Concrete patio construction in Alabaster AL - a patio that drains and holds up
Cracked, sinking or puddled patio, or just bare dirt out back? We dig out, pack the base and pour a slab that drains.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- We reply within 1 business day.
What does it take to build a concrete patio in Alabaster?
Concrete patio construction in Alabaster means digging out the spot, packing a firm base, setting forms and steel, then pouring and curing a slab so you get an outdoor surface that drains and resists cracking.
Most people who call about a patio either have bare ground out back or an old slab that's cracked, sunk or holding water. The price mostly turns on the size, how much digging and base work your ground needs, how easy it is to get concrete to the backyard and whether you want a plain finish or something decorative. The schedule turns on the weather and on whether a permit is needed, which we check before we set a date. The estimate I write spells out what's included, so you'll know your own number before anything gets dug.
How do you know your patio needs replacing, or that it's time to pour one?
Cracks that keep spreading
A hairline crack is often just the surface, but cracks that widen, multiply or run in from the edges usually mean the ground underneath is moving. Waiting lets water get under the slab and gives the next crack a head start.
One side sinking or tilting
A slab that's dropped at a corner or rocks underfoot usually sat on dirt that was raked level instead of dug out and packed. It rarely stops on its own, and the trip edge gets worse the longer it goes.
Water pooling by the house
Puddles that sit after a rain, or a slab that tips toward your foundation, mean nobody checked where the water runs before the pour. Left alone, that water ends up against your house, and that's a bigger repair than a patio.
How we handle concrete patio construction
Patio bids can look alike on paper, so I'll tell you exactly how we prep the ground before anything gets poured. We dig down past the loose dirt and roots instead of raking it level, pack the subgrade, which is the ground the slab sits on, until it's firm, and set forms so the finished slab falls away from your house. We tie in rebar, the steel that holds the slab together if it does crack, then pour, give it a broom finish so the top has a light texture that isn't slick when wet, and cut control joints, shallow grooves that tell the concrete where to crack, before it can pick its own spots. If it's windy or too hot on pour day, I'd rather move the date than rush the finish. When a budget gets tight, I'll cut back on the finish before I cut the base, because nobody sees the base on day one but it's what keeps the slab from settling.
A patio rarely stands alone. Some people want a pattern or color pressed into the surface, which is our stamped concrete services, and plenty want a path from the driveway or side gate to the back, which we pour through our concrete sidewalk building work, often alongside the patio.
New patio off the back door
This suits a yard with grass or dirt where you want somewhere to sit outside. We set the height against the door and the slope away from the house first, because those two decide everything else about the slab.
Replacing a cracked or sunken patio
This suits a slab that's broken, settled or holding water. We break it out, haul it off and fix the base that let it move, because new concrete poured over the same bad ground tends to crack the same way.
Adding on to a patio you have
This suits a patio that's still sound but too small for how you use it. I'll tell you up front that new and old concrete won't match in color right away, and we joint the seam so any movement happens there.
Get a written estimate for your new patio
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set a time. I come out, look at the ground and write a free estimate of 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 happens when you call about a patio in Alabaster?
Here's how a patio job runs from your first call to the day we clean up, and who you'll be dealing with at each step.
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Call or send a message
Call (659) 901-5011 or use the form, and tell us roughly where the patio goes and how big you're thinking. We get back to you and set a time for me to come out.
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I walk the yard and ground
I look at the spot, how the yard slopes and how a truck gets in, then write an estimate that spells out what's included. You'll see how we plan to prep the base, so you can hold other bids up to the same list.
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We line up permit and date
Once you say go, we check with the permit office over your address, handle any paperwork and pick a pour date that fits the weather. Leave a little room in your plans, since a bad forecast can push the pour.
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I run the crew through cleanup
I'm on site with our crew from digging out to hauling off the last of the forms. Before we leave, I'll tell you when it's ready to walk on and how to look after it while it cures.
Why Alabaster homeowners call Alabaster Concrete for patios
The time to ask hard questions about a patio is before the pour, not after. Tell us about your patio and I'll come take a look.
I bid it and I run it
I come out to look at your yard and write the estimate myself, and I'm the one running our crew when the work gets done. What we talked about in your yard is what gets built, with no handoff in between.
In business since 2023
I learned the trade pouring walks and small pads for neighbors around Alabaster on weekends, then turned it into a real business in 2023. Small jobs teach you fast that the ground under a slab matters more than the top.
Fully licensed and insured, plainly
We're fully licensed and insured. Concrete is hard to undo, so you should know who's accountable before anyone digs in your yard.
A straight answer, even if no
If a patio won't hold up where you want it, I'll tell you that instead of selling it to you. Satisfaction guaranteed on every job, and that starts with not pouring the wrong one.
Patios, permits and backyard work in Alabaster
Whether a patio here needs a permit is the city's call, and I don't guess at it. Before we set a pour date, we check with Alabaster's Building and Engineering Services office, because the answer can move your start date. If a permit is needed, we take care of the paperwork. Applications go through the city's online permitting system, so if you're acting as your own contractor you'd set up an account at alabaster.onlama.com, and I'll walk you through it.
Most patio calls we get here are for the back of the house, off a door or a deck, often where an older slab has settled or never drained right. Backyards around here usually aren't flat, so I spend more of the visit on grade and where the water goes than on the finish. We see the same kind of yards on jobs in Pelham and Helena, and we handle them the same way.
Questions about concrete patios in Alabaster
How much does a concrete patio cost in Alabama?
A concrete patio in Alabama usually costs about $6.25 to $14.25 per square foot, and that's a statewide market figure, not our price. Where yours lands depends on its size, how much base work the ground needs, how far the concrete has to travel to reach the spot and the finish you pick. I'll come out and write an estimate that spells out what's included for your yard.
Does Alabaster require a permit for a concrete patio?
It can, and the city makes that call for your address, so we ask before we set a pour date. Alabaster's Building Official issues permits for buildings and other structures, accessory structures included, and work costing less than $1,000.00 doesn't need one. The rule copy we've read may be older than what's in force now, so we confirm the current rule with the city's building office first.
What causes new concrete patios to crack?
Most early cracks come from the ground under the slab or from the top drying too fast on pour day. National trade guidance says a poorly prepared base can settle and drain badly, which leads to cracking, and that wind over 5 mph, low humidity and heat can dry the surface fast enough to cause plastic shrinkage cracks, fine cracks that form while the concrete is still soft. Those rarely weaken a slab, but they can let in harsh chemicals and become starting points for later cracks.
What is the best time of day to pour a concrete patio?
When conditions are drying concrete fast, trade guidance suggests starting the pour in the late afternoon or early evening, and in very hot weather an early morning start gives better control of the concrete's temperature. Hot-weather trouble can happen any time of year but usually comes in summer, and wind makes it worse. So in an Alabama summer, you can expect a crew to show up early or late rather than at midday, and it helps to leave room for a weather delay.
How long does a new concrete patio need to cure?
Curing, the stretch when the slab is kept from drying out so it gains strength, should start as soon as the finishing is done. Trade guidance calls for spraying a liquid curing compound or covering the slab with wet burlap kept continuously moist for at least 3 days. Before we leave, I'll tell you when it's ready for foot traffic and furniture.
Who can apply for a patio permit in Alabaster?
The city accepts permit applications from contractors licensed to do business in Alabaster, or from homeowners acting as their own contractor who supervise the work themselves. If we're doing your patio and a permit is needed, we take care of the paperwork. If you'd rather run the job yourself, you file the application and oversee the work.
Other work that often goes with a patio
If you want your patio to look like stone or brick, stamping presses a pattern into the wet concrete, and it's worth deciding before the pour.
A walk from the driveway or back door to the new patio keeps people off the grass, and pouring both together means one setup and one cure.
Service areas for our patio work
Alabaster Concrete is based in Alabaster, Alabama, and works in the cities around it, including Hoover and Calera. The 12 cities below have their own pages, and if yours isn't listed, call and ask whether we come out your way.
Get your patio on the schedule
Have the patio's rough size in square feet and where it sits in the yard handy when you call (659) 901-5011 or send the form, and I can come out ready to talk about your ground.
Alabaster, AL