Concrete Contractor in Chesapeake, VA - Driveways and Slabs Built on a Solid Base
Groundwork Norfolk Concrete is a concrete contractor based in Norfolk that pours driveways, patios, walks, slabs and footings in Chesapeake, VA, and takes on the harder jobs like cutting, retaining walls and foundation lifts.
- 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
- Licensed and insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- Expect a reply within 1 business day.
Chesapeake homes and the concrete around them
Our Chesapeake jobs run from older houses around South Norfolk to newer subdivisions where the driveway and patio came with the house. As a concrete contractor based in Norfolk, VA, we're right next door, and we work Chesapeake the same way we work Portsmouth and Virginia Beach, with our own crew and the planning done before a truck is ordered. The price here moves with what we find under and around the old slab. The schedule turns on whether the job needs a permit and on curing, the wait before new concrete is strong enough to walk or drive on. When I come out, I measure and write up what we'd do and why, so you see the reasons before you see the work.
The houses decide a lot of the job. Older homes usually have steps and walks that were patched and added onto for years, and we often find out what's under them only once they're broken out. On newer lots it's more often a driveway or patio that sank because the base was raked level instead of dug out and packed, so the fix starts below the slab.
What Chesapeake houses need from new concrete
- A driveway or patio that slopes toward the house sends rain at the foundation or into the garage, so we check where the water runs before we set a single form.
- Older Chesapeake steps and stoops are often tied into the house in ways nobody drew up, and those are the jobs with a catch we're glad to take.
- We plan pours for the cooler part of the day when we can, because concrete that dries too fast in midday heat can end up with a weak, dusty top.
Concrete work we do for Chesapeake homes
Concrete driveway building
A sunken or cracked driveway usually means a soft subgrade, the ground the slab sits on, so we dig it out and pack new base before pouring.
Concrete patio construction
A plain patio off the back door gives you room for a table and grill, and we set it to meet the door step so nobody trips going out.
Stamped concrete services
Stamped concrete gives a patio or walk the look of stone or brick in one pour, a good fit for yards where pavers keep shifting and growing weeds.
Concrete sidewalk building
A front walk broken into tripping edges comes out in sections, and we pour a new one with a broom finish, a swept texture that grips when wet.
Garage floor concrete
A cracked or stained garage floor can be broken out and repoured, and we pitch the new one toward the door so water off the car drains out.
Decorative concrete
Colored, scored or exposed-aggregate finishes let a Chesapeake driveway or entry go with the brick or siding on the house without the upkeep of loose pavers.
Concrete retaining walls
Where a yard drops toward a ditch or a neighbor's lot, a poured wall with drainage behind it holds the grade instead of leaning out over the years.
Concrete floor installation
We pour interior slabs for sunrooms, workshops and additions, with a vapor barrier underneath and a smooth troweled top ready for whatever flooring goes down next.
Concrete pool decks
A pool deck needs a surface that grips bare feet and a slope that keeps splash water out of the pool and away from the house.
Concrete steps construction
Front and back steps on older Chesapeake houses often crack or pull away from the stoop, so we rebuild them with even risers and rebar, the steel that holds concrete together.
Slab foundation building
For additions, garages and new builds, we pour slab foundations on a dug-out, packed base, with the footings and steel set where the plans put them.
Foundation installation
Builders and owners adding on in Chesapeake call us for full foundations, from layout and digging through footings and walls, planned before the first truck shows up.
Concrete parking lot building
Small business lots get the planning I learned on commercial jobs, with drainage, thickness and joints laid out for daily traffic and delivery trucks.
Concrete footings
Decks, porches, sheds and additions all start with footings, the wider concrete base under a wall or post, dug to the depth that job calls for.
Foundation raising
When part of an older house has settled and doors stick or floors slope, we lift and support that section so the cracks stop getting wider.
Concrete cutting
We cut door openings, plumbing trenches and sections of old slab, including slabs nobody has drawings for, and we check for what's buried before the blade goes in.
- Request an estimate
Get a free on-site concrete estimate in Chesapeake
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set a time to come out to your Chesapeake property. I usually come out myself, walk the job, take measurements and write up what we'd do and why. The estimate is free, with no pressure and no obligation.
(757) 731-7228Chesapeake concrete questions we hear most
Do I need a permit to pour a concrete driveway in Chesapeake, VA?
The city's permit list names renovations, additions, accessory structures and trade work on private property, not driveways, so we ask the Department of Development and Permits about your job before we start. The city issues permits in the name of the person or firm doing the work, so when yours needs one, we pull it, list ourselves as the responsible party and set up the inspections.
What is the best way to keep the cost of a concrete driveway down in Chesapeake?
Keep it simple on top and solid underneath, because a plain broom finish and a straightforward shape cost less than stamped or colored concrete, while a cheap base can cost you the whole slab later. Size, how much old concrete comes out, how deep we dig and pack the base, and how close the truck can park move the price most. The base is hidden on day one, so it's the first thing people want to trim, and it's the one I'll push back on.
What causes new concrete to crack on Chesapeake driveways and patios?
Most cracks in a newer slab come from the base, the water or the joints, not the pour itself. A soft base lets the slab settle, water running under it washes out support, and control joints, grooves we cut so the slab cracks along a line we chose, have to go in while the concrete is fresh. Concrete shrinks as it cures, so a hairline crack inside a joint is normal, and one wandering across the middle is the kind we plan against.
Who issues contractor business licenses in Chesapeake, VA?
The Office of the Commissioner of the Revenue issues Chesapeake's city business licenses. Contractors who apply also file a certificate of workers' compensation insurance and give proof of a state license or an exemption. We're licensed and insured, and we're happy to go over it at the estimate.
How close to the property line can an AC or generator pad go in Chesapeake?
Under the city's homeowner permit guide, outside equipment on the ground has to sit at least 5 feet from every property line, with its location clearly marked on a site plan. That setback is for the equipment itself, so we lay out the pad where the unit can meet it before we set any forms.
Do I need approval to replace front steps on a house in South Norfolk?
You may, if the house is in the South Norfolk local historic district, because the city's Historic and Architectural Review Board reviews exterior changes to structures there. We ask the city before we break out old steps on a house in the district, since it's easier to plan around a review than to stop halfway through a job.
Call about your Chesapeake concrete job
Call (757) 731-7228 or send the form while the problem is small, because a slab that's just starting to sink usually leaves us more options than one that's broken through.