Frequently Asked Questions

Most residential concrete work is not billed by the hour. It is priced per job or per square foot, because the total depends on removal, base, thickness, finish and access more than on time. HomeGuide's driveway guide lists standard concrete driveways at $6 to $10 a square foot installed, and its patio guide lists plain patios at $4 to $12. A measured, written quote is the number that counts.

Get two or three written quotes and compare what is in them, not only the total. Each one should state slab thickness, base depth, whether the mix is air-entrained, reinforcement, joint layout and who handles any permit. If the work reaches the public sidewalk, ask whether the contractor knows the Street Work Permit process and the city's assistance program.

In the City of Binghamton, yes. City Code section 265-13, as described on the Department of Public Works page, makes owners responsible for keeping the sidewalk in good repair, and a section that heaves or settles more than one inch must be restored to grade. If the owner does not act within 45 days, Public Works can do the repair and bill the owner.

The Engineering Department runs a Curb & Sidewalk Assistance Program that pays part of the cost of rebuilding curbs and sidewalks at set per-foot rates, paid to the contractor after inspection. An inspector measures the eligible area first. Call Engineering at (607) 772-7007 for the current year's application.

That is scaling. Water in the top layer freezes and expands, and salt adds more freeze and thaw cycles. Older concrete poured without entrained air, slabs that were overworked when finished and slabs salted in their first winter scale the most. Light scaling on a solid slab can be resurfaced, but deep scaling over most of the surface usually means replacement.

Sometimes. The concrete must not freeze before it gains strength, so we need nights above freezing in the forecast and may cover the slab with insulated blankets. Sidewalk work in the right of way also depends on the city's permit window. Once the ground freezes, spring is usually the better choice.

HomeGuide lists 30 to 40 years for a well-built, maintained concrete driveway. In a place with this much snow, the base, the air content of the mix, regular sealing and avoiding harsh de-icers decide where a driveway lands in that range.

If the steps are solid and only settled, lifting them can be the cheaper fix. HomeGuide lists mudjacking a 40-square-foot set of steps at $300 to $700. If they are cracked through, crumbling or pulling away from the porch, new poured or precast steps are the safer spend.

HomeGuide's guide says at least 4 inches for ordinary cars and 5 to 6 inches for RVs or heavy vehicles, with edges of 6 to 8 inches. We add depth where a plow truck or trailer will sit.

We rarely recommend it. A new layer over a cracked, sunken drive picks up the same cracks and raises the surface at the garage and the street. Removing the old slab and building a proper base is the dependable way.

HomeGuide recommends at least 7 days for cars and the full 30-day cure for heavy vehicles. We give you exact dates based on the mix and the weather that week.

Work in the public right of way, such as the sidewalk crossing or curb, needs a Street Work Permit from the Department of Engineering. We confirm what else your address needs before scheduling.

HomeGuide lists 30 to 40 years for a well-built, maintained concrete driveway. Sealing every 2 to 3 years and avoiding ammonium de-icers help it reach the top of that range.

HomeGuide says plain and stamped concrete patios generally last 30 to 50 years with regular maintenance. In a freeze-thaw climate, good drainage and resealing matter most.

Most patios are 4 inches on a compacted stone base. HomeGuide recommends about 6 inches with extra reinforcement under a hot tub or outdoor kitchen.

Yes. We can step the slab, build up one side with compacted base or add steps down to the lawn. The goal is a level-feeling surface that still sheds water away from the house.

It depends on the town and on the patio's size and location. We check with your city, town or village building department before scheduling.

All concrete cracks somewhere. Stamped slabs get control joints like plain ones, and we place them along pattern lines so cracks follow the design.

Sealed stamped concrete is slicker when wet than a broom finish. A textured pattern and anti-slip grit in the sealer help on steps, walks and pool decks.

Every few years on most patios, more often on busy paths. When water soaks in instead of beading, or the color looks flat, it is time.

If it is solid and level, a stamped overlay may work. HomeGuide lists overlays at $7 to $15 a square foot for one pattern. A sunken or broken slab should be replaced instead.

Stamped concrete is one continuous slab with no joints to weed and no pieces to shift. Pavers can be lifted and reset one at a time. Price both for the same space and choose the trade-off that fits you.

The owner. Under City Code section 265-13, as described by the Department of Public Works, owners must keep the sidewalk in good repair, and a section that moves more than one inch must be restored to grade. Public Works can repair it and bill the owner if it is not fixed within 45 days.

In the city's 2024 terms, an inspector measured the eligible area and the city paid set per-foot rates directly to the contractor after the work passed inspection. Call Engineering at (607) 772-7007 for this year's rates and application.

For 2024 the city posted that Street Work Permits for curb and sidewalk work were issued from April 1 to October 31. Plan public sidewalk work for spring through early fall.

Poured steps are formed to fit your exact landing and door height. Precast steps are set in place and can cost less; HomeGuide lists a five-step precast set at $500 to $1,800 against $1,000 to $2,500 poured. We price both where both fit.

If they are solid and only settled, yes. HomeGuide lists mudjacking a 40-square-foot set of steps at $300 to $700. Cracked or crumbling steps should be replaced.

HomeGuide recommends about 6 inches with added reinforcement for hot tubs and other heavy loads. Check the tub maker's instructions too; we build to whichever is stricter.

HomeGuide notes that shed slabs of about 4 inches usually do not need reinforcement. A good compacted stone base matters more for keeping a small pad level through freeze and thaw.

HomeGuide's slab guide says to wait 1 to 2 weeks before driving on a new slab, with full cure taking 28 to 48 days. We give you dates for your pour.

Usually, yes, as long as the walls and sill are in decent shape. We break out the old floor, rebuild the base and pour a new reinforced slab. If the walls sit directly on the old slab, we look at that first.

Foam is lighter, uses smaller holes and cures fast; HomeGuide notes it often lasts longest but lists it at $8 to $25 a square foot against $4 to $9 for mudjacking. For a simple sunken walk panel, mudjacking is often enough.

If the panel is solid, lifting it back to grade can remove the trip edge that City Code 265-13 requires owners to fix. Broken or badly scaled panels should be replaced instead.

HomeGuide says 8 to 15 years on a sound slab. It will not hold on concrete that is cracked through or still moving.

New concrete is lighter at first and blends somewhat over time, but it will not match exactly. Lifting keeps the original surface, so there is no color difference.