Concrete Contractors in Des Plaines, IL

Most Des Plaines homeowners who call concrete contractors want a driveway fixed, and the City of Des Plaines has a clear permit guide for exactly that. Its Community and Economic Development Department spells out base, thickness, width and inspection rules for residential driveways. We plan every Des Plaines driveway around that guide, then carry the same care into patios, walks and garage slabs.

What the city's driveway guide requires

According to the city's residential driveway permit guide:

• A building permit is required for a residential driveway, applied for through the city's online Customer Self Service portal
• Concrete must be at least 4 inches thick, with a minimum 6-bag mix
• Base: 4 inches of CA-6 compactable gravel, and pea gravel is specifically not allowed
• Width: minimum 10 feet; up to 20 feet for a one-car garage, 23 feet for a two-car and 26 feet for a three-car
• Setbacks: at least 2 feet from side and rear property lines, with aprons flaring 3 feet each side to the street
• Inspections: a pre-pour or base inspection and a final inspection, scheduled with the Building Division

We go further than the minimums where it helps the slab last, but we never build outside the limits on width or setback.

A city that grew up fast

Des Plaines had 14,994 people in 1950 and 34,886 in 1960, a 132.7% jump that Wikipedia ties to postwar growth and the opening of nearby O'Hare. By 1970 the count was 57,239. The 2020 census counted 60,675 residents in 25,094 housing units. Driveways, stoops and walks from those two decades are now 55 to 75 years old, and many show patches layered over earlier patches.

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Winter at O'Hare's doorstep

Des Plaines uses O'Hare's weather station, about 2.5 miles away. The 1990-2020 normals there show a January daily mean of 25.2 degrees and 38.4 inches of snow a year. Every one of those snowfalls means shoveling, salt and meltwater that refreezes overnight. Concrete that lacks entrained air or was finished too wet loses its surface in that cycle. Our mixes are air-entrained, and we cure new slabs before they see salt. We also tell owners which deicers are hardest on young concrete.

Living with the river

The city is named for the Des Plaines River, which runs just east of downtown, and the McDonald's museum was demolished in 2018 after repeated flooding. On a single lot, the lesson is about drainage. Before we pour a patio or replace a walk next to the house, we check that the new grade carries water away from the foundation and does not trap it against a step or garage slab.

Why the base inspection matters

The pre-pour inspection the city requires happens before any concrete arrives, and it is the most useful check in the whole job. Once the slab is poured, nobody can see whether the CA-6 is 4 inches deep or 2, or whether it was compacted or just dumped and raked. We excavate to a consistent depth, compact the gravel in lifts, and have the forms set to final grade before the inspector arrives. If something needs to change, it is cheap to fix at that stage and expensive after.

Patios, walks and garages

Beyond driveways, Des Plaines homeowners ask us for:

• Concrete patios to replace small original pads
• Stamped concrete for a patterned backyard surface in one continuous slab
• Sidewalks & steps where front walks have heaved or stoops have pulled away
• Garage & shed slabs for detached garages common on older lots
• Concrete repair & replacement when a slab is cracked but the base is still sound

Call (224) 494-2266 to set up a free estimate.