Frequently Asked Questions

Most residential concrete work is priced by the job or by the square foot, not by the hour, because materials, base work and finishing vary so much. HomeGuide's national guides, for example, list standard driveways at $6 to $10 a square foot installed and plain patios at $4 to $12. Our written quote after measuring is the price for your job.

We did not find a reliable Ohio-only figure. HomeGuide's national guide lists ready-mix at $119 to $147 per cubic yard delivered within 20 miles, plus a short-load fee of about $53 per yard on orders under 10 yards. That is the material alone; base, forms, reinforcement and finishing labor are extra.

There is no single definition. A Hunker article says the term most likely refers to concrete with fly ash added as a filler, and some people use it for a gravel driveway instead of concrete. For a driveway or patio that needs to survive Ohio winters, standard air-entrained concrete on a compacted base is the safe choice.

The City of Beavercreek's Planning and Development FAQ says driveways and at-grade patios do not need a residential zoning permit. Above-grade or covered patios do. Work in the public sidewalk is a separate matter handled by the Engineering Division, so we check that before starting.

The city's brochure gives you three options: hire a contractor registered with the city, do it yourself with a permit and inspections, or let the city do it and invoice you. Contractor or DIY work must be finished within 60 days of the notice. If the city does it and the bill is not paid by the due date, the balance is assessed to your property taxes over five years with added fees and interest.

Look at slab thickness, base depth, reinforcement, whether the mix is air-entrained, joint layout, removal and hauling, and who handles any permit. Ask what the contractor thinks made your old concrete fail. A bid that leaves those items vague is hard to compare with one that spells them out.

After 40 or 50 winters, salt and freeze-thaw wear the surface away, and soil under the slab shifts as it freezes and thaws. Older driveways may also sit on a thin base or none at all. Light scaling on a solid slab can be resurfaced, and one dropped panel can often be lifted, but widespread flaking plus cracking usually means replacement.

HomeGuide's driveway guide says foot traffic is fine after 24 to 48 hours, cars after at least seven days, and heavy vehicles after the full 28 to 30 day cure. We give you dates for your slab based on the weather that week.

HomeGuide's guide lists 30 to 40 years for a properly built and maintained concrete driveway. In southwest Ohio, the base, air-entrained concrete, regular sealing and avoiding harsh de-icers decide where in that range it ends up.

The City of Beavercreek's Planning and Development FAQ lists driveways among projects that do not need a residential zoning permit. Any part that crosses the public sidewalk or curb is in the right-of-way, so we confirm that with the Engineering Division first.

We rarely recommend it. A new layer over a cracked or sunken driveway inherits the same movement, and it raises the surface at the garage and the street. Removing the old slab and rebuilding the base is the reliable approach.

HomeGuide recommends at least 4 inches for cars and 5 to 6 inches for RVs or heavy vehicles, with edges of 6 to 8 inches. We add depth where heavier vehicles park.

If cars are parking on the lawn or you are stepping into mud to get out of the car, usually yes. A widened section or side pad is tied into the existing driveway with dowels, and it is priced as its own line so you can decide.

HomeGuide's patio guide gives 30 to 50 years for plain, stained and stamped concrete patios that are installed and maintained properly. Good drainage and regular sealing matter most in a freeze-thaw climate.

Not for a poured concrete or paver patio at grade, according to the city's Planning and Development FAQ. A raised or covered patio needs a Residential Zoning Permit from the city.

HomeGuide lists plain concrete patios at $4 to $12 a square foot and paver patios at $10 to $30. Stamped concrete, at $9 to $30, overlaps the paver range, so get both priced for the same space if you are deciding.

Most patios are 4 inches thick on a compacted stone base. A patio that will hold a hot tub or a heavy outdoor kitchen needs more thickness and reinforcement in that area.

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

Sealed stamped concrete is slicker when wet than a broom finish. Deeper textures and an anti-slip additive in the sealer help, especially on steps and pool decks.

Every few years on most patios and 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 single-pattern overlays at $7 to $15 a square foot. A sunken or broken slab should be replaced instead.

Stamped concrete is one continuous slab with no sand joints for weeds and no units to shift. Pavers can be lifted and relaid individually. HomeGuide's patio guide puts both in a similar price range, so compare quotes for the same space.

The property owner. The city's Sidewalk Maintenance Program brochure says owners are responsible for the sidewalk along their frontage. You can hire a registered contractor, do it yourself with a permit, or have the city do it and invoice you.

If you hire a contractor or do the work yourself, it must be finished within 60 days of the repair notice, according to the city's brochure. If it is not done, the city does it and bills or assesses you.

The work goes into a city-managed contract and you get an invoice. Any amount unpaid by the due date is assessed to your property taxes over five years, with a 5 percent County Auditor fee, interest and a $50 administrative fee.

HomeGuide puts typical step repair at $300 to $800 for cracks or small sections. Steps that have sunk, pulled away from the house or have uneven risers are usually better replaced.

Often, if the panels are mostly intact. HomeGuide lists mudjacking a 100-square-foot sidewalk at $400 to $900. For a city-marked panel, the repair has to satisfy the city's criteria, so we confirm the method with the Engineering Division.

Yes. The city's Accessory Structure Zoning Permit is required before building, replacing, expanding or moving any detached structure. Sheds of 201 square feet or more also need a Greene County building permit.

The city's accessory structure form requires at least 10 feet from side and rear property lines and from alleys, and easements can require more. Sheds go in the rear yard.

Usually, yes. The old floor is broken out and removed from inside the garage, a new base is compacted, and a new reinforced slab is poured with a joint at the foundation walls.

HomeGuide says shed slabs are usually about 4 inches thick. We go thicker and add reinforcement if the shed will hold a riding mower, a tractor or other heavy equipment.

Foam is lighter, needs smaller holes and HomeGuide says it often lasts longest, but it costs more, $8 to $25 a square foot against $4 to $9 for mudjacking. For a simple sunken walk or patio panel, mudjacking is often enough; for slabs over loose soil or near foundations, foam can be the better choice.

HomeGuide says professionally leveled concrete typically lasts 5 to 10 years or more, with mudjacking usually lasting 5 to 7 years when drainage is good. Fixing the water problem that caused the settling makes the biggest difference.

Yes, if the slab underneath is solid and level. HomeGuide lists basic driveway resurfacing at $3 to $5 a square foot, lasting 8 to 15 years. If the driveway is also cracked through or sinking, replacement is usually the better spend.

It depends on what the city flagged. The policy lists conditions such as offsets over half an inch and cracks over a quarter inch, and repairs must meet the city's standards. We confirm the method with the Engineering Division before doing the work.