Concrete contractor in Saint Paul, MN - new slabs for older homes
Forest Lake Concrete is a concrete contractor working in Saint Paul, MN. We tear out and replace driveways, front steps, walks, patios and garage floors on the city's older homes, with the base dug out and packed first.
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Older homes and alley garages in Saint Paul
Most of our calls come from homeowners in Forest Lake and the cities around it, and Saint Paul is an easy drive down through Hugo or past Little Canada. Much of what I see here is older houses on narrower lots, with a front walk and steps up to the porch, a garage off the alley out back, and concrete that's been patched more than once.
Those lots shape the job. The price here moves with how much old concrete comes out, how far we carry it to the truck and how deep the base has to go. The schedule turns on what the city needs to see and on curing, the days the slab needs to harden before you can walk or drive on it. You get your own figure from the estimate, where I write down what it covers. On most of these older lots the hardest part is getting in, since the crew, the forms and the concrete all have to fit down a side yard or an alley.
Our services in Saint Paul, MN
- Concrete driveway building
Older Saint Paul driveways are often thin and broken up, so we tear them out. We dig out the soft dirt and pack a firm base before the pour.
- Concrete patio construction
Backyards here are small, so a concrete patio often replaces a worn lawn or old pavers. We pitch it so water runs away from the house.
- Concrete steps construction
Front steps on older houses here crumble at the edges and pull away from the porch. We rebuild them with rebar, steel bars that hold the concrete together.
- Concrete sidewalk building
Front walks have often sunk or tipped, leaving a lip you trip on. We replace those sections and cut control joints, grooves that give cracks a straight place to go.
- Garage floor concrete
Detached garages behind older houses often sit on a cracked, sunken floor. We break it out, pack the base and pour a new slab that drains toward the door.
- Concrete retaining walls
Yards that step down from the street or alley often have a leaning block or timber wall. We replace it with a poured concrete wall that holds the soil back.
What Saint Paul's older lots ask of new concrete
Most of the cracked and sinking slabs I look at here didn't fail on top. They were poured on loose fill or raked dirt that was never packed, so they settled along with it. That's why the base is where I put my attention. We dig down to firm ground, bring in rock and pack it in layers. It's the part you can't see on day one and the first thing people want to cut, and I'd rather trim the finish than the base, because a fancy top on a bad base cracks just like the old one did.
The other thing is water. On a narrow lot your driveway, your walk and the neighbor's yard all drain somewhere, and an old slab often tips back toward the foundation. Before we form anything I check where the water goes, so the new slab carries it away from your house. Ever had a puddle by the back step that won't go away? That's usually the slope.
Get a free on-site estimate for your Saint Paul job
We reply within one business day to set a time, and there's no obligation. I come out to your place in Saint Paul myself, walk the job with you and write down what the price covers. If we do the work, I'm on the crew that does it.
Driveways, patios and steps
Saint Paul concrete questions answered
How do I get a new concrete driveway approved in Saint Paul?
Start with the city's zoning review, which Saint Paul requires for any new or wider driveway, even though it doesn't ask for a building permit for a home driveway or sidewalk. Other parts of a job can bring in other rules, so I check with the city's Department of Safety and Inspections, which handles most permits here, before we set a date. If your project needs a permit, I'll help you sort it out and tell you who I talked to.
Does a shed slab under 200 square feet need a permit in Saint Paul?
The city doesn't require a building permit for a shed or other accessory structure under 200 square feet, but it still has to meet the zoning rules on how close it sits to your lot line and how much of the yard is covered. On a small Saint Paul lot that's often what decides where the pad can go, so I measure it out with you before we set any forms.
How do I find out if replacing my front steps needs a permit in Saint Paul?
It can, because Saint Paul wants a building permit for repairs and alterations to a house beyond normal upkeep once labor and materials together pass $500, or whenever a code calls for one. If your house is in a heritage preservation district, exterior work that needs a building permit also needs approval from the Heritage Preservation Commission. I check both with the city before we put your job on the calendar.
What license does a concrete contractor need to work on my house in Saint Paul?
Saint Paul requires residential contractors to be licensed, and while it honors the state's residential building contractor license, a contractor who offers just one specialty, such as concrete work, needs a license from the city. So ask whoever bids your job which license they hold and ask for proof of insurance. We're fully licensed and insured, and I'm glad to show you.
Can I pour my own patio in Saint Paul without a license?
Yes, Saint Paul doesn't require a license for owners doing their own building or remodeling. On a single or two-family house the permit can go to you as the homesteader, but whoever holds a permit is responsible for making sure the work meets code and gets inspected by the city. If you'd rather hand that off, we can pour it, and I'll walk you through what we check first.
How much does concrete work cost in Saint Paul?
There's no single price, because it turns on the size of the slab, how much old concrete we tear out and haul away, how deep the base has to go, how hard the spot is to reach and the finish you pick. A plain broom finish, the light texture that keeps it from getting slick, costs less than stamped or colored concrete, and steps or a wall add forming time. I'll give you your number at the estimate, written out so you can see what's in it.