Concrete Contractor in Norfolk, VA - Slabs Built on a Packed, Drained Base
Groundwork Norfolk Concrete is a concrete contractor based in Norfolk, VA. We pour driveways, patios, walks, garage floors, steps, footings and slabs here, and take on the harder jobs like cutting old slabs and lifting settled foundations.
- 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.
Norfolk driveways, patios and slabs we work on
We're based in Norfolk, and most of our calls here come from homeowners with a driveway that's sunk, a patio that holds water or front steps pulling away from the house. We also hear from small business owners and builders who need a lot, footings or a slab. Older houses on settled streets sit next to newer builds, so one week it's a cut through a slab nobody has drawings for and the next it's flatwork, the driveways, walks and patios that lie flat on the ground. We do the same work in Chesapeake, Portsmouth and the other cities around it, on both sides of the state line.
The price here moves with how much old concrete comes out, how much base work the ground needs and the finish you pick. The schedule turns on weather for the pour, any inspections and curing, the wait while fresh concrete hardens before it can take your feet and then your car. On an older lot, what's under the old slab and where the water runs decide most of the job, so that's what I look at first when I walk it and write up what we'd do and why.
Why Norfolk slabs sink, crack and hold water
- Most sunken driveways and walks we tear out here were poured on dirt that was raked level instead of dug out and packed, so the slab settled along with it.
- Water does the rest, so we check which way the yard drains before we form anything, because a slab that tips toward the house sends rain at your foundation.
- On older Norfolk houses, steps and stoops have often pulled away from the wall or settled at a corner, so we look at why before we price a fix.
Concrete work we do for Norfolk homes and businesses
Concrete driveway building
When an old driveway has sunk, cracked across or holds water near the garage, we tear it out, dig to firm ground, pack a new base and pour.
Concrete patio construction
For a back patio on a Norfolk lot, we set the slope so rain runs off toward the yard, not back against the house or under the door.
Stamped concrete services
Stamped concrete gives a patio or walk the look of stone or brick in one pour, and we seal it so the pattern holds up to foot traffic.
Concrete sidewalk building
When a front walk has heaved into a trip hazard, we replace the broken sections and tie the new ones into your steps and driveway.
Garage floor concrete
A cracked, dusty or uneven garage floor can be broken out and repoured on a packed base, sloped slightly toward the door so water doesn't sit.
Decorative concrete
Decorative concrete means color, exposed stone and borders, worth it when a front entry or patio needs to sit well next to an older brick house.
Concrete retaining walls
When a slope keeps washing onto your driveway or patio, a poured wall holds the dirt back, with drainage behind it so water can't push it over.
Concrete floor installation
For sheds, workshops and additions, we pour interior floors over a vapor barrier and packed base, finished smooth so tile, epoxy or plain concrete sits flat.
Concrete pool decks
Around a pool, we pour a deck with a broom finish, a light brushed texture that gives wet feet some grip, and slope it away from the water.
Concrete steps construction
Front and back steps that have cracked, settled or pulled away from the house get rebuilt with rebar, the steel inside that keeps a crack from opening up.
Slab foundation building
For a garage, addition or small building, we pour the slab on packed subgrade, the ground the slab sits on, and set up inspections before the truck comes.
Foundation installation
When a builder or homeowner needs a foundation for new work, we lay it out, dig, form and pour, planning each step before the truck is booked.
Concrete parking lot building
Small businesses here with a broken lot or a new one to build get a thicker slab and a base sized for delivery trucks, not just cars.
Concrete footings
Footings carry decks, additions, walls and porches, so we dig them to the depth the plans call for and get them inspected before concrete goes in.
Foundation raising
When an older house has settled at one corner and the doors stick, we look at why it moved before lifting it, so the fix lasts.
Concrete cutting
We cut openings, trenches and clean edges in slabs with no drawings, planning each cut first so the saw doesn't find a pipe or wire the hard way.
- Request an estimate
Get a free on-site concrete estimate in Norfolk
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set a time. I usually come out to your Norfolk property 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) 731-7228Norfolk concrete questions we hear most
Do I need a permit to pour a concrete driveway in Norfolk, VA?
Not a building permit for a driveway on a one- or two-family home, because the City of Norfolk doesn't require one for driveways, though concrete that's part of a deck, an addition or other work needing new framing falls under that project's permit. Work on the entrance where a driveway meets the street goes through the city's roadway permits, which include driveway entrance permits applied for online. If we're replacing that part and it's not clear what's needed, we ask the city before we start, not after.
How do I get a building permit for concrete work in Norfolk?
The property owner, a tenant or the contractor can apply, but the city highly recommends that the contractor doing the work pull it as the responsible party. If you pull it for your own work, you also sign an affidavit accepting responsibility for everything under it. On our jobs we pull the permit, list ourselves as the responsible party and set up the inspections. Norfolk's Commissioner of the Revenue handles business licenses in the city, contractors included, so that's a fair thing to ask about when you compare bids.
How long is a building permit good for in Norfolk, VA?
A Norfolk permit goes void if the work hasn't started within 6 months, or if it starts and then stops for 6 months. Work also can't move past each stage until the city approves that stage's inspection, so on a footing or slab job we book the inspection ahead of the truck, not after the pour.
Do I need an elevation certificate for a new garage slab in Norfolk?
Yes, if the lot is in a flood zone, because the city asks for an elevation certificate on new garages there, along with new houses, additions and pools. Decks and piers don't need one. We sort that out before the slab is formed, and the city's Development Services Center helps with permit questions by in-person or online appointment.
How much does concrete work cost in Norfolk, VA?
Your price comes from what I find on site, mainly how much old concrete comes out, how much base work the ground needs, how close the truck can get and the finish you choose. If something has to give, cut the fancy finish before the base, because the base is buried on day one and it's what decides whether the slab settles. Stamped and colored work costs more than a plain broom finish, and the estimate spells out what we'd do and why so you can compare.
Will a new concrete driveway in Norfolk crack like the old one?
It may still get a hairline crack or two, since concrete shrinks as it cures, but it shouldn't break up and sink the way a slab on a raked base does. We pack the base, add rebar where the slab needs it and cut control joints, shallow grooves that give the concrete a straight place to crack, while it's still fresh rather than days later. You'll stay off it while it cures, walking on it first and driving on it later, and we'll tell you when before the pour.
Call about your Norfolk concrete job
We answer seven days a week, from early morning into the evening, so call (757) 731-7228 after work or send the form tonight.