Concrete Contractor in Canton, MA - Driveways and Steps Built on a Packed Base
Cornerstone Quincy Concrete is a Quincy-based concrete contractor pouring driveways, patios, steps, walks and slabs for homeowners in Canton, MA. We dig out and pack the base and check the drainage before any concrete goes down.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- Expect a reply within 1 business day.
Canton driveways, steps and yards as we find them
Most of what we pour in Canton is flatwork, which is our word for driveways, walks, patios and garage floors, at houses that have been lived in for a good while. We see a lot of driveways that have settled at the edges, front steps worn down or pulling away from the door, and patios added years ago with no real thought to where the rain goes. It's much the same work we do next door in Milton and Stoughton.
Lots here run from tight driveways close to the street to deeper yards with some grade to them, and that shapes the job before the truck shows up. A sloped yard means more digging, more base and sometimes a short wall, and a tight lot means planning where the truck parks and how far we wheel the concrete.
Concrete services for Canton homes and properties
Concrete driveway building
When a Canton driveway has settled, cracked or holds puddles near the garage, we tear it out, dig down to firm ground, pack a new base and pour.
Concrete patio construction
A patio off the back door gives you usable yard space, and we pitch it slightly so rain runs toward the lawn instead of your foundation.
Stamped concrete services
Stamped concrete gives a patio or walk the look of stone or brick when you want more than gray, poured over the same packed base as plain work.
Concrete sidewalk building
We replace front walks that have heaved or tipped, with a broom finish, the light brushed texture that gives shoes some grip when the walk is wet.
Garage floor concrete
A cracked or pitted garage floor can be broken out and repoured with rebar, steel bars set inside the slab that keep cracks from pulling apart.
Decorative concrete
Colored, stained or exposed-aggregate finishes suit front entries and patios where you want the concrete to go with brick or stone already on the house.
Concrete retaining walls
Where a Canton yard drops off toward the driveway or patio, a poured concrete wall holds the soil back and gives you a level spot to work with.
Concrete floor installation
For basements, workshops and additions, we pour interior floors flat and smooth so tile, flooring or equipment sits right on top without rocking.
Concrete pool decks
Around an in-ground pool we pour a deck with a textured surface for bare feet and a pitch that carries splash water away from the pool.
Concrete steps construction
Older front steps that are crumbling, tilting or pulling away from the house get torn out and rebuilt on footings that sit below the loose topsoil.
Slab foundation building
For garages, additions and outbuildings on Canton lots, we pour slab foundations over a dug-out, compacted base so the building starts on solid ground.
Foundation installation
Builders and owners adding on in Canton call us for full foundations, with footings and walls formed and poured to the plans and ready for framing.
Concrete parking lot building
Small businesses and multi-family owners use us for concrete lots and entry aprons poured thick enough for delivery trucks and daily traffic.
Concrete footings
Decks, porches, sunrooms and additions all need footings, the concrete pads or strips that carry the building's weight down to firm soil below the surface.
Foundation raising
When part of a house or garage has sunk and doors stick or floors slope, we lift and support that section, usually without rebuilding the whole foundation.
Concrete cutting
We saw-cut openings for doors and drains, cut out damaged sections and trim old slabs so new concrete ties in cleanly beside what stays.
Get a free written estimate for your Canton concrete job
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day to set a time for me to come out and measure. The written estimate is free, done on site and comes with no obligation.
(617) 691-5008- Based in
- Quincy, MA 02169
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 8 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 7 AM–11 PM
Working in Canton: permits, licenses and what moves the price
In Canton, building permits come from the Town of Canton's Building Division, which covers all residential and commercial buildings and structures in the city. Its permit list names things like sheds, fences and pools rather than driveways or patios, so the office is the place to ask about your job, and it asks anyone unsure to call. When a job needs a permit we pull it ourselves, and we check with the office before we set a pour date, because the date waits on that answer. Before you hire anyone, ask for their Home Improvement Contractor registration number, which the state's consumer affairs office requires of contractors who bid on or do work at an existing, owner-occupied home with one to four units, and which belongs on the contract and the permit. A business working under a name other than the owner's own also files a business certificate with the clerk in each city where it has an office, and that lapses after four years unless it's renewed. We're fully licensed and insured, and I'm glad to show you what we carry.
The price on a Canton job comes down to the size and thickness of the slab, whether an old one has to be broken out and hauled away, how much digging and base the ground needs, how close the truck can get, and the finish you pick, with stamped and colored work running more than a plain broom finish. The schedule turns on the permit answer and a good forecast for pour day, and your written estimate spells out what's included so you can compare it line by line. As a Quincy concrete contractor, we work across the cities around us, from Canton to Randolph and beyond.
Canton driveways and walks that sink and crack
The most common call we get is for a driveway or walk that has sunk, cracked across or started holding water, and the trouble is usually underneath. Somebody raked the dirt level and poured on it instead of digging out and packing the subgrade, the soil the slab sits on, so the slab settled as the dirt did, and often it was pitched toward the house instead of away. We dig to firm ground, pack a stone base in layers and set the slope before we pour, and we cut control joints, shallow grooves that give the slab a straight line to crack along instead of a random one. If the budget's tight, I'll talk you out of a fancier finish before I'll skimp on the base, because you can dress up a good slab later but you can't fix a bad base without tearing it all out.
Older houses here also tend to have front steps and walks that have worn down, crumbled or pulled away from the door. We rebuild them on footings and tie them into the walk, and while we're there we look at where the roof and the lawn send water.
What happens when you hire us for concrete work in Canton
From your first call to the day I hand over the keys to your new slab, here's how a Canton job runs and what you'll have in hand along the way.
Call or send the request
We get back to you and set a time for me to come out to your property. If you can be there for the visit, bring every question you've got.
I measure and write it up
I look at the site, measure, check where the water runs and talk through what you want. You get a free written estimate that spells out what's included, so you know exactly what you're paying for.
We handle permits and scheduling
If the job needs a permit, we pull it ourselves. Then we pick a pour date with the forecast in mind, because a pour rushed through midday heat can leave a weak, dusty surface.
We pour and walk you through care
Our crew does the prep and the pour. Then I walk you through curing, the stretch while the concrete hardens and gains strength, and when you can start using it.
Questions about concrete work in Canton
Do I need a permit for a concrete shed slab in Canton, MA?
Canton doesn't require a building permit for a one-story detached shed of 200 square feet or less, but that rule is about the shed, not the slab under it. We ask the building office about the slab before we set a pour date, and if it needs a permit, we pull it.
Does a concrete retaining wall need a permit in Canton?
A retaining wall holding back less than 4 feet of unbalanced fill, the extra soil on the high side, doesn't need a building permit in Canton as long as it poses no threat to public safety, health or welfare. Taller walls are a different matter, so I measure the grade change on the estimate visit and we check with the office before we pour.
What inspections does Canton require for a new foundation or footings?
For new construction and additions, the Building Division inspects the soil conditions, the footings and the foundation walls, along with the site, rough, insulation and final inspections it does on every permit it issues. We plan the pour around those visits, because the inspector needs to see what the concrete is going over before it goes in.
How long does a new concrete driveway take before I can drive on it in Canton?
You'll be walking on it well before you drive on it, because concrete keeps gaining strength for days after the pour and a car is a much heavier load than a person. I give you both dates for your slab when we finish, based on its thickness and the weather that week, and until then the cars stay off.
How do I know if I need a written contract for concrete work in Massachusetts?
On an existing, owner-occupied home with one to four units, state home improvement contractor rules require a written contract with certain set provisions for any work estimated at $1,000 or more. Our estimate already comes to you in writing with what's included spelled out, so you can check it against the contract.
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Canton, MA?
It comes down to your driveway's size and what's under it, so I give you a figure only after I've measured. The part people don't expect is the base, because a yard where we have to dig deep and bring in a lot of stone costs more than one with firm ground near the top, and your written estimate breaks those pieces out.
Quincy, MA
Get your Canton concrete job on the calendar
Calling early gives us room to measure, plan the base and wait for a good forecast instead of squeezing your pour into whatever day happens to be open.