Concrete Contractor in Falls Church, VA - Driveways and Patios That Drain Right
Mainstay Arlington Concrete Construction builds and replaces concrete driveways, patios, walks, steps and foundations for homes and small properties in Falls Church, VA, working from our base next door in Arlington.
Concrete work for Falls Church homes
Falls Church sits right against Arlington, so it's a short drive for our crew. On jobs there we mostly see established neighborhoods of older single-family houses, with driveways, front walks and steps that have had decades to settle, crack and start holding water, plus some newer homes and small business lots closer to the main roads. We also work close by in West Falls Church and Lake Barcroft, and farther south in Springfield.
That age shapes the job, because the old slab usually comes out first and the ground under it has often shifted. Tear-out and base work drive most of the price here, the schedule turns on any permit and the weather on pour day, and I'll walk your site and write up exactly what's included.
What we pour in Falls Church
Concrete driveway building
Older driveways here usually need a full tear-out, so we haul the cracked slab, dig to firm ground and pack a new base before we pour.
Concrete patio construction
Backyards behind older houses are often small, so we slope the patio away from your house and plan where the rain goes before we form it.
Stamped concrete services
Want a patio or walk that looks like stone or brick to suit an older house? Stamped concrete gives you that pattern, and we seal it once it cures.
Concrete sidewalk building
Front walks on established streets tend to heave and trip people. We replace them with control joints, cut grooves that tell cracks where to go.
Garage floor concrete
Older garage floors here are often cracked, dusty or pitched wrong, so we break out the old slab and pour one that drains toward the door.
Decorative concrete
Colored concrete, exposed stone and custom borders let a new slab sit well beside an older brick or frame house instead of looking bolted on.
Concrete retaining walls
Where a yard slopes down toward the house or the street, a concrete wall holds the soil back. We build it on a footing with drainage behind it.
Concrete floor installation
Basements and workshops on older properties often have thin or broken floors. We pour new ones over a packed base so they sit flat.
Concrete pool decks
A pool deck stays wet all summer, so we give it a textured finish for grip and slope it so water runs off instead of sitting.
Concrete steps construction
Front steps on older houses often pull away from the porch or crumble at the edges. We rebuild them with rebar, steel that holds the concrete together.
Slab foundation building
Plenty of older houses here get additions, and when one goes on a slab we pack the subgrade, the ground the slab sits on, before any concrete arrives.
Foundation installation
Rebuilds and garages on smaller city lots need foundations planned around tight access, so we work out where forms, trucks and dug dirt go before we start.
Concrete parking lot building
Small property owners along the busier roads bring us lots that hold water or break up, so we grade for drainage and pour thick enough for daily traffic.
Concrete footings
Decks, porches and garden walls behind older homes need footings, the buried concrete that carries the load. We set them on firm ground, not loose fill.
Foundation raising
When a slab or part of an older house has settled, we look at why first, since lifting it without fixing the cause just buys time.
Concrete cutting
Need a doorway in a basement wall or a trench through a slab for new pipe? We cut it cleanly and haul the pieces away.
Talk to us about your driveway
Call (571) 760-4256 or send the form, and I'll come out, look at the job and write up an estimate.
Why Falls Church homeowners call us
I look at every job myself, our crew puts most of its effort into the base and the drainage, and you'll know what's in the price before we start.
The base comes before the finish
If money's tight, I'd drop the stamped pattern before skimping on the base, since nobody sees the base until it fails.
Drainage checked before forming
We check where the water goes on your lot before forming, so the slab slopes away from your foundation, not toward it.
Joints cut before cracks start
We cut control joints early, before the slab picks its own crack lines, so cracks usually land in the grooves.
Clear dates to walk and drive
We tell you when to walk on it and when to drive, because concrete keeps curing, getting stronger, after it looks dry.
Owner on the job, fully insured
I walk every job myself, I'm usually on site for the pour, and we're fully licensed and insured.
Falls Church concrete questions
Do I need a permit for a concrete driveway or patio in Falls Church, VA?
The city's permit list doesn't settle it for flatwork, the driveways, patios and walks that sit on the ground, so we ask the City of Falls Church's Permits office about your job before we start. Its list for single-family houses names things like wall changes, framing, plumbing, electrical and gas work, and rules for multifamily and commercial properties differ. If you do need one, zoning reviews the plans first, then building safety, with public works added for outside work, and we handle the application and tell you what's needed before work starts.
How do I check if my Falls Church address is in the city or Fairfax County?
Look it up on the city's address finder, because a Falls Church mailing address doesn't always mean you're inside city limits. Some, including addresses in Seven Corners and Bailey's Crossroads, are in Fairfax County instead. We check which office covers your address too, since that's who any permit goes through.
How do I make sure a concrete contractor can pull a permit in Falls Church?
Ask to see their Virginia contractor's license, because the city won't issue a contractor a permit without a copy of the original, and a printout from the state's website doesn't count. The city recommends that the contractor you hire hold the permit, and the permit holder is legally responsible for requesting the inspections, which can usually be booked for the next business day. When we hold your permit, scheduling those inspections is our job.
Does a storage shed and its concrete pad need a permit in Falls Church?
A storage shed under 256 square feet with no utility hookup needs no building permit in the city, but the city has to approve a fence and shed waiver before it goes up. A shed over 256 square feet, or one used as finished or occupied space, needs a building permit. Get the shed side sorted first, and we'll ask the Permits office about the pad itself before we pour it.
What is the best way to place a concrete AC pad in Falls Church?
Put it at or below grade, at least 3 feet from your side and rear property lines, out of the front yard and any yard next to a street, and screened from people walking by, because that's where the city's zoning rules put AC units and their pads. A permit submission for placing one includes a plat of your property showing the spot. We pour the pad level on a packed base so the unit sits level.
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Falls Church?
The price comes down mostly to the size, how much old concrete has to come out and how much base work the ground needs, so I'd rather see it than guess on the phone. A thicker slab with rebar, a stamped or colored finish, or a tight lot where the truck can't reach the forms all add to it, while a plain broom finish, the brushed texture that gives tires and shoes grip, keeps it down. My estimate spells out what's included, like hauling the old slab, so you can compare it fairly.
Not in Falls Church? Give us a call
Live just outside Falls Church? Find your city here if it's listed, or call (571) 760-4256 and ask, since we work in more cities than we list.
Ask Mainstay for your Falls Church estimate
Every job is backed by our satisfaction guarantee, and we're open until 9 PM every day at (571) 760-4256.