Concrete Contractor in Saugus, MA - New Driveways, Walks and Steps on a Packed Base
D&L Malden Concrete Company is a concrete contractor based in Malden that pours driveways, patios, walks and steps for Saugus homeowners, and footings and foundations for owners and builders putting up additions and new houses.
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Saugus concrete jobs start under the old slab
The short answer: D&L Malden Concrete Company is a concrete contractor working in Saugus, MA, on driveways, patios, walks, steps and foundations. On every job here we put most of our attention on the parts you won't see once it's done: the packed base, the slope that sends water away and where the joints go.
Most of what we see in Saugus is residential, single-family houses and two-families on their own lots, a lot of them owner-occupied and old enough that the driveway, front walk and steps have been there longer than the people who own them now. The calls tend to match the ones we get in Lynn and Melrose: a driveway that's sunk at one end, a walk that's cracked through, steps that have started to crumble at the edges.
Older lots also mean older bases. When we break out a tired slab here, we usually find out quickly how much of the problem was underneath it, so getting down to firm subgrade, the ground the new slab sits on, is the first part of the job.
Why Saugus driveways and walks give out
The most common thing we see on Saugus driveways and patios is water sitting where it shouldn't, in a low spot by the garage or against the foundation, because the slab settled or was never pitched away from the house in the first place. Standing water soaks into a slab and the dirt under it, and that's where the chipping, the sinking and the cracks tend to start. Before we form anything, we walk the yard to see where the water actually runs, and we set the new slab to carry it off toward the street or the lawn.
The other thing is a budget question. When money's tight, the base is the first place people want to cut, because on pour day nobody sees it and everybody sees the finish. I'd rather you skip the stamped border than skimp on the base, because a fancy surface on soft fill cracks just like the plain slab it replaced.
Concrete work we do on Saugus properties
Concrete driveway building
When your driveway has sunk at the garage end or cracked into pieces, we tear it out, dig to firm ground, pack a new base and pour.
Concrete patio construction
A patio off the back door works when it's pitched away from the house, so rain runs into the yard instead of toward your foundation.
Stamped concrete services
Stamped concrete gives a patio or walk the look of stone or brick in one pour, and we lay out the joints so they sit inside the pattern.
Concrete sidewalk building
If your walk has sunk in spots or tips toward the house, we replace it with a slab sloped to drain, with joints cut where cracks should go.
Garage floor concrete
An old garage floor that's chipped, stained or sloping the wrong way can come out and go back as a new slab that drains toward the door.
Decorative concrete
Decorative concrete covers colored, textured and exposed-stone finishes, and we talk through where each one makes sense, because a finish that's slick when wet doesn't belong on steps.
Concrete retaining walls
Where a yard drops off toward the driveway or the neighbor's lot, a poured retaining wall on footings holds the soil back and gives water a way out.
Concrete floor installation
For basements, workshops and additions, we pour interior floors flat and level over a packed base, so the slab stays put under walls and equipment.
Concrete pool decks
A pool deck needs a finish with grip for wet feet and a pitch that carries splash water away from the pool and the house.
Concrete steps construction
Crumbling front steps are a common call on older houses, and we rebuild them on a solid footing, with every step the same height.
Slab foundation building
A slab foundation for an addition, garage or shed starts with the ground underneath, so we check it, pack it and set the steel before anything is poured.
Foundation installation
For an addition or a new house, we form and pour foundation walls to the plans, with me on site while our crew pours.
Concrete parking lot building
Small business and multifamily lots need a thicker slab and a drainage plan, because standing water and heavy traffic break up a thin pour fast.
Concrete footings
Decks, porches and additions sit on footings, the concrete pads that carry the weight down to firm ground, and we dig and pour them to the plans.
Foundation raising
When part of the house has settled, we find out why before talking about lifting it, because raising it won't last if the cause stays.
Concrete cutting
We saw-cut concrete for new doorways, drain lines and partial tear-outs, so only the damaged section comes out and the rest keeps a clean, straight edge.
Get a free on-site concrete estimate in Saugus
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day to set a time for me to come out to your Saugus property. I'll measure, look at the base and the drainage, and you'll get a written estimate, with no pressure and no obligation to go ahead.
Permits, licenses and paperwork on Saugus concrete jobs
Building permits in Saugus come from the Inspectional Services Department, and when your job needs one, we file the application ourselves and keep you posted, so the pour date gets set around the department's approval rather than ahead of it. On the contractor side, Massachusetts requires anyone bidding on or doing work on an existing, owner-occupied home with one to four units to be registered as a Home Improvement Contractor, and that registration number has to appear on the permit and the contract, so ask for it and look it up. A contractor's business certificate is filed with the clerk where they're based, which for a Saugus company is the Town Clerk's office. We're fully licensed and insured, and I'm glad to show you the paperwork at the estimate.
What moves the price on a Saugus job is the size of the slab, how much old concrete has to come out, how deep we dig to reach firm ground, and whether the mix truck can back up to the forms or we have to wheel the concrete in from the street. The schedule turns on the permit when there is one, the pour date and curing, the wait while the concrete hardens enough to take weight, and the written estimate is where you get your own figure with what's included spelled out. Saugus is next door to Revere and close to Malden, where we're based, so getting the crew and the truck here is an easy run.
How a Saugus concrete job runs from the first call
Here's how a job goes from your first call through the first winter. I look at every job myself, and our crew does the work with me on site.
- Step 01
Call and set a visit
Call (781) 288-8155 or send the form, and we'll set a time for me to come out to your Saugus property. It helps if you're home, because I'll have questions only you can answer.
- Step 02
Get a written estimate
I measure, check where the water runs and ask how you'll use the space, whether that's two cars, a grill or a basketball hoop. You get a written estimate that spells out the mix, the joints, the drainage and what's included, so the cost isn't a guess.
- Step 03
Line up permits and pour
Before anyone digs, we line up any permits the job needs, have the underground lines marked and pick a pour date that suits the season. Then our crew digs out, packs the base, sets the forms and pours, with me on site.
- Step 04
Walk through curing and care
After the pour, we walk you through curing and what the slab needs before and during its first winter. You'll know when it's ready for feet, when it's ready for the car and what to keep off it.
Saugus concrete questions we hear most
Who do I call about building inspections and permits in Saugus, MA?
Call the Inspectional Services Department, which inspects buildings, structures and sites across Saugus against the laws on construction, use and occupancy. It's also the office to ask whether your particular concrete job needs a permit, and if it does, that's the paperwork we take off your hands.
What happens if my contractor's Massachusetts registration has expired?
A contractor who misses the renewal date faces extra cost and delays to get current again, and the state says it can also affect their ability to pull the local permits a job needs. That's why the registration number on your contract and permit is worth looking up before work starts, not after.
How do I know if I need a written contract for concrete work in Massachusetts?
If the work is estimated at $1,000 or more, the state home improvement contractor law requires a written contract between you and the contractor, with certain terms the law spells out. The written estimate from our visit gives that contract its details, so you know exactly what you're signing.
Which building code applies to concrete work on a Saugus home?
The Massachusetts State Building Code applies, and for a single- or two-family house that means its residential volume, which covers one- and two-family homes and townhouses of three stories or less along with the structures that go with them. Any other kind of building falls under the code's base volume.
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Saugus, MA?
Your driveway's price comes from what's on your lot, so your real figure comes from the written estimate after I've seen it. A thicker slab, rebar, the steel set inside to hold the slab together, and a stamped or colored finish all raise it. A plain broom finish, the brushed texture that gives shoes and tires grip, keeps it down, and so does cutting out only the damaged section when the rest is sound.
What causes a concrete driveway to crack and sink?
Most cracking and sinking comes from what's under the slab and how it was poured: a base raked level instead of dug out and packed, water running toward the house, a pour in the midday heat that leaves a weak, dusty top, or joints cut late or skipped. We cut control joints, the grooves that give the slab a straight place to crack, while the concrete is fresh. Concrete still cracks, but on a packed base with planned joints it usually cracks in the joints and stays level.
Plan your Saugus concrete job with us
We keep long hours seven days a week, so call (781) 288-8155 early in the morning or into the evening, or send the form and tell us what's going on with your slab.