Concrete contractor in Clarkston, WA - driveways and patios built on a solid base
Lewiston Concrete pours driveways, patios, walks, steps and retaining walls for homes in Clarkston, WA. I'm the one who comes out to look at your job, and I run our crew on pour day.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- Replies within 1 business day.
Concrete work for Clarkston homes
We're a concrete contractor based in Lewiston, ID, just across the Snake River, so Clarkston is a short drive for us. The houses run from older homes on the flat near downtown and the river to newer ones up the hill, and we work out in West Clarkston-Highland and Clarkston Heights-Vineland too. The price here comes down to the size of the slab, how much old concrete comes out, how much digging and packing the ground needs, and the finish you pick. The schedule turns on the weather, on curing, which is the time a new slab needs to harden before you use it, and on whatever the permit check turns up. I come out, look at it with you and send a written estimate for your job.
On a lot of those older places, the driveway or patio we're replacing sank because it was laid on raked dirt that nobody packed. Up the hill more lots slope, so the first thing I look at there is where the water goes.
What we pour in Clarkston
Concrete driveway building
Many older driveways here sank because the dirt under them was never packed. We tear out, dig to firm ground and pack a gravel base first.
Concrete patio construction
Lots of backyard patios here have tipped toward the house over the years. Our concrete patio construction puts new slabs pitched away from it on a packed base.
Concrete sidewalk building
Front walks on older homes here often lift at a joint and catch toes. We cut out the bad sections and pour new ones flush with the rest.
Concrete steps construction
Sloped lots here mean plenty of steps, and older ones chip at the edges. We form new steps with even rises and a broom finish for grip.
Concrete retaining walls
Yards here that drop toward the street often lean on an old timber wall. We pour concrete walls on footings and give water behind them a way out.
Concrete cutting
Sometimes one sunken panel is the whole problem with a driveway here. We saw-cut it out clean and pour a new one in its place.
What Clarkston slabs have to handle
Summers here run hot to very hot, with the Hells Canyon country just to the south, and winters stay fairly warm. Heat is hard on fresh concrete because the top dries out before the slab underneath has set, and that leaves a weak surface that dusts and chips a few years later. On hot days we pour early in the morning, finish while the concrete is still workable and keep the slab damp while it cures so it hardens evenly from top to bottom.
The ground matters as much as the weather. We dig out the soft dirt and pack a gravel base for the subgrade, which is what the slab sits on, and we pitch the slab so water runs away from the house. If the budget gets tight, I'd rather you skip the stamped finish than cut the base, because you can redo a finish later but you can't fix a base once there's concrete on it.
Get a written estimate for your Clarkston concrete job
Send the form or call (208) 848-5044, and we'll reply within one business day to set a time. I come out to your place in Clarkston, look at the job, talk it through with you and then send a written estimate. The estimate is free, and there's no pressure to book.
Questions from Clarkston homeowners
These are the questions people in Clarkston ask me most about driveways, patios and walks. If yours isn't here, call or send a note about your own job.
How do I find out if a concrete driveway or patio needs a permit in Clarkston?
You ask the city's Building & Planning Department, which issues permits for most construction inside Clarkston city limits and does the inspections. The examples it lists are fences, re-roofs and siding, so that list alone doesn't settle a driveway or patio. If you hire us, we check with the office that covers your address before we start, tell you what they said, and handle the application and inspections with you if a permit is needed.
What licenses does a concrete contractor need to work in Clarkston, WA?
A contractor working in Clarkston has to be registered with the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries, bonded and insured, and needs a City of Clarkston business license too. The state sets that bond at $30,000 for a general contractor and $15,000 for a specialty contractor. We're licensed and insured, and I'm glad to go over any of it when I come out.
What building code covers concrete work on a house in Clarkston?
Washington's state building code covers it, because state law puts that code in effect in every city and county, Clarkston included. For houses, that means the state's own version of the International Residential Code, a standard published code Washington adopts and amends. When a job needs a permit, the city's inspectors check the work against it.
How much does a concrete driveway cost in Clarkston, WA?
The price comes down to the size and thickness of the slab, how much old concrete has to come out, and how much digging and packing the ground needs before we pour. A plain broom finish costs less than stamped or colored work, and a steep or tight driveway takes more labor. I come out, look at it with you and send a written estimate, so you get a real number for your own driveway.
What causes new concrete to crack in Clarkston?
Concrete shrinks as it dries, so most slabs crack somewhere, and the job is choosing where. We cut control joints, shallow grooves that give the slab a straight line to crack along, and we cut them on time, because joints cut late or skipped leave cracks wherever the slab decides. The other usual causes are a base that settles and the summer heat I talked about above, which is why we pack the base and pour early.
Does a Washington contractor have to give me a written notice for a home concrete job?
Yes, on any residential job of $1,000 or more, the state requires the contractor to give you its disclosure notice for customers. The same notice applies to commercial jobs from $1,000 to $60,000. Separately, after I look at your job I send a written estimate, so you know what's in it before you sign anything.
Driveways, patios and walks
Other places we pour concrete
Pick a city from the list to see what we do there. If you don't see yours, call us and just ask, since we may well come out your way.