Concrete Contractor in Wellesley, MA - Slabs Built on a Base That Holds
Excel Newton Concrete is a concrete contractor based in Newton, MA, and we build driveways, patios, steps, walls and foundations for homes in Wellesley, with the base dug out and packed before anything is poured.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- We respond within 1 business day.
Wellesley concrete work on older homes and lots
Wellesley is mostly single-family homes on their own lots, many of them older colonials and capes with a driveway, a front walk and a few steps up to the door that were poured a long time ago. The calls we get from there are usually about those same pieces: a driveway sinking at the garage, a walk lifted by a tree root, steps pulling away from the house or a back patio that holds water after it rains.
It's much the same work we do next door in Needham and Weston. On older lots the ground near the house has usually been dug up and filled at least once, and loose fill keeps settling for years, so the subgrade, the ground the slab sits on, decides more about how your concrete holds up than anything we do on top.
Concrete services for Wellesley homes and properties
- Concrete driveway building
Long driveways here often sink near the garage where old fill settled, so we tear out to firm ground, pack a new base and pour fresh.
- Concrete patio construction
A backyard patio that pools water was usually poured flat or tipped toward the house. We set the new one to drain off toward the yard.
- Stamped concrete services
Stamped concrete gives a patio or walk the look of stone or brick in one pour, which suits the older houses here without laying pieces by hand.
- Concrete sidewalk building
Front walks lifted by tree roots are a common trip spot here. We replace the bad sections and cut joints so any new crack lands where we planned.
- Garage floor concrete
Older garage floors here are often cracked, stained and pitched wrong, so water sits by the door. We break out the old slab and pour one that drains.
- Decorative concrete
Colored, scored or polished finishes let a patio or entry match the house instead of looking like a plain gray add-on. We help you pick before we pour.
- Concrete retaining walls
On a sloped lot a poured wall holds the yard back so a driveway or patio can sit level, with drainage behind so water doesn't push it over.
- Concrete floor installation
Basement and shop floors in older houses are often thin or broken up. We pour a new floor over a packed base so it stays flat underfoot.
- Concrete pool decks
Pool decks take bare feet, splashing and pool chemicals, so we give them a textured finish that isn't slick when wet and slope them away from the pool.
- Concrete steps construction
Front steps that have dropped or pulled away from the house usually sit on poor footing. We rebuild them on firm ground with steel inside.
- Slab foundation building
A slab foundation suits a garage, shed or addition on flat ground. We dig to firm soil and pack the base, since everything built on it depends on that.
- Foundation installation
Adding onto an older house means the new foundation has to meet the old one. We form and pour it so the addition sits level with the rest.
- Concrete parking lot building
Lots behind shops and offices take daily traffic and turning tires, so we build them heavier than a driveway and pitch them so water reaches the drains.
- Concrete footings
Footings carry the weight of a deck, porch or addition down to firm ground. We dig them to undisturbed soil so what sits on them doesn't sink.
- Foundation raising
When a corner of an older house or slab has dropped, raising it can save tearing it out. We look at why it moved before we lift anything.
- Concrete cutting
We cut clean openings in slabs and walls for new doors, drain lines or a section that needs replacing, so the rest of the concrete stays intact.
Get a written concrete estimate for your Wellesley home
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set a time. I come out to look at the spot myself, and you get a free written estimate with no obligation.
Call (617) 644-7325Working in Wellesley: permits, registration and what moves the price
Building permits in Wellesley come from the inspectors in the Town of Wellesley's Building Department, and the department says most construction projects need one, though not all. When your job needs one, we pull it in our name and set up the inspections, and if we aren't sure, we check with the department before we start, which can add a wait before pour day but keeps the job from stopping halfway. Before you hire anyone, ask for their state Home Improvement Contractor registration number, and if they work under a trade name, ask about their business certificate, the filing Wellesley businesses make with the Town Clerk that shows who's behind the name. We're fully licensed and insured, and glad to show you the paperwork.
A lot of Wellesley houses sit back from the street on long driveways, so part of every estimate is working out where the concrete truck can park and how far we have to move the pour from there, because a long reach takes more hands. Price moves with the size of the slab, how much old concrete we break out and haul away, that reach and the finish you pick. The schedule turns on the permit and on curing, the wait while new concrete hardens enough to use. Your written estimate spells out the mix, the prep and the cleanup for your job, the same way we do it in Waltham and the other cities around Newton.
Why older Wellesley driveways and patios fail
A lot of the concrete we replace here was poured on a base that was raked level instead of dug out and packed, so it settled with the dirt underneath and cracked where the ground dropped. The base is the part nobody sees on day one, which is why it's the first thing a tight quote cuts, and it's the one place I won't, because a nice finish on a bad base is a nice finish that sinks. We dig to firm ground, pack the base and use rebar, steel bars set inside the slab, where the job needs it to hold the pieces together.
The other thing we see is water. A slab that has settled toward the house sends rain at the foundation, so we check where the water runs before we form anything and pitch the new slab away. Concrete cracks somewhere, so we cut control joints, shallow grooves in the surface, on time, so the crack lands in the groove instead of across the middle.
How a concrete job runs when you call us from Wellesley
Here's how it goes from your first call to the final walk-through, so you know when I'm there, when the crew is and when you need to be home.
Call us or send the form
You reach us at (617) 644-7325 or through the form, and we set a time for me to come out to your house. It helps if you're home for that visit, since I'll ask how you use the driveway or patio.
Walk the spot and choose
I look at the old concrete, the ground and where water runs, then walk you through your choices right there, finish and thickness included. You get a written estimate that spells out the mix, the prep, the cleanup and who handles any permits, so you know what you're paying for before you agree to anything.
Get the permit, then pour
If your job needs a permit, the city says review generally takes ten to fourteen days for new construction and can be shorter for other projects, so we set the pour date around it. On pour day my crew works with me on site, and we protect your lawn, plantings and house as we go.
Walk the finished job together
When we're done, I walk the work with you and show you how to care for it while it cures. You can usually walk on new concrete well before you can drive on it, and I'll tell you how long to wait on your job.
Questions about concrete work in Wellesley
How do I find out if my driveway project needs a permit in Wellesley?
Ask Wellesley's Building Department, because its inspectors issue building permits and the department says most construction projects need one, though not all. Town Hall is open Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., at 781-431-1019. If we're doing the job, we sort that out with them before we start.
How do I check that a concrete contractor is registered to work on my Wellesley home?
Ask for their state Home Improvement Contractor registration, which any contractor, subcontractor or company that seeks, bids on or does work on an existing, owner-occupied home of one to four units has to have. A Construction Supervisor License is a separate credential, and contractors who apply for a permit in Wellesley also have to register their licenses with the Building Department.
Do I need a plot plan to build a retaining wall in Wellesley?
You do if the wall holds back 4 or more feet of unbalanced fill, soil piled higher on one side than the other, because the city's residential building permit checklist calls for a certified plot plan for those walls. The same checklist asks for one on new construction, additions and accessory structures over 100 square feet, which matters if we're pouring the foundation for one.
Does concrete work near a wetland or stream in Wellesley need extra approval?
Yes, if the project is within 100 feet of a wetland or 200 feet of a perennial stream or river, one that runs year-round, the same checklist lists Natural Resource Commission and Wetlands Committee approval as required. If your yard backs onto wet ground, a brook or a pond, tell me at the estimate so it's part of the plan before we schedule anything.
When do I need a written contract for concrete work in Massachusetts?
For work estimated at $1,000 or more, state law says you and the contractor need a written contract with certain required provisions. The contractor's active registration number also has to appear on the contract, the permit and their advertising, so it's worth reading before you sign.
What makes a new concrete driveway in Wellesley cost more or less?
The base and the old concrete move the price most, because digging to firm ground, packing it and hauling away a broken slab is work you won't see once the new one's poured. A broom finish, a light texture dragged across the top for grip, costs less than stamped or colored work, and if you need to trim the budget, I'd rather you go plainer on top than thinner underneath. Your written estimate spells out the prep, so you can see whether another quote skipped it.
Newton, MA
Plan your Wellesley concrete job with us
Call (617) 644-7325 or send the form, because a look at the old slab and the ground around it tells us more than any photo can.