Concrete contractor in Brookline, MA - driveways and steps built on a solid base
M&K Cambridge Concrete Company is a concrete contractor based in Cambridge, MA, and we build driveways, patios, front steps, walks and foundations for homes in Brookline, from tearing out the old slab to the final finish.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free on-site estimates.
- Replies within 1 business day.
Brookline homes, hills and tight driveways
Brookline sits just outside Boston, and a lot of what we're called for here is on older streets where the driveway is squeezed between two houses. We see brick and wood-frame single-family homes, two-family houses with a shared driveway down the side, and front steps that have been patched more than once. Toward South Brookline the lots open up and the driveways run longer, closer to what we pour in Newton.
The ground matters as much as the house. Streets climb around Corey Hill and other high spots, so plenty of yards slope toward a foundation or a sidewalk, and a narrow drive can leave room for little more than a wheelbarrow. That's why we plan the base, the pitch and how the concrete reaches the forms before we price anything.
Concrete work we do on Brookline properties
Concrete driveway building
When a driveway is cracked, sinking or pooling water, we dig out the old base, pack a new one and pour a slab pitched away from the house.
Concrete patio construction
Small Brookline backyards usually have room for one good patio, so we set the slab to drain toward the yard instead of the back door or the fence.
Stamped concrete services
Stamped concrete gives a patio or front walk the pattern of brick or stone, a good fit beside an older brick house, while going down as one slab.
Concrete sidewalk building
We replace front and side walks that have tipped from tree roots or a soft base, so the path from the street to your door is flat again.
Garage floor concrete
Floors in older detached garages are often cracked and broken up, so we break out the old floor, rebuild the base underneath and pour a new slab.
Decorative concrete
Colored or textured finishes on steps, walks and patios let new concrete sit comfortably next to a house's existing brick, stone or painted trim.
Concrete retaining walls
On a sloped lot, a poured retaining wall holds the yard back so a driveway, patio or walk can sit level, with drainage built in behind it.
Concrete floor installation
We pour interior concrete floors for basements and workshop spaces, starting with a packed base so the new floor begins flat and solid.
Concrete pool decks
Around a backyard pool, we pour a deck with a textured surface for bare feet and pitch it so splash water runs off instead of sitting.
Concrete steps construction
Front steps on older Brookline houses often crumble at the edges or pull away from the porch, and we rebuild them with even risers and solid footing.
Slab foundation building
For a garage, addition or accessory building, we pour slab foundations on a dug-out, packed base, with steel set where the load calls for it.
Foundation installation
We form and pour new foundations for additions and outbuildings, checking the layout and the grade of the lot before any concrete goes in.
Concrete parking lot building
For multifamily buildings and small commercial lots, we pour parking areas made heavier where cars turn and park, with water directed toward the drains.
Concrete footings
Decks, porches and additions sit on footings, the concrete pads under posts or walls, and we set them to the size and depth the plans call for.
Foundation raising
When a house or garage has settled, we check what's underneath first, then raise and support the foundation so the floors come back toward level.
Concrete cutting
We saw-cut openings, trenches and clean edges in existing slabs and walls, which helps when only part of a driveway or walk needs replacing.
Get a free on-site estimate for your Brookline concrete job
We reply within one business day to set up a visit. I come out, measure and write an estimate listing what's included and what isn't, and you're under no obligation to go ahead.
(617) 613-6953- Based in
- Cambridge, MA 02139
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 7 AM–9 PM, Sat–Sun: 6 AM–9 PM
Working in Brookline: permits, licenses and what sets the price
Most concrete work on a Brookline house runs through the Building Department, which issues permits to build, rebuild, alter, repair or remove a structure, so the permit is part of the plan from my first visit. Those permits typically go to a state-licensed construction supervisor, and you can look up a contractor's license on the state's construction supervisor licensing page before you sign anything. A company working under a business name also files that name in the community where it's headquartered, which in Brookline is the Office of the Town Clerk, and that's separate from a general business license. We check what each job needs with the building office, and when a permit applies, we take it out ourselves as your contractor and keep it posted at the job.
We come over from Cambridge and work the same kind of close-built streets in Somerville, so narrow driveways and pours right off the street are normal work for us. On a Brookline job the price moves mostly with how much old concrete comes out, how much base the ground needs, the size and finish of the new slab, and whether a truck can reach the forms or we have to wheel the concrete in. The schedule turns on the permit and the weather on pour day, and your estimate spells out what's included and what isn't so you can see what you're paying for.
Why Brookline slabs crack, sink and hold water
A lot of the driveways and walks we tear out here were poured on dirt that was raked flat instead of dug out and packed, so the slab settled with the ground and cracked along the way. We dig down to firm subgrade, the soil the slab sits on, pack a stone base over it and set rebar, steel bars that hold the concrete together, where a driveway carries car weight. If a budget has to give somewhere, I'd keep that base and go with a plain broom finish, the light brushed texture that gives feet and tires grip, because nobody sees the base on day one but everybody sees it when it fails.
On sloped lots and between close-set houses, water decides where a slab ends up, so before we build forms we check where it runs and pitch the new concrete away from your foundation. We also cut control joints, shallow grooves that give the slab a straight line to crack along, while the concrete is fresh enough that cracks don't pick their own spot first.
How a concrete job runs when you call us from Brookline
From the first call to the day you walk on the new concrete, here's how a job with us goes and when you'll need to be around.
Call or send a message
Call (617) 613-6953 or use the form and tell us what's going on with the slab. We'll set a time for me to come look at it.
I come out and measure
I measure, check the grade and where the water runs, and ask what you want, so it helps if you're home for that visit. The written estimate lists what's included and what isn't, so you know what you're paying for before we start.
We sort out the permit
When the job needs a permit we get it in place, and since a Brookline permit lapses if work hasn't started within 180 days of being issued, we book the pour well inside that window. We pick the pour day around the weather.
We pour, finish and clean up
Our crew digs out, packs the base, pours and finishes with me on site the whole time, and you don't have to be home for the pour. Before we leave, I go over curing with you, the wait before you walk or drive on the new concrete while it hardens and gains strength.
Questions about concrete work in Brookline
Do I need a building permit for a new concrete driveway in Brookline?
Yes, Brookline's Building Department requires a building permit to install a driveway, along with a photograph or plans of the existing or proposed driveway. A shed needs a permit too, because the zoning by-laws treat it as an accessory structure, and any new structure or footprint change needs a certified plot plan with the application, which matters if we're pouring a shed or garage slab. You can read both on Brookline's building and permits FAQ.
How do I apply for a building permit in Brookline?
You apply online through the Accela permit portal linked from Brookline's permits and licensing page, and first-time users set up an account before they start. A homeowner can get a permit for a one- or two-unit home they live in or plan to live in, but then they may be liable for contractors on the property and lose protection under the state's Homeowners Improvement Contractor Law. That's the reason we apply as your contractor instead.
Does my concrete contractor need to be registered in Massachusetts?
Yes, Massachusetts requires anyone who bids on or does work on an existing, owner-occupied home of one to four units to register as a Home Improvement Contractor. The active registration number has to appear on building permits, contracts and advertising, and any job estimated at $1,000 or more needs a written contract with the terms the law sets. Look for that number on the paperwork before work starts.
How much does a concrete driveway or patio cost in Brookline?
There's no flat price, because each job is priced on its size, the tear-out, the base work, the finish and how easily we can get concrete to it. A stamped or colored finish costs more than a broom finish, and a sloped lot or a tight side yard adds base work and labor. The permit is its own line, and Brookline's Building Department fee, effective July 1, 2026, is $21 for every $1,000 of estimated cost, with specific exceptions.
Do I need extra approval for concrete work on a house in a Brookline historic district?
You might, because Brookline's permit directory lists a separate Permit for Alterations in a Local Historic District, handled by the Planning Department, for properties inside one. If your house is in a district, ask Planning whether your project falls under it before we set a pour date, and we'll fit the schedule around their answer.
What causes concrete driveways in Brookline to crack and sink?
Most cracking and sinking comes from what's under the slab, either a base that was raked flat instead of dug out and packed, or water running toward the house and under the concrete. Joints that were cut late or skipped let cracks wander wherever they like. That's why we put the time into the base, the drainage and the joints described above before we worry about the finish.
Cambridge, MA
Start your Brookline concrete job with a call
If the old driveway is still mostly holding together, a look now can tell us whether part of it can stay, with a clean saw cut where the new slab meets the old.