Concrete contractor in Franconia, VA - driveways and patios that drain right
Mainstay Arlington Concrete Construction is a concrete contractor working in Franconia, VA. We build and replace driveways, patios, walks, steps, garage floors and footings for homeowners here, plus lots and walls for small property owners.
Concrete work in Franconia, VA
Franconia is a Fairfax County community a short drive south of our home base in Arlington, and the work here looks a lot like what we do next door in Springfield. Most calls are for flatwork, the driveways, patios, walks and steps that sit right on the ground, at single-family homes from a few decades back, like split-levels, ranches and brick colonials, along with some townhouse rows and small commercial lots.
A lot of these yards slope, and that shapes the job. Before I price anything here I look at where the water goes, because a slab that tips toward your house will pond, soak the ground under it and sink just like the one it replaced.
What we pour and fix in Franconia
Concrete driveway building
Driveways here have to carry cars and shed water at the same time, so we rebuild the base and pitch the new slab toward the street.
Concrete patio construction
Many backyard patios here sit right against the house, so we set the fall away from your foundation in the base before anything gets poured.
Stamped concrete services
For a walk or patio that matches an older brick house, stamped concrete gives you pattern and color, though it costs more and needs resealing now and then.
Concrete sidewalk building
Walks in townhouse rows here often heave or sink one panel into a trip hazard, so we replace the bad sections and re-pack the ground under them.
Garage floor concrete
Pitted, cracked garage floors are common in older houses here. We break out the old slab, re-pack the base and pour new, sloped toward the door.
Decorative concrete
When plain gray won't suit a brick front, we can add color, an exposed stone finish or a scored pattern to a walk, entry or patio.
Concrete retaining walls
Hilly backyards often need a wall to hold a slope or flatten room for a patio, and we drain behind it because trapped water is what tips walls.
Concrete floor installation
Old basement and shed floors tend to be thin or broken up. We pour a new slab over a packed base, with a vapor barrier where it's needed.
Concrete pool decks
Backyard pools behind Franconia homes need decks that grip when wet and slope away from the house, so splash water doesn't run toward your foundation.
Concrete steps construction
Front steps on split-levels and raised entries often pull away from the house over the years, so we rebuild them on a solid base that stays put.
Slab foundation building
A garage, shed or addition slab is only as good as its subgrade, the soil it sits on, so we dig that out and compact it first.
Foundation installation
Additions on older Franconia houses start with a new foundation, which we form and pour with rebar, steel rods that hold the concrete together.
Concrete parking lot building
For a small lot on one of Franconia's commercial strips that's broken up under traffic, we dig out the soft spots and pour thicker where trucks turn.
Concrete footings
When an older deck or porch here gets rebuilt, it needs footings, buried concrete pads that carry the weight, and we dig them square and pour them solid.
Foundation raising
When poor drainage has let a slab or a corner of your house drop, we lift it to level and fill underneath so it rests on something solid.
Concrete cutting
We saw out broken driveway sections without wrecking the rest, cut basement door openings, and cut control joints, grooves that tell a slab where to crack.
Tell us about your concrete job
Call (571) 760-4256 or use the form, and I'll come look at the slab and how water moves around it.
Why Franconia homeowners call us
I come out to look at every Franconia job myself, and our crew does the forming, pouring and finishing, usually with me on site. Here's what that means for your slab.
Budget goes to the base
If money's tight, I'd trim the fancy finish before the base, because a pretty surface on soft ground still cracks and sinks.
Early pours on hot days
On hot days we pour early so the top doesn't dry too fast and turn weak and dusty later.
Joints cut on time
We cut control joints right after the pour, so any cracking lands in a straight groove instead of across your driveway.
Answers before we pour
I'll explain the why behind each step, and I'm happy to answer the same question twice.
Insured on every job
We're fully licensed and insured, and our work is backed by our satisfaction guarantee.
Franconia concrete questions
How much does a concrete driveway cost in Franconia, VA?
The price on a Franconia driveway comes down to four things: its size, tearing out and hauling away the old slab, how much digging and base work the ground needs, and the finish you choose. A steep or soft yard means more base work, and stamped or colored concrete runs higher than a plain broom finish, the lightly brushed texture that gives tires and shoes some grip. Your own figure comes from the estimate, where I list whether removing the old concrete is part of the price.
How long does it take to replace a concrete driveway in Franconia?
The pour itself is the quick part, and what keeps you off the driveway is curing, the stretch after the pour when concrete keeps gaining strength even though it looks dry. You'll be back on it on foot well before you can park on it, and I'll tell you both when we pour. Before pour day, the schedule turns on how much old concrete comes out, how much base work the ground needs, whether a permit is involved and rain.
What causes concrete driveways and patios to crack and sink in Franconia?
Most of it starts under the slab, with soft or poorly packed ground or water getting underneath, rather than with the concrete itself. A county guide places marine clays mainly on steep, hilly land in southeast Fairfax County east of I-95 and I-395, and says they can cause anything from major structural damage in houses to poor drainage in yards. If clay has already damaged something, the county wants a grading plan, a building permit or both before the repair starts.
Do I need a permit to replace a driveway or repair a foundation in Franconia, VA?
Foundation repair does, and for a driveway, patio or walk you'll want an answer from Fairfax County's Land Development Services, which issues building and land disturbance permits based on the scope of the work. The county's residential list puts foundation repair under its miscellaneous permit and calls for a building permit on a new detached garage, but it doesn't name flatwork, and other agencies can require approvals even when that office doesn't. If your job needs a permit, we handle the application and tell you what's needed before we start.
What license should a concrete contractor in Franconia, VA have?
A home concrete job over $1,000 and under $30,000 falls under the state Board for Contractors' Class C license, and Fairfax County adds its own Home Improvement Contractor License on top of that. Class C also depends on the contractor's total for that kind of work staying at or under $250,000 in any twelve months, and the county requires its license, issued through Land Development Services, from Class C contractors and those working below that threshold. Every business working in the county, home-based ones included, also owes the county's business license tax.
Which building code applies to concrete work in Franconia, VA?
The Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code applies here, the same code across the whole state, and the county's building inspections department enforces it. The state's housing board sets and amends it from nationally accepted model codes, so when your job needs a permit, that's the code the county checks it against.
Not in Franconia? Give us a call
Pick your city from the list to see that page, or call (571) 760-4256 if yours isn't listed, since we work in plenty of places beyond these.
Plan your Franconia concrete job with us
Our hours run seven days, early morning to 9 PM, so call (571) 760-4256 or send the form for a free estimate.