Concrete Driveway Building in Norfolk VA - a slab built on a packed, solid base
Old driveway cracking, sinking or holding water? We dig out, pack the base and pour a new slab sloped to drain away from your house.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- Expect a reply within 1 business day.
What goes into building a concrete driveway in Norfolk?
Concrete driveway building in Norfolk starts well before the pour. We dig out to firm ground, pack an even base, stake the forms tight and pour a slab reinforced for whatever you park on it, so it can handle cars coming and going every day.
Most people call when the old driveway has broken into pieces, sunk at one edge or started holding water by the garage. Others call because they're parking on grass or dirt that was never meant for it. The price depends on the size, whether an old slab has to come out first, how much digging the base needs and how heavy the reinforcement has to be. The schedule depends on the city paperwork, the weather on pour day and the days your car stays off the new slab. We're based in Norfolk and work in the cities around it, on both sides of the state line. When I come out, the written estimate spells out the prep, the pour and anything you'll need to plan around.
How we handle concrete driveway building
A driveway is only as good as the ground under it, so we spend real time on the base and the forms before any concrete shows up. If there's an old slab, we break it out and haul it off. Then we dig past the soft dirt and roots, check where the water runs and set the grade so the new slab falls away from your house and garage. Our crew packs the subgrade, the ground the slab sits on, until it's firm and even edge to edge, then stakes the forms tight so they don't bow when the concrete hits them. Tell me what you park there and we'll pick the reinforcement to match. We pour early in the day, because midday heat dries the top too fast and leaves it weak and dusty later. Then we give it a broom finish, a light ridged texture that gives tires and shoes grip when it's wet. Concrete shrinks as it hardens and will crack somewhere, so we cut control joints, shallow grooves that give it a straight line to crack along, instead of leaving it to crack wherever it wants. After that comes curing, the slow stretch while it hardens, and we keep the slab from drying out too fast so it reaches full strength. If money gets tight, I'd drop a fancy finish before I'd skimp on the base. Nobody sees the base on day one, but it's what decides whether the new slab cracks like the old one.
A lot of homeowners want the backyard done while we're set up, and concrete patio construction uses the same dig-out, base and forming work. If you'd rather your driveway look like brick or stone than plain gray, our stamped concrete services press a pattern and color into the slab before it sets.
Tearing out and replacing an old driveway
This suits a driveway that's broken up, sunk at one edge or tilted toward the house, because a patch just sits on the same tired base that failed. We break it out, haul it away and build the base over again.
A new driveway where the cars park now
This is for parking that's on grass, dirt or gravel today. Since there's no slab to tear out, more of the budget goes into the base and the slab itself.
Widening or adding a parking pad
This works when you've added a car or a trailer and the existing slab is still sound. We tie the new section in at a joint, so each piece can move a little on its own and any crack lands on that line.
If water is pooling against your house or the slab is breaking up under your tires, call (757) 731-7228 now rather than after the next hard rain.
What happens when you call us about a new driveway in Norfolk?
Here's how a driveway job runs with us, from the first call to the final walk-through. I'm the one who comes out to look at it, and our own crew does the work.
Call or send the form
Call (757) 731-7228 or send the form and tell us what's wrong with the driveway you have, or where you want one. We set a time for me to come out and see it.
I walk the site with you
I look over the ground, take measurements and ask a lot of questions about what you park and where the water goes now. You get a written estimate that spells out the prep, the pour and anything you'll need to plan around, so you can see where the money goes before you decide.
We handle paperwork, then pour
If the job needs a permit or an inspection, we take care of that before we dig. Our crew builds the base and the forms, and I'm on site for the pour.
We walk the finished driveway
Before we call it done, I walk the driveway with you, look over the finish and the joints, and go through how to care for it in the first weeks. You get your parking back once it has cured enough to drive on.
Get a written plan and price for your new driveway
We reply within one business day to set up a visit. The estimate is free, done at your property and comes with no obligation. I'll walk the job, measure and write up what we'd do and why.
(757) 731-7228Concrete driveway building rules in Norfolk
The city of Norfolk lists driveways among the work that doesn't need a building permit, and it asks for a free zoning certificate when a building permit isn't needed. That means there's still paperwork before we dig. The city's driveway application asks what material is going down, and gravel or loose rock isn't allowed. It also wants a sketch on a survey or aerial photo, with measurements in feet and the distance to your property lines, so dig out your survey if you have one. Once the certificate is issued, the city decides whether the apron, the piece that meets the street, needs a separate permit. Work near City trees needs a tree permit from the city as well. We pull what your driveway needs, list ourselves as the responsible party and set up any inspections. If it isn't clear what applies, we ask the city before we start, not after.
Many of the driveways we replace around Norfolk are narrow strips beside older houses on tight lots, with a street tree or a city sidewalk close by. So we work out before pour day where the truck parks and how the concrete gets to the forms. We plan the same way on the lots we see on jobs in Chesapeake and Virginia Beach.
Concrete driveway questions we hear in Norfolk
How much does a concrete driveway cost in Norfolk?
A concrete driveway in Norfolk usually costs about $6 to $12 per square foot, not counting removal of an old one, which raises the price per square foot. Where yours falls depends on the size, how much base work the ground needs and the reinforcement. The written estimate after my visit gives you the figure for your driveway. Satisfaction guaranteed on every job.
Do I need a permit for a driveway in Norfolk?
Norfolk lists driveways among the work that doesn't need a building permit, but the city still asks for a free zoning certificate. Some jobs also need an apron or tree permit, as laid out above. We take care of that paperwork as part of the job.
When can I drive on my new concrete driveway?
A concrete trade group's homeowner guide says to keep vehicles off new concrete for at least 7 days, so line up other parking for that week before the pour. The same guide suggests using sand for traction in the first winter instead of deicing chemicals.
Should my driveway use wire mesh or rebar?
One cost guide says wire mesh is common for standard-sized vehicles, while rebar, steel bars set inside the slab, may be better for heavy traffic or large, heavy vehicles. Soil, traffic, climate and vehicle weight all play into the choice. Tell me about the work truck, the RV or the boat trailer at the estimate.
How long does a concrete driveway last?
A concrete trade group says concrete driveways often last over 30 years under daily traffic. That makes the driveway a long-term part of your property, so it's fair to weigh the price against decades of parking rather than a few years.
How do I check a concrete contractor's license in Virginia?
Ask for the license and check it with Virginia's Board for Contractors, which licenses businesses that build or improve on property owned by others. Each license has a class that sets the contract value it covers and a specialty that sets the type of work. A Class C license, for example, covers a single contract over $1,000 but less than $30,000, so compare the class to your job's price. We're licensed and insured.
Other concrete work to pair with a driveway
If the backyard is bare dirt or cracked pavers, a concrete patio gives you a level spot for a grill and chairs, built on the same packed base.
Want a walk or entry that looks like brick or stone? Stamped concrete presses pattern and color into the fresh slab, giving you that look in one pour.
Call about your new concrete driveway
Call (757) 731-7228 or use the form, and have the driveway's rough size, whether an old one comes out and your property survey ready, so the first visit gets straight to the details.