Concrete Patio Construction in Lewiston ID - a slab that sits flat on packed ground
Cracked, sinking or puddled patio out back? We dig out, pack a real base and pour a slab that drains and sits level.
Get your patio site looked at
Call (208) 848-5044 or send the form, and I can tell you whether your old slab can stay or needs to come out before you spend anything.
What does it take to build a concrete patio in Lewiston?
Concrete patio construction in Lewiston starts below the surface, where we dig out and pack the base, then set forms so water runs away from your house and pour and finish the slab that becomes your patio.
Maybe the old patio has cracked, sunk at one corner or holds water by the back door, or maybe there's just dirt where you'd like a table and chairs. The price mostly turns on the size, whether an old slab has to be broken out and hauled off, how much digging the base needs and how close we can get the truck. The schedule turns on the weather and the permit question, and after the pour comes curing, the wait while the concrete hardens and gains strength before you put weight on it. My written estimate lays out the prep, the mix and the joint layout, so you can see what you're paying for before you decide.
Why Lewiston homeowners call Lewiston Concrete for patios
The owner writes your estimate
I'm the one who comes out to look at your patio and write the estimate, and I'm on site running the crew when we form, pour and finish. You deal with the person doing the work.
Careful flatwork since 2017
We've been in business since 2017, and on driveways, patios and walks the prep under the slab gets as much of our time as the finish. That's the part you can't fix later.
Licensed and insured, both sides
We're licensed and insured, and we work on both sides of the state line, in cities like Clarkston, Moscow and Pullman. If you're not sure we come out your way, just ask.
On a patio, the base and the joints matter most, and you can't see either once it's poured. Send us a message or give us a call, and I'll come look at your ground.
How we build a concrete patio
Most patio trouble starts below the slab, so that's where we spend our time. We dig out the grass, roots and soft dirt down to firm subgrade, the ground the slab sits on, then bring in base rock and pack it so the patio has something solid under it instead of loose dirt. Before the forms go in, I check where the water runs and pitch the slab away from your house. We lay rebar, steel bars that hold the slab together if it cracks, pour outside the midday heat so the top doesn't come out weak and dusty, and cut control joints, shallow grooves that give the concrete a straight line to crack along, before it picks its own spot. If the budget's tight, I'd rather make the patio smaller than thin the base, because nobody sees the base on day one and it's the one part you can't go back and fix.
Patios rarely stand alone. If you need a path from the driveway or the gate, we can pour it alongside the patio as part of our concrete sidewalk building work, and if you'd like a stone or brick look pressed into the surface, that's our stamped concrete services.
New patio on bare ground
This suits a yard that's grass or dirt where you want room to sit outside. We strip it, dig to firm ground and build the base from scratch, which is the cleanest way to start.
Replacing a failed patio
This is for a slab that's cracked, sunk or holding water. We break it out, haul it off and find out why it failed, because I'd rather fix the ground than pour over the old problem.
Adding onto an existing patio
If the old slab is still solid and you just want more room, we can pour an extension beside it. A joint between old and new lets each piece move on its own instead of cracking across.
How do you know your patio needs replacing?
Cracks that keep growing
A crack that widens or sends out new branches each year usually means the ground underneath is moving. Waiting lets more water in, and the pieces drift further apart.
One corner sinking
When a corner or edge drops below the rest, the base was likely raked level instead of dug out and packed. The longer it settles, the bigger the trip edge gets.
Water pooling by the house
Puddles that sit against the foundation mean the slab has settled or was poured falling the wrong way. Every storm then sends water toward your house instead of the yard.
Flaking or dusty surface
A top that flakes, pits or wipes off as powder often points to a hot-day pour or poor curing. It usually spreads, and patches over it rarely hold for long.
What happens after you call about a patio in Lewiston?
Call, and I walk the site
Call or message us, and I come out to see the ground and hear what you want. The written estimate spells out the prep, the mix and the joint layout.
Settle the permit and pour date
We check with the city or county office for your address, and if a permit's needed we handle it and the inspections. Then we pick a pour date with the weather in mind.
We pour, finish and cure
I run the crew through the pour and finishing and stay with the job through curing. When the forms come off, we clean up and tell you when it's ready to use.
Patio questions we hear most
These are the questions people ask me most when I'm standing on a patio site. If yours isn't here, call and ask about your own yard.
Do I need a permit to build a concrete patio in Lewiston?
The city requires a permit whenever a structure its building code covers is built, altered, enlarged or repaired, so the answer for your patio comes from the city, and we check before any work starts. If the job touches the sidewalk, curb or gutter out front, or needs a curb cut, the city requires a separate right-of-way permit. You can ask the city's permit staff at cd@cityoflewiston.org or 208-746-1318 option 1, and requests go through their Permit Portal.
What causes a new concrete patio to crack, and will mine?
Some cracking is normal in any concrete, but well-planned joints keep it controlled and mostly in the lines we choose. Poor base work is what causes the bad kind, because it lets the slab settle, end up thinner in spots and hold water. That's why your joint layout is on the estimate and why the base gets most of our time.
Can I build a concrete patio myself in Idaho, or does it take a registered contractor?
You can build it yourself, because Idaho exempts owners working on their own home from contractor registration. Anyone else doing a construction job over $2000.00 in materials and labor has to register unless they're exempt, and a contractor who skips it can't get a building permit. It's fair to ask whoever you hire for proof of registration.
What is the best time to pour a concrete patio?
The best pour is outside the hottest part of the day and with a plan for cold, because fresh concrete should be kept from freezing until about two days after it's placed. If your pour lands in cold weather, we have a plan to keep the new slab from freezing through those first days. In summer we'd rather pour early than in midday heat.
How much does a new concrete patio cost in Lewiston?
I price each patio after I've seen the site, because the ground under it can change the job as much as the size does. A simple shape with a plain surface keeps the cost down, while curves, steps or a pressed pattern add to it.
How do I keep a new concrete patio from flaking in winter?
A dense mix with entrained air, which is tiny bubbles that give freezing water room to expand, plus good curing and light use of deicing salt lowers the chance of the top flaking off. The usual guidance is to skip deicers the first winter and use them in moderate amounts after that. The mix and curing plan are fair questions for any contractor, and ours are on the written estimate.
Get a free on-site patio estimate
Send the patio's rough size, where it goes on the lot and any sidewalk or curb nearby, and we'll reply within one business day. I'll come out and send a free written estimate, with no pressure to book.
Concrete patios and slabs
Work that goes with a patio
Stamped concrete services
If you'd like the patio to look like stone or brick, a pattern and color can be pressed into the fresh concrete, so plan it before the pour.
Learn moreConcrete sidewalk building
A new patio usually needs a solid path to reach it from the driveway, gate or front walk, built on the same dug-out and packed base.
Learn more