Concrete Contractor in Dedham, MA - Steps, Walks and Driveways for Older Homes
Excel Newton Concrete is a concrete contractor based in Newton, MA. We build driveways, patios, steps, walks and foundations for homes in Dedham, and we pour lots and cut concrete for property owners.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- We respond within 1 business day.
Dedham's older homes and what they mean for concrete
Dedham has a lot of older homes, and the concrete around them usually shows its age before we're out of the truck. We see front steps worn round at the edges, walks tilted toward the house and driveways patched more than once. Many lots still have stone walls along their edges, and some of the roads that reach them are old and narrow, which matters when a concrete truck has to back in. We see much the same on jobs just over the line in Needham.
Those older lots shape how we work. Stone walls, old foundations and established yards often sit right where the forms and equipment need to go, so we plan the layout and the path for the concrete before we break ground. Sometimes we wheel it in rather than drive across your lawn.
Concrete work we do on Dedham properties
- Concrete driveway building
Older Dedham driveways often sit on thin base, so we dig out to firm ground, pack new base and pour a slab that drains away from the house.
- Concrete patio construction
A concrete patio fits well behind an older house where the yard is already set, and we pitch it so rain runs toward the lawn, not the foundation.
- Stamped concrete services
Stamped concrete gives a patio or walk the look of stone or brick, which suits Dedham houses where real stone walls already frame the yard.
- Concrete sidewalk building
Front walks on older homes heave and tilt as the base under them shifts, so we rebuild them on packed base with a slight pitch that sheds water.
- Garage floor concrete
Older Dedham garage floors are often cracked or sunk at the door, so we break them out and pour a new slab pitched to drain out the opening.
- Decorative concrete
Colored or textured concrete can pick up the tones of the brick and stone already on an older Dedham house, so new work looks like it belongs there.
- Concrete retaining walls
Where a sloped yard is pushing an old stone wall out of line, a poured concrete wall with drainage behind it holds the grade and keeps water moving.
- Concrete floor installation
We pour interior floors for basements, additions and outbuildings, and in older houses we check what the old floor sat on before we plan the new one.
- Concrete pool decks
A pool deck needs a texture bare feet can grip when it's wet and a pitch that carries splash water away from the house.
- Concrete steps construction
Front steps on older Dedham homes are often crumbling at the edges or pulling away from the house, and we rebuild them on footings with even step heights.
- Slab foundation building
We pour slab foundations for garages, sheds and outbuildings, starting with the subgrade, the ground the slab sits on, dug out and packed before the pour.
- Foundation installation
Additions on older Dedham houses need a foundation that ties in cleanly next to the original, and we plan the dig around the house you're living in.
- Concrete parking lot building
For businesses and multi-unit properties in Dedham, we pour lots and entrances thick enough for the traffic they carry and pitched so water reaches the drains.
- Concrete footings
Decks, porches and additions on older homes need footings, the concrete bases under posts and walls, set deep enough that winter frost doesn't push them up.
- Foundation raising
When an older foundation has dropped and the house shows it in cracks or sticking doors, we look at why it settled before we talk about raising it.
- Concrete cutting
We saw-cut openings, trenches and clean edges in existing slabs, so a broken section of an old driveway or walk can come out without wrecking the rest.
Get a written estimate for concrete work in Dedham
We respond within one business day to set a time. Then I come out myself, look at the spot and give you a free written estimate. No pressure, no obligation.
Call (617) 644-7325Working in Dedham: permits, paperwork and price
In Dedham, the city's Building and Code Enforcement Department takes building permit applications and handles the inspections. It asks owners to get in touch, or to talk with Planning, Zoning and Natural Resources, before they plan changes to a building or property. When a job needs a permit, we pull it in our name and set up the inspections, so the pour date waits on them. If I'm not sure whether yours needs one, I check with the city office before we start. Before you hire anyone, ask for their state registration, which I cover in the questions below. Anyone doing business here under a name other than their own also has to file a business certificate with the Town Clerk. We're fully licensed and insured.
What moves the price here is mostly what's under the old concrete. That means how much has to come out, how deep we dig to reach firm ground, how much new base goes back in and how hard the spot is to reach. The schedule turns on the permit, if your job needs one, and on the weather. I'd rather wait a day than pour on frozen ground or in the heat of a summer afternoon, because that leaves a weak, dusty top. Your written estimate spells out each of those pieces, the same way we lay out jobs next door in Westwood.
Why concrete wears out on Dedham properties
Winters here are hard on concrete. Water gets into cracks and under the edges of a slab, then it freezes, swells and lifts the slab a little more each year. That's how a walk ends up tilted and a step ends up pulling away from the door. When we pour, we pitch the surface so water runs off toward the yard instead of sitting against the house. We also pack the base so there's less room under the slab for water to collect.
Dedham's older homes add a second problem. A lot of the concrete around them sits on a base that was raked level instead of dug out and packed, so it has settled along with the dirt. The base is the part nobody sees on day one, and it's the first thing a tight budget cuts. I'd rather spend your money there than on a fancier finish, because a plain slab on good ground outlasts a pretty one on soft ground.
How a concrete job in Dedham works, step by step
Here's how a Dedham job runs from your first call to the final walkthrough, with me on site from the estimate through the cleanup.
Call us or send the form
You call (617) 644-7325 or send the form, and we set a time for me to come out to your property. You don't need measurements or a plan yet, just an idea of what's bothering you about the concrete you have.
Walk the spot with me
I look at the spot myself, ask how you use it and walk you through your choices right there. 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 other quotes.
Prep the ground and pour
My crew digs out, packs the base and forms the slab with me on site, and if your job has a permit, the pour goes on the calendar around its inspections. We protect your yard and house as we go and keep a clear path to your door, since you still have to get in and out at the end of the day.
Walk the finished work together
At the end I walk the work with you and show you how to care for it while it cures. Curing is the slow hardening that has to happen before feet, and later cars, go on it, and I'll tell you which day to expect each for your slab.
Questions about concrete work in Dedham
Can I apply for a building permit online in Dedham?
Yes. Dedham takes permit applications online through OpenGov for permits and licenses from the Building Department, the Board of Health, DPW/Engineering and other city offices. On our jobs the filing is ours, as I mentioned above, but you're welcome to look over the application with me.
Which building code applies to my house in Dedham?
The Massachusetts State Building Code applies, and the Building Department enforces it here. The tenth edition is now the only one in effect. Its residential volume covers one- and two-family houses, townhouses of three stories or less, and their accessory structures. That's the code an inspection goes by if your concrete job needs a permit.
How do I check that a concrete contractor is registered in Massachusetts?
Ask for their active registration number, because it has to appear on building permits, contracts and advertising for residential contracting. The state requires contractors who bid on or do work on an existing, owner-occupied home with one to four units to register as a Home Improvement Contractor. Some construction projects also call for a licensed construction supervisor. That license is separate from the registration, so one doesn't stand in for the other.
Do I need a written contract for a concrete job in Massachusetts?
Yes, for work estimated at $1,000 or more. The state requires a registered contractor and the homeowner to have a written contract with certain required provisions. When you read one, look past the price to the prep, since the base is where a cheap quote usually saves its money.
How do I keep a new concrete driveway from cracking in Dedham?
Most of it is settled before the pour. That means digging to firm ground, packing a real base and cutting control joints, shallow grooves that give the concrete a straight line to crack along instead of a random one. No slab is crack-proof, but we cut the joints on time instead of days later. You can help by keeping cars off until it cures and keeping water from pooling along the edges.
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Dedham?
The price comes down to the size of the driveway and the work under it, and the written estimate after my visit gives you the figure for yours. Tearing out the old slab, digging to firm ground and bringing in new base make up a big share of it. Thickness, rebar and the finish add the rest. Rebar is the steel bars set inside the slab to hold it together. A plain broom finish, the light brushed texture that gives boots and tires grip, costs less than stamped or colored concrete.
Newton, MA
Book your Dedham concrete estimate today
Call (617) 644-7325 or use the form, and if you already have other quotes, I'll walk you through what each one includes for the base.