Concrete contractor in Dover, NH - driveways and slabs built on a solid base
Portsmouth Concrete Works pours driveways, patios, walks, steps, garage floors and foundations for homes and multi-family buildings in Dover, NH, with our own crew doing the work and me on site for the pours.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- We respond within 1 business day.
Concrete work for Dover houses, apartments and lots
The short answer: Yes, Portsmouth Concrete Works takes concrete jobs in Dover, NH. I come up from Portsmouth to look at each job and write the estimate myself. Then our own crew pours driveways, patios, walks, steps, garage floors, footings and foundations for homeowners, builders and property owners across the city.
Dover mixes single-family streets with plenty of multi-unit buildings, and we do the same kind of work next door in Somersworth and Durham.
A lot of the calls here are about an old walk or driveway that has cracked, sunk or gone uneven. On older lots we also run into yards that slope, and side yards that leave only a narrow way in for the forms and the concrete. Those are the jobs I like figuring out, because they come down to the ground. We have to work out how far down to dig, how to get material in, and where the water goes once the slab is down.
Why Dover driveways, walks and steps need replacing
About half of Dover's homes are single-family, and much of the rest are in two-to-four-unit and larger buildings. That means we see a lot of shared driveways, long walks to side entrances and steps that several households use every day. All that traffic wears concrete harder, so on those jobs we plan the pour around how people will still get in and out, and we build the slab for the load it really carries.
The other common call is a slab that's sunk, cracked or tipped toward the house, with water pooling against the foundation. When we open one up, the cause is usually underneath. The subgrade, the soil the slab rests on, was raked flat instead of dug out and packed. We dig to firm ground, pack a proper base and set the slope to carry water away.
Concrete services for Dover homes and lots
Concrete driveway building
We replace sunken or split driveways by digging out, packing a fresh base and cutting control joints, shallow grooves that give cracks a planned place to go.
Concrete patio construction
A patio off the back door gets its slope set away from the house, so water runs into the yard instead of toward your foundation.
Stamped concrete services
Stamped concrete gives a patio or front walk the look of stone or brick in one pour, laid on the same packed base we use under plain slabs.
Concrete sidewalk building
Long concrete walks to side doors on multi-family lots take a beating, so we replace broken or uneven sections and pitch them to shed water.
Garage floor concrete
We break out a pitted garage floor down to the base and repour it with rebar, steel bars that hold the slab together under a car's weight.
Decorative concrete
Decorative concrete covers colored, scored or textured finishes for a front entry or patio, for when plain gray doesn't suit the house.
Concrete retaining walls
On a sloped Dover yard, a retaining wall holds back soil next to a driveway or patio, with drainage behind it so trapped water has a way out.
Concrete floor installation
For basements, workshops and additions, we pour concrete floors over a packed base, level and finished smooth enough for what you'll set on them.
Concrete pool decks
A pool deck needs grip under wet feet and a slope that carries splash water away from the pool and the house, and we set up both.
Concrete steps construction
Concrete steps on older and multi-family houses see daily traffic, so when they crack or pull away from the house, we rebuild them on solid footings.
Slab foundation building
A slab foundation for a garage, addition or small building starts with a dug-out, packed subgrade and a plan for the water before any concrete arrives.
Foundation installation
We form and pour foundations for new houses and additions, and we check where groundwater and roof runoff will go before the forms go up.
Concrete parking lot building
For apartment buildings and small businesses, we build a concrete parking lot thicker, on a heavier base, because it carries more cars and turning tires than a driveway.
Concrete footings
Concrete footings carry decks, porches, additions and steps, and we dig them to solid ground so the weight above has something firm to sit on.
Foundation raising
Foundation raising lifts a settled corner or slab back toward level. I look for the cause first, which is usually water or a soft base.
Concrete cutting
Concrete cutting opens an old slab for a new drain or doorway, or takes out a bad section, with clean saw lines so the new pour ties in neatly.
Get a written estimate for your Dover concrete job
Send us a few details and we'll reply within one business day to set up a visit to your Dover property. I come out myself, look over the site and send you a free written estimate. There's no pressure to book.
Working in Dover: permits, timing and price
In Dover, building permits come from the city's Inspection Services Division. It covers construction, alteration, relocation and demolition of a structure, so foundation, footing and slab work for a building goes through that office. When the job is a driveway or patio, we ask them instead of guessing. That review usually sets the pour date more than anything we do. Before we pick a date, I check what the office needs, and we help pull together the sketches or site plans they ask for. For single- and two-family homes, the city doesn't require stamped plans. We're fully licensed and insured, and that's worth asking any contractor about before they start digging.
The price mostly follows what's under the slab and how hard the site is to reach. The schedule turns on the permit review, the season and the curing wait, and your written estimate gives you the figure for your own job. We run jobs the same way in Hampton and across the river in Maine, so the crew that shows up in Dover already knows how I want a base built.
How a concrete job goes when you call us in Dover
Here's how a job goes with us in Dover, from the first call to the day you drive on the new slab, including where the city's permit review fits.
- Step 01
Call or send the form
Tell us what you're seeing, whether that's a sunken walk, cracked steps or a new garage slab, and we'll set a time for me to come out. You don't need measurements or a plan ready.
- Step 02
I walk the site
I look at the ground, where the water runs and how the truck gets in, and I ask how you'll use the space. Then you get a written estimate that spells out the work it covers, so you know what you're paying for.
- Step 03
Settle the permit and date
Dover's building permit review can take upwards of one to two months after a complete application, one with every required document in at the start, so we get ours together early. Once the permit side is settled, we pick the pour date with the season in mind.
- Step 04
Prep, pour, finish, clean up
Our crew digs out and packs the base, I'm on site for the pour, and we finish the surface and cut the joints before we clean up. Then the slab needs curing, the wait while it hardens enough to use, and I'll tell you when it's ready for feet and when it's ready for a car.
Questions about concrete work in Dover
Do I need a permit to work on my own house in Dover, NH?
Yes. The city says a homeowner doing their own work needs a permit just as a contractor would. The exceptions it lists are simple, normal maintenance and repairs up to $2,500.00, sheds under 200 square feet and fences up to 7 feet. New concrete work usually goes past a small repair, so check before you start.
How do I find out if my concrete project needs a permit in Dover?
Call the city's Community Services office at 603-516-6450, which helps people decide whether a permit is required. If you're working with us, we make that check before we set a pour date.
Which building code applies to a project in Dover, NH right now?
Through December 31, 2026, permit requests in New Hampshire can go in under either the 2021 or the 2024 codes. Starting January 1, 2027, they all follow the 2024 codes with the state's amendments. The state code applies in Dover the same as everywhere else in New Hampshire, and local changes are limited to administrative matters. If your job falls near the new year, we'll talk through which code your application goes under.
How do I schedule a foundation inspection in Dover?
Request it through the city's online permitting portal or at 603-516-6038. The city suggests giving at least 2 business days' notice. The foundation inspection happens before backfill, when the dirt is pushed back against the walls, so we plan the crew's days around that visit. Not every job needs every inspection, and later ones cover things like framing, insulation and the final.
How much does a concrete driveway cost in Dover, NH?
The price of a Dover driveway comes mostly from its size, how much digging and base work the ground needs, and whether an old one has to be broken out and hauled away first. The finish matters too. If the budget has to give somewhere, I'd keep the base and go with a plain broom finish, the brushed texture that gives tires and shoes grip. A fancy surface over raked dirt settles anyway. You get your figure in the written estimate after I've walked the site.
What causes concrete driveways in Dover to crack and sink?
Most of it starts with the soft base and poor drainage we covered above. The other usual causes are a pour in midday heat, which leaves a weak, dusty top, and control joints cut late or skipped, which let the slab crack wherever it wants. Concrete can still crack, so we time the pour and cut the joints on schedule, and any crack that comes follows a line we chose.
Call about your Dover concrete job
We take calls at (603) 956-1034 until 11 PM on weekdays and 9 PM on weekends, so you can call after work or send the estimate form whenever it suits you.