Concrete patio construction in Auburn ME - a patio that sits flat on solid ground
Cracked, sinking or puddled patio out back? We check the ground, pour it right and leave you a slab worth sitting on.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free on-site estimates.
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What goes into a new concrete patio in Auburn?
Concrete patio construction in Auburn means we get the ground behind your house ready, pour a slab on it and finish the top, so you end up with a flat, hard place for a table and a grill. Most of what decides how a patio holds up happens before the concrete truck shows up, and the easiest stretch to pour here is late spring through early fall.
Maybe the old patio has cracked and sunk at one corner, water sits by the back door after every rain, or you're just tired of mowing a patch of lawn nobody uses. The price mostly moves with the size, how much old concrete or dirt has to come out, how close the truck can get and how fancy you want the top. The schedule turns on the weather and on what the city needs before we dig, and your written estimate gives you the figure for your own yard.
How we build a concrete patio
A patio is simple until it isn't, and the trouble usually starts under it. First I walk the spot and look at where the water runs, because a patio that falls toward the house sends every rainstorm straight at your foundation. We dig out and check the subgrade, the ground the slab sits on, then set the forms so the finished patio sheds water away from the house. We pour in the cooler part of the day when we can, since concrete that dries too fast in midday heat can leave a weak, dusty top. We give it a broom finish, a light texture that gives your feet some grip when it's wet, and cut control joints, shallow grooves that tell the slab where to crack so it doesn't pick its own spot. Then it cures, which is the wait while the concrete gains strength, and you stay off it until it's ready. When a budget gets tight, people want to cut the ground work because nobody sees it on day one. I'd rather trim the fancy top than the part underneath, because a nice finish on bad ground is just a good-looking crack waiting to happen.
Plenty of patio jobs connect to something else. If you want the patio to look like stone or brick, our stamped concrete services press a pattern into the same slab while it's still soft. If you need a way to reach it from the driveway or the front door, our concrete sidewalk building crew can pour the path at the same time, so it all matches and meets at the right height.
Plain broom-finish patio
This suits most backyards and most budgets, because the simple textured top grips well and puts the money where it counts. It's the patio I'd pour at my own house.
Replacing an old, cracked patio
This is for a slab that's sunk, heaved or broken into pieces. We break out the old concrete and look at what went wrong underneath before we pour, because new concrete on the same bad ground gets you the same crack twice.
Late-season pour with protection
This is for people who want the patio in before the snow and can't wait for spring. We watch the forecast, talk honestly about the risk and keep the new slab covered through its first cold nights.
What Auburn's rules and weather mean for concrete patio construction
In Auburn, fill and excavation permits go through Public Works and building permits go through Permitting and Code Enforcement, and the building permit list names that work, not patios. So the city's list doesn't settle whether your patio needs a permit, and I'm not going to guess. Before we book the job, we check with the city on what it needs, and when a permit is called for, we handle the application. If you want to look for yourself, it's all on the City of Auburn permits page.
The weather is the other half. Industry guidance counts it as cold weather once the air drops, or is expected to drop, below 40°F while new concrete still needs protecting, and around here that takes in a fair piece of spring and fall. Concrete poured on frozen ground tends to settle unevenly and crack once the thaw comes, so in the shoulder seasons I check the ground before anything gets poured. We see the same late-season calls and the same freeze and thaw on jobs in Lewiston and Portland.
Why Auburn homeowners call Sterling Auburn Concrete for patios
The owner measures and leads
I'm the one who comes out to look at your yard and give the estimate, and I lead the crew that pours it. The person who told you what the job needs is standing there when it gets done.
Pouring slabs since 2013
I learned the trade on other crews, poured my first slab as a barn floor on the family farm and started this business in 2013. That's 13 years of seeing what goes wrong under concrete, so I know where to look before we pour.
Licensed and fully insured, every job
Sterling Auburn Concrete is licensed and fully insured. That's one less thing for you to worry about while a crew and a concrete truck are working in your backyard.
Straight talk on late pours
Around Auburn, a lot of patio calls come in the fall from people hoping to sit out on one before the snow. I'll tell you honestly whether the calendar and the forecast give the slab a fair shot, instead of pouring and hoping.
If you're picturing a patio out back, the next step is a look at the ground it'll sit on. Call (207) 707-4423 or use our contact page, and I'll come out.
Request a quoteGet a written estimate for your Auburn patio
We reply within one business day to set up a visit. The estimate is free, done on site and comes with no obligation. After I've looked at the spot and measured it, you get the estimate in writing.
What happens after you call about a patio in Auburn?
Call and set a visit
You call (207) 707-4423 or send the form, and I come out to look at the spot, measure it and ask how you'll use the patio. Tell me then if you're hoping to have it before winter.
Get your written estimate
You get the estimate in writing, so you know the number before anything gets dug. Take your time with it, and ask whatever you want.
Check permits and pick a date
Once you're ready, we check what the local permit office needs and handle any application. Then we set a pour date that suits the job and the weather, not just the calendar.
Prep, pour and walk it
We get the ground right before any concrete shows up, then pour, finish and cure the slab properly. Before we pack up, I walk the finished patio with you.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a concrete patio cost in Auburn, Maine?
Concrete patio construction in the Lewiston area usually costs about $7 to $16 per square foot, and that's a planning figure for the local market, not our price. Where your patio lands in that range depends on your site, such as how much digging and tear-out it needs, how close the truck can get and the finish you choose. Your written estimate gives you the number for your own yard.
Can I pour a concrete patio in late fall in Maine?
You can, but industry guidance urges caution with outdoor pours in late fall, winter and early spring, when a freeze can follow soon after the concrete goes down. Fresh concrete freezes below about 25°F, and frozen concrete can lose more than 50% of its potential strength, so it needs protection until about two days after the pour. If you're set on a late pour, I'll tell you whether the forecast makes sense, and your estimate can spell out how the slab stays covered through those first days.
How do I keep a new concrete patio from flaking in winter?
Surface scaling, the flaking you see on worn slabs, is less likely with dense, good-quality concrete that has entrained air, tiny air bubbles mixed in on purpose, plus good placing and curing and as little deicer as you can manage. Overworking the top while finishing knocks some of that air out of the surface, which is why we don't fuss with it. It's fair to ask any contractor, us included, whether the mix has entrained air.
How do I care for a new concrete patio in its first winter?
Skip the deicers the first winter and use sand for grip instead, as a Michigan concrete group's guide advises for new concrete. If your patio goes in during the fall, keep a bag of sand by the back door for icy days.
Should I seal a new concrete patio in Maine?
A penetrating sealer is the kind to look at here. One maker's bulletin calls penetrating sealers the preferred choice for outdoor concrete facing freeze and thaw and deicers, and says they typically protect for 5 to 10 years when properly applied. Bring it up at the estimate and we'll talk it through for your slab.
How do I apply for a permit for a patio in Auburn, Maine?
Auburn takes all permit applications through its SmartGov portal, where you can apply, pay permit fees and request a code compliance inspection, and questions go to permits@auburnmaine.gov. Before we book, we check with the city on what your patio needs and handle the application when one is called for, so you're not sorting it out alone.
Other concrete work that goes with a patio
Stamped concrete services
If a plain gray slab isn't the look you had in mind, a pressed pattern can make a patio read like stone, slate or brick without laying a single paver.
Concrete sidewalk building
A new patio is handy only if you can get to it, and a poured walk from the driveway or steps keeps muddy shoes off the lawn and out of the house.
Auburn, ME
Send us your patio size and photos
Call (207) 707-4423 or email service@concreteauburn.com with a rough size in square feet, a few photos of the spot and when you're hoping to use it, and I'll show up already knowing what to look at.