Cracked, sinking or pooling driveway? We dig out, pack a solid base and pour a new slab that drains away from your house.
Concrete driveway building in Boston means digging out the old drive or bare ground, packing a gravel base and pouring a concrete slab on it that carries your cars and sends water away from your house.
Most people call us because the old driveway is cracked, sinking at the edges or holding water by the garage, or because they want off-street parking where there's only grass now. Heartland Boston Concrete Company is based in Boston and works across the cities around it. The price of your job mostly comes down to the size of the driveway, how much old concrete or asphalt has to come out, how deep we dig for a solid base, how thick the slab is, the finish and whether a curb cut is involved. The schedule turns on the weather, any city paperwork and the cure afterward, when you'll want somewhere else to park for at least a week. Your own number comes from the estimate, once I've walked the site with you.
I come out to see the job and give the estimate myself, and when the work starts it's our own crew doing it with me running the job. The person who walked your driveway and told you the plan is the one standing there on pour day.
We've been at this for 9 years. I started out pouring walkways and steps for neighbors on weekends before going full time, and I learned from older finishers who cared more about the prep than the finish. That's still how I run a driveway.
We're licensed and insured, and you're welcome to ask about either one when I'm out for the estimate. Massachusetts also has its own registration rule for contractors working on owner-occupied homes, and I explain it in the questions further down so you know what to look for.
I'd rather explain something twice than leave you wondering, so you'll know what you're paying for, from the base to the finish, before anything gets torn out. Satisfaction guaranteed. When you're ready, call (857) 770-0722 or send the form on this page.
We reply within one business day, and there's no obligation to book. After you call or send the form, I come out to see your driveway and give you the estimate myself. Have your address ready and tell us whether the driveway needs a new curb cut onto the street.
If your new driveway meets a city street, the city's public works commissioner issues the permit to cut a city curb or to connect a private driveway to a public way. Boston has you apply for that curb cut permit before you apply to Inspectional Services for any permit that includes building the driveway. The plan you file has to be signed and stamped by a Massachusetts registered civil engineer or land surveyor, and the city's guidelines look for at least two parking spaces at the house for every on-street space the new driveway takes away. Before work starts, we check with the city about the permits your job may need and help you get the paperwork in order, which is why the curb cut is the first thing we settle.
Most of the driveways we tear out here and in nearby cities like Somerville and Brookline are narrow drives squeezed between older houses, often poured on a thin base that settled over the years and tipped water back toward a foundation. Our winters bring freeze, thaw and plenty of salt, so the base, the slope and a proper cure matter more here than how fancy the top looks.
The price comes down to the driveway's size, how much old material we haul out, how deep the base has to go, the slab thickness, the finish and whether a curb cut is involved. A plain broom finish usually costs less than a stamped or patterned one, and a thicker slab takes more concrete. I give you your number at the estimate, after I've seen the site.
A 5-inch slab carries a lot more weight than a 4-inch one for a modest extra cost. Industry guidance says going from 4 inches to 5 adds about 20% to the concrete cost and nearly 50% to the slab's load-carrying capacity. We settle the thickness with you at the estimate, based on what you park on it.
A well-drained concrete driveway on a properly packed gravel base can last 25 to 30 years, according to general industry guidance. With drainage problems, the same driveway may need major repair or replacement in 10 to 15 years. That gap is why we put so much time into the base and the water before we pour.
Most cracks that matter trace back to a weak base or joints in the wrong place, which is why the base and joints described above get so much of our time. Reinforcement in the slab helps hold cracks together if they happen, rather than preventing them.
Yes, a cold weather pour can still come out strong and durable when the concrete is properly mixed, placed and protected. Industry guidance treats it as cold weather work when the air drops, or is expected to drop, below 40°F while the fresh concrete needs protection, and colder days call for more protection. We watch the forecast closely and would rather move a pour than rush it.
A new driveway stands up to deicing salt better when the mix has less water and enough air in it, and when it's finished and cured properly. Letting the slab air-dry for a while before its first salt also helps. Ask us at the estimate how to handle ice that first winter, especially if your driveway goes in late in the fall.
Yes, for work on an existing, owner-occupied home with one to four units, the contractor must be registered with the state as a Home Improvement Contractor. The state's Home Improvement Contractor program handles complaints and offers arbitration for disputes between homeowners and contractors. Its Guaranty Fund can pay eligible homeowners up to $25,000 for unpaid judgments against a contractor.
