Concrete Driveways in Grand Rapids, MI

Concrete driveways in Grand Rapids carry cars every day and take the worst of the winter. Snowbanks melt across them, plow blades scrape them, tires track in salty slush, and meltwater refreezes on them overnight. A driveway that was poured thin, on a weak base or without air-entrained concrete usually shows it within a few winters: flaking near the street, cracks that open and shift, and panels that sink by the garage.

Signs it is time to replace

• Scaling or pitting over much of the surface
• Cracks wide enough to fit a coin, or cracks where one side has dropped
• A panel near the garage that has sunk and holds water at the door
• Water draining toward the house instead of away from it
• A broken approach at the street or crumbling edges
• A drive that is too narrow for the cars you have now

One sunken panel on an otherwise solid driveway can often be lifted, and shallow surface damage can be resurfaced. When settling, wide cracks and scaling show up together, replacement usually costs less in the long run than patching every year.

What goes under the concrete

Most driveway failures begin below the surface. We break out the old concrete or asphalt and haul it away, dig out soft or organic soil, and put down crushed stone compacted in layers. That gives the slab even support and lets water drain away instead of freezing under it. Forms are set so the finished surface drains toward the street or yard, away from the garage and foundation.

HomeGuide's driveway guide recommends at least 4 inches of concrete for ordinary vehicles, 5 to 6 inches for RVs or heavy traffic, and 6 to 8 inches at the edges. If a pickup with a plow, a trailer or a camper will park on the drive, we make that area thicker. Rebar or wire mesh holds cracked sections together, and control joints on a planned layout keep shrinkage cracks straight.

The approach and the city sidewalk

Many Grand Rapids driveways cross a public sidewalk before reaching the street. The city requires a Sidewalk/Drive Approach Permit to build, rebuild, remove or repair a driveway approach, sidewalk or curb in the right-of-way, and only holders of a City Sidewalk Builder's License can pull it. The fee is $75 for a one- or two-unit home with under 200 square feet of concrete work in the right-of-way and $175 above that. A new approach or new curb cut may also need a driveway, encroachment or LUDS permit. On every driveway quote we mark where your private driveway ends and the approach begins, and explain how that permit will be handled.

The city's permit page also covers snow melt systems in the right-of-way. HomeGuide lists heated driveways at $13 to $28 or more per square foot; if you are considering one, tell us at the estimate so the layout and permits can be planned together.

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Finish choices

• Broom finish: the standard choice. The texture gives grip in rain and slush.
• Exposed aggregate: the surface paste is washed off to show the stone. It hides tire marks and gives good traction.
• Stamped or colored borders: a decorative edge with plain concrete in the wheel lanes, which keeps shoveling easy.
• Smooth trowel finish: clean looking but slippery when wet or icy, so we avoid it on sloped driveways.

Caring for a new driveway

Keep cars off for at least seven days. Do not use rock salt the first winter; use sand for traction. In later years, avoid de-icers containing ammonium nitrate or ammonium sulfate. HomeGuide recommends sealing after 28 to 30 days and resealing every 2 to 3 years. Keep downspouts pointed away from the slab, and ask your plow service to use a rubber-edged blade or keep the blade slightly raised.