to cut, because nobody sees it once the slab is down. I'd rather put the money there and keep a plain finish, since a fancy surface over loose fill cracks and sinks just like the old one.
We're licensed and insured, and we've been pouring driveways, steps and patios in Boston and the cities around it since 2017. Ask about both when I come out, because you should know who's working on your property before anyone starts digging.
Before we start, I walk you through what's in the price, from tearing out the old slab to how deep we dig, and I'll explain it twice if that helps. Satisfaction guaranteed. Call (857) 770-0722 or send the form to set up a visit.
You apply through the city's online permitting system, which Inspectional Services runs out of the city offices at 215 Pleasant Street, third floor. The same system lets you search permits and check where yours stands. If you'd rather not sort it out alone, we'll go over it with you at the estimate.
The state building code now in effect is the tenth edition, which includes a Massachusetts Residential Code for houses. The state allowed the older edition alongside it only until June 30, 2025. When we plan footings or a foundation, that's the code we work from.
There's no flat price, because the cost of a driveway comes down to its size, how thick it needs to be, whether it gets rebar and the finish you choose. Rebar is the steel set inside the slab that holds it together if it cracks. A plain broom finish, the brushed texture that gives tires and shoes grip, costs less than stamped work. I'll give you a figure for your own driveway when I come out.
You'll usually be walking on it well before you can park on it, because concrete keeps hardening for days after the pour, and a car on it too early can crack it. The wait depends on the weather and the slab, so we tell you which day you can walk on it and which day you can drive on it.
Most of the time it's the base, raked level instead of dug out and packed, so the slab settles as the dirt does. Water running toward the house, a pour in midday heat that leaves a weak, dusty top, and control joints cut late or skipped also do it. Control joints are grooves cut into the slab so it cracks there in a straight line instead of wherever it wants. We dig and pack the base, check where the water runs and cut the joints on time.
Start with access and drainage, because on a tight lot those two decide how the pour goes. We work out where the truck can set up, how the concrete gets to the back of the yard and which way the water runs, so the new slab sheds rain away from your foundation. It helps to move cars and clear a path before pour day.
