Frequently Asked Questions

In HomeGuide's concrete slab guide, a 400-square-foot (20 by 20) slab costs $2,400 to $4,800 installed. Stamped or stained, a patio that size climbs to $3,200 to $12,000 in HomeGuide's patio guide. Tearing out old concrete, going thicker or a long carry from the truck adds to it. Your written price comes after we see the site.

Residential flatwork is almost always quoted per job or per square foot rather than hourly. HomeGuide splits driveway costs into $3 to $7 per square foot for labor and $3 to $8 per square foot for materials. Our estimates roll everything into one total for the finished slab.

We have not found a published Wisconsin figure we trust. Fixr lists ready-mix at about $90 to $100 per cubic yard nationally, but the concrete itself is only part of a finished job. Base stone, forms, reinforcement, finishing labor and short-load fees often cost more than the concrete.

HomeGuide gives 30 to 40 years for a quality driveway with maintenance. In a freeze-thaw climate the details decide where you land: air-entrained concrete, a compacted base, good drainage, sealing every few years and no salt in the first winter.

HomeGuide says to keep cars off a new driveway for at least 7 days and heavy vehicles off for roughly 28 to 30. Walking on it is usually fine after 24 to 48 hours. You get exact dates for your own pour.

Anything in the public right-of-way, such as a driveway apron or the public walk, generally needs sign-off from the city or village. Kenosha, Pleasant Prairie, Somers and the other towns we serve each have their own rules, so we confirm them for your address before the pour is scheduled.

It depends on what caused the crack. HomeGuide's leveling guide points to replacement when cracks are wider than 1/4 inch or the surface has spalled badly. A slab that is sound but has simply sunk can often be raised instead.

HomeGuide's minimum is 4 inches under cars, 5 to 6 under RVs and heavy trucks, with the edges built up. We often go thicker at the apron, where plows and turning tires load the edge.

We rarely recommend it. A new layer follows the cracks and movement of the old slab and raises the height at the garage. Taking it out is how we get at the base, and the base is usually what failed.

Give it a full week before a car goes on it and roughly a month before anything heavy, per HomeGuide. Walking on it is generally fine after a day or two.

Yes. Sealer slows how fast water and salt soak into the surface. HomeGuide says to apply the first coat after 28 to 30 days and to reseal every 2 to 3 years.

Concrete costs more up front and lasts longer with less upkeep. Asphalt is cheaper but needs sealing and patching more often. Concrete is all we install, and if your situation points to asphalt we will say so.

For plain concrete, HomeGuide's patio guide gives $4 to $12 per square foot. A 12 by 12 foot plain patio runs $600 to $1,700 in its guide, and a 20 by 20 foot one runs $1,600 to $4,800.

Four inches is standard. Under a hot tub or outdoor kitchen, HomeGuide calls for 6 inches plus extra steel.

All concrete shrinks a little while it cures, and a few cracks come with that. Control joints make those cracks happen in straight, planned lines. A compacted base and good drainage keep the slab from heaving and settling.

Often, yes. When the existing slab is sound and level, we drill it and pin the addition on with dowels. If it has sunk or cracked badly, replacing it with the extension usually looks and performs better.

Yes, if it is poured with air-entrained concrete, sealed, and kept free of de-icing salt. The sealer is what protects the surface, so plan on resealing every few years.

Sealer can make smooth patterns slick when wet. For walks and steps we steer toward deeper textures, and grit can be mixed into the sealer.

Fixr lists basic stamped concrete at $8 to $12 per square foot, which is less than most paver installs. Mid-range and high-end stamped designs with several colors can cost as much as pavers or more.

Stamping happens while concrete is fresh, so an existing slab cannot be stamped. A thin stamped overlay is possible on a sound slab, though with our winters a fresh pour is usually the safer bet.

It depends on the city or village. HomeGuide notes that homeowners are often responsible, but rules vary. We check with your local public works office before replacing a public walk.

A section that has only settled can sometimes be lifted back into place. A section that a root has lifted or cracked into pieces usually needs to be replaced, often after the root is cut back.

Per HomeGuide, poured steps cost $200 to $500 apiece and precast steps $100 to $350 apiece. Three poured steps run $600 to $1,500 in its guide.

Usually a mix of salt, water and a surface that was never air entrained or sealed. Steps with no footing can also be heaved by frost. New steps poured with the right mix and a proper footing hold up much longer.

In HomeGuide's slab guide, a two-car garage floor costs $2,400 to $6,900. Breaking out an old floor inside a standing garage adds labor because the work happens by hand or with small equipment.

Per HomeGuide, garage floors usually run 4 to 6 inches thick. We follow the building plans and the local code, and go thicker for trucks or heavy equipment.

A new garage is usually a permitted building, and the slab is part of it. A shed pad may or may not need one depending on size and location. We check with your city or village before we pour.

Plan on a pad that overhangs the shed by a few inches all around. The walls then bear fully on concrete and roof drip lands beyond the slab.

If the slab is sound and only settled or lightly cracked, a repair often makes sense. If cracks are wider than 1/4 inch or the surface is badly spalled, HomeGuide says replacement may be the better investment.

That flaking is called scaling, and it is usually freeze-thaw plus salt attacking a weak top layer. Concrete without air entrainment, finished too wet, or salted in its first winter is most at risk.

HomeGuide expects professionally lifted concrete to last 5 to 10 years or more, provided the water problem behind the sinking gets fixed.

Yes. We saw-cut along joints, remove the damaged panels and pour new concrete doweled to the existing slab. Expect the new panels to look a shade lighter at first.

Yes. Filling cracks and open joints in fall keeps water from getting under the slab and freezing, which slows the damage.