Frequently Asked Questions

Most residential concrete work is priced by the job or by the square foot, not by the hour, because materials, base work and finishing all go into the number. HomeGuide's driveway guide splits a typical installed price into about $3 to $7 per square foot for labor and $3 to $8 for materials. Small repairs can carry a minimum charge. We give you a fixed written price after measuring.

Get two or three written bids and compare what they include, not just the total. A good bid states the slab thickness, the depth of the stone base, the reinforcement, the joint layout and who handles the permit. Ask each bidder what they will do about soft clay and where water will drain. Vague answers on those points usually mean the base is an afterthought.

A plain broom finish costs less than stamped or colored concrete, and a well-built plain slab lasts just as long. Doing several pieces in one visit, such as a driveway and a walk, saves on mobilization. If your slab is sound but sunken or worn, leveling or resurfacing can cost far less than replacement, and we will price both when they are real options.

A handyman can patch small cracks or set a few pavers. A pour is different: it needs excavation, a compacted base, forms set to grade, a ready-mix truck scheduled to the hour and a crew big enough to finish before the concrete sets. If the job is larger than a small pad, it is worth hiring a crew that does flatwork every week.

Driveway work that connects to a public street goes through Athens-Clarke Transportation and Public Works on its Residential Driveway Permit Application, which lists $85 for a new driveway and $79 for a repair. A connection to a state route also needs GDOT approval. We confirm what your address needs before scheduling.

HomeGuide lists concrete driveways at about $6 to $14 or more per square foot with a 30 to 40 year lifespan, and asphalt at $5 to $12 or more with 15 to 30 years. Concrete handles summer heat without softening and needs less upkeep. Asphalt costs less up front. On steep or long rural driveways both can work if the base and drainage are right.

HomeGuide says foot traffic is fine after 24 to 48 hours and cars after at least 7 days, with heavy vehicles waiting for the full 28 to 30 day cure. We give you dates for your slab based on the mix and the weather that week.

Spring and fall give the easiest conditions. Summer pours work well with early starts and careful curing. Winter pours are possible on mild stretches, since freezes here are usually short, but we watch for hard freezes and protect fresh concrete when one is coming.

HomeGuide's cost table gives 30 to 40 years for a well-built concrete driveway. Around Athens, the base and drainage decide most of where a driveway lands in that range.

HomeGuide's guide calls for at least 4 inches for cars and 5 to 6 inches for RVs and heavy use, with thicker edges. We add depth where trucks or trailers park and at the apron.

We rarely recommend it. A sunken or cracked slab underneath carries its problems into the new layer and raises the surface at the garage and the street. Removing the old slab and rebuilding the base is the reliable fix.

If the work reaches the public street, Athens-Clarke Transportation and Public Works requires a residential driveway permit; its application lists $79 for repairing an existing driveway and $85 for a new one. We confirm what your address needs.

HomeGuide says to wait at least 7 days for cars and the full 28 to 30 day cure for heavy vehicles. We give you exact dates.

HomeGuide's patio guide puts concrete patios at 30 to 50 years with regular maintenance. A firm base and good drainage matter most.

HomeGuide says 4 inches is the typical residential minimum, and patios carrying hot tubs or outdoor kitchens should be 6 inches with extra reinforcement.

Yes. The low side can be built up with compacted stone and an edge or steps, or the patio can be split into levels. We plan it so the surface still drains away from the house.

HomeGuide lists plain concrete patios at $4 to $12 per square foot and stamped at $9 to $30. A 12 by 12 foot patio runs about $600 to $1,700 plain and $1,150 to $4,300 stained or stamped on its size table.

All concrete cracks somewhere. Stamped slabs get control joints like plain ones, and we place them along pattern lines so cracks follow the design.

Sealed stamped concrete is slicker when wet than a broom finish. A textured pattern and anti-slip grit mixed into the sealer give better footing on pool surrounds and steps.

Every few years on most patios, and sooner in full sun or heavy foot traffic. When water stops beading or the color looks dull, it is due.

If it is solid and level, a stamped overlay may work; HomeGuide lists single-pattern overlays at $7 to $15 per square foot. A sunken or broken slab should be replaced.

Stamped concrete is one continuous slab with no joints to weed or units to shift. Pavers can be lifted and reset one at a time. Price both for the same space and pick the trade-off you prefer.

HomeGuide's steps guide puts typical step repair at $300 to $800 for cracks or small sections. Steps that have sunk, pulled away from the house or have uneven risers are usually better replaced.

Often, if the panels are intact. HomeGuide lists mudjacking a 100-square-foot sidewalk at $400 to $900. Our repair page covers leveling in more detail.

HomeGuide notes most walkways are 4 to 6 inches thick. Any section a vehicle crosses should match the driveway.

That walk is in the public right-of-way. In Athens-Clarke County, work that affects it goes through Transportation and Public Works, reachable at 706-613-3440. Walks and steps on your lot are the owner's.

HomeGuide describes most two-car garage floors as reinforced concrete 4 to 6 inches thick. We add depth where trucks or heavy equipment park and under walls.

Usually. We break out the old slab around the posts, rebuild the base and pour new concrete. If posts or footings are damaged, we tell you before work starts.

HomeGuide says shed slabs are usually about 4 inches thick and typically do not need reinforcement. For larger sheds or soft clay we often add mesh to keep any cracks tight.

Framing can often start within days, but HomeGuide's slab guide puts full cure at 28 to 48 days. We give you timing for your project.

Foam (polyjacking) uses smaller holes, is lighter and cures in about 15 minutes, but HomeGuide lists it at $8 to $25 a square foot versus $4 to $9 for mudjacking. For many driveways and walks, mudjacking does the job for less.

HomeGuide says professionally leveled concrete typically lasts 5 to 10 years or more. Fixing the drainage that caused the settling is what makes it last.

HomeGuide notes cracks wider than about a quarter inch can point to deeper problems. Offset cracks, cracks that keep growing or cracks with water flowing under them deserve a closer look before they are covered.

Yes, if it is solid and level. HomeGuide lists basic driveway resurfacing at $3 to $5 a square foot, lasting about 8 to 15 years.