Sterling Auburn ConcreteSterling Auburn Concrete

Concrete contractor in Lewiston, ME - slabs that sit flat on older lots

Sterling Auburn Concrete is a concrete contractor based in Auburn, ME, pouring driveways, patios, garage floors, foundations and slabs for homeowners and property owners in Lewiston, with the base dug out and packed before any concrete arrives.

Request a quote(207) 707-4423
Concrete patio with a stone fire pit, wicker seating and a low stone retaining wall in a landscaped backyard.
  • Licensed and fully insured.
  • Free on-site estimates.
  • Replies within 1 business day.

About Lewiston, ME

Lewiston sits right across the Androscoggin River from Auburn, where we're based, so getting our crew and a truck to a Lewiston driveway is a short trip. The city mixes older in-town neighborhoods, where houses and multi-unit buildings sit close together on small lots, with newer homes on bigger lots out toward the edges, plus the stores, offices and parking that come with a working city.

On the older lots, the concrete we replace has usually been there a long time and often sat on whatever dirt was handy. That's why most of our Lewiston work starts underneath, with digging out and building a base before anyone talks about finishes.

Services in Lewiston, ME

  • Concrete driveway building

    A lot of the cracked, sinking driveways we see in Lewiston were poured over raked dirt, so they went down with it. We tear them out, dig down, pack a real base and pour new.

  • Concrete patio construction

    Yards behind older Lewiston houses are often small and uneven, so a patio has to fit tight and shed water away from the house. Our concrete patio construction starts with the grade.

  • Concrete steps construction

    Front steps on older houses here tend to pull away from the house or crumble at the edges. We break out the old set and pour new steps on a solid base.

  • Garage floor concrete

    Detached garages on older properties often have cracked, sunken floors that hold water. We break out the old floor, rebuild the base and pour a new slab pitched toward the door.

  • Concrete retaining walls

    Some Lewiston lots slope enough to need a wall to hold back a yard or make room for a driveway. We build concrete walls on real footings with drainage behind them.

  • Concrete parking lot building

    Multi-unit buildings around Lewiston often need parking that holds up to cars coming and going all day. We dig out, build a heavier base and pour slabs that drain off.

What working in Lewiston means for your concrete job

Permits for construction in Lewiston come from the city's Planning and Code Enforcement department, and no work can start until the permit is paid for and issued. That's usually what sets the start date, so before we book a Lewiston job I check with the department on what it needs, and when a permit is called for, we handle the application. We're licensed and fully insured on every job we pour here.

The price here turns on how much old concrete comes out, how deep we dig to reach firm ground, the size and thickness of the new slab, and how easy it is to get a truck in, since a driveway squeezed between two houses on an in-town street takes more work than an open lot. The schedule turns on the permit, a good pour day and the cure, and your written estimate puts your own numbers on it. We do the same work in Lisbon and the other cities around Lewiston.

Lewiston, ME properties and local conditions

The thing we see most on older Lewiston properties is water running the wrong way. A driveway or patio that's settled over the years ends up tipping toward the house, so rain sits against the foundation and in the low spots. We check where the water goes before we set any forms, pitch the new slab away from the house, and cut control joints, shallow grooves that give the slab a place to crack in a straight line instead of wherever it pleases.

The city's permit application asks whether your property is in the flood plain, and flood plain management is part of the department's inspection work. If yours is, we settle that with the city before we plan the pour, not after.

Get a free on-site estimate for your Lewiston concrete job

We reply within one business day, and the estimate is free with no obligation. I come out to your Lewiston property myself, measure the job and ask how you'll use it, and then you get a written estimate. If you go ahead, I lead the crew that does the work.

What happens after you call us in Lewiston

  1. Call and set a visit

    You call or send the form, and we pick a time for me to come out to your Lewiston property. It helps if you're home, so you can show me the cracks and the low spots yourself.

  2. I look, measure and price

    I measure the job, check the base and the drainage, and ask how you'll use the slab, since a patio and a driveway need different things underneath. You get a written estimate, so the cost is on paper before you decide anything.

  3. Permit, pour date, then base

    Once you're ready, we check what the city needs and handle any application, and the city's own permit page says permits generally take 7 to 10 days to turn around. Then we set a pour date that suits the job and get the base dug out and packed before any concrete shows up.

  4. Finish, cure and walk it

    We finish the surface, often with a broom finish, a light texture that gives shoes and tires some grip, and let it cure, the slow hardening that makes concrete strong, before anyone uses it. When it's ready, I walk the job with you before we pack up.

Frequently asked questions

Does concrete work in Lewiston need a city permit?

It can, because Lewiston issues building permits for construction activity, and permitted work is inspected while it's underway and again when it's finished. We check what your driveway, patio or wall needs with the city before we book it, and you can look things up yourself on the city's permits page.

How do I apply for a building permit in Lewiston, ME?

You send the completed application to Planning and Code Enforcement with the fee and any supporting documents, either by mail to 27 Pine Street, Lewiston ME 04240 or by email to PlanningCode@lewistonmaine.gov. When we're doing your job and it needs a permit, we handle the application for you.

What building code does Lewiston enforce for concrete work?

Lewiston enforces the Maine Uniform Building and Energy Code, the state building and energy code that Maine requires cities of 4,000 people or more to enforce. The city's application also calls for engineered plans on retaining walls taller than 4 feet, so if your wall is that tall, we sort out the plans before anything else.

How long does a building permit stay valid in Lewiston?

Under the terms on the city's building permit application, work has to start within 180 days of the permit being issued, and the permit also expires if work stops for 180 days once it's started. The form gives one year from issuance to finish, and you can ask in writing for an extension before the permit runs out. Terms can change, so check the current ones with the department.

How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Lewiston, ME?

There's no single figure, because a Lewiston driveway's price comes down to its size, how much old concrete has to come out and how much base work the ground needs, and I put all of that in a written estimate after I've seen it. A thicker slab, a decorative finish or a spot a truck can't reach adds to it, and a plain broom finish keeps it down. If the budget's tight, cut the finish, not the base, because nobody sees the base on day one, but everybody sees a bad one once the slab starts following the dirt down.

What causes concrete driveways in Lewiston to crack and sink?

Usually the base, since a lot of old slabs here were poured on dirt raked level instead of dug out and packed, so the slab settled as the dirt did. We dig down to the subgrade, the firm ground the slab sits on, pack a base over it, add rebar, the steel inside that holds the slab together, and cut the control joints on time. A new slab can still crack, but built this way the cracks should land in the joints and the slab should stay flat.

Service areas

Explore the services

Auburn, ME

Get your Lewiston slab looked at

We keep hours seven days a week, 6 AM to 9 PM on weekdays and 7 AM to 9 PM on weekends, so you can call (207) 707-4423 after work or send the form tonight.

Request a quote(207) 707-4423
(207) 707-4423Request a quote