Concrete driveway building in Mobile AL - a slab that drains away from your house
Old driveway cracked, sinking or holding water? We build a new one on a packed base, sloped so water runs to the street.
What goes into building a concrete driveway in Mobile?
Concrete driveway building in Mobile means tearing out the old driveway if there is one, digging down to firm ground and packing a base, then forming, pouring and finishing a new slab that carries your cars without sinking or breaking up.
Most people call me when the old driveway has cracked across, dropped at one corner or started holding water by the garage. The new one has to be built so that doesn't happen again. If you're also planning concrete patio construction out back, I can look at both on one visit, and stamped concrete is an option if you'd rather have a pattern than a broom finish, the light texture that gives tires and shoes some grip.
What moves the price is the size, the thickness, whether it gets steel, whether an old driveway has to come out first, and whether it ends at a curb or a ditch at the street. The schedule turns on the city's side of things, the weather on pour day and the curing wait before you can drive on it. After I look at the job, your written estimate gives you the figure for your own driveway.
What a concrete driveway needs to last
If money's tight, spend it underneath before you spend it on the surface, because a nice finish won't save a slab sitting on soft ground. Here's what matters most.
A dug-out, packed base
We dig the subgrade, the ground the slab sits on, down to firm soil and pack it, because a base that's only raked level settles and takes the concrete with it.
A slope toward the street
We set the forms so the slab falls toward the street and away from your house and garage, so rain runs off instead of standing by the door.
Steel where the load calls for it
Rebar, the steel set inside the slab, adds strength and holds cracks together but won't stop them, and it costs more. So I ask what you'll park on it before we talk steel or thickness.
Joints cut on time
Control joints are grooves cut into the slab so that when concrete shrinks and cracks, it cracks along a line we chose. Cut late or skipped, the cracks pick their own path.
Driveway questions we hear in Mobile
How much does a concrete driveway cost in Mobile, AL?
A concrete driveway in Mobile usually costs about $5 to $11 per square foot, and that doesn't include tearing out an old one. When the old driveway has to be demolished first, the price per square foot of the new one can go up. Those are going rates around Mobile, not our price, so I'll give you yours in writing after I see the job.
Do I need a city permit to build a driveway in Mobile?
You need the City of Mobile's right of way permit%20-%208-23-19.pdf) only when the work is in the city right of way or a public drainage easement, so it comes up where your driveway reaches the street. The city's Engineering Permitting Department also generally requires a land disturbance permit any time bare soil is exposed, including when fill is brought in, though some minor residential work is exempt, so check with them before work begins. We check with the office that covers your address before we start and handle the paperwork when your job needs one.
What does Mobile require for a driveway that crosses a street ditch?
Where a driveway meets a valley gutter, or a street with a ditch and no curb, the city requires a reinforced concrete driveway pipe with safety headwalls on both ends. On permitted work, the city also inspects before fill goes over that pipe and again before concrete is placed, and a missed inspection can mean paying to tear out and redo work that doesn't pass. That's why I check whether your driveway ends at a curb or a ditch on the first visit, so the street side is settled before we pour.
How thick should a concrete driveway be?
Industry guidance puts a home driveway at 4 inches thick at the least, and going to 5 costs a little more for a lot more strength. The Tennessee Concrete Association figures the extra inch adds about 20% to the concrete cost and nearly 50% to the weight the slab can carry. If you park a truck or a trailer on it, that's a trade worth weighing when we go over your job.
How long does new concrete need to cure before I can drive on it?
Plan on at least a week before anyone drives on a new concrete driveway, so line up somewhere else to park until then. Curing is the slab hardening and gaining strength after the pour, and putting a car on it early works against that.
What causes a new concrete driveway to crack?
Most cracks in a new driveway trace back to a base that settled, joints cut late or skipped, or a pour finished in the heat of the day, which can leave a weak, dusty top. The National Ready Mixed Concrete Association advises placing and finishing outside the hottest part of the day when possible, and advises against sprinkling water on the surface to make finishing easier. Ask any crew you're considering how they finish a slab.
Why Mobile homeowners call Quickset Mobile Concrete Company for driveways
I learned concrete under a boss who made you reset any form that was off, and I kept his standards but added the part he skipped, which is explaining why.
I write your estimate
I come out, look at the job myself and explain each step, so you can judge any bid, ours included.
I run the job on site
Our crew of finishers and form setters does the work, with me there running it from forms to finish.
In business since 2013
That's 13 years of flatwork like driveways, patios and walks, done right underneath where nobody looks.
Licensed and insured on every job
We're fully licensed and insured, so you're not taking on that risk while our crew works at your house.
Satisfaction guaranteed
That's our word on your driveway, and the next step is a call to (251) 219-6382 or the estimate form.
Call to plan your new concrete driveway
We work across Mobile County, over the bay in Baldwin County and across the line in Mississippi, and knowing the rough size, whether an old driveway comes out and whether it ends at a curb or a ditch makes that first call go quicker.
What happens when you call about a driveway in Mobile?
Nothing gets poured until you know what your driveway needs and why, what the price includes, and what the city needs from us first.
You get in touch
Call (251) 219-6382 or send the form, and I'll get back to you myself to set a time to look at the driveway.
I walk the job
I come out, look at the ground, the slope and the street end of the driveway, and walk you through what it needs and why.
Estimate and permits
You get a written estimate that spells out what's included and what isn't, and we sort out the permit side before any work starts.
We pour, you learn its care
I run the job on site with our crew, and when we're done I show you how to take care of the new concrete.