Concrete Contractor in Hoover, AL - Driveways and Patios That Stay Put on Sloped Lots
Alabaster Concrete is a concrete contractor in Alabaster, AL. We pour driveways, patios, walks, steps and slabs for homes and small businesses in Hoover, with the ground under each pour dug out and packed first.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- We reply within 1 business day.
Hoover neighborhoods and the slopes we pour on
Hoover is mostly neighborhoods. You'll find older brick ranch houses on settled streets, newer subdivisions with big two-story homes, and shops and offices along the main roads. A lot of the city is built on ridges and hillsides, so it's common to see a driveway that climbs or drops hard from the street, front steps cut into a slope, or a backyard that needs a wall before it can hold a patio.
We run into the same kind of lots in Vestavia Hills and Pelham. In Hoover the slope shapes most jobs, because water moves fast downhill and will soften or wash out a base that was only raked flat.
Concrete work we do on Hoover properties
Hoover driveways often climb or drop steeply, so we dig out and pack the base and give it a broom finish, a ridged texture that grips.
Hillside backyards here often need some grading before a patio can sit right, and we set a slight fall away from the house so rain doesn't pool against it.
A good fit for Hoover homeowners who want a patio or walk that looks like stone or brick to match the house, with the same packed base underneath.
Front walks on sloped Hoover yards tend to settle into trip edges. We replace them on a packed base, with steps where the grade is too steep.
Older Hoover garages often have cracked or sunken floors. We break out the old slab and pour a new one that sheds water toward the door.
Colored and textured concrete suits Hoover homes where a plain gray slab would look out of place next to brick or stone, from entry walks to patio borders.
On steep Hoover lots a concrete wall holds back the slope for a level yard or patio, with drainage behind it so water doesn't build up.
For basements, workshops and small commercial spaces in Hoover, we pour interior floors on a packed base so they sit flat under shelving, equipment and foot traffic.
Hoover backyards with a pool need a deck that slopes water away from the pool and the house, with a finish that isn't slick under wet feet.
Hillside houses here often have front or back steps that have pulled away or settled, and we rebuild them on a solid footing with even risers.
For additions, garages and outbuildings in Hoover, we pour slab foundations on ground that's been dug out and packed, with rebar, the steel that ties a slab together, set through them.
Sloped Hoover lots often call for stepped or deeper foundations on the low side, and we set them on firm ground so the house above has solid support.
For small Hoover businesses, churches and offices, we build parking areas thick enough for cars and delivery trucks, with the slope set to carry water off.
Decks, porches, walls and additions on Hoover's hillside lots need footings dug to firm ground, and we pour them so what sits on top doesn't sink.
When a slab in Hoover has sunk on one side, often where water runs down a slope, we look at whether raising it makes sense before quoting it.
We saw-cut openings, old slabs and driveway sections in Hoover cleanly, so a repair or new pour can tie in without breaking up more than it needs to.
Get a free on-site concrete estimate in Hoover
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day. I'll come out to your Hoover property, look at the job and the ground, and write up what's included, with no obligation.
(659) 901-5011- Based in
- Alabaster, AL 35007
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 8 AM–9 PM, Sat–Sun: 6 AM–9 PM
How a Hoover concrete job gets lined up
Permits in Hoover come from the city's Building Inspections Department, and the city wants a residential building permit before any construction starts, including new construction and exterior remodels. So on a Hoover job we check with the city before we set a pour date, and if a permit is needed we handle the paperwork, or walk you through it if you're acting as your own contractor. That check can move your start date, which is why it happens first. If you're comparing contractors, business licenses here go through the city's Revenue Division, and we're fully licensed and insured. Your price mostly comes down to the size of the job, how much old concrete comes out and how much digging and packing the ground needs, and the written estimate spells out each part.
Hoover is a short run up I-65 from Alabaster, which matters when a pour is set for early morning and the crew needs to be ready before the truck shows up. A lot of Hoover streets are narrow and winding with steep drives, so I plan where the truck parks and how the concrete gets to the forms before pour day. It's the same setup we use down the road in Calera and the other cities around Alabaster.
Why Hoover driveways and patios crack and sink
Plenty of Hoover driveways and patios are as old as the houses, and by now many have cracked, dropped in spots or started chipping on top. Usually the cause is underneath, in the subgrade, the ground the slab sits on, which was raked level instead of dug out and packed, so it settled and took the concrete down with it. When we replace one, we break out the old slab, dig down to firm ground, pack the base and set steel in it before anything gets poured.
The other problem is water. On a sloped lot, a slab that falls toward the house sends rain at the foundation or into the garage, and water that pools on a flat patio soaks the base. We check where the water runs before we set forms, so the new slab carries it away from the house.
How a concrete job runs when you call us from Hoover
Here's how a Hoover job goes from your first call to the last of the cleanup, with me there for the estimate and the pour.
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Call or send a message
Call (659) 901-5011 or send the form and tell us what you've got, whether it's a cracked driveway, a new patio or steps that have settled. We get back to you and set a time for me to come out.
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I walk the job myself
I look at the ground, where the water runs and what's under the old slab, then write a free estimate that spells out what's included. You see what goes into the base and the steel before you spend a dime.
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We line up permit and date
Once you say go, we check with the permit office over your address and handle any paperwork, since Hoover wants the permit before work starts. Then we pick a pour date that fits the weather.
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We pour, finish and clean
I'm on site with the crew from digging and packing through the finish and cleanup. Before we leave, we tell you how long to stay off it while it cures, which is the wait while the concrete gains strength.
Questions about concrete work in Hoover
How do I find out if my concrete job in Hoover needs a permit?
Ask the city before any work starts, because Hoover requires a residential building permit before any construction activity, including new construction and exterior remodels. For residential questions the city points people to its Inspection Services Department at permits@hooveralabama.gov or 205-444-7522. When you hire us, we make that check before we set a date.
How much is a building permit in Hoover for work on an existing home?
On the city's permit fee schedule, a permit for work on an existing home is $9.00 per $1,000 of construction valuation plus $51.00, with a $60 minimum. The State of Alabama adds a $20.00 flat fee to every residential permit. That's separate from what the concrete work itself costs.
What happens if work starts without a permit in Hoover?
The city doubles the permit fees for a first offense and triples them for any offense after that, and subcontractors working without a permit are included. That's why we check before we pour, not after.
Do I need a separate permit if my new driveway meets the curb or city sidewalk in Hoover?
Yes, if the work cuts, digs out, removes or replaces a city street, alley, curb or sidewalk, Hoover requires a street-cut permit. That often comes up where the driveway apron, the section at the street, ties into the curb, so I look at that end of the drive during the estimate.
Will a new concrete driveway or patio in Hoover crack like the old one?
Concrete can still crack, but a packed base, steel and control joints make a big difference in how and where it happens. Control joints are grooves we cut the day of the pour so a crack follows the groove instead of wandering across the slab. We also pour early in the day, so the top doesn't dry out before it's finished and turn weak and dusty later.
What is the best way to keep the cost of a concrete driveway in Hoover down?
Save on the surface, not the ground. A plain broom finish costs less than stamped or colored work, and a steep Hoover drive needs that grip anyway. If a budget has to give, I'd keep the base and go plainer on top, because you can redo a finish later but you can't fix a bad base without tearing out the slab.
Tell us about your Hoover concrete job
If your old slab can wait or isn't worth replacing, I'll tell you that on site, so it's worth a call before you spend anything.
Alabaster, AL