Concrete Contractor in Waltham, MA - Driveways and Patios That Drain Away From the House
M&K Cambridge Concrete Company is a concrete contractor working in Waltham, MA. We pour driveways, patios, steps, walkways and foundations for homeowners here, starting with a dug-out, packed base and a slab pitched so water runs away from the house.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free on-site estimates.
- Replies within 1 business day.
Waltham homes and the concrete work they need
Waltham has a little of everything on the residential side, and our jobs here show it. We see older two-family houses with a narrow driveway running back to a detached garage, single-family homes with front steps and a walkway up from the street, and condo buildings and small businesses with bigger paved areas. The calls sound a lot like the ones we get in Newton and Watertown, mostly a driveway that's cracked and sinking, a patio that holds water or steps that have started chipping.
Those narrow side yards shape how we work here. When a mixer truck can't back up close to the forms, we plan the pour around a pump or wheelbarrows, so access is one of the first things I look at on a Waltham lot.
Concrete services we offer Waltham homeowners
Concrete driveway building
Narrow side driveways on older Waltham houses tend to crack and sink. We dig out the soft base, pack new stone and pour a slab that sheds water.
Concrete patio construction
A patio that puddles after rain usually sits flat or tips toward the house, so we pitch the new slab away from your foundation.
Stamped concrete services
Stamped concrete gives a Waltham patio or walkway the look of stone or brick in one pour, with a sealer that helps the pattern hold up.
Concrete sidewalk building
Walkways on Waltham's older, tree-lined streets crack and lift where roots push up. We replace the uneven sections so the walk sits flat underfoot.
Garage floor concrete
Detached garages behind older Waltham houses often have cracked, sunken floors that hold water. We break out the old slab and pour a new one with steel inside.
Decorative concrete
Color, exposed stone or a scored pattern can dress up a front entry or small backyard here without the upkeep of pavers that shift and grow weeds.
Concrete retaining walls
On sloped Waltham lots a concrete retaining wall holds back the yard so you get a flat patio or parking spot. We build it with drainage behind it.
Concrete floor installation
Basement floors in older Waltham homes are often thin, cracked or broken up. We pour a level new floor on a packed base, ready to finish.
Concrete pool decks
A Waltham pool deck needs grip for wet feet and has to drain away from the water, so we texture the surface and pitch it toward the yard.
Concrete steps construction
Front steps on older Waltham houses chip and pull away from the porch over time. We pour new steps on solid footings with even step heights.
Slab foundation building
Garages, additions and sheds on Waltham lots often sit on a slab foundation. We dig out, pack the base, add steel and pour to your plans.
Foundation installation
An addition or rebuilt garage here needs foundation walls that are square and level, because the framing above follows them. We form and pour them to plan.
Concrete parking lot building
Two-family houses, condo buildings and small businesses in Waltham need parking that takes daily traffic. We pour thicker slabs with steel and plan the drainage first.
Concrete footings
Decks, porches and small additions on Waltham houses need concrete footings to carry their weight down to firm ground. We dig and pour them to size.
Foundation raising
When part of an older Waltham house has settled, raising the foundation can bring floors and doors back toward level. I look first at what caused the settling.
Concrete cutting
In Waltham basements and driveways we saw-cut openings for doors and windows, trenches for drain lines, and clean edges where old concrete meets new.
A free, on-site estimate for your Waltham concrete job
We reply within one business day to set up a visit. The estimate is free and done on site, 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 Waltham: permits, contractor checks and price
Building permits in Waltham come from the Waltham Building Department, which enforces the city and state codes for building work in the city. When a job needs a permit, the city's review comes between the signed estimate and the pour, so I plan the start date around it. Before you hire anyone for work on your home, you can ask to see the contractor's state Home Improvement Contractor registration and check that the business has a certificate on file with the city clerk where it keeps its office. We're fully licensed and insured.
We check what each job needs with the city's building office, and when a permit applies we take it out ourselves as your contractor and keep it posted at the job site. What moves the price most here is how much old concrete comes out, how deep the base has to go, whether the slab needs steel and the finish you pick, while the schedule mostly turns on the permit and the weather on pour day. As a concrete contractor based in Cambridge, MA, we do the same work in Belmont and the other cities around Waltham, and your estimate gives your figure and spells out what's included and what isn't.
Why concrete on Waltham properties wears out
A lot of the driveways, walks and steps around older Waltham houses have been down for decades, and many were poured flat or now tip back toward the foundation after the ground under them moved. That sends rain at the basement wall instead of out to the yard, so when we replace a slab I set the new one to pitch away from the house and check where the water goes once it leaves the concrete.
Two-family houses and small multi-unit lots put more cars on a driveway every day, so we usually make those slabs thicker and add rebar, steel bars inside the concrete that hold it together if it cracks.
How a concrete job runs when you call us in Waltham
Here's how it goes from your first call to a finished slab, with me on site at each stage so you're dealing with the same person throughout.
Call or send a message
Call (617) 613-6953 or send the form with a few lines about the job, whether that's a driveway, patio, steps or a foundation. We'll set a time for me to come out to your Waltham property.
I measure and write it up
I walk the job, check the grade and where the water runs, ask what you need and write an estimate that says what's included and what isn't. You know what you're paying for before anything starts.
We handle permits and scheduling
When a permit applies, we wait on the city's review before booking the pour, then pick a day around the weather. The Building Department posts work hours of 7 am to 5 pm Monday through Friday and 8 am to 4 pm Saturday, with no work on Sundays or holidays, so we plan inside those.
We pour with me on site
Our crew digs out, packs the base, pours and finishes, then cuts control joints, shallow grooves that steer cracks into straight lines we picked. I'm on site with the crew throughout, and before we leave we clean up and tell you when it's ready for feet and for the car.
Questions about concrete work in Waltham
Which building code applies to a concrete permit in Waltham?
New building permit applications in Waltham have to meet the tenth edition of the Massachusetts State Building Code. Its residential volume covers one- and two-family houses and townhouses of three stories or less, and the base volume covers all other buildings. I'll go over what applies to your job at the estimate.
How much does a residential building permit cost in Waltham?
Waltham charges $12 per $1,000 for residential permits, with a $50 minimum fee. When your job needs a permit, your estimate says whether the permit is included, so the fee doesn't show up as a surprise later.
Does a concrete contractor need HIC registration in Massachusetts?
Yes, when the work is on an existing, owner-occupied home with one to four units, the state requires the contractor to be registered as a Home Improvement Contractor. The rule leaves out new construction, buildings with more than four units, and investment, vacation or secondary properties, and it's separate from the Construction Supervisor License that some construction projects need. For covered work estimated at $1,000 or more you need a written contract, and the registration number has to appear on the permit, the contract and the contractor's ads.
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Waltham?
There's no fair number until I've measured, because the size, the tear-out and the base under the slab drive most of the cost. If the budget's tight, I'd rather you go with a plain broom finish, a light brushed texture that gives tires and shoes grip, than cut back on the base, since a fancy top over a soft base still cracks and sinks. Your estimate lists what's included and what isn't, so you can see where the money goes.
What causes concrete driveways in Waltham to crack and sink?
Most of the cracked, sunken driveways we see here were poured on dirt that was raked level instead of dug out and packed, so the slab settled as the ground did. Pours in midday heat that leave a weak, dusty top, and control joints cut late or skipped, add cracks in places nobody chose. We dig out and pack the subgrade, the ground the slab sits on, set the pitch before we pour and cut the joints on time.
How long until I can drive on a new concrete driveway in Waltham?
Plan on a few days before you walk on it and longer before you park on it, because curing, the slow hardening after the pour, keeps adding strength for days. Cars go on last since they're the heaviest load the slab carries. I'll tell you the day for your driveway before we pour, because thickness and the weather on pour day change it.
Cambridge, MA
Book your Waltham concrete estimate
Call (617) 613-6953 or send the form, and I'll come look at the old slab myself so you know why it failed before you decide what to replace.