Concrete patio construction in College Station TX - a slab built on a packed base
Bare dirt or a cracked, sinking patio out back? We pour a new one on a packed base so it sits flat and drains away.
A concrete patio is an outdoor slab. Its base matters most.
Concrete patio construction in College Station comes down to one flat slab poured out back, plain or stamped to look like stone or brick, with or without steel inside. It gives you a hard, level spot to walk, set a table and pull up some chairs.
When an old patio sinks or cracks, the trouble is usually underneath. Somebody raked the dirt level instead of digging it out and packing it, so the slab settled right along with it. Or nobody checked where the water runs, and the patio leans toward the house. If the budget gets tight, cut the fancy finish, not the base, because the base is the part you can't see on day one and the part that lets you down first.
Price moves with the size, whether it's stamped, whether there's steel in it and whether an old patio has to come out first. The schedule turns on any permit and inspection, plus the weather on pour day. Your written estimate covers the size, the base work and the price for your yard.
You'll know it's time. A concrete patio tells on itself.
Water sits by the back door
If rain pools on the patio or runs toward the house, the slab has usually settled or was poured with the wrong fall. Every storm you wait puts more water next to your foundation.
One side sank lower
When a corner drops and the chairs start rocking, the dirt under it usually wasn't packed. It keeps settling, so the gap and the trip edge only get bigger.
Cracks that keep opening
A hairline crack is just concrete being concrete. Cracks that widen, wander or leave one side higher than the other mean the slab is moving, and patching them rarely holds for long.
Your concrete patio, start to finish. Here's how it goes.
You call, and I come out myself to look, measure and ask what the patio has to carry. If you might add a pergola, columns or a brick kitchen someday, tell me then. Those need their own support under the slab, and pouring it in now is a lot easier than cutting it in later.
You get a written estimate. If you go ahead, we handle any permit, set the forms and the rebar, the steel bars that tie the slab together, and wait on any inspection before the truck gets called.
Our crew digs out the soft dirt, packs the base, pours, and gives the top a broom finish, a light texture that keeps wet feet from slipping. We cut the joints on time, and I'm on site running it. After the pour we cure it right, giving it time to harden before you load it, then clean up, walk it with you and tell you when it's ready to use.
Planning a concrete patio? Tell us about your yard.
Tell us the rough size, stamped or plain, and any old patio to remove. We reply within one business day, and the on-site estimate is free with no obligation.
(979) 393-7025Concrete patios in College Station. Bryan and Navasota too.
In College Station, the city's Building Division handles building permits. Whether your patio needs one is their call, so we check with them at the start, and when a permit is needed we pull it and hold the work until each inspection passes. We're licensed and insured.
Large parts of Texas sit on clay that swells when it's wet and shrinks as it dries, which is one more reason we dig out and pack the base instead of raking dirt flat. We pour patios in Bryan, Navasota and the cities around them the same way, starting from the ground up.
Fair questions about concrete patios. Here are straight answers.
Read through the answers below before you hire anybody. If your question isn't here, call and ask me directly.
How much does a concrete patio cost in College Station?
A concrete patio in College Station usually costs about $5 to $11 per square foot. That's the going rate for the area, not our price. Stamped concrete costs more than plain, steel costs more than none, and tearing out an old patio can add to it. Your written estimate gives the number for your yard.
Will my new concrete patio crack like the old one did?
Concrete cracks, and nobody can stop that entirely, but well-planned control joints, cut lines that tell the cracks where to go, keep them neat and small. Wire mesh won't stop cracks either, though it helps keep them from opening up. We also set a separating joint where the patio meets a sidewalk, steps or a garage slab.
How thick should a concrete patio slab be?
Four inches is a common thickness for a home patio, as long as the subgrade, the dirt the slab sits on, is firm and packed evenly. Pouring thicker over loose dirt doesn't fix much, because the slab can still settle and crack. That's why I put the money into the base first.
Can you pour a concrete patio in the Texas summer heat?
Yes, but summer heat makes concrete more likely to crack, and a windy, sunny day calls for more care than a calm, humid one at the same temperature. We plan the pour around the heat and the wind so the top doesn't dry out weak and dusty. Ask any crew what their hot-weather plan is.
Who handles building permits in College Station?
The city's Building Division does, and the city says permits should be issued before work begins on a new structure, remodel or renovation. Contractors have to register with the city before getting one, though you can get a permit for your own homestead without registering. You can reach the division at 979.764.3570.
Thinking about a patio or a new slab? Give us a call.
I answer the phone myself, so call (979) 393-7025 or use the form, tell me what's out back now, and we'll set a time to come look.
Mon–Fri: 6 AM–9 PM, Sat–Sun: 7 AM–9 PM
