Concrete contractor in Sabattus, ME - driveways and slabs built to sit flat

Retaining walls 4 feet tall or less, fences 7 feet tall or less and repairs or replacement that don't involve structural parts would be exempt from the proposed building code ordinance's permit. Landscaping would be exempt too, except in the shoreland zone, the land along the water. Those exemptions cover that one ordinance only, so a job near the pond can still need a shoreland zoning permit, and I check before we book.

Under the proposed building code ordinance, a building permit would expire one year from the date it's issued, and renewing it would cost nothing for up to two years from issuance. The outside of the work would have to be finished within two years of the day construction starts. On a driveway or patio the pour is a short part of that window, so we line up the date once the permit is in hand.

Your price comes mostly from the size of the slab and how much digging and base work the ground under it needs. Tearing out an old slab, a long drive the truck can't easily reach, extra thickness for heavy trucks and a stamped or colored surface all add to it, while a plain broom finish, a light swept texture that gives tires grip on ice, keeps it down. I'll measure it on site and give you a written number.

It may get a hairline crack, because concrete shrinks as it dries, but it shouldn't heave or sink the way a slab on a poor base does. The control joints are there so any crack runs in a straight line where it does no harm, and the base and slope are what keep the slab flat. If your old patio sank toward the house, I'll look at where the water goes before we price the new one.

You can walk on new concrete well before you can drive on it, because it keeps gaining strength for days while it cures, the slow hardening that makes it last. Driving on it too early can crack it or mark the surface, and cool fall weather slows the cure down. I'll tell you when it's ready for feet and when it's ready for tires.

Late spring through early fall is usually best, once the frost is out and the ground has dried enough to pack. We don't pour on frozen ground, and on hot summer days we start early, because concrete finished in midday heat can end up with a weak, dusty top. A late fall pour can work with a close eye on the forecast, which is why it pays to have the job looked at before the cold sets in.