Concrete patio construction in Watertown SD - a patio planned for South Dakota winters
Old patio cracked, sinking or chipping at the edges? We plan a concrete slab around how you'll use it and how winter treats it.
What goes into building a concrete patio in Watertown?
Concrete patio construction in Watertown, SD means our crew forms, pours and finishes an outdoor slab, usually with a broom finish, a light brushed texture that gives your feet grip, so you get a solid, flat spot for a grill, a table and chairs.
Maybe the old patio has cracked, sunk or started chipping, or you've got a patch of grass by the back door that turns to mud every spring. Price mostly follows the size, the thickness, the finish you pick and whether an old slab has to be broken out first. The schedule turns on the weather, because fresh concrete can't be allowed to freeze, and on the permit check we do before we set a date. I'll give you your own figure in a written estimate after I've looked at the yard.
Why people choose Watertown Concrete for patios
You'll deal with me from the first look at your yard, and you'll know what you're paying for, including the parts of the patio nobody sees once it's poured.
You deal with the owner
I come out to look at the job and write the estimate, then I'm on site with our crew.
In business since 2013
I learned concrete fixing walks and slabs at rental properties, then started this business to build new work better.
Licensed and fully insured
We're licensed and fully insured on every patio we pour, and I'm glad to show you the paperwork.
Your mix explained
I tell you what concrete we're ordering and why, because the mix decides how a patio stands up to winter.
Satisfaction guaranteed
Satisfaction guaranteed on every job, and you'll know how to look after your patio before we're done.
Concrete patio options we build
I ask how you'll use the patio, from a grill to heavy furniture, and plan the slab around it, then go over joints and winter care before anything's poured.
What happens after you call about a patio?
Every patio gets planned around how you'll use it and when you want it, so the first conversation is mostly me asking questions and listening.
You get in touch
Call (605) 954-0565 or send the form with the rough size and how you'll use the patio, and we'll set a time for me to come out.
I look at the yard
I come out myself, look at where the patio's going and talk through what you want and the options that fit, like the finish and thickness.
Written estimate and permits
You get a written estimate that spells out what's included, and we sort out permits with the right office before we set a pour date.
Pour and finish
Before we pour, I show you the base and the forms, the boards that hold the slab's shape, and I keep you posted while our crew finishes.
Questions about a step? Call and talk it through.
(605) 954-0565Questions about patios in Watertown
How much does a concrete patio cost in Watertown, SD?
Installing a plain broom-finish concrete patio usually costs about $6 to $12 per square foot across the US, according to one national price guide. That's a national figure, not our price, and the size, thickness, finish and any old slab coming out all move it. I measure at your place and put your number in a written estimate.
Will my new concrete patio crack?
It may get a crack or two, because no one can keep cracks out of a slab entirely, but a good crew can keep them fewer and smaller. Control joints, grooves cut into the slab on purpose, give cracks a known place to go so they follow a straight line instead of wandering across the patio. A hairline crack along a joint is the slab doing what it's meant to.
Can concrete be poured when it's near freezing?
It can, but only with a plan for the first couple of days. Fresh concrete that freezes can lose more than half its potential strength and won't hold up, and industry guidance says to protect it from freezing for about two days after it's placed. In the fall I look at the forecast with you, and we pick a pour day that leaves room for that.
What causes a concrete patio to flake in winter?
Flaking, which the trade calls scaling, is mostly a winter problem, and industry guidance says dense, good-quality concrete with entrained air lowers the chance of it when it's installed and cured with good practice. Entrained air is tiny bubbles mixed in that give freezing water room, and curing is the protected wait while the slab hardens. When you compare bids, ask each contractor what concrete they'll order and how they'll install and cure it.
How do I take care of a new concrete patio in winter?
Skip deicing chemicals the first winter, then use them in moderate amounts after that, since less deicer means less chance of scaling. Industry guidance also says a commercial breathable sealer is worth considering as part of regular upkeep. Think of it like oiling a deck, a small job that helps the surface last.
How do I check if a concrete contractor is licensed in Watertown?
The City of Watertown issues an annual contractor's license and keeps a list of licensed, active contractors, and you can call Watertown Building Services at (605) 882-6201 to check one. South Dakota also requires a contractor's tax license for anyone contracting for construction work. It's a fair question to ask any bidder, us included.
Concrete patio construction in Watertown: permits and ground
Watertown's Building Services issues building permits, and its list names patio covers, which go through a residential alteration permit, but it doesn't name a plain concrete patio. That leaves it unsettled whether your patio needs a permit, so before we set a date we check with the city or county office about your job, and we can handle the paperwork for you. If the patio or a walk to it reaches a public sidewalk or a driveway approach, the City Engineer's Office requires a permit before any work starts in the public right-of-way, the strip the city controls along the street. And if your lot sits near the floodplain, the city's Engineering Division keeps floodplain information worth reading before you plan.
We're based in Watertown and pour patios there and in the cities around it, where we see plenty of older slabs that have cracked or settled. One soil data site puts about 11% of Codington County's soil in the high shrink-swell group, clay that swells when it's wet and shrinks when it dries, so I look at your yard in person before I write anything.
Ask Watertown Concrete about your patio
Hoping to pour before it freezes? Call (605) 954-0565 or send the form so we can look at your yard while the weather allows.