Frequently Asked Questions

HomeGuide's driveway cost guide puts installed concrete at $6 to $15 a square foot nationally. Its size table lists $2,400 to $6,000 for a 400-square-foot, two-car driveway (20 by 20 feet), and tearing out the old slab runs another $2 to $6 per square foot. The 6-inch approach, decorative finishes and drainage fixes all move the figure. Your price comes in writing after we measure.

Yes. The Village issues a Driveway - Residential permit for replacement and repair, and a Flatwork - Residential permit for patios, walks, stoops, stairs and approaches. Each needs a marked-up plat of survey and the contractor's proposal, and every flatwork job gets a base inspection before concrete arrives and a final once the forms are out and the edges backfilled. We file it and book the inspections.

Village minimums are 4 inches of concrete over 4 inches of compacted CA-6 on the private drive, and 6 inches where the approach and the public sidewalk cross it. HomeGuide's guide says pros recommend 5 to 6 inches for RVs or other heavy vehicles. The slab is sized to what will actually park on it.

Walking on it is generally fine within a couple of days. Cars should stay off for roughly seven days, and longer when nights are cold, since strength keeps building as the concrete cures. The exact dates depend on the mix and the weather, and you get them in writing on pour day.

Not always. Fixr's cost guide lists a 200-square-foot stamped patio at $2,400 to $3,600, against $2,200 to $3,000 for pavers of the same size. A simple single-color pattern can land near paver pricing; several colors, borders and accents push it higher.

Often, if the slab is mostly intact: fine cracks, one sunken panel or a small damaged corner. Once cracks go all the way through and the pieces sit at different heights, the surface is flaking over large areas, or water runs back toward the house, new concrete is usually the better spend. The site visit settles which case you have.

Spring through fall is the normal window, while nights stay above freezing. Cooler-weather pours are possible with insulated blankets, but new concrete cannot be allowed to freeze in its first days. Booking early in the year also leaves time for the Village's permit review.

The tear-out, base and pour usually take a few days, depending on size and weather. Add the curing time before you drive on it, usually about a week. Permit review in Arlington Heights typically takes about 10 business days, so that comes first.

Only if the old slab is sound and level, and even then raised height at the garage and apron causes problems. Most old driveways here are cracked through or sunken, and those cracks carry up through an overlay. Removal and a new base is usually the right call.

The Village makes mesh optional on private driveways and does not allow it in the approach or sidewalk crossing. A good base and proper joints matter more than mesh. We add rebar where loads or soil conditions call for it.

Often, yes. For a one- or two-car garage the Village allows up to 22 feet, and up to 32 feet near a three-car garage. Front-yard paving is capped at 50% of the yard. We check your lot before we quote.

That is scaling, usually from freeze-thaw cycles combined with de-icing salt, often on concrete that was overworked, too wet or poorly cured when poured. Once it spreads across the slab, replacement is the lasting fix.

HomeGuide's national range for plain concrete is $4 to $12 per square foot, about $1,600 to $4,800 for a 20 by 20 foot patio. Stamped or stained patios cost more. Removing an old patio and backyard access affect the price.

Yes. The Village's residential flatwork permit covers patios, with a marked-up plat of survey, the contractor's proposal and a base inspection before the pour. We prepare and submit it.

The Village requires at least 4 inches of concrete on at least 4 inches of gravel. If a hot tub or heavy masonry will sit on it, we thicken that area or the whole slab.

If the existing slab is level and sound, yes. We dowel the new section into the old so they move together and joint the seam. If the old slab is cracked or tilted, replacing it gives a better result.

Sealed stamped concrete is slicker than a broom finish when wet. For walks and steps we choose deeper textures and can mix an anti-slip grit into the sealer.

In this climate, about every two to three years, or whenever water no longer beads on the surface. Fresh sealer keeps color from fading and keeps salt out of the texture.

Yes, any concrete can. A compacted stone base and joints cut along the pattern keep most cracks narrow and easy to miss.

On price they are close: Fixr's guide shows $2,400 to $3,600 for a 200-square-foot stamped patio and $2,200 to $3,000 for pavers. A stamped slab has no gaps for weeds; pavers can be pulled up and reset one at a time. The choice usually comes down to looks and the upkeep you prefer.

Usually because it was poured on a shallow base and frost or settling moved it. Arlington Heights now requires stoops on 42-inch-deep footings or piers, doweled to the foundation, which keeps the new one in place.

Sometimes, if it is sound and has settled evenly. If it is cracked, tilted badly or has no footing, replacement is the lasting fix.

It varies by town. Some villages repair public walks on their own schedule and some share the cost with homeowners. We check your town's rules and the permit needed before quoting.

HomeGuide puts poured steps at $200 to $500 per step, or about $600 to $1,500 for three steps. Footings, a landing and removal of the old stoop add to that.

HomeGuide puts a two-car garage floor at $2,400 to $6,900. Removing the old floor, the thickened door edge and rebar the Village requires, and access for equipment all affect the total.

Usually about a week after the pour, longer in cool weather. You can walk on it sooner. We give you dates for your job.

If the rest of the floor is sound and level, yes. We cut out the damaged strip and pour a new thickened, reinforced edge. If the whole slab has sunk, full replacement is the better fix.

At least 4 inches on a compacted stone base for a typical shed. For a workshop, heavy equipment or a larger building, we thicken the edges or the whole slab and add rebar.

If the slab is in one piece and the base is holding, yes. Sealing and lifting cost a fraction of replacement. If cracks run through and pieces have shifted, replacement is the better value.

HomeGuide says a properly done mudjacking repair lasts 5 to 10 years or more, depending heavily on soil and drainage. Fixing the water source helps it last.

Small spots can be patched. Once scaling covers most of the surface, patches tend to come loose in the next winters and replacement is the lasting fix.

Not right away. Fresh concrete starts out lighter in color and darkens toward the old slab as it weathers. Replacing a whole panel from joint to joint looks neater than a patch.