Concrete Contractor in Medford, MA - Slabs Built on a Packed, Well-Drained Base
M&K Cambridge Concrete Company is a concrete contractor based in Cambridge, MA, and we pour driveways, patios, steps, walkways and foundation work for homeowners in Medford, starting with the base and drainage under each slab.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free on-site estimates.
- Replies within 1 business day.
Medford concrete work on close-set, older lots
The calls we get from Medford mostly come from one- and two-family houses on streets where the homes sit close together, and the concrete around them is often as old as the house. We see driveways shared between neighbors, front steps that have pulled away from the porch, and backyard patios reached only by a narrow side path. A lot of it looks like what we work on in Somerville and Arlington, with the same tight lots and the same patched, settled slabs.
Those tight lots shape the job as much as the slab does. When the truck can't reach the back, we plan how the concrete gets there and where the water goes once it's down, because on a small lot it has fewer places to run.
Concrete services for Medford homes and lots
Concrete driveway building
Many Medford driveways squeeze between two houses, so we dig out the old base, pack new stone and pitch the slab away from both foundations.
Concrete patio construction
Backyards here are often small and shared on two-family lots, so we set the patio's slope to carry water toward the yard, not the back door.
Stamped concrete services
Stamped concrete gives a front walk or patio a brick or stone pattern, which suits older Medford houses where a plain gray slab can look out of place.
Concrete sidewalk building
We replace front walks and side paths that have sunk or tipped, and we cut control joints, shallow grooves that give cracks a straight line to follow.
Garage floor concrete
Older detached garages here often have cracked, sunken floors, so we break out the slab, rebuild the ground under it and pour a new floor.
Decorative concrete
Colored and textured finishes let a Medford homeowner match new concrete to brick steps or an older house, and we talk through upkeep before you pick one.
Concrete retaining walls
Sloped Medford yards often need a wall to hold soil back, and we build in drainage behind it so trapped water doesn't push the wall out of line.
Concrete floor installation
We pour interior concrete floors for basements, workshops and additions, checking the base and height first so the new floor meets doors and existing floors where it should.
Concrete pool decks
A pool deck has to drain away from the water and give bare feet grip, so we set the slope and pick a finish with both in mind.
Concrete steps construction
Front steps on older Medford houses tend to tip, crumble or pull away from the porch, and we rebuild them on footings with even, comfortable risers.
Slab foundation building
For garages and additions on Medford lots, we pour slab foundations on a packed base with rebar, the steel inside that holds the slab together if it cracks.
Foundation installation
When an addition or rebuild needs a full foundation, we lay out footings and walls to the plans and check the layout again before the truck arrives.
Concrete parking lot building
Two-family and multi-unit properties here often need more parking than one driveway gives, and we grade lots so water runs to a drain, not across a neighbor's yard.
Concrete footings
Porches, decks and additions on older houses here need solid footings, and we dig and pour them to the plans before anything goes on top.
Foundation raising
When part of an older Medford house has settled and floors slope or doors stick, we look at what's under it first, then lift and support that section.
Concrete cutting
We saw-cut openings, trenches and clean edges in existing slabs, so a Medford driveway or basement floor can be patched or widened without breaking out the whole thing.
Get a free on-site estimate for your Medford concrete job
We reply within one business day to set a time, and I come out to measure and write an estimate listing what's included and what isn't. It's free, and there's no obligation.
(617) 613-6953- Based in
- Cambridge, MA 02139
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 7 AM–9 PM, Sat–Sun: 6 AM–9 PM
What we know from working in Medford
In Medford, the city's building department decides which work needs a building permit, and when one applies, nothing starts until the permit card is issued, so the permit can set the start date. I check each job with that office before we schedule anything, and when a permit applies we take it out ourselves as your contractor and keep the card posted at the job site. The city also requires any contractor filing a building permit to register their license with it, which makes that a fair question to ask whoever you're thinking of hiring.
Price here turns mostly on what's under and around the slab: how much old concrete and soft fill has to come out, how far we wheel material when the truck can't reach the backyard, the thickness and finish you choose, and whether steps or a wall come with it. The schedule depends on the permit, if there is one, and a dry day for the pour, and the estimate spells out what's included so you can compare it line by line. We do the same work next door in Everett and back home as a concrete contractor in Cambridge, MA, so close-set streets and shared driveways are what we're used to.
Older Medford concrete and what goes wrong with it
A lot of the concrete around Medford's older houses went down on whatever dirt was there, so we see walks and steps sunk at one corner and driveways that hold puddles against the foundation. When we replace them, we dig out to firm ground, pack a new base and set the pitch so water runs toward the street or the yard.
Two-family houses with a shared driveway or a small yard leave water few places to go, so a slab that pitches the wrong way can send runoff into your cellar or the neighbor's. That's why I'd put your budget into the base and the grade before a fancier finish, because the base is buried on the first day and it decides whether the slab stays flat, while a plain slab on a good base can be dressed up later and a pretty one on loose fill can't be saved. We also cut the joints before the slab has a chance to crack on its own, so if it does crack, it cracks in the grooves we chose.
How a concrete job runs when you call us in Medford
Here's how a Medford job goes from your first call to the day you can use the new concrete again.
Call or send a message
Call (617) 613-6953 or use the form and tell us roughly what you have in mind. We get back to you to set a time for me to come out to your property.
Site visit and written estimate
I walk the site, measure, check where the water runs and ask what you need, so it helps if you're home for that visit. The estimate lists what's included and what isn't, so you know what you're paying for before we start.
Permit, schedule and pour
When you're ready, we take care of any permit the building department requires and plan the pour around the weather. I'm on site with our crew from digging out the base to the broom finish, the light texture that gives your feet and tires grip.
Curing, cleanup and final walkthrough
New concrete has to cure, a wait while it hardens enough to take weight, so we mark off the area and tell you when it's ready for feet and when it's ready for a car. We clean up and walk the finished job with you before we leave.
Concrete contractor questions from Medford homeowners
Do I need a permit for a shed on a concrete pad in Medford?
A small shed can go without a building permit in Medford, but the building department gives two size limits, so check which one fits yours. Its own answer puts the cutoff at 120 square feet, with the shed at least 3 feet from side and rear lot lines, 15 feet from the front lot line, 10 feet from the house and no more than 15 feet tall, while the state code exempts one-story detached sheds up to 200 square feet. We confirm the pad with the department before we pour, and you can call them at (781) 393-2511.
Does a concrete retaining wall need a building permit in Medford?
A low retaining wall can go without a building permit in Medford, but a taller one doesn't qualify for that exemption. The state building code exempts a wall only when it holds back less than four feet of unbalanced fill, soil that sits higher on one side, and the building official sees no threat to public safety, health or welfare. We check each wall with the building department before we dig and take out the permit when one is needed.
How do I get a homeowner's permit in Medford for my own concrete project?
You can get a homeowner's permit only if you own the single- or two-family house where the work is and live in it, and anyone who builds more than one home in two years doesn't count as a homeowner. Building permits in Medford are filed online. If you hire us instead, we take out any permit the job needs as your contractor.
Does a pool or hot tub need a permit in Medford before I pour the deck around it?
Yes, at a one- or two-family house, a pool, hot tub or spa that holds more than 24 inches of water needs a building permit, and an electrical permit has to be taken out with it before construction starts. The pool stays empty and unused until the building office and the electrical department sign off at a final inspection. We plan the deck pour around those permits so it fits the pool's schedule.
How do I check that a concrete contractor's business is registered in Medford?
Ask for their business certificate, which is how a partnership or sole proprietor working under a trade name registers that name, and in Medford those are filed with the City Clerk's Office. State law has the certificate filed where the business's office is, so a contractor based in another city files it there, and a Medford certificate is good for four years from the date it's issued.
What affects the cost of a new concrete driveway in Medford?
The cost of a Medford driveway comes down mostly to its size and to how much has to come out before the new one goes in. Breaking out an old slab, digging past soft fill to firm ground and wheeling material in when the truck can't reach all add labor, and a thicker slab, rebar or a stamped finish add material. I measure on site and write an estimate that lists what's included and what isn't, so you can see where the money goes.
Cambridge, MA
Get your Medford concrete job measured
Call (617) 613-6953 or send the form, because a look at your grade and drainage before you settle on a size or finish means the estimate fits your actual yard, not a guess.