Concrete cutting in Portsmouth NH - clean openings planned around what's inside
Need a drain line through the floor, a doorway in a foundation wall or a broken section gone? We scan first, cut wet and leave a clean edge.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- We respond within 1 business day.
Who can cut a clean opening in concrete in Portsmouth?
The short answer: Concrete cutting in Portsmouth is how we open a slab or wall without wrecking the rest of it, using saws for straight cuts and doorways and core drills for the round holes that pipe, drain or conduit pass through.
At Portsmouth Concrete Works, we're based in Portsmouth and work on both sides of the Piscataqua River, and most calls start with some other job that's stuck behind concrete, like a new basement drain, a doorway through a foundation wall or a cracked section that has to come out. The price mostly moves with what we're cutting, how thick and how reinforced it is, and how many round holes you need. The schedule turns on the scan and on whether the cut changes anything structural, because that can mean a question for the city before we start. I'll give you your own figure in a written estimate once I've seen the spot.
How do you know it's time to cut the concrete?
A pipe needs a path
You've got a new bathroom, sump or vent planned, and the line has to pass through a floor or foundation wall. That usually calls for a round core hole sized to the pipe, and putting it off leaves the plumber stuck or tempted to bust a ragged hole with a hammer, which can crack more than it opens.
One section is broken
Part of a patio, walk or driveway is cracked, sunken or lifted while the rest still sits fine. A straight saw cut lets us take out only the bad piece, and waiting lets water work under the broken edge and spread the damage into concrete that was fine.
A wall needs an opening
You want a door, window or egress opening in a basement or foundation wall. That's structural work, so it usually needs a wall saw and a plan for what the wall is carrying, and rushing it costs far more than taking the time to plan it.
How our concrete cutting jobs run, start to finish
This is the work I enjoy most, figuring out how to open a slab or wall without hurting what's inside it. We start by asking what you know about the concrete, and if you have structural drawings, we look at those first. Then we scan for rebar, the steel inside that holds a slab together, along with cables and conduit, and mark the lines around what we find. That matters most in a slab built with post-tension cables, because those cables hold stored force, and cutting one can damage the structure and is dangerous for anyone nearby. We pick the saw for the surface, cut wet so the water on the blade keeps the dust down, and clean up the slurry, the gray paste of water and concrete dust the blade leaves behind.
Cutting is often the first half of a bigger job. A cracked strip of driveway can be saw cut out and poured back as part of concrete driveway building, and a worn-out patio section can come out along a straight line before concrete patio construction puts new concrete in its place.
Flat sawing for slabs
This suits floors, driveways, patios and walks, anywhere the concrete lies level and the saw can roll along a straight line. It's how we take out a section or open a trench for a new drain, and slab cutting usually runs less than wall sawing.
Wall and hand sawing
Foundation walls get a wall saw for a straight, square opening, and a hand saw reaches the tight spots a bigger machine can't get into. Very thick or heavily reinforced sections sometimes call for a wire saw instead.
Core drilling for pipe holes
A core drill bores a clean round hole through a floor or wall, sized for a pipe, drain, vent or conduit. Core holes are usually priced apart from saw cuts, so tell us how many you need and what goes through them.
What happens after you call us about concrete cutting in Portsmouth?
Most of a good cutting job happens before the saw starts. Here's how it goes from your first call to a swept-up floor, and who you'll be dealing with at each step.
- Step 01
Tell us the surface and cut
Call (603) 956-1034 or send the form, and tell us what we're cutting, the rough length of the cut and whether you have structural drawings. We'll set up a time to come look.
- Step 02
I walk the site myself
I come out, look at the concrete, ask how you'll use the space once it's open, and then send you a written estimate. You'll have the price in writing before you decide anything.
- Step 03
Sort permits, then pick dates
If the cut touches anything structural, we work through the city's questions before we set a date. We pick the cut date, and any pour-back, with the season in mind.
- Step 04
Scan, cut wet, clean up
Our own crew scans the concrete, cuts along the marked lines with water on the blade and cleans up the slurry. If new concrete goes back in, we prep the base, pour, finish and leave the site clean.
Concrete cutting in Portsmouth and what the city needs to see
In Portsmouth, building permits come from the city's Inspection Office, and its list names structural changes and demolition rather than concrete cutting by itself, so whether your cut needs a permit comes down to what it changes and isn't settled until someone asks. When the work touches structure, like a new doorway through a foundation wall, the city wants the framing shown on sketches or engineered plans, though most residential projects don't need stamped plans and the code official decides when engineered ones are required. Before we set a cut date, we check what the office needs and help pull together the sketches or drawings it asks for, and you can reach the Inspection Office yourself at 603-610-7243 with permit questions.
On older houses in Portsmouth, and on jobs across the river in Kittery and up in Dover, we often find basement floors and walls with no drawings at all, or with pipe and wire added over the years that nobody wrote down. That's why we scan the spot before we cut instead of trusting a guess about where things run.
Get a written estimate for your concrete cutting job
We reply within one business day to set up a visit, and I come out myself to look at the concrete. The estimate is free, done at your property, and there's no pressure to book.
Why Portsmouth homeowners call Portsmouth Concrete Works
The owner scopes every job
I come out to look at the job and write the estimate myself, and our own crew does the work. The person who studied your slab is the one who planned the cut, so nothing gets lost between a salesperson and a crew.
Nine years of awkward jobs
I started this business in 2017 after years on other crews, and we're known for taking on the awkward jobs, like tight side lots and old slabs that need opening up. A cut through an old basement floor is exactly the kind of puzzle I like working out.
We're fully licensed and insured
Portsmouth Concrete Works is fully licensed and insured. Ask me about it when I'm out for the estimate, because you should know who's covering the work at your house.
City sidewalk use cleared first
If our saw, hoses or truck need to sit on a city sidewalk during permitted work, Portsmouth wants an application to its Inspection Department first. We build that into the plan so a cut date doesn't slip over it.
On a cutting job, the most important work happens before the blade touches anything, so tell us about your concrete and I'll come take a look.
Concrete cutting questions from Portsmouth homeowners
How much does concrete cutting cost in Portsmouth NH?
Professional concrete saw cutting across the US usually costs about $4 to $15 per linear foot, and that's for the saw cut itself, since round core holes are priced apart. Reinforced or deeper slabs land higher per foot than easy-to-reach ones, wall sawing often runs more than slab cutting, and a short cut may be priced mostly by a minimum charge, so it's fair to ask what that minimum is. Your written estimate gives you the figure for your job.
Do I need a permit to cut concrete in Portsmouth?
You may, because the city's permit list covers structural changes and demolition, and a cut that opens a foundation wall or removes part of a structural slab can fall under those. The list doesn't name concrete cutting on its own, so we check with the city on your job before we set a date.
Why should concrete be scanned before cutting?
Scanning can help find rebar, cables and conduit inside the concrete before a blade or core drill hits them. Drawings and what you can see on the surface are useful, but they don't show that a spot is clear, so the scan comes before the cut. If you have the latest structural drawings or post-tension records, share them with us ahead of time.
How do concrete cutters keep the dust down?
Water on the blade is the main fix, because wet cutting substantially reduces the dust that comes off concrete, brick, block and stone. The water turns that dust into slurry, which is far easier to contain and clean up than a cloud drifting through your basement. It's a good question to ask any crew before you hire them.
How long does concrete cutting take?
A single straight cut or a core hole is usually a short visit, and much of that time goes to scanning, setting up water and cleaning up rather than the cut itself. A wall opening takes longer, because the planning and any city review come before the saw does. If a pour-back follows, the new concrete needs curing time, the wait while it hardens, before you walk or drive on it.
What is the best way to remove part of a concrete patio?
Saw cut a straight line around the damaged section and break out only that piece, so the edge left behind is clean and square for new concrete to meet. Before the pour-back, what's under it matters more than the finish on top, because a patch over dirt that was only raked level will settle, while a dug-out, packed base holds. If the budget is tight, I'd trim the finish before I'd skimp on the base.
Concrete work that often follows a cut
Concrete driveway building
When a sunken stretch of driveway comes out, the new section needs a packed base and a clean tie-in to the old edge so it sits flush.
Concrete patio construction
After the broken part of your patio is cut out, a pour-back on a packed base, sloped away from your house, gives the new section a solid start.
Line up your cut before the trades arrive
Call (603) 956-1034 or send the form before your plumber or carpenter is booked, so the scan and cut fit around their schedule.