Concrete Contractor in Stratham, NH - Driveways and Slabs Built on a Solid Base
Portsmouth Concrete Works pours driveways, patios, walkways, steps, garage floors and foundations for homes in Stratham, NH. We start with what's under the slab and where the water goes, then pour and finish it with our own crew.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
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Concrete work in Stratham, from farmhouses to new builds
The short answer: Portsmouth Concrete Works is a concrete contractor based in Portsmouth, NH, and we take driveway, patio, step, garage floor and foundation jobs in Stratham, from the older farmhouses to the newer neighborhoods. I come out to each job myself to look at the ground, and our own crew does the work.
Stratham still feels like farm country that's filled in over the years. On one road you'll pass an old farmhouse with a barn out back, then a newer house set well back on a wide lot. A lot of what we pour here is for houses like those: long driveways from the road up to the garage, patios out in open yards, and walks to a barn or a shed. There's some business along the main roads, but most of our calls come from homeowners, much like next door in Exeter.
That shapes the job. A long driveway means more base to dig out and pack, more concrete and more joints to plan, and an open yard gives water plenty of room to run the wrong way if nobody sets the slope.
Why Stratham slabs crack, sink and hold water
Most of the cracked and sinking slabs I look at in Stratham went wrong underneath. Either the subgrade, the packed ground and stone a slab sits on, was raked level instead of dug out and compacted, so the concrete settled with the dirt, or the slab tipped toward the house and sent rain at the foundation. We dig to firm ground, pack the base in layers and set the slope before we pour. Then we cut control joints, shallow grooves that give the slab a straight place to crack, while the concrete is still fresh, so any cracks land where we chose. If the budget gets tight, I'd rather you go with a plainer finish than a thinner base, because you can redo a surface later but you can't fix the base without tearing the slab out.
Stratham also has plenty of older farmhouses and barns, and they come with old slabs, barn floors and steps that were often poured over whatever was there. I grew up patching floors like that, so I don't mind opening one up to see what's underneath. Sometimes it can be patched. Often it has to come out, and we'll show you why before we break anything.
Concrete services we offer Stratham homeowners
Concrete driveway building
For long Stratham driveways that have cracked, sunk or started holding puddles, we dig out the soft base, pack new stone and pour a slab that sheds water.
Concrete patio construction
When you want a back patio on an open yard, we set the height and slope first so rain runs off toward the lawn, not toward your foundation.
Stamped concrete services
Stamped concrete pressed with a stone or brick pattern suits a patio or front walk where you want the look of pavers without loose pieces shifting over time.
Concrete sidewalk building
A walkway from the driveway to the front door or out to the barn, poured on a packed base with joints cut where cracks should go.
Garage floor concrete
If your garage floor is pitted, cracked or holds water, we break out the old slab and pour a new one pitched toward the door.
Decorative concrete
Colored, stained or exposed-stone finishes for a patio, entry or pool area, when plain gray concrete would look out of place next to the house.
Concrete retaining walls
On a sloped Stratham yard, a poured wall can hold back the hill so you get a flat spot for a patio, a parking pad or a garden.
Concrete floor installation
Interior slabs for basements, workshops and outbuildings, with the base packed and the surface finished to suit how you'll use the space.
Concrete pool decks
A deck around an in-ground pool needs a surface that isn't slick when wet and a slope that carries splash water away from the pool edge.
Concrete steps construction
When front or back steps have cracked, settled or pulled away from the house, we rebuild them with even risers and steel inside so they hold together.
Slab foundation building
For a garage, addition or outbuilding on a Stratham lot, we lay out, form and pour the slab it sits on, starting with the ground under it.
Foundation installation
Poured foundation walls for new homes, additions and barns, set on footings and formed to match the approved plans for the job.
Concrete parking lot building
For a farm stand, small business or shared drive that sees delivery trucks, we pour a lot thick enough and on a deep enough base to carry them.
Concrete footings
Footings for decks, porches, sheds and additions, dug to the depth the job calls for so the weight above them sits on solid ground.
Foundation raising
If an older farmhouse or barn has a sagging corner or a foundation that's dropped, we look at why it moved before lifting it back toward level.
Concrete cutting
We saw openings in old slabs and walls for doors, drains or new utility lines, and cut out cracked sections so they can be patched or replaced.
Get a free estimate for your Stratham concrete job
Send us a few lines about your Stratham project and we'll get back to you within one business day to set up a visit. I come out myself, walk the site with you and then send a free written estimate, with no obligation and no pressure to book.
Working in Stratham: permits, timing and price
In Stratham, building permits come from the Building Inspector, who issues them for building or altering any building or structure, and the permit has to be in hand before work starts. So the permit sits ahead of the pour date, not beside it. We check what Stratham's building office needs before we schedule anything, then help you pull together the sketches, site plans or drawings it asks for, since every residential permit there needs some. We're fully licensed and insured, which is worth asking any contractor about before they start digging.
What moves the price here is mostly the ground and the length of the run. A long driveway takes more concrete and more base, a slope or a soft spot means more digging and stone, and an old slab has to be broken out and hauled off before we start. The schedule turns on the permit review, the season and how many inspections the job needs, and your written estimate gives you the figure for your own job. We do the same work along the coast in Hampton and Seabrook, so our crew knows this kind of ground.
What to expect when you hire us in Stratham
Here's how a Stratham job goes with us, from your first call to the cleanup. I'm the one who comes out to look, and I'm back on site for the pour.
- Step 01
Tell us about the job
Call (603) 956-1034 or send the form with a few lines about what you have in mind, and we'll set a time for me to come out. It helps if you're home for the visit, because I'll have questions about how you use the space.
- Step 02
I walk the site with you
I look at the grade, where the water runs and what's under any old concrete, and ask how you'll use the driveway or patio. Then I send you a written estimate, so you have the cost in front of you before you decide anything.
- Step 03
Sort the permit and pour date
We help gather the drawings Stratham's building office asks for, and its review time is an estimate that starts once the application is complete, about 5 to 10 business days for minor residential work, 2 to 4 weeks for additions and remodels, and up to 30 days for new construction. Once it's approved, 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, the finishing and the joint cutting. After cleanup the slab needs time to cure, the slow hardening that gives concrete its strength, so we'll tell you when it's ready to walk on and when it's ready to drive on.
Stratham concrete questions we hear most
Do I need a building permit for a concrete driveway or patio in Stratham, NH?
Check with the building office before you pour, because Stratham requires a permit before anyone builds or alters a building or structure, and its list of work that needs no permit covers things like floor coverings, paint, trim, cabinets and counter tops, not concrete. You can download the application from Stratham's permit page and hand it in at the Building Office weekdays from 8:30 to 4:00, or mail it. We sort out what your job needs before we set a date.
How do I know which building code applies to my Stratham permit?
The code in effect on the day Stratham receives your permit application is the one that covers that work. The state building code applies in every New Hampshire city and sets the minimums, and through December 31, 2026, a permit request can follow either the older or the updated state code. From January 1, 2027, every request has to follow the updated one, so if you're applying close to that date, ask the building office which way your plans should be drawn.
Can I pour my own concrete slab in Stratham, or do I need a contractor?
On a single-family house, Stratham lets owners do their own work, but a duplex, a condo or any other dwelling needs a licensed professional contractor. Either way, the permit comes first. If you'd rather hand the base and the pour to us, we're happy to take it on.
How do I schedule a building inspection for concrete work in Stratham?
Call the building office at 603-772-7391 ext. 180, Monday through Friday from 8 to 4, ideally about 48 hours before that stage of the job is done. Some projects need more than one inspection, with the contractor there through those stages, so we work the inspections into the pour schedule from the start.
What happens if I start concrete work in Stratham without a permit?
You pay more for the permit. Anyone who builds or alters a structure without one pays twice the normal fee once the permit is issued, or $100, whichever is greater. That's one reason we settle the permit before we break ground.
How much does a concrete driveway cost in Stratham, NH?
It depends on the size of the slab and how much work the ground needs, and you'll get your own figure in a written estimate after I've seen the site. Beyond length and base work, the thickness of the slab and how much rebar, the steel bars that hold a slab together if it cracks, it needs both raise the price. A stamped or colored finish adds to it too, while a plain broom finish, the light brushed texture that gives tires and shoes grip, keeps it lower.
Tell us about your Stratham concrete project
Call (603) 956-1034 or use our form, and bring your permit questions along, since the drawings for the building office can get started while we're still working out the job.