Concrete Contractor in Pelham, AL - Driveways and Patios That Stay Put
Alabaster Concrete is a concrete contractor pouring driveways, patios, walks and slabs for Pelham, AL homes and small businesses. We dig out and pack the ground, set the steel and time the pour so the slab holds.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- We reply within 1 business day.
Pelham homes and the concrete jobs we see there
We're a concrete contractor based in Alabaster, AL, the next city south, so Pelham is close to home for us. A lot of what we pour here is for houses in established neighborhoods that still have the driveway and walks they were built with. There are also newer subdivisions where people want a patio or a wider drive, and small businesses that need flatwork, the flat pours like parking areas and walks. We do the same work next door in Helena.
Older slabs here usually come out before a new one goes in, so many of our Pelham jobs start with breaking up concrete, hauling it off and finding out what the last crew left underneath.
Concrete work we do for Pelham homes and businesses
When an older Pelham driveway has cracked or sunk at the garage lip, we tear it out, rebuild the base and pour a new one that sheds water.
A backyard patio here often sits on a slope, so we set the grade to carry rain away from the house before we form and pour.
If you want a patio or walk that looks like stone or brick, we press a pattern into the fresh concrete and color it to suit your house.
Front walks that have heaved or split can trip a guest, so we replace the broken panels and tie the new walk into your steps and drive.
A garage slab with deep cracks or a low spot that holds water gets broken out and repoured, sloped so it drains toward the door.
For a front entry or pool area that needs to look finished, we add color, exposed stone or a smooth troweled surface on top of a solid base.
On Pelham lots that drop off toward the street or the back line, a poured wall holds the yard back so a patio or drive has level ground.
Shops, sheds and basements need a flat, even floor, so we pack the ground underneath and pour to a level line you can set shelving and equipment on.
Around a pool, the deck has to drain away from the water and give bare feet grip, so we slope it and pick a finish that isn't slick.
Older front steps that have pulled away from the house or crumbled at the edges get torn out and rebuilt so every step is the same height.
For a new house, addition or workshop in Pelham, we pour the slab on packed ground with steel in it so the building has a flat, solid start.
When you're building on a sloped lot, we form and pour the foundation to match the grade, so the frame sits level even where the ground doesn't.
Small businesses along Pelham's main roads call us for parking areas and drive lanes that hold up under daily traffic and drain off without standing puddles.
Decks, porches, carports and new walls need footings, the concrete pads that carry their weight, dug to firm ground so the structure doesn't settle.
If part of a slab or foundation has dropped, we find out why before we lift it, since lifting it without fixing the cause won't last.
We cut openings and trenches in existing concrete, so you can run a line, widen a drive or pull out a broken section without tearing out the whole slab.
Get a free on-site estimate for your Pelham concrete job
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day to set a time. I come out, walk the job and the ground, and write a free estimate that spells out 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
What we know about concrete jobs inside Pelham city limits
Inside Pelham city limits, building permits come from the city's Building Department, part of Development Services, and the same department inspects residential and commercial construction. Before we set a pour date, we check whether your job needs a permit, because a permit and any inspection have to fit into the schedule ahead of the pour. If one's needed, we take care of the paperwork, or walk you through it if you're acting as your own contractor. Any company working inside the city limits also needs a current Pelham business license, which runs January 1 through December 31, so it's fair to ask a contractor for this year's before they start.
Pelham sits along I-65 between Alabaster and Hoover, so getting our crew here is easy, and the harder part is usually getting the concrete truck close to a backyard patio. Your price moves with the size and thickness of the slab, how much old concrete comes out, how much work the ground needs and the finish you pick. The schedule turns on the permit, the weather and the ground being dry enough to pack, and the estimate I write spells out what's included so you can see where the money goes.
Sloped lots and old bases behind most Pelham repairs
A lot of the cracked and sunken driveways we see in Pelham were poured on a base that was raked flat instead of dug out and packed. The subgrade, the ground the slab sits on, keeps settling for years when nobody packed it, and the concrete goes down with it and breaks. We dig to firm ground, pack it and set the steel before any concrete shows up, because once the pour is done nobody can get back under it.
Pelham also has plenty of lots that slope toward the house or the street, and a slab that falls the wrong way sends rain against your foundation or leaves it pooling by the garage. We check where the water runs before we set forms, then tilt the slab so it carries water away.
How a concrete job runs when you call us in Pelham
Here's how a job goes from your first call to the last load hauled off. I'm the one you deal with the whole way.
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Call us or send the form
Call (659) 901-5011 or send the form with a few words about the job, and we set a time for me to come out. Photos of the slab help but aren't required.
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I walk the job and ground
I look at the old concrete, the ground and where the water runs, then write an estimate that spells out what's included, so you know the price before anything is scheduled. You don't need to be home, but walking it together helps.
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We set permits and the date
Once you say go, we line up any permit and pick a pour date that fits the weather. If the job needs an inspection, the city inspects weekdays from 6:30 to 10:30 a.m. and from noon to 3:30 p.m., so we plan the prep and pour around those hours.
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We prep, pour and clean up
I'm on site with the crew from digging out and packing the base through the pour, the joints and cleanup. We haul off the old concrete and leftovers, so all that's left is a new slab to let cure.
Questions about concrete work in Pelham, AL
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Pelham, AL?
Your price comes from a written estimate after I've seen the drive, because the ground under it and the old concrete coming out vary more from house to house than anything else. A plain broom finish, the light brushed texture that gives tires and shoes grip, costs less than stamped or colored concrete. When a budget is tight, I'd trim the finish before the base, because the base is what keeps the slab from sinking.
What sets the permit fee for a concrete project in Pelham?
The city bases the permit fee on the square footage of the work, so a bigger driveway or slab costs more to permit than a small pad. If the project is going on the sewer system, the builder also pays a sewer impact fee when the permit is bought, and you can read how permits work on the city's permit page.
What building code does a new slab or footing have to meet in Pelham?
Work on a house is built to the International Residential Code, which the city has adopted, and other buildings fall under parts of the International Building Code. When slabs or footings are part of permitted work, the city inspects them, so we build to what the inspector will look for and sort out questions before the pour, not after it.
How do I get ready for a new concrete driveway in Pelham?
Plan somewhere else to park until the new slab can take a car, and tell me about sprinkler lines, buried wires or pet fences before we dig. Moving cars, trailers and anything along the drive the day before gives the concrete truck a clear path on pour day.
How long does a new concrete driveway take to cure before I can drive on it?
You can usually walk on it within a few days, but a car has to wait longer, and I'll give you the dates for your slab before we leave. Curing is the wait while the concrete hardens and gains strength, and driving on it early can crack the edges or leave marks that won't come out.
What causes a concrete driveway to crack, and will a new one in Pelham crack too?
Most concrete cracks somewhere as it shrinks and the ground moves, so the goal is to keep cracks small and in places we chose. We cut control joints, shallow grooves that give the slab a straight line to crack along, while the concrete is fresh, and we set rebar, steel bars inside the slab that hold the pieces together if a crack opens. The packed base matters most, because a slab that settles with the dirt under it breaks wherever it wants.
Get your Pelham concrete job on the calendar
If you're not sure the old slab is worth replacing, call (659) 901-5011 or send the form, and I'll tell you straight when I come out.
Alabaster, AL