Concrete floor installation in Watertown SD - a solid, dry base for your flooring
Cracked, damp or uneven floor in your basement or shop? We pour a new slab on a careful base so your flooring holds up.
What does putting in a new concrete floor involve?
Concrete floor installation in Watertown means building a new indoor slab. We dig out and pack the ground, lay gravel and a heavy plastic sheet, then pour and finish the concrete smooth. You end up with a solid floor that's ready for flooring once it cures.
Maybe your basement or shop floor is cracked, sinking or damp, or you've got a new addition that needs a floor before anything else can go in. The price moves with the size of the room, how much old concrete has to come out, how easy it is to get concrete to the spot and whether we're pouring in the cold, which needs added protection. The schedule turns on the weather, the permit and curing, which is the wait while new concrete keeps its moisture and hardens before your flooring goes on. Your written estimate lists what's included, and if it's a garage you're thinking about, our garage floor concrete page covers that job.
Why Watertown calls us for concrete floors
You can count on me to explain what goes under your floor and why, because the parts nobody sees once the job's done decide how it holds up.
I come out myself
I'm the one who looks at your room and writes the estimate, and I'm on site with our crew for the pour.
In business since 2013
Before that, I learned concrete by patching and replacing slabs at rental properties, so I've seen what fails underneath.
Licensed and fully insured
That's the first thing I'd ask anyone working inside your house, so go ahead and ask me when I come out.
Satisfaction guaranteed on every job
It's the promise I make on every floor, and I'd rather explain a step twice than leave you unsure.
You'll know your floor
I'll show you how to look after your new concrete, so call (605) 954-0565 and tell me what the room is for.
Indoor concrete floors we pour
The right floor starts with what the room is for and what flooring goes on top, since a tiled basement and a busy shop need different things from the slab.
What happens when you call about a concrete floor in Watertown?
I plan every floor around how you'll use the room, what flooring goes on top and when you'd like it done, so the steps below fit your house and your season.
Call or send the form
Call (605) 954-0565 or use the form, and tell me what the floor is for and what's in that spot now.
I look at the site
I come out, look at the room and the ground under it, and talk through what you want and the options that fit.
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.
Base, pour and finish
Our crew forms, pours and finishes with me on the job. I keep you posted and show you the base and forms before we pour.
Questions about a step? Call and talk it through.
(605) 954-0565Concrete floor questions we hear
How much does it cost to put in a concrete floor in Watertown, SD?
I give your price in a written estimate after I've seen the room. The size, how much old concrete comes out, how easy the spot is to reach and the season all move it. When the budget gets tight, people want to trim the base first because nobody sees it on day one. That's where I'd hold the line, because a nice top on a poorly packed base can settle with the dirt under it.
Can concrete be poured in a Watertown winter?
Yes, if the new concrete is protected. Concrete poured in the cold turns out strong when it's shielded, while early freezing can ruin it or leave it permanently weak. Concrete industry guidance treats a pour as cold weather work once the air falls, or is expected to fall, below 40°F. The added protection and slower work cost extra but will most likely keep a project on schedule, so I'll walk you through that cost against waiting for milder weather. It's worth asking any crew how they'd use insulating blankets, tarps and heaters to protect the slab.
Why does the plastic under a concrete floor matter?
It keeps soil gases out of your house and stops wet concrete from clogging the gravel below, which is why heavy plastic sheeting or a vapor retarder goes on the gravel first. One sheet maker says even small holes can greatly increase the water vapor coming up through the slab. That can lead to failed floor coverings and delays in laying flooring, so if you're planning tile, wood or carpet, that sheet matters as much as the concrete.
How do I check a contractor's license in Watertown?
Look the contractor up on the list of licensed, active contractors that the City of Watertown publishes, or call the city at (605) 882-6201 and ask. The city's contractor's license is renewed every year, so check that it's current, and you're welcome to check us too.
What causes a new concrete floor to crack?
Drying is the usual cause, because concrete shrinks as it dries. That's why we cut control joints, shallow grooves that give those cracks a planned place to form. Isolation joints do a different job and let the slab move apart from walls, posts and other fixed parts of the building. A university brief on outdoor slabs also says keeping new concrete from losing moisture lowers the risk of cracking.
How long before I can put flooring on a new concrete floor?
The slab has to cure and dry enough for the flooring you've picked, so I plan that wait with you at the estimate rather than guess before I've seen the job. Moisture coming up through the slab is the usual reason flooring gets held up. One barrier maker says placing the barrier directly under the concrete keeps water from getting trapped in a sand layer, where it can later move upward and loosen adhesives and floor coverings.
Permits and radon for concrete floor installation in Watertown
Inside Watertown, the city's Building Services office reviews and issues building permits, and every application goes in online through OpenGov, since the city no longer takes paper. In unincorporated Codington County, the land outside city limits, a building permit is required before digging for construction begins. The county can charge an administrative fee of up to 200 percent of the permit fee to anyone who starts without one. We're based in Watertown and work in the cities around it. Before we set a date, I check with the city or county office about permits for your floor, and we can handle the paperwork for you.
The state places eastern South Dakota in radon Zone 1 and says testing is the only way to know a building's radon level. That's one more reason the plastic sheet under your slab gets our full attention, since it helps keep soil gases out. On jobs around Watertown we see plenty of basement and shop floors under older houses, and a lot of calls come in as the weather turns, so I'll talk timing with you early.
Plan your concrete floor with Watertown Concrete
Call (605) 954-0565 or use the form before you order flooring, so the slab and the floor going on it get planned together.