Frequently Asked Questions

We have not found a Colorado-only cost survey, so we point people to national figures. HomeGuide's driveway guide lists $6 to $15 a square foot installed, with standard gray concrete at $6 to $10, and its patio guide lists plain concrete patios at $4 to $12. Removal, soil work and access in a given yard move the price, so your measured written estimate is the real number.

Most residential concrete work is priced by the job or by the square foot rather than by the hour. HomeGuide's driveway guide breaks the installed price into about $3 to $7 a square foot for labor and $3 to $8 for materials. Ask for an itemized quote so you can see what the labor covers.

Put two or three written bids side by side and check that each states the slab thickness, the base, reinforcement, joint layout, finish and who handles permits. Ask how the bidder will deal with drainage and swelling soil, and whether any of the work reaches the public right-of-way, which needs a city concrete permit. Ask each one what broke your old slab; the answer shows whether they looked closely.

The Colorado Geological Survey lists cracked and heaved driveways, patios, sidewalks and garage floors as very common signs of expansive soil, which swells when wet and shrinks when dry. Poor drainage and irrigation near slabs make it worse. Freeze-thaw cycles add surface flaking on top of that.

Work in the city right-of-way, such as public sidewalk, curb and gutter, needs a City of Colorado Springs concrete permit pulled by a contractor licensed for right-of-way work. A new or widened curb cut also needs approval through the city's Driveway Cut Application. For work on your own lot, we confirm what the city, county or your HOA requires for your address.

Yes. KRDO, reporting on the city's rules, says residents have 24 hours to clear snow from their sidewalks, and an owner or occupant can be liable if someone slips on snow or ice. Shoveling early also keeps snow from packing into ice that works into the surface.

HomeGuide's driveway guide says foot traffic is generally fine after 24 to 48 hours, cars after at least 7 days and heavy vehicles after about 30 days. It also recommends waiting 28 to 30 days before sealing. We give you dates based on your mix and the weather that week.

Sometimes. Fresh concrete must not freeze before it gains strength, so a cold-weather pour needs nights above freezing in the forecast and often insulated blankets. On many winter jobs, waiting for a mild stretch or for spring gives you a better slab.

HomeGuide's cost table gives 30 to 40 years for a well-built, maintained concrete driveway. Drainage around the slab, sealing and which de-icer you use make a big difference to where yours lands.

Widening on your lot is straightforward. Changing the curb opening needs approval through the city's Driveway Cut Application, which lists a 24-foot maximum width for low-density residential driveways, before a concrete permit is issued.

Rarely. A topping over a heaved or broken slab follows the same cracks and raises the surface at the garage and the street. Removing the old slab and rebuilding the base costs more up front and lasts far longer.

A corner that rises is usually soil swelling under a spot that stays wet, such as below a downspout or beside a sprinkler zone. The Colorado Geological Survey lists heaved driveways as a very common sign of expansive soil. Fixing the water source matters as much as fixing the concrete.

HomeGuide says cars after at least 7 days and heavy vehicles after about 30. We write down the dates for your pour.

HomeGuide's patio guide says plain, stained and stamped concrete patios generally last 30 to 50 years when properly installed and maintained. Keeping irrigation water off the slab and resealing on schedule help most.

Yes, if the slab is designed for it. A filled tub is a heavy, concentrated load, so we thicken and reinforce the area under it rather than relying on a standard 4-inch patio.

HomeGuide lists plain concrete patios at $4 to $12 a square foot installed. For pavers, get a quote for the same footprint and compare the two line by line.

A plain slab on grade often does not, but a covered patio or roof, a raised slab or HOA design review can change that. We confirm for your address before scheduling.

Any slab can crack. We place control joints along pattern lines so that when cracks form, they run where the pattern already has a line.

Sealed stamped concrete is slicker than a broom finish. Choosing a textured pattern and adding anti-slip grit to the sealer on steps, walks and around water make a real difference.

Most patios need resealing every few years, with sunny walkways due sooner. When water stops beading or the color looks chalky, it is time.

If it is solid and level, a stamped overlay may work; HomeGuide lists them at $7 to $15 a square foot for one pattern. A slab that has heaved or cracked through should be replaced first.

Stamped concrete is a single slab with no joints to re-sand. Pavers can be lifted and relaid if the ground moves. Price both for the same footprint and pick the trade-off you prefer.

Work on public sidewalk, curb and gutter in the right-of-way needs a City of Colorado Springs concrete permit and a contractor licensed for that work. We quote private walks and steps, and we tell you if any part of your job falls in the right-of-way.

KRDO's report on the city's rules says residents have 24 hours to clear snow from sidewalks, and owners or occupants can be liable for injuries from snow or ice.

HomeGuide's steps guide lists typical repairs at $300 to $800 for cracks or small sections. Steps that have sunk, separated from the house or have uneven risers are usually better replaced.

Often, if it is still in one piece. HomeGuide lists mudjacking a 100-square-foot sidewalk at $400 to $900. See our repair and leveling page for more.

HomeGuide's driveway guide recommends 5 to 6 inches for RVs and heavy vehicles. We reinforce the pad and add depth under the tires and tongue jack.

Usually. The old slab is broken out from inside and a new one poured with the walls protected. If the bottom plate of the walls has rotted, that framing repair comes first.

It depends on city zoning and, in many neighborhoods, HOA covenants. We check before designing the pad so the slab ends up somewhere you can use it.

After at least a week for a car. HomeGuide puts a full slab cure at 28 days or more, so hold off on coatings and heavy loads until then.

Both lift sunken slabs. Foam uses smaller holes and is lighter; mudjacking usually costs less. HomeGuide lists $4 to $9 a square foot for mudjacking and $8 to $25 for polyjacking.

No. A raised panel can be ground at the edge to remove a trip hazard, or cut out and repoured after the base and drainage are corrected.

HomeGuide says 5 to 10 years or more, with mudjacking usually toward the shorter end. Stopping the water that caused the settlement makes the biggest difference.

Not right away. New concrete is lighter and blends over time. Resurfacing the whole area gives an even color if that matters to you.