Concrete Contractor in Somersworth, NH - Driveways and Patios That Drain Right
Portsmouth Concrete Works pours driveways, patios, sidewalks, garage floors and foundations for homeowners in Somersworth, NH. I come out to look at each job myself, and our own crew does the digging, base work and pour.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- We respond within 1 business day.
Concrete work around Somersworth homes and yards
The short answer: Yes, we work in Somersworth. Portsmouth Concrete Works is a concrete contractor based in Portsmouth, NH, and we pour driveways, patios, walks, steps, garage floors and foundations here. I start each job by looking at what's under the old concrete and where the water goes, because that's where most slab trouble begins.
Downtown Somersworth sits beside the Great Falls on the Salmon Falls River, and the older blocks near it still have the brick buildings that were put up to house workers, set close together on streets that were graded a long time ago. Farther out, the houses get newer and the yards open up, with longer driveways and room for a patio out back, much like the neighborhoods next door in Dover.
That mix shapes the job before we pick up a shovel. On a tight older lot the truck often can't reach, so we wheel the concrete in, and the old walks there tend to sit on loose fill we have to dig out. Newer lots let the truck back right up, so the work turns on slope and drainage.
Why driveways and patios here crack and sink
Most of the cracked and sunken concrete we see here started underneath. A slab poured on raked-out fill instead of a dug-out, packed subgrade, the ground the slab actually rests on, settles as that dirt settles, and New Hampshire winters make it worse when water gets under the edge, freezes and lifts it. So we dig down to firm ground, pack the base in layers and pour at a thickness that suits what's going to sit on it.
Water is the other half. Lots near the Salmon Falls River can fall in a mapped flood area, and the state's flood hazards viewer shows Somersworth's flood mapping with property lines laid over most areas. If your lot is in one, we plan around that review from the start, and on any lot we check where the roof and driveway send water so the new slab falls away from your house.
Concrete services for Somersworth homeowners
Concrete driveway building
When an old driveway has sunk, split or holds water by the garage, we dig out the soft fill, pack a new base and pour it pitched away.
Concrete patio construction
For a backyard patio, we ask how you'll use it, then set the height and slope so rain runs toward the yard, not under your back door.
Stamped concrete services
Stamped concrete gives a patio or walk the look of stone or brick, which can suit the older brick homes here, poured over the same packed base.
Concrete sidewalk building
A front walk that heaves or trips people usually sits on poor fill, so we replace the base and cut control joints, planned grooves that steer cracks.
Garage floor concrete
When a garage floor is cracked, crumbling or sloped the wrong way, we take it out and pour a new slab that drains toward the door.
Decorative concrete
Decorative concrete covers color, exposed stone and borders that dress up a plain slab, and we talk through which finishes hold up to winter salt before you choose.
Concrete retaining walls
Sloped yards often need a concrete retaining wall to hold the soil back, and we plan the footing and the drainage behind it so water doesn't build up.
Concrete floor installation
For basements, workshops and additions, we pour interior concrete floors over a packed base, set to the height your doors and drains need.
Concrete pool decks
A pool deck has to drain away from the water and give wet feet some grip, so we pitch it with care and choose a textured finish.
Concrete steps construction
Crumbling front steps on older houses usually come out and go back in with a proper footing below, so the new set has something solid to sit on.
Slab foundation building
For a garage, shed or addition on a slab, we dig out, pack the base and lay rebar, steel rods that help hold the slab together.
Foundation installation
When you're building a house or an addition, we form and pour the foundation walls, working from the drawings the city's building office asks for.
Concrete parking lot building
For small business lots and apartment parking, we pour concrete thick enough for the traffic it carries and pitched so water heads for the drains.
Concrete footings
Decks, porches and additions sit on footings, the concrete pads set below the frost line, and we dig and pour them to the depth the plans call for.
Foundation raising
When an older foundation has settled or needs more height, we raise the house and rebuild underneath, after checking what made it sink in the first place.
Concrete cutting
We saw-cut openings in old slabs and walls for doors, drains or repairs, so only the part that has to go comes out.
Get a free on-site concrete estimate in Somersworth
We reply within one business day to set up a visit. I come out to Somersworth myself, walk the site with you and send a free written estimate, with no obligation and no pressure to book.
Working in Somersworth: permits, price and access
In Somersworth, building permits come from the city's Code Enforcement Office, and the Building Inspector's office at (603) 692-9520 can tell you which permit fits your job before work begins. We check what the office needs before we set a pour date, and I help pull together the sketches or site plans it asks for. We're fully licensed and insured. What moves the price is mostly what's under the slab and how hard the site is to reach, and the schedule turns on the permit and the season, so your written estimate is where you'll see both for your lot.
Downtown, with houses set close together, there isn't much room for a concrete truck, so we plan where it parks and pour early in the day, which also keeps us out of the midday heat that can leave a weak, dusty top. It's the same work we do over in Eliot on the Maine side, and on both sides of the river the job comes down to what's underneath and where the water goes.
How a concrete job runs when you call us in Somersworth
Here's how a Somersworth job goes with us, from your first call to a cleaned-up site, with the city's permit review fitting in before we set a pour date.
- Step 01
Call or send a message
Call (603) 956-1034 or use the form, and we'll set a time for me to come out. You don't need plans yet, just a rough idea of what you want.
- Step 02
I walk the site with you
I look at what's under the old concrete, where water runs and how the truck can reach, and ask how you'll use the space. Then I send a written estimate, so you know the cost before anything is decided.
- Step 03
Sort out permits and dates
We handle what the city needs, and a building permit there takes two to ten working days on average, depending on the Inspector's workload and assuming a complete application with no questions from the office. Then we pick a pour date with the season in mind.
- Step 04
Prep, pour, finish, clean up
Our own crew digs out and packs the base, then pours and finishes, and I'm on site for the pour. We clean up before we leave.
Somersworth concrete questions homeowners ask
Do I need a permit to pour a concrete driveway or patio in Somersworth?
Check with the city before any pour, because its permit page says any construction work requires a permit, though its list of examples names things like decks, roofing and windows rather than slabs. The Building Inspector's office can tell you which permit applies, and if the work changes how the property is used, such as turning a garage into living space, the city requires a Major Building Permit.
How do I know which building code applies to my concrete project in Somersworth?
The New Hampshire State Building Code applies in Somersworth as it does everywhere in the state, and the version in effect when your permit application comes in stays with that work. Through December 31, 2026, a permit request can follow either the older or the updated codes but not a mix of the two, and beginning January 1, 2027 every request goes on the updated codes.
Who schedules inspections for concrete work in Somersworth?
The city puts that on the owner or the contractors, and any construction that needs a permit needs inspections. You can see your application and inspection results on the city's public portal, and before the pour we settle with you who's making each call.
How much does a concrete driveway cost in Somersworth?
Your figure comes in the written estimate after I've seen the lot, and it rises with the size, the thickness and how much soft fill has to come out first. When a budget is tight, I'd rather keep the full dig-out and packed base and go with a plain broom finish, the light texture that gives tires and shoes grip, because a fancy surface can't save a slab that's settling. Tearing out an old slab or a tight lot the truck can't reach adds to it as well.
Will a new concrete driveway in Somersworth crack like my old one?
Some hairline cracking is normal for concrete, but a slab on a packed base with joints cut on time shouldn't break up and sink the way a poorly built one does. Old slabs here usually fail from the soft base and water trouble covered above, or from control joints cut late or skipped, so the cracks landed wherever they liked. We cut ours while the concrete is fresh, so the cracks it does make follow the lines we chose.
How long does a new concrete driveway take to cure before I can drive on it?
You can usually walk on it within a few days and drive on it some days after that, and I give you the dates for your slab before we pour. Curing, the slow hardening that gives concrete its strength, runs slower in cool weather, so a spring or fall pour in Somersworth can mean a longer wait. Plan on parking in the street for that stretch.
Plan your Somersworth concrete job this winter
Call (603) 956-1034 or send a message through the form now, so the permit and plans are settled over the cold months and your slab can go in once the ground is ready.