Concrete contractor in East Chicago, IN - driveways and slabs built on a packed base
Highland Concrete is a concrete contractor based in Highland, IN, and we build and replace driveways, patios, walks, steps, garage floors and foundations for homes and small businesses across East Chicago.
Concrete work on East Chicago's older lots
In East Chicago we mostly see older houses set close together, where the driveway runs tight along the side of the house, the garage sits off the alley and the old slab has sunk or cracked through. We also hear from small business and property owners about lots, walks and steps, the same mix we work on next door in Hammond and across the state line in Lansing, IL. The price here mostly turns on how much old concrete comes out, how much base work the ground needs and how close the truck can get. The schedule turns on any permit the city requires and on curing, the days the concrete needs before you use it. I put your price in writing when I walk the job with you.
The ground is the other thing I look at closely here. Parts of the city fall inside the USS Lead Superfund site, where lead and arsenic are the main contaminants of concern and the zones take in homes and a public housing complex, so before any job that means digging out old base, I want to know whether your lot is in one of them.
What we build in East Chicago
Most driveways we replace here are narrow runs between houses, so we break out the old slab and pack a new base before the pour.
A backyard patio on a small city lot has to shed water somewhere, so we set the slope toward the yard and away from your back door.
Stamped concrete gives a front walk or patio the look of brick or stone. On older houses here, we pick colors that sit well with the house.
Front and side walks here often run tight to the house, so we replace heaved or sunken sections and leave an even path to the door.
Detached garages off the alley are common on older East Chicago lots. When the floor has cracked and dropped, we tear it out and pour a new slab.
Color and scored lines can dress up a plain front patio on a small lot, and I'll tell you which finishes hold up to daily foot traffic.
Where a yard steps down to an alley or a neighbor's lot, a concrete retaining wall holds the soil back so the slab above it stays put.
Basements in older houses here often need a new floor. We're used to tight access, so we break out the old one and pour a level slab.
In a small backyard, a pool deck has to drain fast, so we slope it away from the water and give it texture for bare feet.
Front steps on older houses here are often cracked, loose or uneven in height. We rebuild them with even risers and steel inside to tie them together.
For a new shed, garage or addition on a city lot, a slab foundation starts with digging out and packing the ground it sits on.
When an addition goes up between close neighbors, we lay out the forms from your property lines before we pour the foundation walls.
Small business owners and landlords here call us about worn lots and entrances. We plan the pour around your hours and where the water needs to go.
Footings carry a porch, wall or deck post, and on older city lots we dig them down to firm soil before any weight goes on them.
When one corner of an older house or garage has dropped, foundation raising brings it back up. I'll look first and tell you if it's worth doing.
Cutting lets us open a basement floor for a drain line or trim a slab next to a neighbor's without breaking out more than the job needs.
What East Chicago lots ask of new concrete
I come out to look at every job myself, and I'm on site with our crew for the prep, the pour and the finish, so I see the base and the drainage before concrete covers them.
Base work before the finish
We dig out and pack the ground the slab sits on, so it isn't sitting on loose dirt like the old one.
Slope away from your house
Before we form anything, we check where water runs on your lot so the slab falls away from the house.
Pours timed around the heat
We schedule pours away from midday heat, because concrete that dries too fast leaves a weak, dusty top.
Joints cut on time
We cut control joints, grooves that steer cracking, early so cracks tend to land in them and not across your driveway.
A straight answer on your plan
If a plan won't work on your lot, I'll tell you why before we pour, not after a few years of trouble.
East Chicago concrete questions
Who handles building permits for concrete work in East Chicago, IN?
The East Chicago Building Department reviews and approves or rejects every building permit application in the city, and it inspects work while it's being built or repaired. Whether your driveway or patio needs a permit is a question for that office, and an application goes in with a plat of survey and a sketch or site plan, with two sets of plans on major projects. If your job needs one, we take care of the paperwork and line up the inspections.
Does a concrete contractor need a city license to work in East Chicago?
Yes, the city's code makes it unlawful to work as a building contractor in East Chicago without a city contractor's license, and every one of those licenses runs from January 1 to December 31. License holders have to carry public liability insurance of at least $100,000 for one person or $300,000 for one accident, and a contractor applying for a permit has to hold a valid city license. Since the licenses run by the calendar year, it's fair to ask whoever you hire whether theirs is current.
What happens before a building permit is issued in East Chicago?
The city inspects the site where the work will happen before it issues a permit, and issuance comes with a 48-hour waiting period. The city's permitting rules say a property owner may be asked to take a homeowner's test, and fees vary, with fee schedules available at the office. That's why we check with the office before we set a pour date.
How do I get utility lines marked before digging in East Chicago?
Call the city's Engineering office at 219-391-8355, because the city's permit application says East Chicago isn't part of 811 and sends applicants there for locates. A driveway tear-out or a new footing goes down into the ground where those lines run, so we want the marks in before we dig.
How much does it cost to replace a concrete driveway in East Chicago?
It comes down to the size of the slab, how much old concrete has to be broken out and hauled off, and how much base work the ground needs before we pour. Tight access between houses adds labor when the truck can't pull up close, and stamping or color costs more than a plain broom finish, the light texture that gives tires and shoes grip. I walk the job with you and put in writing what the price includes.
What causes old concrete driveways and patios in East Chicago to sink and crack?
Most of the time it's the ground under the slab, because a base that was raked level instead of dug out and packed settles with the dirt and takes the concrete with it. Water running toward the house makes it worse, and late or skipped joints let cracks wander. If the budget's tight, the finish is where I'd save, not the base, since the base is the one part you can't fix later without tearing the slab out.
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Ask Highland Concrete about your East Chicago slab
We take calls into the evening and on weekends, so call (219) 533-1721 or use the form while you're standing by the slab.