Concrete Contractor in Portsmouth, VA - Driveways and Patios Built on a Solid Base
Advantage Portsmouth Concrete is a concrete contractor based in Portsmouth, VA. We pour driveways, patios, steps, garage floors and footings for homes and properties across the city, with the base, slope and joints planned before the truck arrives.
Concrete work for Portsmouth homes
Portsmouth is home for us, so as a concrete contractor in Portsmouth, VA, we spend most of our week in its neighborhoods. Those range from older blocks with narrow side driveways and tight lots to newer streets with wider garages and room for a backyard patio. We also drive over to Norfolk and down to Chesapeake for the same kinds of jobs.
Older homes here usually come with older concrete, and when we break out a sunken driveway we often find it was poured on loose dirt with little or no packed base under it. A lot of the yards we see sit close to flat, so water has nowhere to go unless we give the new slab a gentle fall away from your house. That's why the base and the slope get planned first on our jobs in the city, before anyone talks about the finish.
What happens when you call us in Portsmouth
Call or send a request
Please call (757) 731-7248 or send the form with your address and a few words about the job. We'll set a time for me to come out that suits your schedule.
I look over the site
I check the ground, where the water runs and how the truck will reach the spot, and I ask how you'll use the concrete, so it helps if you can be there. Your estimate spells out what's included, from tearing out the old slab to the base and the finish, so you know exactly what you're paying for.
We prepare the base and pour
Once any permit and inspection the job needs are taken care of, which I handle, our crew digs down to firm soil, packs a stone base and sets forms and rebar, the steel bars that hold the slab together. We pour early in the day when we can and cut control joints, shallow grooves that give the concrete a planned place to crack.
Curing, then a walkthrough together
New concrete needs time to cure, a slow hardening that gives it its strength, so I'll tell you when you can walk on it and when it's ready for your car. Once it's ready, I walk the finished work with you and answer any questions you have.
Concrete services for Portsmouth properties
Most calls from Portsmouth homes are about concrete driveways that have sunk, cracked or started holding water, followed by patios, steps and garage floors. Property owners in the city also call us for parking lots, footings and foundation work. Here is everything we do in Portsmouth.
- Concrete driveway building
- Concrete patio construction
- Stamped concrete services
- Concrete sidewalk building
- Garage floor concrete
- Decorative concrete
- Concrete retaining walls
- Concrete floor installation
- Concrete pool decks
- Concrete steps construction
- Slab foundation building
- Foundation installation
- Concrete parking lot building
- Concrete footings
- Foundation raising
- Concrete cutting
What signs mean your Portsmouth concrete needs attention?
Many older driveways and walks in Portsmouth sit on bases that were never packed well, so these signs usually point to trouble underneath, not just on the surface.
- Cracks that keep getting wider
- Slab sinking near the garage
- Water pooling against the house
- Edges chipping or crumbling away
- Sections lifted by tree roots
- Steps pulling away from the door
Should you repair or replace concrete in Portsmouth?
If the slab is still level, drains away from your house and has only thin cracks that aren't growing, you may not need new concrete at all, and I'll tell you so. Cutting out and replacing one bad section can also make sense when the rest of the slab sits flat.
When a slab has sunk, tipped toward the house or broken into pieces that rock underfoot, the cause is usually the subgrade, the packed soil and stone the concrete sits on. Patching the top won't fix that, because the new concrete settles right along with the old dirt. In that case I recommend taking it out, digging down to firm ground, packing a proper base and pouring again.
Why a Portsmouth concrete contractor makes sense
I learned concrete on a municipal crew, pouring sidewalks, curbs and steps to city standards, and I started Advantage Portsmouth Concrete in 2013 to bring that same discipline to homes and properties here. We're licensed and insured and based in Portsmouth, and I come out to see your job myself before running the work alongside our own crew.
Older yards here often hide things, like an old slab buried under the grass or roots from a big tree beside the driveway. A crew that sees these regularly plans for them at the estimate, so they show up in your price instead of as a surprise halfway through the dig.
Our promise to Portsmouth homeowners
We keep the truck and wheelbarrows to the path we agree on with you, protect your lawn and beds where we can and clean up before we leave each day. If something on the schedule changes, I'll call you rather than leave you wondering. Your satisfaction, guaranteed.
I'll also be honest about where your money does the most good. The base is covered up by the end of the first day, so it's the easiest thing to cut and the reason so many slabs crack and sink. I'd rather you pick a plain broom finish, the light texture that keeps a slab from getting slick, than skimp underneath.
You can count on us to plan the base, slope and joints first and to explain each step before we pour.
Call about your Portsmouth concrete project
Please call (757) 731-7248 and tell me what your slab is doing now, so I can come out ready with the right questions.
Get a free on-site concrete estimate in Portsmouth
Please share your address, the work you have in mind and what you're seeing. We respond within one business day, and I come out myself for a free estimate with no obligation.
Questions from Portsmouth homeowners
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Portsmouth, VA?
The price comes down to the size of the driveway, how much old concrete has to come out, how much base work the ground needs and the finish you choose, so I give you a figure once I've seen the site. A plain broom finish costs less than stamped or decorative work, and a tight lot where the truck can't reach the forms adds labor because the concrete has to be wheeled in. Please call (757) 731-7248 and I'll come out to price your job.
How do I find out if my concrete project in Portsmouth needs a permit?
Ask your contractor to check before any work starts, because whether a permit applies depends on the job. When one is needed, we pull it and schedule the inspections ourselves, and when it isn't clear, I check with the local building office first so you aren't left guessing.
Who licenses concrete contractors in Virginia?
The state Board for Contractors licenses businesses that build, repair or improve property owned by someone else. Each license pairs a class, which sets how large a job the contractor may take on, with a specialty that sets the type of work. If someone knocks on your door selling concrete work, the board says they must give you a Statement of Consumer Protections.
What does a Class C contractor license cover in Virginia?
The state board's guide says a Class C license covers a single job worth more than $1,000 and less than $30,000. It also fits a contractor whose total work in any twelve-month period is no more than $250,000, so on a larger project it's fair to ask which class your contractor holds.
Does a contractor need a Portsmouth business license as well as a state license?
Yes, the state board says a licensed contractor must also meet the local licensing rules of each city where it works. In Portsmouth, business license applicants apply in person, and a new business first needs a zoning permit from the city's Department of Permits and Inspections.
What causes a new concrete driveway to crack in Portsmouth?
Most cracks in new concrete start underneath, usually with a base that wasn't packed, water running under the slab or control joints cut too late or skipped so the slab cracks wherever it likes. Concrete does shrink a little as it hardens, and well-placed joints let those small cracks land in a straight groove instead of across the middle of your driveway.
Your city not listed? Please call
Please choose your city below to read about our work there. If yours isn't listed, call (757) 731-7248, because we work in many of the cities around Portsmouth.