Concrete Contractor in Brookline, MA - Solid Slabs for Tight, Older Lots
Excel Newton Concrete is a Newton-based concrete contractor pouring driveways, patios, steps, walks and foundations in Brookline, MA. I look at each job myself, and my crew digs out, packs the base and pours with me on site.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- We respond within 1 business day.
Brookline houses, lots and driveways as we see them
Brookline sits right up against Boston, and on our jobs here you notice that first in how little room there is. Near the Boston line, the streets are lined with older two-families and brick buildings, the driveway is often one car wide beside the house, and the back yard might be about a patio's worth of ground. Farther south the lots open up, with more single-family houses, longer driveways and space for a garage or a pool out back. It reminds me of the older parts of Newton and Cambridge, where we do the same kind of work.
On the older lots, the concrete has usually been patched a few times, and nobody knows what fill went under it decades ago. So most Brookline jobs start with digging out to see what's really underneath, and on the hillier streets around Corey Hill, with working out where the water goes before we set a single form.
Concrete services we offer Brookline homeowners
- Concrete driveway building
Narrow driveways beside Brookline's older houses often sink and crack because they were poured over a thin base. We dig them out, pack the base and pour new.
- Concrete patio construction
A concrete patio turns a small back yard behind a two-family into usable space, and we slope it so rain runs away from the house.
- Stamped concrete services
Stamped concrete gives a patio or walk the look of stone or brick, which suits Brookline's older houses without loose pavers to reset later.
- Concrete sidewalk building
Front walks here often lift over tree roots or settle into dips that hold water. We rebuild them with a broom finish, the brushed texture that gives grip.
- Garage floor concrete
Detached garages here often sit on cracked, sunken floors, so we break out the slab, rebuild the base and pour a new floor that drains to the door.
- Decorative concrete
Colored and textured finishes let a new slab sit comfortably beside old brick and stone, and I'll show you samples at the estimate before you pick.
- Concrete retaining walls
On sloped Brookline lots, a concrete retaining wall holds back the hill so the yard or driveway stays put, with a footing under it and drainage behind.
- Concrete floor installation
Basement floors in Brookline's older homes are often thin, broken or bare dirt in spots. We pour a new floor that's flat, solid underfoot and ready to finish.
- Concrete pool decks
On South Brookline's bigger lots, we slope a pool deck away from the water and give it a texture that grips wet feet.
- Concrete steps construction
Crumbling front steps are common on older Brookline houses, so we rebuild them with rebar, steel bars that hold the concrete together, and even risers.
- Slab foundation building
A slab foundation suits a new garage or addition behind a Brookline house. We build it on a packed subgrade, the ground a slab rests on.
- Foundation installation
An addition on a Brookline house needs foundation walls that line up with what's already there, and pouring foundations is where I started in concrete.
- Concrete parking lot building
Multi-family buildings and small businesses here often have tight parking areas out back, so we pour them thick enough for daily traffic and plan where the water goes.
- Concrete footings
Porches, decks and additions on Brookline houses sit on footings, the concrete that carries their weight down to firm ground, so we dig until we reach it.
- Foundation raising
If an older Brookline house has settled at one corner or needs taller basement walls, foundation raising lifts it so we can rebuild what's underneath.
- Concrete cutting
We cut openings, trenches and clean edges in existing slabs. That helps on cramped lots, where breaking out a whole slab would tear up the yard.
Get a free written estimate for your Brookline concrete job
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set a time for me to come out. The estimate is free, done at your property and written out so you can compare it, with no obligation.
Call (617) 644-7325What working in Brookline means for your job
In Brookline, the Town of Brookline's Building Department issues the permits for building, altering or repairing a structure, so when your job needs one, the pour date waits for the permit. Those permits typically go to a state-licensed construction supervisor, and you can look up any supervisor's license on the state's licensing page before you sign anything. A company that works under a trade name also files a "Doing Business As" certificate in the community where it's headquartered, which in Brookline means the Office of the Town Clerk. That filing only registers the name and isn't a general business license. When a job needs a permit, we pull it in our name and set up the inspections, and if I'm not sure whether one is needed, we check with the department before we start.
Close to Boston the streets are narrow and parked solid, so part of planning a pour here is where the mixer truck can stand and how the concrete gets back to the forms. That access is one of the things that moves the price. So do the size and thickness of the slab, how much old concrete and soft fill has to come out, whether it needs rebar, and the finish you pick. The schedule depends on the permit, on how much digging the base needs, and on curing, the days the concrete needs to gain strength before you walk on it and then drive on it. Lots out in Framingham usually give us more room to work, but either way your written estimate lists the mix, the prep, the cleanup and who handles the permit, so you can see what you're paying for.
Why concrete gives out on older Brookline properties
Most of the sinking and cracking we see in Brookline comes from what's under the concrete, not the concrete itself. A lot of older driveways and walks were poured on ground that was raked level instead of dug out and packed, so the slab sank as the dirt did. Many were also pitched so rain runs toward the house instead of away from it. We dig down to firm ground, pack the base in layers and check where the water runs before we form anything. Nobody sees the base on day one, and that's exactly why it's the first thing a low bid cuts and the last thing we will. If the budget is tight, I'd rather you pick a plainer finish than settle for a thinner base.
Houses here also tend to sit close to the lot lines, so a new garage slab or an addition takes some planning. Brookline requires a certified plot plan with the permit application for any new structure or any change to a building's footprint, so we sort out what your job needs before we set a schedule.
How a concrete job runs when you call us in Brookline
Here's what happens from your first call to the final walk-through, and what you'll get from us at each step of a Brookline job.
Call and set a visit
Call (617) 644-7325 or send the form, and we'll pick a time for me to come see the spot. It helps if you're home, so you can show me what's bothering you.
Look at the spot together
I ask how you use the driveway or patio and walk you through your choices right there, from the base work to the finish. You then get a written estimate that spells out the mix, the prep, the cleanup and who handles any permits, so you can compare it line by line with anyone else's.
Get the permit and pour
Once a Brookline building permit is issued, work has to start within 180 days or the permit lapses, unless the building official grants an extension on written request, so we book your pour inside that window. Our crew protects your yard and house as we go and leaves the site safe to walk past at the end of each day.
Walk the finished work
When we're done, I walk the work with you and show you how to care for it, including when you can walk on it and when it's ready for the car. Satisfaction guaranteed on every job.
Questions about concrete work in Brookline
Do I need a permit for a new concrete driveway in Brookline?
Yes. Brookline's building and permits FAQ says putting in a driveway takes a building permit, along with a photograph or plans of the driveway as it is now or as you're proposing it. I take the photos and measurements at the estimate visit, so the application has what it needs.
Can I pull a building permit myself as a homeowner in Brookline?
You can if it's a one- or two-unit house you live in or plan to live in. The catch is that you may be liable for the contractors working on your property, and you lose protection under the state's Homeowners Improvement Contractor Law. That's one reason I'd rather we pull it for you.
Does my concrete contractor need HIC registration in Massachusetts?
Yes, if the work is on an existing home that you own and live in and that has one to four units. Massachusetts requires Home Improvement Contractor registration from anyone who bids on or does that work. The registration number has to appear on the building permit, the contract and the contractor's advertising, and any job estimated at $1,000 or more needs a written contract with the terms the state sets out.
How do I find out if my Brookline house needs a historic district permit?
First find out whether your property sits inside a Local Historic District. If it does, Brookline's permits and licensing page lists a separate Permit for Alterations in a Local Historic District, handled by the Planning Department. I'll ask about it at the visit, because that approval comes from a different office than the building permit.
How much does a concrete driveway cost in Brookline?
Your price comes from a written estimate after I've seen the driveway, because its size, the old concrete coming out and the base work underneath matter more than anything else. If the job needs a building permit, Brookline charges a fee of $21 per $1,000 of estimated cost, with some specific exceptions, and the estimate shows who handles that permit.
What causes cracks in a new concrete driveway in Brookline?
New concrete shrinks as it cures, so some cracking is normal, and control joints decide where it happens. Those are grooves cut across the slab on purpose, so the crack runs straight and out of sight inside the groove. If the joints are cut late or skipped, cracks land wherever they want. A top finished in the heat of the day can also turn weak and dusty later, which is why we time both the pour and the cuts.
Newton, MA
Call us about your Brookline concrete
If you already have another quote, show it to me at the visit and I'll go over how it handles the base, the drainage and the joints, so you're comparing like with like.