Concrete Contractor in Parma, OH - Driveways and Walks Built on a Solid Base
Bedrock Solon Concrete is a concrete contractor based in Solon that builds and replaces driveways, patios, walks, steps, garage floors and foundation work for houses in Parma, OH. We tear out what's failed and rebuild it on a packed base.
Older Parma houses and the driveways beside them
Most of what we pour in Parma is for houses on residential streets, a lot of them older homes with a driveway that runs along the side of the house back to a garage. We come over from Solon, where we're based, and the calls here sound a lot like the ones we get in Maple Heights: a driveway that's sunk and cracked, a walk that's tipped, steps pulling away from the house.
Side yards on those lots are often tight, so I work out the tear-out, the forms and where the truck can reach before I price anything. Old slabs here were often laid thin on dirt nobody packed, and that's usually why they failed, so most of our work starts below the surface.
Working in Parma: permits, registration and what moves the price
In Parma, the Building Department issues the permits, and its list names driveways, parking lots and private walks, so on most of our jobs there the permit comes before the pour and the schedule waits on the city. Every contractor working in Parma has to be registered with that department before doing any work, and that's separate from any state license, so ask a contractor about both. We're licensed and insured, and when the job needs a permit, we file it and line up the inspections.
The price turns on the size of the job, the tear-out, how much base has to be rebuilt and how easy the site is to reach, and the schedule turns on the permit and the cure. My written estimate lists what's included, because too many bids leave out the base or the tear-out and add it back later. We do the same work in Cuyahoga Falls, and every city runs its own permits, so I check with each building department before we start instead of guessing.
Concrete work we do in Parma
- Concrete driveway building
- Concrete patio construction
- Stamped concrete services
- Concrete sidewalk building
- Garage floor concrete
- Decorative concrete
- Concrete retaining walls
- Concrete floor installation
- Concrete pool decks
- Concrete steps construction
- Slab foundation building
- Foundation installation
- Concrete parking lot building
- Concrete footings
- Foundation raising
- Concrete cutting
Most failed slabs here started with the base
When a Parma driveway sinks by the garage or cracks across the middle, the cause is usually the subgrade, the dirt the slab sits on, which was raked level instead of dug out and packed, so it settled and took the concrete with it. We dig down to firm ground, build and pack a base, and add rebar, steel inside the slab that holds it together, where the job calls for it. Then we cut control joints on time, shallow grooves that give the slab a straight place to crack, because joints cut late or skipped are how you get cracks nobody chose. If the budget's tight, I'd rather you go with a plain broom finish, the light texture that keeps the surface from getting slick, than cut the base work you can't see on day one.
Water is the other thing we check on these lots. A walk or patio that tips toward the house sends runoff against the foundation, so we set the slope to carry water away, and where a sloped side yard keeps washing onto the slab, we build concrete retaining walls to hold the ground back.
Get a written estimate for your Parma concrete job
Send the form and we reply within 1 business day to set a time. I come out to your Parma house myself, measure, and give you a free written estimate that lists what's included, with no obligation.
How a concrete job in Parma goes, start to finish
Call or send the form
You call (440) 560-8533 or send a message through the form, and we set a time for me to come out. It helps to note what's bothering you, like a sinking corner, water pooling by the garage or steps pulling away.
I measure and write it up
I measure, look at the old slab, the slope and how a truck reaches the spot, then give you a written estimate that spells out what's included. Tear-out and base work are on it, not left for later.
We file the Parma permit
If the job needs a permit, we apply to the Building Department, and when a project needs plan review, the city says that can take up to 30 days before the permit is issued. Once it's issued, the permit goes up where it's easy to see from the street.
Our crew forms and pours
Our crew digs out, packs the base, sets the forms, pours and finishes, with me or our foreman running the job. We call the city for each inspection 24 hours ahead, the way Parma requires, with the address and permit number.
We walk the finished job
I walk the job with you when it's done and go over how to treat the new concrete while it cures. You'll know when you can walk on it and when you can park on it.
Driveways, patios and steps in concrete
Parma concrete questions we hear
Do I need a permit to replace my concrete driveway in Parma?
Yes, driveways, parking lots and private walks are on the Building Department's list of work it issues permits for. The city also posts permit forms for residential concrete, patios, porches, steps and walks, and applications can go in through its online portal. Each one needs drawings and specifications, and on our jobs we put that together and file it.
How do I check that a concrete contractor is registered in Parma?
Ask them, because every contractor has to be registered with the Building Department before doing any work in Parma. If you want to confirm it, the department's office is at 440-885-8030, Monday through Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. The city charges $250 for registration if work begins before it's final, and the registration is separate from any state license.
What happens if concrete work starts without a permit in Parma?
The city adds an administrative penalty fee on top of the permit fees, $100 for a first offense, $300 for a second and $500 for a third. That's money spent on nothing, and fees can change, so check current amounts with the Building Department. It's why we check with the department and file before we start.
Will a new concrete driveway in Parma crack like my old one?
It shouldn't crack the way the old one did, because that kind of cracking usually comes from a soft base and missing joints, and we fix both. Concrete still shrinks, so a fine crack can show up, but the control joints give it a straight line to follow. We also time the pour so the top doesn't dry too fast and turn weak and dusty later.
How long will I be without my driveway after a new concrete pour?
The tear-out and pour are the short part, and most of the wait is the permit, when the job needs one, and curing, the days the concrete needs to gain strength before it takes weight. You'll be walking on it well before you can drive on it. I give you both dates when I walk the finished job with you.
What affects the cost of a concrete driveway replacement in Parma?
The biggest swing is what's under the old slab, because a soft base that has to be dug out and rebuilt costs more than one that's already firm, and I can't know until I look. Thickness, rebar, a stamped or decorative finish instead of a broom finish, and a tight lot where we can't chute straight from the truck all add to it. Your written estimate names each item so you can see what you're paying for.
Get your Parma driveway or patio on the schedule
A written estimate costs nothing and gives you a line-by-line bid to hold other quotes against, so call (440) 560-8533 or use the form.