Frequently Asked Questions

HomeGuide's national cost guide lists standard concrete driveways at $6 to $10 per square foot installed, or $2,400 to $6,000 for a 20 by 20 foot two-car driveway. Removing an old driveway adds $2 to $6 per square foot, and grading adds $3 to $8. Prices around Grand Rapids depend on removal, base work and finish, so the written estimate after measuring is the actual price.

Most residential concrete work is priced by the square foot or by the job, not by the hour. HomeGuide's driveway guide puts labor at about $3 to $7 per square foot and materials at $3 to $8 per square foot for standard work. Leveling contractors often set a minimum job fee, which HomeGuide lists at $300 to $700 or more.

Get two or three written bids and check that each one states the slab thickness, the depth of the stone base, air-entrained concrete, reinforcement, joint layout and who handles the permit. For work on a city sidewalk or approach, ask how the Grand Rapids Sidewalk/Drive Approach Permit will be pulled, since it is issued to licensed sidewalk builders. A contractor who can explain why your old slab failed is more likely to avoid the same problem.

Michigan's Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs lists concrete as one of the trades under its Maintenance and Alteration contractor license, along with masonry, excavation and others, and the trades a contractor is qualified for are printed on the license. The City of Grand Rapids also issues its own Sidewalk Builder's License for work in the right-of-way. Ask any contractor which licenses apply to your job.

Yes. 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 it must be pulled by a holder of a City Sidewalk Builder's License. The fee is $75 for a one- or two-unit home under 200 square feet of work and $175 above that, valid for 60 days.

Often, if the slab is still in one piece. HomeGuide lists mudjacking at $4 to $9 per square foot and foam lifting at $8 to $25, compared with $6 to $15 for replacement. Leveling is not a good fit when cracks are wider than about a quarter inch or the surface is badly spalled.

Flaking, or scaling, happens when water in the top layer freezes and expands, and salt adds more freeze-thaw cycles. It is most common on slabs without entrained air, slabs that were overworked when finished, and slabs salted in their first winter. Light scaling on a sound slab can be resurfaced; scaling across most of the surface usually means replacement.

Late spring through early fall gives the most reliable results. Concrete must not freeze before it gains strength, so late-season pours need nights above freezing and sometimes insulated blankets. Once frost is in the ground, waiting for spring is usually the better choice.

HomeGuide's cost guide gives 30 to 40 years for a well-built concrete driveway, and says up to 30 years with basic maintenance. In Grand Rapids, the base, the air content of the mix, sealing and the de-icer you use decide where a driveway lands in that range.

HomeGuide recommends at least 4 inches for ordinary cars, 5 to 6 inches for RVs or heavy vehicles, and 6 to 8 inches at the edges. We add thickness where plow trucks or trailers turn and park.

We rarely recommend it. A new layer over a cracked, sunken driveway tends to crack in the same places, and it raises the surface at the garage and the street. Removing the old slab and rebuilding the base is the reliable fix.

The Sidewalk/Drive Approach Permit is issued to holders of a City of Grand Rapids Sidewalk Builder's License. We explain how the permit for your approach will be handled before work is scheduled. The Development Center can be reached at 616-456-4100.

HomeGuide says to wait at least 7 days for cars and 28 to 30 days for heavy vehicles. We give you exact dates based on the mix and the weather that week.

HomeGuide lists plain concrete patios at $4 to $12 per square foot, so a 12 by 12 foot patio runs about $600 to $1,700 and a 16 by 16 foot patio about $1,000 to $3,100. Stained or stamped finishes cost more. The written estimate after measuring is your price.

HomeGuide gives 4 inches as standard for a residential patio. Where a hot tub or outdoor kitchen will sit, it recommends 6 inches with extra reinforcement.

Yes. HomeGuide prices patio extensions the same as new patios, $4 to $30 per square foot depending on finish. We tie the new section to the old one so they move together, though an exact color match with older concrete is not always possible.

HomeGuide's patio guide says walking is fine after 24 to 48 hours, pets should stay off for about 3 days, and full cure takes about 30 days. Furniture can usually go on well before full cure.

It depends on where you live and what else is being built. Rules differ between the City of Grand Rapids, the suburbs and the townships, so we check what your address requires before scheduling.

It works well for patios, walks and entries if it is built on a good base with air-entrained concrete and kept sealed. It is less practical for the main lanes of a driveway, where plows and shovels wear the surface. Skipping rock salt and resealing every 2 to 3 years make the biggest difference.

HomeGuide's patio guide lists plain concrete at $4 to $12 per square foot and stamped at $9 to $30. For a 16 by 16 foot patio that is roughly $1,000 to $3,100 plain versus $2,000 to $7,700 stamped or stained.

It can be when wet or icy, especially with a glossy sealer. We recommend textured patterns and a slip-resistant additive in the sealer for steps, slopes and pool areas.

If the slab is sound, a stamped overlay is possible; HomeGuide lists it at about $7 to $15 per square foot for a single pattern. Slabs that are cracked through, sinking or deeply scaled need repair or replacement first.

The city inspects public sidewalks and aims to inspect or repair every sidewalk on a 15-year cycle. Any work in the right-of-way needs a Sidewalk/Drive Approach Permit pulled under a City Sidewalk Builder's License. To report a problem, call 311 or 616-456-3000.

According to the city's sidewalk page, inspectors mark squares that need replacement with a black or white mark, and a white mark means the square will be replaced during an upcoming road repair project.

Poured steps can be built to any size and shape and tied into a walk or landing. Precast steps cost less per step, $100 to $350 versus $200 to $500 in HomeGuide's guide, and go in faster when a standard size fits.

Sometimes. A stoop that is still in one piece can often be lifted back into place. If it is cracked through or crumbling, replacement on a new base is usually the lasting fix.

HomeGuide lists a two-car garage floor of about 400 to 576 square feet at $2,400 to $6,900. Removing an old floor adds $3 to $8 per square foot. Access and base work in an existing garage change the total.

HomeGuide says garage floors are typically 4 to 6 inches thick with reinforcement. We go thicker where heavy trucks or equipment will sit.

It depends on the size of the shed and your city or township. Rules differ across Grand Rapids and the surrounding communities, so we check before scheduling.

HomeGuide's slab guide says to wait 1 to 2 weeks before driving on a new slab, and full cure takes 28 to 48 days. We give you dates for your floor.

Both lift sunken slabs. HomeGuide lists mudjacking at $4 to $9 per square foot and foam at $8 to $25. Foam uses smaller holes, weighs less and often lasts longest; mudjacking costs less and works well on many walks and patios.

HomeGuide says professionally leveled concrete lasts about 5 to 10 years or more, and mudjacking typically 5 to 7 years with good drainage. Fixing the water problem that caused the sinking makes a big difference.

When it is broken into several pieces, has cracks wider than about a quarter inch, or the surface is badly spalled. HomeGuide points to those signs as reasons to replace instead of level or resurface.

If the flaking is shallow and the driveway is otherwise solid, yes. HomeGuide lists driveway resurfacing at $3 to $5 per square foot for a basic finish, lasting about 8 to 15 years. Deep scaling or wide cracks call for replacement.