Concrete Contractor in Alexandria, VA - Driveways and Patios That Drain Right
Mainstay Arlington Concrete Construction is a concrete contractor based in Arlington. We build driveways, patios, steps, walls and foundations across Alexandria, VA, starting with the ground underneath so the slab drains away from your house.
Concrete work across Alexandria, VA
Alexandria runs from the old brick rowhouses of Old Town out to brick colonials, ramblers and newer townhouse rows farther west, and our calls come from all of it. In the older blocks the lots are tight, the houses sit close to the sidewalk, and plenty of walks and stoops have drifted out of level over the decades. Farther out, the call is more often a cracked driveway or a patio that holds water by the back door. We get the same calls next door in Seven Corners and Lincolnia.
On these lots the price usually moves with how hard it is to get the old concrete out and the new concrete in. The schedule turns on whether your job needs a permit and on curing, which is the time a fresh slab spends hardening before it's ready to use. My estimate spells out what's included, like hauling off the old slab. Underneath all of it is the subgrade, the dirt the slab sits on, and on a house that's stood a long time, that's usually where the old slab's trouble started.
Concrete work we do in Alexandria
Concrete driveway building
Cracked, sunken driveways are our most common call here, so we dig out the soft base before the pour and the new slab sits on firm ground.
Concrete patio construction
If your back patio pools water against the house, we reset the slope so rain runs out to the yard instead of toward your foundation.
Stamped concrete services
Stamped concrete gives a patio or walk the look of brick or slate, and it sits well beside the older brick houses around town.
Concrete sidewalk building
Front walks on older houses here tend to heave at the seams, so we tear out the bad panels and pour new ones that meet your steps evenly.
Garage floor concrete
Older detached garages often have thin, broken floors. We break them out, pack the base and pour a slab built for a car and a workbench.
Decorative concrete
Colored, scored and exposed-stone finishes suit homeowners who want a walk or patio that fits the house, and we talk through the options at the estimate.
Concrete retaining walls
Sloped back yards and driveways cut into a hill need a wall that holds the dirt back, so we build ours with drainage behind it.
Concrete floor installation
Basement and addition floors in older Alexandria houses often need repouring. We set the base and the levels first so the floor comes out flat.
Concrete pool decks
Pool decks take splash, sun and bare feet. We give them a broom finish, a lightly brushed texture for grip, and slope them to shed water.
Concrete steps construction
Front stoops on older rowhouses settle and crack with age, so we rebuild them with rebar, steel bars set inside the concrete to hold each step together.
Slab foundation building
Adding a garage, shed or addition on your lot? We pour the slab it sits on, starting from a packed, level base with steel tied in.
Foundation installation
When an addition or new structure goes in, we form and pour the foundation walls to the plans and leave them ready for framing.
Concrete parking lot building
Small property owners call us for the lot behind a shop or a few rental units, and we grade it so water heads to the drains, not the doors.
Concrete footings
Porches, decks and additions all rest on footings, the buried concrete pads that carry the weight, and we size ours for what sits on top.
Foundation raising
When a corner of a foundation or slab has dropped, I look at whether raising and supporting it beats tearing it out, and I tell you which fits.
Concrete cutting
We saw-cut openings, trenches and clean edges in existing concrete, which helps on tight Alexandria lots where tearing out a whole slab isn't worth it.
Talk to us about your concrete
Call (571) 760-4256 or send the form, and I'll come look at the slab, the drainage and the ground under it.
Why Alexandria homeowners call us
I look at every job here myself, and our crew forms, pours and finishes it, usually with me on site. We're fully licensed and insured, and backed by our satisfaction guarantee.
Base dug out and packed
Like prep before a dinner rush, the base decides how it all goes, so we dig out soft dirt and pack it before we pour.
Water sent away from the house
We check where the rain runs before we form, and we pitch the slab so it drains away from your walls and doors.
Joints cut where they belong
Concrete shrinks as it dries, so we cut control joints, shallow grooves that give any crack a straight line to follow.
Pours timed around the heat
On hot days we pour early, because a slab that sets too fast in midday sun ends up with a weak, dusty top.
Estimates that spell it out
My written estimate says what's included, like hauling off old concrete. Call (571) 760-4256 and I'll come walk it.
Alexandria concrete questions
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Alexandria, VA?
Your price comes down to the size of the slab, how much old concrete has to come out, how much digging the base needs and the finish you choose. Tight older lots can add to it when we have to work around steps, trees or a narrow side yard. If the budget's tight, I'd trim the fancy finish before the base, because you can redo a surface later but nobody re-digs under a finished driveway.
Do I need a permit to build a concrete retaining wall or steps in Alexandria?
You do for a retaining wall that holds back 2 feet or more of soil, and stoops are on the City of Alexandria's permit list too. The list doesn't settle driveways or patios either way, so the City's Permit Center, which takes applications online, is the place to ask. If your job needs one, we handle the application with the office your address falls under and tell you what's needed before work starts.
How do I know if my Alexandria address is in the City or in Fairfax County?
Start with your ZIP code. 22301, 22305, 22313 and 22314 are entirely inside the City of Alexandria, while 22302, 22304, 22311 and 22312 are split with Fairfax County and 22206 is shared with Arlington County. It matters because Alexandria is an independent city that isn't part of any county, so its permits and business licenses are its own. If you're in a shared ZIP, confirm your address, and we'll check which office covers it before we start.
Does a concrete contractor need a City of Alexandria license?
Yes. The City says businesses working in the City need a City business license, renewed every year, on top of a state contractor license. The state Board for Contractors licenses firms that build or repair on other people's property, and those firms also have to meet local licensing wherever they work. The City asks for both license numbers on permit plans, so ask any contractor you're considering for them. We're fully licensed and insured.
Which building code applies to concrete work in Alexandria, VA?
Virginia's statewide building code applies, and it follows the national model building codes. The City's code office enforces it through permits, plan review and inspections. For you, that means a permitted job gets checked by the City along the way, which is one more reason we sort out the permit question at the estimate.
How long does it take before I can drive on a new concrete driveway?
You can walk on it well before you can drive on it, because the concrete keeps curing and gaining strength for days after it looks dry. Parking on it early is how a good slab gets a bad start. I'll tell you the wait for your slab before we pour, so you can plan where the car goes in the meantime.
Not in Alexandria? Give us a call
We also pour driveways, patios and steps in the other cities listed here. If yours isn't on the list, call (571) 760-4256 and ask.
Ask Mainstay for an Alexandria estimate
We answer the phone every day from early morning until 9 PM, so call (571) 760-4256 or use the form whenever you get a minute.