Concrete Contractor in Wellesley, MA - Driveways and Steps Built on a Solid Base
Essential Brookline Concrete Company is a concrete contractor based in Brookline. We pour driveways, steps, patios, garage floors and foundations for homes in Wellesley, MA, with our own crew and me on site.
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Wellesley's older houses and long driveways
Most of our work in Wellesley is on single-family houses, plenty of them older, on lots big enough for a long driveway, a back patio and a set of front steps that have seen a lot of shoveling. The calls sound a lot like the ones we get from Newton and Needham next door: a driveway cracked through, steps pulling away from the house, a patio tipping toward the foundation.
On houses this age, the concrete is usually old and so is whatever it was poured on. That's where we start, because a new slab on the same loose fill just settles the way the last one did.
Working in Wellesley: permits, registration and price
In Wellesley, building permits come from inspectors in the city's Building Department, and the city says most construction projects need one, though not all. I check with them before we book your job, and when a permit is needed we pull it ourselves and keep you posted, so the pour date waits on the permit and not the other way around. Before you hire anyone, make sure they're registered with the state as a Home Improvement Contractor, which the state requires of anyone who bids on or does work on an existing, owner-occupied house of one to four units. A business working under a trade name also files a business certificate with the Town Clerk.
What moves the price here is mostly what's under the old concrete and how much of it has to come out, then the size and thickness of the new slab, how close the truck can get on a long driveway set back from the street, and the finish you pick. The schedule turns on the permit, our calendar and the days the slab needs before you use it, and your written estimate puts your figure down with what's included and what isn't. It's the same way we work in Dedham and the other cities around Brookline.
What do concrete driveways in Wellesley need most?
Mostly a better base. A lot of the cracked and sinking driveways and patios we see here were poured on subgrade, the dirt the slab sits on, that was raked flat instead of dug out and packed, so they settled right along with it. When a budget gets tight, the base is the first thing people want to cut because nobody sees it on day one, and it's the last thing I'll cut, because a neat broom finish, the light texture that keeps tires and shoes from slipping, does nothing for a slab that's sinking. Concrete doesn't get a second draft.
Water is the other half. Before we pour we check where it runs so the slab falls away from your house, and we cut control joints, shallow grooves that tell the concrete where to crack, early enough that it cracks there and not across the middle. Concrete cracks. The job is deciding where.
- Call (617) 274-7964
- Mon–Fri: 6 AM–9 PM, Sat–Sun: 8 AM–10 PM
- Brookline, MA 02445
Concrete work we do in Wellesley
Concrete driveway building
Older Wellesley driveways usually crack where the base gave out underneath. We dig out, pack a proper base and pour, pitched away from the house.
Garage floor concrete
Older garage floors here are often pitted and pitched wrong. We break out the old slab and pour new garage floor concrete that drains to the door.
Concrete steps construction
Front steps on older houses settle and pull away from the house. We tear them out and form new ones on footings dug deep enough to stay put.
Concrete patio construction
Back patios on older lots often sit on fill nobody packed, so they sink at the corners. We dig to firm ground and build the base back up.
Concrete retaining walls
Sloped yards push hard on the walls holding them, and a tired wall leans first. We build concrete walls with drainage behind so water doesn't add to it.
Concrete footings
Additions and new porches on older houses need footings that carry the load. We dig, form and pour footings sized for what sits on them.
How it works when you call us about a Wellesley job
Call or send the form
You call (617) 274-7964 or fill in the form, and we set a time for me to come out to your house in Wellesley. It helps if you're home, since I'll have questions only you can answer.
I look at what's underneath
I look at the job and ask what's under it, where the water goes and what it has to carry. You get a written estimate that spells out what's included and what isn't.
We sort out permit and timing
We handle the permit side and set the timing before we book a pour. In Wellesley, permit review generally takes 10 to 14 days for new construction and may be shorter for other projects, so we plan the pour date around it.
We pour and walk it
Our crew does the work with me on site, and when we're done I walk it with you. I'll tell you when you can walk and drive on it and how to treat it.
Get a free on-site concrete estimate in Wellesley
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set a time for me to come out to your Wellesley property. The estimate is free, done on site and written down, with no obligation and no pressure to book.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Phone
- (617) 274-7964
- Location
- Brookline, MA 02445
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 6 AM–9 PM, Sat–Sun: 8 AM–10 PM
Questions about concrete work in Wellesley
How do I find out if my concrete project in Wellesley needs a permit?
The quickest way is to have us check, because we confirm the permit question with the city before we book any job. Some work also needs a certified plot plan on the city's residential permit checklist, including retaining walls that hold back 4 or more feet of fill, footprint changes, swimming pools and new construction. If your job is one of those, we'll tell you at the estimate.
How do I check a concrete contractor's registration in Massachusetts?
Look for the contractor's active registration number, because the state requires it on building permits, contracts and advertising for residential contracting, and you can find more on the state's Home Improvement Contractor resources. A Construction Supervisor License is a separate credential from that registration, and contractors with either one who apply for a permit in Wellesley also register it with the city's building office. We're fully licensed and insured.
Do I need a written contract for concrete work in Massachusetts?
Yes, for work estimated at $1,000 or more, the law requires a written contract between you and the contractor that includes certain provisions. Our written estimate already lays out what's included and what isn't, so nothing in the contract should surprise you.
Does concrete work near a wetland or stream in Wellesley need extra approval?
Yes, the city's checklist lists Natural Resource Commission and Wetlands Committee approval as required for projects within 100 feet of a wetland or within 200 feet of a perennial stream or river. If your yard backs onto water, tell me when I come out, so it's sorted before we plan the pour.
What drives the cost of a new concrete driveway in Wellesley?
Size, thickness and what has to come out first drive most of it. A driveway that carries cars is usually poured thicker than a patio, often five inches or more against four, and many get rebar, steel inside the slab that holds cracks tight. Breaking out the old slab, rebuilding the base, getting the truck close on a long drive and choosing stamped over a broom finish all add to it, and your written estimate gives you the number.
How long before I can drive on a new concrete driveway in Wellesley?
Usually a day or two before you walk on it and about a week before you drive on it, and I'll give you the days for your slab when we finish. That wait is curing, the time the concrete needs to gain strength, and parking on it early is how a good slab gets a bad start.
Plan your Wellesley concrete job with us
Concrete doesn't get a second draft, so call (617) 274-7964 or use the form and we'll work out the base and the water before anyone orders a truck.
Request an estimateCall (617) 274-7964