Concrete Contractor in Westwood, MA - Driveways and Patios Built on a Base That Holds
Excel Newton Concrete is a concrete contractor based in Newton that pours driveways, patios, steps, walkways and foundation work for homes in Westwood, MA. I look at every job myself, and my crew and I build it.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- We respond within 1 business day.
Westwood homes as we find them on the job
Westwood is mostly family homes with yards, and the calls we get there are about the concrete people live with every day, like a driveway that's sunk at the bottom, a patio that tips toward the back door or front steps that rock when you step on them. Older houses sit near newer ones on a lot of streets, so one job has us matching a slab to a house that's stood a long time and the next has us pouring for a recent addition. It's the same mix of work we see next door in Dedham and over in Needham.
Yards here tend to have lawns, big trees and some slope, and that shapes the job before I price anything, because roots, soft ground and the way rain runs across the lot all end up under the slab.
Concrete services for Westwood homes and lots
- Concrete driveway building
A new driveway makes sense when the old one has sunk at the edges or cracked across, and we dig out and pack the base before any pour.
- Concrete patio construction
We pour patios off the back of Westwood houses, sloped so rain runs toward the yard and away from your foundation, sized around how you use it.
- Stamped concrete services
Stamped concrete presses a stone or brick pattern into the surface, which suits a front walk or patio where you want the look without laying pavers.
- Concrete sidewalk building
A front walk that heaves or trips people gets torn out and rebuilt on a packed base, with joints cut so any cracks land where we choose.
- Garage floor concrete
When a garage floor is pitted, stained or sloping toward the house, we break it out and pour a new slab that drains toward the door.
- Decorative concrete
Decorative concrete covers color, exposed stone and borders that dress up a plain slab, and it works best on a patio or entry people see every day.
- Concrete retaining walls
A poured retaining wall holds back a sloped yard or a driveway cut into a grade, with drainage behind it so water doesn't push it over.
- Concrete floor installation
We pour basement and outbuilding floors, which helps when an old floor is cracked, damp or uneven, and we check what it sits on first.
- Concrete pool decks
A pool deck needs a finish that grips wet feet and a slope that sends splash water away from the pool and the house, so we plan both.
- Concrete steps construction
Front steps on older houses often pull away from the house or crumble at the edges, and we rebuild them with steel inside and even risers.
- Slab foundation building
For an addition, garage or outbuilding on a flat spot, a slab foundation gives it a solid floor and base in one pour on packed ground.
- Foundation installation
We form and pour foundation walls for additions and new structures, which is the work I started on, so the layout gets checked before concrete arrives.
- Concrete parking lot building
Property owners call us for small lots and shared parking areas where asphalt keeps breaking up, and concrete gives a harder surface that stands up to traffic.
- Concrete footings
Decks, porches, sheds and additions sit on footings, the concrete pads under each post or wall, and we dig them deep enough to stay put through winter.
- Foundation raising
When part of a house or an old slab has settled, foundation raising lifts it back toward level, and we look for what made it sink first.
- Concrete cutting
We saw-cut concrete for new doorways, drain lines and clean edges where only part of a slab is coming out, which keeps the rest intact.
A free written concrete estimate for your Westwood home
Send the form and we reply within one business day to set a time, then I come out myself and give you a free written estimate at your property, with no obligation.
Call (617) 644-7325Working in Westwood: permits, licenses and what moves the price
In Westwood, building permits come from the Town of Westwood's Building Department, and a job that needs one doesn't start until the department has issued it, which is why we settle the permit question at the estimate and not the week of the pour. When a job needs a permit, 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. On your side, Massachusetts requires Home Improvement Contractor registration for anyone working on an existing home of one to four units that the owner lives in, though new construction, buildings over four units and investment, vacation or second homes fall outside that law. Some projects also need a licensed construction supervisor, and you can check that license on the state's construction supervisor page. We're fully licensed and insured.
We're based in Newton and work across the cities around it, so Westwood driveways and backyards are regular work for us and not a long haul. The price moves mostly with the size of the job, what has to come out before we pour and how much base work your ground needs, and the schedule turns on any permit review, a dry day for the pour and getting the concrete truck booked. Your written estimate is where your own figure comes from.
What wears out concrete on Westwood properties
A lot of the concrete around older Westwood houses has simply outlived the ground under it, so steps pull away from the house, walks lift where tree roots run and old garage floors break up at the door. We take out what's failed, find out why it moved and build the replacement so the new slab isn't sitting on the same problem. That usually means digging deeper than the last crew did, because the fix is almost always underneath.
On lots with a well or septic system, or inside a wetland overlay, the department wants those marked when it reviews a permit, and they matter to us too, because a septic tank or well line can sit right where you want the driveway wider. We find them before we lay out forms and keep the trucks off them.
How a concrete job runs when you call us in Westwood
From your first call to the last walkthrough, here's what happens on your end, and where a Westwood permit fits if your job needs one.
Call and set a visit
Call (617) 644-7325 or send the form, and we set a time for me to come out to your house. It helps if you're home so you can show me how you use the space.
I look and write it up
I walk the spot with you, ask how you use it and go through your choices right there, so the price makes sense before you see it. Your written estimate spells out the mix, the prep, the cleanup and who handles any permits, so you can lay it next to other quotes.
We pull permits and pour
If the job needs a permit, we pull it, and the department has 30 working days to review it and issue or deny it, so the pour date waits on that answer. On site we dig out, pack the base, set forms and pour, and we protect your yard and house as we go because you still have to live there each evening.
Walk the finished work
When we're done, I walk the work with you and show you how to care for it while it cures, which is the wait while the concrete hardens before it takes weight. You'll know when it's ready to walk on and when it can take a car.
Questions about concrete work in Westwood
Do I need a permit to replace a concrete driveway in Westwood, MA?
The department's guidance doesn't settle it for driveways, so the answer comes from asking the Building Department before work starts. Its residential construction FAQs sort ordinary repairs from rebuilds using decks and roofs as examples, and they tell owners in doubt to contact the department first. If you hire us, we make that call before we set a start date.
What happens if concrete work is done without a permit in Westwood?
If a job needed a permit and didn't get one, the fee goes to at least triple the normal permit fee, and state code allows a fine of up to $1000.00 a day. That's a good reason to settle the permit question before anyone breaks ground, and to ask every contractor quoting you who's pulling it.
How do I find out if my Westwood lot has easements or wetlands before a concrete job?
A certified plot plan is the only thing that shows them, because some Westwood lots carry easements, wetlands or other restrictions their owners don't know about. A new structure or an addition also needs a plot plan with its permit application, so if a foundation or slab is part of your plans, it's worth getting one early. If you already have one from buying the house, have it out when I come by and we'll check the spot together.
Do I need a permit for a concrete sport court in Westwood?
The Building Department's guidance leaves tennis and sports courts in residential zones unregulated. A tall fence around the court can need its own Building Permit under the same guidance, so talk to the department about the fence before it goes up. The court itself still gets a packed base, a slope so water runs off and joints cut where we want any cracks.
What causes concrete driveways to crack and sink in Westwood?
Most cracking and sinking we see comes from the subgrade, the ground the slab sits on, usually because it was raked flat instead of dug out and packed, so it settled with the dirt. Water running under the edge or toward the house makes it worse, and control joints, the grooves cut so the slab cracks along a line we picked, are often cut late or skipped. We dig to firm ground, pack the base, slope the slab away from the house, cut joints on time and avoid midday-heat pours that leave a weak, dusty top.
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Westwood?
The cost comes down to the driveway's size, how much old concrete has to come out, how deep we dig for the base, how close the truck can get and the finish you pick, and your written estimate prices each of those. A broom finish, the light texture dragged across so tires and shoes grip, costs less than stamped or colored concrete. If something has to give, I'd trim the finish before the base, because nobody sees the base on day one and it's what decides whether the slab settles.
Newton, MA
Plan your Westwood concrete job with us
Call before you sign any quote and I'll show you what the base and joints should look like on paper, so you can spot a shortcut in anyone's price.