Concrete Contractor in Hardeeville, SC - Slabs Built on a Packed Base
Bluffton Concrete is a concrete contractor based in Bluffton, SC, building driveways, patios, sidewalks and slabs for homes and small properties in Hardeeville. We also replace old concrete that has cracked, sunk or started holding water.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- We respond within 1 business day.
Concrete contractor for Hardeeville homes
We're based in Bluffton, and Hardeeville is one of the cities around it where we work. It sits minutes from Savannah and Hilton Head Island, and the properties we see here are a mix. There are older homes near the center of town, newer neighborhoods going up on cleared land, and some small commercial and rural lots with long drives.
On the newer lots, the ground under a driveway is often fill that was spread and graded quickly, and it keeps settling for a while. On older places it's usually an old slab poured on raked dirt that has since cracked and dropped. Either way, what's under the concrete decides most of the job, so the ground is where I start when I come out.
Concrete work we do in Hardeeville
Concrete driveway building
New driveways here often go over fill dirt that settles under a car. We dig it out, pack the base and slope the slab away from the garage.
Concrete patio construction
Flat backyards hold water after a hard rain, so a patio needs a slight fall. We set yours to drain away from the house, not toward it.
Stamped concrete services
Owners of newer homes here often want a patio or walk that looks like stone. Our stamped concrete sits on the same packed base as a plain slab.
Concrete sidewalk building
Sidewalks around town get lifted by tree roots and dropped by soft spots in the ground. We pack the base under new sections so they sit even.
Slab foundation building
New homes and additions in Hardeeville start with a slab that has to be level and square. We check the grade, forms and steel before the truck arrives.
Foundation raising
When a slab or foundation here drops at one corner, the cause is usually soft or washed-out ground underneath. We find that before we raise anything.
What Hardeeville yards and slabs need
Water is the first thing I look at on a Hardeeville yard. A lot of the lots are flat, so rain doesn't have far to go, and a slab poured dead level or falling toward the house sends it right to your foundation or garage door. Before we set the forms, the boards that hold the edges, I check where the water runs now and where it'll run once the concrete is down, and we build the fall away from the house so it drains off instead of pooling.
The price here mostly follows what's under the slab, because soft fill and old concrete have to come out and good base has to go in and get packed. The schedule turns on the city's sign-off, the weather on pour day and curing, the wait while concrete hardens before it takes weight, and I'd rather start early than pour in midday heat that dries the top too fast and leaves it weak and dusty later. If something has to give on the budget, I'll keep the base and go with a plain broom finish, a light brushed texture that keeps the surface from getting slick, because nobody sees the base on day one but everybody sees it once a slab settles. You'll get your own number from the estimate.
Get a free on-site estimate for your Hardeeville concrete job
We reply within one business day, and the estimate is free with no obligation. I'm the one who comes out to your place in Hardeeville to look at the job and measure, and our small crew does the work with me on site. Call (843) 543-6810 or tell us about your project in the form.
Hardeeville concrete questions
These cover what people in Hardeeville usually want to know before a driveway, patio or slab goes in. If your job raises something else, call or send the form and ask.
Do I need a permit to pour a driveway or patio in Hardeeville, SC?
The city lists flatwork, which covers driveways, sidewalks and patio slabs, as work that needs Planning/Zoning approval. The city also says its list isn't complete and points you to its permit guidance or the Building Safety Department at 843-784-2231 for anything else. Before we plan your job, we find out what your address calls for, and if a permit is part of it, I'll walk you through the application and we'll work with the office on our end.
Does a concrete contractor need a business license to work in Hardeeville?
Yes. Any contractor working on any type of structure in Hardeeville needs a current business license from the city, even on work that doesn't call for a building permit. Ask to see it before anyone starts, along with proof of insurance. We're licensed and fully insured.
Does a concrete retaining wall need approval in Hardeeville?
A retaining wall no taller than 4 feet, measured from the bottom of its footing, falls under the city's Planning/Zoning approval unless it's holding back extra load from above, like a driveway, a building or a slope, which the city calls surcharge. A taller wall or one carrying that kind of load falls outside that group, so we check with the Building Safety Department before we design it.
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Hardeeville?
The cost comes down to the driveway's size, how much ground has to be dug out and rebuilt under it, whether an old slab has to be broken out and hauled off first, and the finish you pick. A plain broom finish costs less than stamped or colored work, and a lot where the truck can't back up close adds labor. I'll give you a figure for your driveway once I've measured it.
What causes a concrete driveway to crack and sink in Hardeeville?
Most cracking and sinking starts in the ground underneath, either fill that keeps settling or dirt that was raked level instead of dug out and packed. Water running toward the slab and joints cut late or skipped make it worse. So we pack the base, set the slope and cut control joints, grooves that give the concrete a straight place to crack instead of wherever it likes.
How long does it take before I can drive on a new concrete driveway?
You'll be walking on it well before you can drive on it, because the concrete has to cure, hardening over time, before it can take a car's weight. I'll tell you the day for each before we pour, so you can plan where to park in the meantime.
Driveways, patios and slabs
Other cities we work in
If your city is listed, pick it to read about the work there. If it isn't, call (843) 543-6810 and ask whether we can come out.