Concrete driveway building
Driveways here are often narrow strips between houses, so we plan the tear-out and the pour around tight access and pitch the slab so water runs away from the house.
Concrete contractor in Somerville, MA - driveways and steps for tight city lots
K&R Somerville Concrete Construction is a concrete contractor based in Somerville, MA. We build driveways, steps, patios, walkways and foundation work on the city's tight lots, and I come out myself to look at every job.
How concrete work goes on Somerville lots
Somerville is close-set houses on small lots, and that shapes almost every concrete job here. Driveways run in narrow strips between buildings, front steps climb up from the sidewalk, and the patio often sits right against the back wall. Many of our calls are about old slabs that have sunk or cracked, or water pooling toward the foundation. We're based here and work across the cities around it, from Cambridge to Medford.
Most work on a house here runs through the city's Inspectional Services Department, which issues building permits. We check with that office early on each job, before we settle the plan. When the paperwork is ours to file, we file it and keep it moving, and when it's yours, we tell you what to bring.
The price moves with the size and thickness of the slab, how much old concrete comes out, how deep the base work goes and how hard it is to get a truck to the spot. The schedule turns on the permit, the weather and curing, the wait while fresh concrete gains strength before you walk or drive on it. After I measure and talk it through with you, I send an estimate for your job.
Tight lots, close neighbors
Most lots here leave little room for a truck, so we plan access with you and leave the site cleaner than we found it, so you're still on good terms next door.
The base comes before the finish
Concrete is hard to undo, so we dig out and pack the base and check where the water runs. It's hidden on day one, and it decides whether the slab settles later.
One person on your job
I come out to look at the job myself and stay on it through the work. Our crew digs, forms, pours and finishes, and we line up any other licensed trades.
Concrete work we do on Somerville properties
Concrete patio construction
Patios here usually sit tight against the house, so we dig out and pack the base first, because a slab that settles toward your wall sends water right at it.
Stamped concrete services
Stamped concrete presses a pattern into the surface while it's still soft, so we settle the layout with you before the pour, because there's no redoing it once it sets.
Concrete sidewalk building
Front walks and side paths take a lot of foot traffic, so we give them a broom finish, a brushed texture that helps your footing when it's wet or icy.
Garage floor concrete
Older detached garages here often have cracked or sunken floors, so we break out the old slab, rebuild what it sits on and pour a new floor that drains toward the door.
Decorative concrete
Colored and textured finishes can dress up a front walk or a small yard, and we'll tell you plainly when a plainer finish over a better base is the smarter spend.
Concrete retaining walls
Lots that step down to a neighbor's yard need walls that hold soil and let water out, so we plan the footing and the drainage behind the wall before we form it.
Concrete floor installation
Basement and addition floors often go in with little room to work, so we plan how the concrete gets inside before we grade, set the vapor barrier and pour.
Concrete pool decks
Pool decks take splashing water all summer, so we pitch the slab to drain away from the pool and the house and pick a finish with grip underfoot.
Concrete steps construction
Many houses here sit well above the sidewalk, so we build front steps on proper footings with even step heights, because one odd step is the one people trip on.
Slab foundation building
For additions, garages and sheds on small lots, we dig out and pack the subgrade, the soil the slab rests on, and set rebar, the steel that keeps a crack from opening.
Foundation installation
Foundations for additions here usually go in close to the next house, so we plan the dig, the forms and the pour around the property line and the neighbors.
Concrete parking lot building
Small landlords often need a rear lot or a few spaces poured, so we set the grade so water runs off instead of pooling against the building.
Concrete footings
Decks, porches and additions on older houses sit on footings, the concrete pads that carry the weight, so we size and set them for what goes on top.
Foundation raising
When a corner of an older house has settled or you want more basement height, I look at what's underneath first, and we line up the licensed trades the lift needs.
Concrete cutting
Cutting a clean line through old concrete lets us replace a broken section, open a doorway or trench for a pipe without tearing out more than we need.
A free on-site concrete estimate in Somerville
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set up a visit. I come out, measure, talk the job through with you and then send a free estimate, with no pressure to book.
What I check on site
I measure, check where the water runs and what's under the old concrete, and look at how a truck gets in, because those are what the plan has to answer before we pour.
Photos help if you have them
Attach a few photos of the old slab and anywhere water collects, so I show up already knowing what to look at and the visit goes faster.
Licensed, insured and guaranteed
We're fully licensed and insured and have been in business since 2013, with satisfaction guaranteed on every job.
Concrete and permit questions from Somerville
Here are the questions Somerville homeowners and landlords ask us most about permits, registration and new concrete.
Do I need a building permit to pour a driveway or patio in Somerville?
For a house, the city requires a building permit for all interior and exterior work except painting, tiling and flooring, so plan on asking about one for a driveway, patio or new steps. The permit has to be issued before work starts. If your job is a borderline case, call the city's building division at 617-625-6600 ext. 5600.
Can a homeowner pull their own building permit in Somerville?
Yes, if you own and live in a one- or two-family house, the city lets you get the building permit for it yourself. For a three-family or larger building, a licensed contractor has to apply for and obtain it, which matters for a lot of small landlords here. Either way, we tell you early who files and what to bring.
Does a concrete contractor need HIC registration in Massachusetts?
Yes, if the work is on an existing, owner-occupied home with one to four units. The state requires anyone who bids on or does that work to register as a Home Improvement Contractor. On work estimated at $1,000 or more, you need a written contract with the terms the state requires, and the contractor's active registration number goes on the contract and the permit.
Will a new concrete driveway in Somerville crack like my old one?
Any slab can crack, but a well-built one usually cracks where we planned it to. We cut control joints, shallow grooves that give the slab a straight line to crack along, while the concrete is still fresh. Most failed driveways we see here trace back to a base that was raked level instead of dug out and packed, so that's where we spend our time.
Concrete work in these cities
These are the cities with their own page on our site. If yours isn't listed, call or send the form and ask, since we work across the cities around Somerville.
Plan your Somerville concrete job with us
Call (617) 284-0921 weekdays until 11 PM or send the form, and we'll start your plan with the permit question.