Concrete contractor in McLean, VA - driveways and patios that drain right
Mainstay Arlington Concrete Construction is a concrete contractor based in Arlington that pours driveways, patios, steps, walls and slabs for homes in McLean, and we build each one to drain away from the house and stay put.
Concrete work in McLean, VA
McLean is mostly houses on good-sized lots, many set back from the road with long driveways, big trees and yards that slope one way or another. You'll see brick homes from the middle of the last century next to newer houses built where an older one came down, plus churches, offices and small lots that need a walk or a parking area redone. We do the same kind of work up in Reston and closer in at Falls Church, but the calls here lean toward bigger driveways and backyard work on hilly ground.
That ground shapes the job. A long driveway climbing to a garage needs more digging, more packed stone and a careful slope so water stays out of the house, and those things, plus tearing out the old slab and how a truck reaches the spot, move the price and the schedule more than the finish does. I go through each of them for your lot at the estimate.
Concrete services we offer in McLean
Concrete driveway building
Long driveways here often climb from the street, so we dig out the old base, pack new stone and slope the slab away from the garage.
Concrete patio construction
Back patios often sit under big shade trees on ground that falls toward the house. We set the slope away from the house before anything gets poured.
Stamped concrete services
When you want the look of stone or brick to match a brick house, stamped concrete gives you that pattern and color in a single pour.
Concrete sidewalk building
Front walks on older lots have often heaved or sunk by now. We replace them on a packed base so the walk to your door sits flat and drains.
Garage floor concrete
Cracked or stained garage floors in older homes can be broken out and repoured, with a smooth finish that's easy to sweep and hose down.
Decorative concrete
For entries and patios that need to suit a larger home, we do colored concrete and exposed aggregate, where the small stones show through the surface.
Concrete retaining walls
Sloped back yards are common here, and a poured wall can turn a hillside into flat, usable ground, with drainage behind it so water doesn't build up.
Concrete floor installation
If you're finishing a basement or adding on to your house, the new floor needs a level, packed base just like a driveway does.
Concrete pool decks
On bigger lots with pools, we slope the deck away from the water and the house and give it a finish that isn't slick underfoot.
Concrete steps construction
Front steps on older homes tend to settle and pull away from the house. We rebuild them with rebar inside, steel bars that hold the concrete together.
Slab foundation building
Plenty of lots here have room for a detached garage or studio. We pour the slab the building sits on, to the depth the plans call for.
Foundation installation
When an older house gets an addition or a full rebuild, we form and pour the foundation to the drawings so the framers start on something square.
Concrete parking lot building
For small property owners with a church, office or shop lot, we pour concrete that handles daily traffic and sends water to the drains.
Concrete footings
Decks, porches and garden walls on sloped yards need footings, the concrete pads that carry the weight down to firm ground below.
Foundation raising
When a slab or foundation has settled by a downspout or big tree, raising it can cost less than tearing it out. I'll tell you which I'd pick.
Concrete cutting
Widening a driveway, running a drain line or adding a basement door often means cutting old concrete. We saw it clean so the new section ties in.
Let's talk about your concrete job
Call (571) 760-4256 or ask for an estimate, and I'll come out to walk the site and hear how you'll use it.
Why McLean homeowners call us
I spent years in restaurant kitchens before concrete, and the lesson carries over. The night depends on prep, and a slab depends on what's under it.
I see every job first
I come out to every job myself, and our crew forms, pours and finishes it, usually with me on site.
Base before finish
When budgets get tight, I'd cut the fancy finish before the base, because you can't fix what's under a slab later.
Water checked on sloped lots
We look at where water runs on your lot before we form, so the slab falls away from the house and garage.
Based nearby in Arlington
I started this business in Arlington in 2021 after years on flatwork crews around Northern Virginia, so this ground is familiar.
Questions answered straight
I'll explain the why behind each step, twice if you need it, and every job is backed by our satisfaction guarantee.
Questions from McLean homeowners
Who issues permits for concrete work in McLean, VA?
Fairfax County's Land Development Services issues building permits for McLean, along with trade permits for plumbing, electrical and mechanical work and land disturbance permits, and which ones apply depends on the scope of your job. Other agencies can ask for their own approvals even when the county doesn't need a permit. If your job needs one, we handle the application with the county and tell you what's needed before work starts.
Do I need a permit for a concrete slab or patio in McLean?
If the slab is for a shed, garage or other freestanding structure over 256 square feet on a residential lot, that structure needs a building permit from the county, and running plumbing or electrical lines out to it usually means trade permits too. The county's list doesn't settle driveways and patios on their own, so we check your job with the county before we pour instead of guessing. You can also ask its Permit Application Center yourself at 703-222-0801.
Does a concrete contractor need a license in Virginia?
Yes, the state Board for Contractors licenses businesses that build, repair or improve on property owned by someone else, and the license class sets how big a contract they can take. A Class C license covers a single job over $1,000 but under $30,000, and Class B covers $30,000 up to under $150,000. A licensed contractor also has to meet the local licensing rules in each county where it works, and we're fully licensed and insured.
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in McLean, VA?
The price comes down to the size of the driveway, how much old concrete comes out, how much digging and packed stone the base needs, and the finish you pick. On the long, sloped driveways we see here, the base and grading usually move the number more than the surface does, and a broom finish, the light brushed texture that gives tires and shoes grip, costs less than stamped or colored work. When I come out, I write up what's included so you can see whether removing the old driveway is part of the price.
What causes concrete driveways to crack and sink in McLean?
Most cracking and sinking starts underneath, with a subgrade, the soil and stone the slab sits on, that was raked level instead of dug out and packed, so it settles along with the dirt. Water does the rest when the slab drains toward the house or a downspout empties onto it. Control joints, the straight lines cut into the surface, give concrete a planned place to crack, and when they're cut late or skipped it cracks wherever it likes, so we pack the base, check the water and cut joints on time.
How long does it take before I can drive on a new concrete driveway in McLean?
You'll be walking on it well before you're driving on it, because concrete keeps gaining strength for days after the pour, and that wait is called curing. Thickness, weather and the mix all change the timing, so I'll tell you when your slab is ready for feet and when it's ready for cars. The overall schedule mostly turns on tearing out the old driveway, any permit and the weather, and we plan pours around rain and avoid midday summer heat, which leaves the top weak and dusty.
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Ask for your McLean concrete estimate
Call (571) 760-4256 any day until 9 PM, weekends included, or use the form if it's easier to describe the job in writing.