Concrete Contractor in Chelsea, MA - Slabs, Steps and Walks Built for Tight Lots
M&K Cambridge Concrete Company is a concrete contractor pouring driveways, patios, steps, walks and foundations in Chelsea, MA. We dig out, pack the base, set forms and finish slabs to fit the narrow lots and multi-family houses here.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free on-site estimates.
- Replies within 1 business day.
Chelsea's close-set houses and narrow lots
Chelsea is a small city that's packed tight, and on our jobs there that's the first thing you notice. Many streets are lined with two- and three-family houses set close together, with a narrow driveway down one side, a short walk to the front steps and a small yard or patio out back. A lot of what we're asked to do is replace concrete that's sunk, cracked or started pooling water against the house, often on a lot where the neighbor's wall is only a few feet away.
We work the same kind of streets next door in Everett and Revere, so tight access isn't new to us. On lots like these, the job turns on getting the old slab out and a packed base in without a big machine, and on sending the water away from the house instead of toward the neighbor's.
Concrete services for Chelsea homes and lots
Concrete driveway building
Chelsea driveways are usually narrow strips between houses, so we dig out the old slab, pack a new base and pour it pitched away from both foundations.
Concrete patio construction
A small Chelsea back yard often works harder as a patio than as grass, and we slope the slab so rain runs away from your back door.
Stamped concrete services
Stamped concrete pressed with a stone or brick pattern dresses up a front walk or patio on a busy street without loose pavers working out of place.
Concrete sidewalk building
Walks on multi-family lots carry tenants, deliveries and trash barrels every day, so we replace cracked, tipping sections over a packed base with a brushed surface for grip.
Garage floor concrete
Older detached garages here often have broken-up floors, so we pull the old slab, fix what it sits on and pour a floor that drains out the door.
Decorative concrete
Color, exposed stone and saw-cut patterns let a small front yard or entry look finished without giving up the low upkeep of plain concrete.
Concrete retaining walls
Where a yard steps down to the street or the neighbor's lot, a concrete retaining wall holds the soil back so it stops washing onto walks and driveways.
Concrete floor installation
Basements and ground-floor units in older houses often sit on cracked or patched floors, and a new slab gives you a flat, solid surface to build on.
Concrete pool decks
Where a Chelsea yard has room for a pool, we pour the deck with a textured top for wet feet and a slope that carries splash water off.
Concrete steps construction
Front steps on two- and three-family houses take a lot of traffic, and we rebuild crumbling or tipping ones on a solid footing so they sit level.
Slab foundation building
A slab foundation suits a garage, shed or small addition on a tight lot, and we set the base, forms and steel before the pour.
Foundation installation
When a house or addition needs new foundation walls, we work in the narrow space beside the neighbors and pour walls that carry the load straight down.
Concrete parking lot building
Multi-family lots and small businesses here often need a shared parking area, and we grade it so water drains off instead of sitting by the building.
Concrete footings
Decks, porches and additions on older Chelsea houses need footings, the concrete pads that spread the weight into the ground, dug and poured before anything goes on top.
Foundation raising
When an older house has settled and doors stick or floors tip, raising the foundation lifts the house so we can set new support underneath.
Concrete cutting
Here we often cut out just the broken section of a walk or driveway, or open a doorway in a basement wall, without breaking up the rest.
A free on-site estimate for your Chelsea concrete job
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set a time. I come out myself, measure and write a free estimate that lists what's included and what isn't, with 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 Chelsea: who issues permits and what to check
Building permits in Chelsea come from the city's Inspectional Services Department, and the city says the State Building Code requires that permit before the work starts. I check each job with that office, and when a permit applies we take it out ourselves as your contractor and keep it posted at the job site, so the permit comes first on the schedule. On your side, if the house is an existing home you live in with one to four units, the state says the contractor working on it must be registered as a Home Improvement Contractor, and you can check that registration with the state. For most of those homes the state also wants a licensed construction supervisor or a registered design professional overseeing the work, and a business based in Chelsea files its business certificate with the city clerk's office. We're fully licensed and insured.
Chelsea's permit site also lists Public Works permits for street occupancy, street openings and private property excavation, so when a pour means parking a truck on a narrow street or digging near the sidewalk, we ask the city about those too. We're based in Cambridge and work across the cities around it, and the price here moves on the same things: how much old concrete comes out, how much base work the ground needs, how hard it is to get material onto the lot and which finish you pick. The schedule turns on the permit, the weather on pour day and curing, the days the concrete needs to gain strength before you use it, and your estimate spells out what's included and what isn't.
Heavy use and close neighbors wear Chelsea concrete down
Many houses here hold more than one household, so the driveway, the walk and the front steps get used by several families, their cars and every delivery cart that comes up the street. That kind of traffic finds a weak spot fast, and one sunken walk section or a set of crumbling steps becomes a trip edge for everyone in the building. We rebuild those on a dug-out, packed base so the new concrete has something solid under it.
Water is the other problem. With houses this close, roof runoff from two buildings often lands on the same strip of concrete, and an old slab that's sunk now pitches toward a foundation and leaves water pooling against it. Before we pour, I check where the water goes and set the forms so the new slab carries it to the street or the yard.
What to expect when you call us about a Chelsea job
Here's how a Chelsea job runs from your first call or message to the day you can use the new concrete.
Call or send the form
Call (617) 613-6953 or fill out the form with a line about the job. We get back to you and set a time for me to come out.
I come out and measure
I come out myself, measure, look at the base and the drainage, and ask what you need. The estimate I write lists what's included and what isn't, so you know what you're paying for before we start.
We schedule and pour
Once you're ready, we wait for any permit, plan the pour around the weather and do the work with me on site alongside our crew. Before we leave, I tell you when you can walk on the new concrete and when you can drive on it.
Questions about concrete work in Chelsea, MA
Do I need a building permit for concrete work in Chelsea, MA?
Yes, if the work will construct, reconstruct, alter, repair or demolish a structure, the city says you need a building permit before it starts. A foundation or a footing is plainly part of a structure. For a driveway or a patio, I ask the city's building office before we plan the pour instead of guessing, and as noted above, we take out any permit ourselves.
Does my concrete contractor need HIC registration in Chelsea?
For most work on an existing home you live in with one to four units, yes, the state requires Home Improvement Contractor registration. Driveways and ground-level patios are on the state's list of work that doesn't need it, and new construction, buildings with more than four units and investment, vacation or second homes fall outside that law. Those exemptions only cover HIC registration, not permits or the state's construction supervisor rule.
Which building code applies to concrete work in Chelsea now?
The tenth edition of the Massachusetts State Building Code is the only one in effect now. One- and two-family houses, townhouses of three stories or less and their garages and sheds fall under its residential volume, while a three-family house and other buildings fall under the base volume. I plan the work to the volume that covers your house.
How much does a concrete driveway cost in Chelsea, MA?
The price of a Chelsea driveway comes down mostly to its size, how much old concrete we break out and haul away, and how much the ground underneath needs before we pour. Tight access adds cost when the truck can't reach the forms and we have to wheel or pump the concrete in, and a stamped or colored top costs more than a broom finish, the brushed texture that gives shoes and tires grip. If the budget is tight, I'd keep the money in the base and save on the surface, because a fancy finish on a soft base cracks just like the old slab did.
How long does it take before I can drive on a new concrete driveway?
You'll be walking on it well before you can drive on it, because the slab keeps curing and gaining strength after it looks hard. The exact days depend on the mix and the weather that week, so I give you both dates for your pour. On a shared driveway, it helps to plan parking with your neighbors or tenants ahead of time.
What causes concrete to crack and sink in Chelsea, and will a new slab do the same?
Most cracking and sinking starts under the slab, and a new one done right puts any cracks in the joints we chose instead of across the middle. Old slabs here often sat on a base that was only raked level instead of dug out and packed, so they settled with the dirt, and joints cut late or skipped let them crack wherever they liked. We pack the subgrade, the ground the slab sits on, cut control joints, shallow grooves that give the slab a planned place to crack, and keep the pour out of the midday heat that can leave a weak, dusty top.
Cambridge, MA
Talk to us about your Chelsea concrete job
Send a photo of the cracked or sunken spot with the form, and I'll know what to look at before I get there.