Concrete contractor in Gary, IN - driveways and slabs built on a solid base
Highland Concrete is a concrete contractor based in Highland that pours driveways, patios, walks, steps, garage floors and foundations for homes and businesses in Gary, IN, with the owner on site for every pour.
Concrete work across Gary, Indiana
Gary sits at the southern tip of Lake Michigan, a short drive from our base in Highland. Our calls there run from houses near the lake in Miller to the older blocks inland, along with shop owners and landlords whose lots have broken up. A lot of it is original concrete on its last legs: front walks lifted by roots, steps pulling off the porch and driveways that dropped at the garage. We do the same work next door in Lake Station and down in Schererville, but in Gary we usually start with a tear-out.
The price here mostly turns on what's under the old slab and how much has to come out. The schedule turns on permit and inspection dates and a good day for the pour, and your estimate puts your own number in writing. Near the lake the ground can run sandy, and on older lots we often find loose fill, so we dig down to firm ground and pack a new base before anything gets poured.
What we pour for Gary homes
Most Gary driveways we replace sank on a loose base, so we dig to firm ground, pack new stone and slope the slab toward the street.
Backyard patios here often sit low against the house and hold water. We set the grade first so rain runs away from your foundation, then pour.
If you like the look of brick or stone on a patio or front walk, stamped concrete gives you that pattern in one solid pour instead of loose pavers.
We replace lifted or broken walk sections and cut control joints, shallow grooves that tell the slab where to crack, so new cracks stay in straight lines.
Detached garages off the alley often have cracked, sunken floors. We break out the old floor and pour a new slab that slopes toward the door.
Color, exposed stone or a saw-cut pattern can dress up an entry or patio, and we still build the base the same way underneath.
Where a yard drops toward the alley or a neighbor's lot, a poured wall holds the soil back, with drainage behind it so water doesn't build up.
For basements, shop floors and additions, we pour interior floors flat and level, which matters once shelving, equipment or new flooring goes on top.
A pool deck needs a surface that grips wet feet and a slope that sends splash water away from both the pool and the house.
Front steps on older Gary houses often pull away from the porch. We pour new ones with rebar, steel bars that hold the concrete together.
For a new garage, addition or shed, we dig out and pack the subgrade, the ground the slab sits on, then pour a slab ready for framing.
When an addition or new building needs walls below grade, we set the footings and walls on firm ground and check drainage around them before backfill.
Small businesses and apartment owners in Gary call us about lots that hold water or have broken up, so we plan the slope to the drains first.
Decks, porches, garages and additions all start with footings, the concrete pads that carry the weight. We dig them to solid ground so nothing settles later.
When a slab or stoop has dropped, raising it can save a tear-out, but I'll find out why it sank first, since lifting won't fix a washed-out base.
We saw-cut openings, remove damaged sections and trim slabs cleanly, so a repair or new doorway doesn't mean breaking up more concrete than it needs.
What Gary's older lots ask of new concrete
We're licensed and insured, and we build for what's actually under your old slab and around your lot in Gary. Your satisfaction, guaranteed.
I look at every job
Before there's any price, I walk your lot myself and ask how you'll use the driveway, patio or floor.
The base comes first
If the budget's tight, trim the finish, not the base, because the base you can't see decides whether the slab sinks.
Owner on the pour
I'm on site with our crew for the prep, the pour and the finish, not just the first visit.
Old concrete hauled away
We break out and haul off the old slab, so you're not left with a pile of rubble by the garage.
A written price, no pushing
Your estimate spells out what the price includes, and I'll tell you when an upgrade won't help your lot.
Gary concrete questions we hear
Do I need a permit for a new concrete driveway or patio in Gary, Indiana?
It may, so ask the Gary Building Department before work starts, since it issues permits for all new construction, alterations and some repairs. Permit fees are based on the value of the work. We check with the department before we set a date, and if your job needs a permit, we do the paperwork and line up the inspections.
Does a concrete contractor need a City of Gary license to work in Gary?
Yes, the Building Department says every contractor and subcontractor working in the city must be licensed with the City of Gary, and a contractor needs that license before they can apply for a permit. Contractors who passed a written exam in their own municipality get a Gary license once the city verifies the results, and the rest must pass the city's written or oral exam. Ask any contractor you're considering to show you theirs.
How do I pull my own permit for concrete work on my house in Gary?
You apply in person at the Building Department, because online applications are closed to homeowners for now, and you bring a tax statement or deed, a material list, a dumpster receipt if you have one, and a driver's license or state ID. The city's homeowner permit form grants permits to owners who actually live in the home, and on a property that isn't your permanent residence it covers only minor or cosmetic work, at the building commissioner's discretion. Specific structural work isn't something homeowners may do themselves, and structural work also needs a site plan for zoning review, so ask the department where your job falls.
How much does a building inspection cost in Gary?
Each inspection costs $50.00, and it has to be scheduled 24 to 72 hours before the date you want. A failed or missed inspection brings a $100.00 re-inspection fee, which has to be paid before any other inspection happens. When we handle the permit, we book the inspections and plan the pour around them so the job doesn't stall waiting on a slot.
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Gary, IN?
The price comes down to the size of the slab, what's under the old one and how much has to be torn out and hauled away. Digging out loose fill, a thicker slab with rebar, a stamped or colored surface and a tight alley approach all add to it, while a plain broom finish, the light texture that gives shoes and tires grip, keeps it down. At the estimate I walk the job with you, ask how you'll use it and put in writing what the price includes.
What causes a concrete driveway to crack and sink?
Most sinking starts with a base that was raked flat instead of dug out and packed, so the slab drops as the dirt under it settles. Cracks in odd places usually come from control joints cut late or skipped, water running toward the house, or a pour in midday heat that leaves a weak, dusty top. Besides the base work above, we set the slope, cut joints on time and let the slab cure, the wait while it gains strength, before you walk on it and longer before you drive on it.
Not in Gary? Give us a call
Pick another city below, or call (219) 533-1721 if yours isn't listed, since we work in plenty of cities around Highland on both sides of the state line.
Talk to Highland Concrete about your Gary slab
Call (219) 533-1721 or use the form with a permit question or an old slab you're unsure about, and I'll tell you if it's worth repairing.