Concrete Driveway Building in Watertown SD - a drive that stays even through winter
Cracked, sinking or pooling water by the garage? We build a new driveway on packed, even ground with water running away from the house.
What goes into a new concrete driveway in Watertown?
Concrete driveway building in Watertown means pouring a new drive from the street to your garage on ground that's been dug out and packed evenly, so the slab has the same support everywhere and stays flat through the winters. Most of the wait isn't the pour itself but curing, the time the concrete needs to gain strength before it can take your car.
You're probably looking at a drive that's cracked across, sunk by the garage or holding water, and usually the cause is a base that was raked level instead of dug out and packed. The price moves with the size of the drive, how much old concrete and soft ground has to come out, and the finish you pick. The schedule turns mostly on the weather and the curing wait. The stretch at the street also needs a city permit, and we can handle that paperwork for you. If the garage floor sank along with the drive, we pour garage floors too, and when I come out you'll get a written estimate that says what's included for your own job.
Why people hire Watertown Concrete for driveways
You can count on me explaining every step, from the ground under the slab to the finish on top, so you know what you're paying for before we pour.
I write your estimate
I'm the one who looks at your drive and writes the estimate, and I'm on the job with our crew.
Building since 2013
I started this business in 2013, after years of patching and replacing slabs at rental properties showed me what fails.
Licensed and fully insured
Watertown Concrete is licensed and fully insured, and that holds for every driveway our crew forms and pours.
Plain answers about your drive
I'll show you what's under your slab and why it matters, so nothing about the job is a mystery to you.
Satisfaction guaranteed on every job
That's our promise, so call (605) 954-0565 or use the form and ask me anything about your drive.
The concrete driveway jobs we take on
Which option fits your house depends on what's wrong with the old drive, what you park on it and how you want it to look, but each one starts with an even, packed base.
What happens after you call about a driveway?
We plan each driveway around your house and what you need from it, starting with a look at the site and ending with the pour and the cleanup.
You call or write
Call (605) 954-0565 or send the form, and tell us whether it's a new drive or a replacement so I know what I'm coming to see.
I look at the site
I come out, look at the drive and the ground around it, and talk through what you want and the options that fit it.
Your written estimate
You get a written estimate that says what's included, and we sort out permits with the right office before we set a date.
Forming, pouring, finishing
Our crew forms, pours and finishes while I keep you posted, and I show you the base and the forms before any concrete goes in.
Questions about a step? Call and talk it through.
(605) 954-0565Driveway questions we hear in Watertown
How much does a concrete driveway cost in South Dakota?
A concrete driveway in South Dakota usually costs about $3,000 to $14,000 per job, and that's the typical range across the state, not our price. Where yours lands depends on the size, how much tear-out it needs and the finish, and you'll get your own number once I've seen the drive.
Can I have a gravel driveway in Watertown?
On most streets, no, because the city's engineering standards say a driveway has to be paved with concrete or asphalt from the street to the house or garage. Other surfaces may be allowed on some gravel and rural roads, so if you live on one, we'll ask about it when we check on your permit.
What causes a concrete driveway to crack?
Most cracks start underneath, where uneven support lets the slab settle, or at control joints that were cut late or skipped. Control joints are shallow lines cut into the new slab so that when concrete shrinks and moves, as all concrete does, the crack follows the line instead of wandering. We cut them on time and pair them with the even base described above, so any cracking has a planned place to go.
What kind of concrete should a driveway in Watertown be made with?
One concrete trade group advises good quality air-entrained concrete for anything exposed to severe freezing and thawing, and a Watertown driveway is exactly that. Air-entrained concrete carries tiny air bubbles that give freezing water room to expand, so the surface is less likely to chip and flake. When you compare quotes, ask whether each one uses an air-entrained mix, and I'll explain the mix we order for winter use.
Can you pour a concrete driveway in cold weather in Watertown?
Yes, once the ground under the slab is no longer frozen, because concrete placed on frozen ground is likely to settle unevenly and crack when it thaws. Concrete groups also say fresh concrete should be kept from freezing until it reaches an early strength, about two days after it's placed, so a late-season pour needs that protection planned in.
How do I take care of a new concrete driveway in its first winter?
Skip the deicer and use sand for traction, which is what the Michigan Concrete Association advises for new concrete in its first winter. I'll go over the rest of first-season care with you before we finish, since how you treat the drive that first winter shows up for years.
Building a concrete driveway in Watertown
The part of your driveway at the street, the approach, sits in the public right-of-way, and Watertown's City Engineer's Office regulates it, so a city permit is required before any work starts there, whether it's a new approach or a repair or replacement of the old one. We check with the city on every driveway job and can do that paperwork for you, and if you're building a new home, ask whether your building permit from the Community Development Division already includes the driveway permit. If you're comparing contractors, those who work in the city fill out a letter of responsibility each year, and Building Services takes calls from anyone who wants to check whether a contractor is verified.
We're based in Watertown and work in the cities around it, and most of the old drives we break out failed the same way, a thin base and years of freezing and thawing working on it. That's why on driveway jobs in Watertown we put our time in underneath first.
Ask Watertown Concrete for a driveway estimate
Call (605) 954-0565 or use the form, since an early call leaves time to sort out the permit before the ground's ready to pour.