Concrete Contractor in Hampton, NH - Slabs Built on a Solid Base
Portsmouth Concrete Works is a concrete contractor based in Portsmouth, NH. We pour driveways, patios, walkways, steps, garage floors and foundations for homes in Hampton, from the beach streets to the older neighborhoods inland.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- We respond within 1 business day.
Hampton concrete work, from beach lots to inland homes
The short answer: Portsmouth Concrete Works takes on concrete jobs all over Hampton, NH. I come down from Portsmouth to look at the site myself, and our own crew builds driveways, patios, steps, walkways, garage floors and foundations here, with most of the effort going into the base and the drainage before any concrete shows up.
Near the water, a lot of Hampton is summer cottages and year-round houses set close together on small lots off Route 1A, a short walk from Hampton Beach State Park. Driveways there tend to be short and boxed in by fences and the house next door, which is the same close-quarters work we do in Seabrook and Rye.
Inland, toward the center of town, the houses get older and the lots get bigger, and the slabs and steps have often been patched more than once. Breaking those out is how we learn what the ground is really like, and between the loose, sandy soil you often find near the beach and the old fill under some older slabs, the dig-out usually shapes the job more than the pour does.
Why Hampton slabs sink, crack and hold water
Most of the sunken and cracked slabs I look at here have the same problem underneath. The subgrade, the ground the slab sits on, was raked flat and never dug out or packed, so the concrete settled right along with the loose dirt and sand under it. We dig down until we hit firm ground, then bring in stone and pack it, because that's what keeps a new slab where we put it.
Water is the other thing I check on every lot. On a small beach lot or a flat yard inland, a driveway or patio that tips even slightly toward the house sends rain at the foundation, so I watch where the water runs now and we pitch the new slab to carry it away.
Concrete services we offer in Hampton
Concrete driveway building
When a driveway has sunk or holds puddles by the garage, we dig to firm ground, pack a new base and pour a slab that sheds water.
Concrete patio construction
A patio on a small beach lot has to fit beside the house and still carry rain away from the foundation, and we lay it out for both.
Stamped concrete services
Stamped concrete gives a patio or walk the look of stone or brick that suits an older house, pressed in while the surface is still soft.
Concrete sidewalk building
A front walk that's sunk where it meets the steps can trip a guest, so we rebuild it on a packed base, pitched so rain runs off.
Garage floor concrete
When an old garage floor is cracked, pitted or tipping toward a wall, we break it out and pour a new one that drains toward the door.
Decorative concrete
Colored and textured finishes dress up a front entry or a beach house patio, and we pick the look to suit the house and how you use it.
Concrete retaining walls
Where a yard drops toward the street, a concrete retaining wall holds the soil back, with drainage behind it so water doesn't build up against it.
Concrete floor installation
For a basement, a workshop or a converted outbuilding, we pour an interior floor over a packed base and finish it smooth enough to live and work on.
Concrete pool decks
A pool deck needs a surface that stays grippy when it's wet and a slope that sends splash water off the deck instead of back into the pool.
Concrete steps construction
Front steps on older Hampton houses often crumble at the edges or pull away from the house, and we rebuild them on proper footings.
Slab foundation building
For a garage, shed or addition, a slab foundation is often the simplest choice, with rebar, steel bars that tie the concrete together, set before the pour.
Foundation installation
When you're building new or adding on, we form and pour full foundation walls and work with your builder so the schedule lines up.
Concrete parking lot building
For a small business, a rental property or a shared lot near the beach, we build concrete parking areas thick enough for steady traffic and planned to drain.
Concrete footings
Decks, porches, sheds and additions sit on footings, the concrete pads that carry the weight into firm ground, and we dig and pour them to your plans.
Foundation raising
When an older house has settled and doors stick or floors slope, we look at the foundation and lift and support it where that's the right fix.
Concrete cutting
For a doorway in a foundation wall, a trench in a slab or a clean edge before new work, we saw-cut the concrete instead of breaking it.
Get a free estimate for your Hampton concrete job
Tell us what you're planning for your Hampton property, and we'll get back to you within one business day to set up a visit. I come out myself to walk the site, then send you a free written estimate, with no pressure to book.
Working in Hampton: permits, base work and price
On a Hampton job, the town's Building Department issues building permits, and it issues them for all new construction. Its list names garages, sheds, pools and additions but doesn't call out driveways, patios or other flatwork, the slabs that sit right on the ground, so before we set a pour date we ask the department what your job needs, and you can reach it yourself at 603-929-5826. That answer can push the pour back a bit, which is why I bring it up at the estimate, and when the department asks for a sketch or a site plan we help pull it together. We're fully licensed and insured, and our work is backed by our satisfaction guarantee.
What moves the price here is mostly the part you won't see, like how much old concrete has to come out, how deep we dig to reach firm ground, how far we carry stone on a tight lot, and how big and thick the slab is. The finish matters too, from a plain broom finish, the brushed texture that keeps a driveway from getting slick, to stamped or colored work. If something has to give in the budget, I'll tell you to cut the fancy finish before the base, because the base is buried on day one and it's what decides whether the slab stays flat. The schedule mostly turns on the town's answer and the pour date, and the written estimate I send after the visit gives you the figure for your own job. It's the same base-first way we work up the coast in York, ME.
How it works when you call us about a Hampton job
Here's how a Hampton job goes from your first call to a finished slab, and where the town's permit and inspection steps fit in along the way.
- Step 01
Call or send a message
Call (603) 956-1034 or describe the job on our contact form, and we'll get back to you to set up a visit. It helps to tell us what's there now and what you'd like in its place.
- Step 02
I walk the site with you
I come out myself, look at where the water runs and how a truck gets in, and ask how you'll use the space, so it helps if you're home. Afterward I send a written estimate for you to look over before you decide anything.
- Step 03
Sort permits and pick a date
Once you're ready, we check with the town on any permit and inspections and choose a pour date with the season in mind. We plan the pour for the cooler part of the day, because concrete finished in midday heat can end up with a weak, dusty top.
- Step 04
Prep, pour, finish, clean up
Our own crew digs out and packs the base, I'm on site for the pour, the finish and the joint cutting, and we clean up before we leave. If the job had a permit, the town does a final inspection no matter how small the work, and that's how it closes the permit file.
Questions Hampton homeowners ask about concrete work
How much does a concrete driveway cost in Hampton, NH?
The cost of a Hampton driveway is set mostly by its size, how hard the lot is to get into and how much base work the ground needs, so I price it after seeing the site. On a tight beach lot where the truck can't back up to the forms, we may need a pump or extra hands to move concrete and stone, and loose ground means more digging. Call (603) 956-1034 and you'll have a written figure after the visit.
How long is a building permit good for in Hampton, NH?
A Hampton building permit expires one year from the day it's issued. It also becomes invalid if work hasn't started within six months, with no refund, and work still unfinished at the one-year mark needs a renewal, as the town lays out in its building permit requirements. That's why we keep the permit and the pour date lined up, so a permit doesn't run out while you wait.
How much notice does Hampton need to schedule a building inspection?
The town asks for at least 24 hours' notice before the date and time you want an inspection. Not every inspection on the town's list applies to every project, but the ones that do have to be scheduled properly, so we work out which ones your job needs before the pour date is set.
What does Hampton require around a pool when I add a concrete pool deck?
For an in-ground pool, Hampton requires a fence or barrier at least 48 inches high with a lockable gate, so we lay out the deck with that barrier in mind from the first sketch. Plot plans for pool permits also have to show any marked wetlands and wetland buffers, with the distances from them to the work, and we help pull that plan together.
How do I keep a new concrete patio from cracking like the old one?
The best way is to get the base, the drainage and the joints right, because that's where most patio cracks start. We pack the base, slope the slab away from the house and cut control joints, grooves that give the concrete a straight, planned place to crack, early enough to do their job, with rebar inside to hold the pieces together. Concrete can still crack, but on a slab built this way it usually happens along those joints where nobody notices.
How long before I can drive on a new concrete driveway in Hampton?
You can usually walk on a new driveway well before you can drive on it, and I give you both days once I know the mix and the weather for your pour. Concrete keeps gaining strength while it cures, the wait while it hardens, so parking on it too early can mark or crack a slab that would have been fine. On a beach lot where the driveway is your only parking, we talk through where your car goes for those days.
Plan your Hampton concrete job with us
We're open until 11 PM on weekdays and 9 PM on weekends, so call (603) 956-1034 after work or describe the job on the contact form.