Concrete contractor in Eliot, ME - slabs and steps built on a solid base
Portsmouth Concrete Works is a concrete contractor based in Portsmouth, NH, just across the Piscataqua River from Eliot, ME. Our crew pours driveways, patios, walks, steps and slabs here, and I'm on site for the pours.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- We respond within 1 business day.
Concrete work in Eliot, across the river from Portsmouth
The short answer: Portsmouth Concrete Works pours driveways, patios, walks, steps, garage floors and foundations in Eliot, ME. I come out to look at each job and write the estimate myself, and our own crew does the work. We pay as much attention to the base and the drainage as to the finished surface.
Eliot sits right across the Piscataqua from Portsmouth, next door to Kittery, and it's one of the closest places we work on the Maine side. Most of what we see here is homes. Some are older houses close to the main roads, and others are newer houses on bigger lots set back from the street, with a few small businesses mixed in.
That mix shapes the job. An older house usually means working to a doorway and a grade that were set long ago. A newer lot usually means a longer driveway, more ground to dig out and pack, and a yard that slopes one way or another.
Older foundations and loose ground in Eliot yards
A number of Eliot's earliest homes sit on mortared fieldstone foundations, which are stones laid up with mortar instead of poured walls. When new steps, a walk or a slab has to butt up against one, I look at how the stone is holding up and where the water runs along it before we pour. A new slab that sends water toward an old stone wall can push that water into the basement.
The other thing we run into is a slab that was raked level on loose dirt instead of dug out and packed, so it settled, tipped and cracked as the dirt moved. The base is the part you can't see on pour day, which makes it the first thing that gets cut when money's tight. I'd rather you pick a plainer finish than a thinner base, because a fancy surface on a bad base cracks just the same. So we dig down to firm ground, pack the base in layers and slope the slab away from your house.
Concrete work we do for Eliot homes and lots
Concrete driveway building
For a new driveway, or a worn one that's sinking or pooling water, we dig out soft ground, pack the base and slope it away from your house.
Concrete patio construction
A patio off an older house often meets an odd door height or a sloped yard, so we settle the height and pitch before we build the forms.
Stamped concrete services
Stamped concrete gives a patio or walk the look of stone or brick, and it holds up best when the slab under the pattern is sound.
Concrete sidewalk building
A front walk that's heaved, cracked or tripping people gets torn out and repoured on a packed base, then brushed with a broom so it grips underfoot.
Garage floor concrete
If your garage floor is cracked, sunken or holding puddles, we break it out, fix what's under it and pour a new slab that drains toward the door.
Decorative concrete
Colored or textured concrete suits steps, walks and patios on older houses where plain gray would look out of place against brick or stone.
Concrete retaining walls
When a sloped yard keeps washing onto your driveway or patio, a concrete retaining wall holds the grade back and gives you level ground you can use.
Concrete floor installation
For a basement, barn, shop or addition, we pack the ground the floor sits on first, because a flat floor depends on what's under it.
Concrete pool decks
Around a pool, we slope the deck so splash water runs away from the pool and the house, and we give it a finish that isn't slick barefoot.
Concrete steps construction
Front and back steps on older homes often sit against old foundations, so we check what they'll rest on before we form new ones.
Slab foundation building
A slab foundation suits a garage, shed, workshop or small addition, and we dig out and pack the base so the slab doesn't settle with the dirt.
Foundation installation
For a new home, addition or garage, we form and pour the foundation walls and work out where water will run around them before the dirt goes back in.
Concrete parking lot building
Small business lots and shared driveways get the same packed base as a home driveway, built up for heavier and steadier traffic.
Concrete footings
Footings are the concrete pads under a deck post, porch, wall or addition, and we dig them to firm ground so what's above doesn't shift.
Foundation raising
When a corner of the house has dropped or an old foundation needs lifting for new work, we raise it slowly and check it as we go.
Concrete cutting
We saw-cut openings, trenches and doorways in existing slabs and walls, which is often how a job starts when an old slab needs opening up.
Get a free on-site estimate for your Eliot project
Send us a few lines about the concrete work you have in mind in Eliot, and we'll get back to you within one business day to set up a visit. I come out myself, the estimate at your property is free, and there's no obligation and no pressure to book.
What pouring concrete in Eliot involves before the truck comes
In Eliot, building and use permits come from the code enforcement officer, and work on a structure that needs one waits until the permit is issued in writing. On a garage slab, an addition or a new driveway, that wait sets the schedule more than the pour does, so I don't pick a date until we know what the code office wants. We help put together the sketches or site plans it asks for. After that, the timeline turns on the season we pour in and on curing, which is the days fresh concrete stays off-limits while it gains strength, and that's how long you're without the driveway or patio. Price moves mostly with the ground. How much soft dirt comes out, how much base goes back in and how much slope we have to correct count most, then access, thickness and the finish you pick, and your own figure comes in the written estimate.
Eliot is a short run over the river for our crew. Many driveways here come straight off State Road or a narrow side road, so I look at where the truck can sit and how far the concrete has to travel from it, because a long reach adds time and labor. It's the same work we do in York and over in Stratham. We're fully licensed and insured, and our work is backed by our satisfaction guarantee.
How it works when you call us about a job in Eliot
Here's how a job goes from your first call to a finished slab. I'm the one you'll meet at the start, and our own crew handles the work from there.
- Step 01
Call or send a message
Call (603) 956-1034 or use the form to tell us what you're planning. We call back to set a time to come look.
- Step 02
I walk the site with you
I come out myself, look at the ground, the slope and where the water goes, and ask how you'll use the space, so it helps if you're home. Then I send you a written estimate, so you see the price on paper before you decide anything.
- Step 03
We sort out the permit
If the job needs a permit, nothing gets poured until the code office issues it in writing, so we help with the drawings it asks for. Once the permit is in hand, we pick a pour date with the season in mind.
- Step 04
Prep, pour, finish, clean up
Our crew digs out and packs the base, and I'm on site for the pour and the finish. We cut the joints, clean up and tell you when the slab is ready for feet and when it's ready for cars.
Common questions about concrete work in Eliot
Do I need a permit for a new concrete driveway in Eliot, Maine?
Yes, installing a driveway in Eliot takes an application, and the spot has to be staked out on the ground for a site review. Eliot lists resurfacing an existing driveway as routine maintenance that doesn't need a building permit. A full tear-out with a new layout is a different job, though, so we check with the code office before we treat it as maintenance.
Does a new concrete slab or garage floor need a building permit in Eliot?
It does when the work puts up, enlarges, moves or materially alters a structure. Eliot counts more rooms, a new apartment, a main building dimension changing by more than three feet, or spending past a set dollar amount as a material alteration. A slab for a new garage or addition fits that. A replacement floor inside an existing garage is a closer call, and we ask the code office before we set a date.
How long does a building permit last in Eliot, ME?
Work has to start within 180 days of the permit being issued, or the permit is considered expired. Once work has started inside that window, the permit doesn't expire. So we plan the pour to fall well within those 180 days.
Does my contractor have to be listed on the building permit in Eliot?
No, Eliot doesn't require the contractor to be listed on the permit application. If you pull the permit yourself and hire us afterward, we can be added once the code office is told. Either way, we're still responsible for work that meets code.
How much does a concrete driveway or patio cost in Eliot?
It depends more on your site than on the size alone, so I need to see it before I give you a number. Taking out an old slab, digging out soft ground, the thickness, whether it needs rebar, which is steel set inside the slab to hold it together, and a plain broom finish versus stamped work all move the price. You get your figure in the written estimate after I walk the site.
What causes new concrete to crack, and will my Eliot slab crack like the old one?
New concrete shrinks as it cures, so a fine crack can happen, and the job is to control where it goes. We cut control joints, shallow grooves sawn into the top, soon after the pour so a shrinkage crack follows a line we chose. We also stay away from pouring in midday heat, which can leave a weak, dusty top later.
Tell us about your Eliot concrete project
Call (603) 956-1034 or send the form with a photo or two, and I'll show up already thinking about your slope, your access and where the water goes.