Concrete Contractors in Pleasant Prairie, WI

As concrete contractors serving Pleasant Prairie, we see a wide mix of homes in one village. Pleasant Prairie grew from 11,961 people in 1990 to 21,250 in the 2020 census, and housing units rose from 7,753 in 2010 to 9,000 in 2020. Some of that housing is older lakeside stock, and some went up only recently, so driveway and patio jobs here can look very different from one street to the next.

Carol Beach and the lake side

The Carol Beach area has an unusual history. Edith Rockefeller McCormick bought a 1,554-acre parcel in 1924 to build a planned community called Chiwaukee, but the project collapsed in the Great Depression. In 1946 Joseph Shaffron bought the site, renamed it Carol Beach and started building modest homes. The neighborhood sits between Lake Michigan, Sheridan Road and the Kenosha Sand Dunes, next to the 485-acre Chiwaukee Prairie State Natural Area.

For homes near the lake and the prairie, the big question is water. With coastal wetlands and dunes next door, ground can stay wet into spring, so we pay close attention to grade. A driveway or patio needs to shed water away from the house, and the base under it has to drain. Older slabs poured straight on soil with no stone base are the ones that crack and sink first.

Newer streets west of the lake

The village added about 1,250 housing units between 2010 and 2020 alone. Newer homes usually have wide driveways, attached garages and room for a patio. Typical projects on those lots:

• Stamped concrete patios with a border and a color that matches the house
• Driveway widening to add a third parking spot
• Walks and steps from the driveway to a side or back door
• Shed and garage slabs for storage buildings

Newer does not always mean trouble-free. Backfill around foundations settles for years after a house is built, so sunken stoops and garage aprons show up even on homes that are not very old.

Get a Free Estimate

How we approach a Pleasant Prairie job

We start with a visit. We measure, check slopes with a level, and look at where downspouts empty, because that water is often the cause of a sunken slab. Then you get a written estimate that spells out the tear-out, base work, thickness, reinforcement and finish.

On pour day we use an air-entrained mix for freeze-thaw resistance, place control joints so cracks happen where we want them, and cure the slab before you drive on it. For stamped work we apply sealer and tell you when to reseal. We also check whether the Village of Pleasant Prairie requires a permit for your project, especially when work reaches the street.

Picking a finish

A plain broom finish is the workhorse. The light texture grips in rain and snow, it costs less than decorative work, and it is easy to repair later because a new section blends in fairly well. Stamped concrete costs more and needs more care, but it gives a patio or front walk the look of stone, slate or brick without the loose joints that pavers can develop.

A few things to weigh before you choose:

• Traffic. Driveways usually hold up longer with a broom finish. Stamped surfaces are better suited to patios and walks.
• Upkeep. Stamped and colored concrete needs resealing every few years to keep its color and resist salt. Broom finish can be sealed too, but it is less critical.
• Slip resistance. Smooth stamped patterns can get slick when wet or icy. We can add a grit to the sealer to help.
• Matching the house. We bring color samples so you can see them against your siding or brick in daylight.

A popular middle ground mixes the two: a broom-finish driveway with a stamped border, or a plain walk that leads to a stamped patio.

Repair or replace?

Not every cracked slab needs to go. Hairline cracks can be sealed. A section that has dropped or broken into pieces usually needs to come out. We will tell you which one you are looking at, and why.