Concrete Contractor in Schuyler, NE - Driveways and Patios on a Solid Base
Fremont Concrete is a concrete contractor based in Fremont that pours driveways, patios, sidewalks, steps and garage floors in Schuyler, NE, for homes in the city, acreages just outside it and small business owners.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- We reply within 1 business day.
Schuyler homes, lots and the concrete around them
As a concrete contractor in Fremont, NE, we make the drive west to Schuyler for flatwork, the driveways, patios and walks that sit on the ground, as well as steps, floors and foundations. It's a working city, with older houses on established blocks near the center, newer homes toward the edges, small businesses along the main roads and farm and acreage properties just past the city line. The calls we get here are usually from homeowners whose driveway or walk has sunk, cracked or started holding water, and now and then from a business owner with a lot or an entry that needs replacing, much like the work we do back home in Fremont.
On the older lots the old slab usually has to be broken out and hauled away first, and the dirt under it has often settled unevenly, so the ground work decides more of the job than the finish does. Out on the acreages the driveways run longer and the water has farther to go, so where it drains matters as much as how the top looks.
Concrete work we do for Schuyler properties
Concrete driveway building
When an older driveway has sunk at the garage or split down the middle, we break it out, pack a new base and pour it fresh.
Concrete patio construction
Many Schuyler backyards have a small old patio or bare ground off the back door, and we can pour a larger slab sized for a table, chairs and grill.
Stamped concrete services
Stamped concrete presses a stone or brick pattern into the surface, which suits a front walk on an older Schuyler house with some character to match.
Concrete sidewalk building
Heaved or broken sidewalk squares along the front of a lot are a tripping risk, and we replace the bad sections so they meet the good ones evenly.
Garage floor concrete
An old garage floor with cracks and low spots that hold water off the car can be broken out and repoured to drain toward the door.
Decorative concrete
Color, exposed aggregate that lets the small stones show, and a scored border can dress up a plain entry or patio without changing the base underneath.
Concrete retaining walls
On sloped yards, a concrete retaining wall holds back soil that keeps washing onto a drive or patio, with drainage behind it so water gets out.
Concrete floor installation
For shops, pole barns and outbuildings on acreages around Schuyler, we pour interior floors flat enough to roll equipment across and sweep clean.
Concrete pool decks
A deck around a backyard pool needs a surface that isn't slick when wet and drains away from the water, so we texture and slope it for that.
Concrete steps construction
Crumbling front or back steps on older houses are hard on knees and ankles, so we form and pour new ones with even, steady rises.
Slab foundation building
When you're adding a garage, shop or addition, a slab foundation gives it a level floor and base in one pour over packed ground.
Foundation installation
New homes and additions going up near the edges of Schuyler need a foundation set square and level before framing starts, and we pour that part.
Concrete parking lot building
Small business owners with a cracked lot that holds water after rain can have it replaced in concrete, with the drainage worked out before the pour.
Concrete footings
Decks, porches and posts sit on footings, concrete pads that carry the weight down to firm ground, and we pour them to the size the plans call for.
Foundation raising
If a slab or part of a foundation has dropped, we can lift it back toward level, and I'll tell you plainly if replacing it makes more sense.
Concrete cutting
We saw-cut openings for doors and drain lines, trim broken edges and cut control joints, planned grooves that give a slab a place to crack.
Get a free written estimate for your Schuyler concrete job
We reply within one business day to set a time. I come out myself, look at the job with you and write up the estimate, which is free and comes with no pressure to book.
(402) 512-8158- Based in
- Fremont, NE 68025
- Hours
- Mon–Sun: 8 AM–9 PM
Working in Schuyler: permits, contractor checks and price
In Schuyler, building permits come from the city's Building Inspector, whose reach runs two miles past the city limits through the city's zoning area, so a permit, when the job needs one, can set the start date. Nebraska also requires every contractor to register with the state Department of Labor before working on property that isn't their own, and you can search its list for any contractor you're thinking of hiring. We're licensed and fully insured, and when a job needs a permit we file the application and book the inspections for our part of the work, checking with the office first whenever I'm not sure what it asks for.
The drive out from Fremont on Highway 30 is one we make for Schuyler jobs, and it's the same work we do across the cities around us, from Blair to Ralston. What moves the price here is mostly the size of the slab, how much digging and packing the ground needs, and whether an old driveway or patio has to be broken out and hauled off first. The schedule turns on the permit, the weather around the pour date and curing, the days new concrete needs to harden before it can take weight, and the written estimate I leave with you gives you your own figure.
Why driveways and patios in Schuyler sink and hold water
Many of the sunken driveways and walks we see in Schuyler were poured on a base that was raked level instead of dug out and packed, so the dirt underneath kept settling and the slab went down with it. We dig to firm subgrade, the soil the slab rests on, then lay and pack the base before anything is poured. That's the part you won't see on the first day, and it's often the first thing people want to cut from a budget, but I'd rather you spend there than on a fancier finish, because a nice top on a soft base still cracks and drops.
The other thing we run into is a slab that falls toward the house or garage, so rain runs back against the foundation or pools at the door. Before we set the forms, we check where the water goes on your lot and pitch the new slab to carry it away.
What to expect when you call us about a Schuyler job
Here's how a job runs from your first call to the walk-through at the end, so you know who you'll talk to and what comes next.
Call and tell me about it
I answer my own phone, and I'll set a time to come out to Schuyler, look at the job and hear what you have in mind. It helps if you're home for that visit so we can walk it together.
Walk the site, get an estimate
I check the slab, the ground under it and where the water runs, then give you a written estimate so you can see the cost on paper before you decide anything. The base and the drainage are written into it, because those are the parts that decide how long the concrete holds up.
Permits and a pour date
Once you're ready, we take care of any permit, and for new construction or a major remodel the city waits until the completed application has been on file with the city clerk for five business days. Then we pick a pour date with the weather in mind.
Pour, cure and walk through
Our own crew does the work with me on site to check it, and on most slabs we finish with a broom finish, a light texture that gives your feet and tires some grip. When we're done, I walk the job with you and go over how to look after it, including when it's ready to walk on and when it's ready to drive on.
Questions about concrete work in Schuyler
Do I need a city permit for a new concrete driveway or patio in Schuyler, NE?
You may, because Schuyler only exempts improvements estimated at $2,000 or less, and even those need a permit if they include structural changes to an existing building. Your estimate shows which side of that line the job falls on, and when a permit is needed we file it with the Building Inspector's office, along with the set of plans each application needs unless the inspector allows minor work without them.
Who issues building permits if I live just outside Schuyler city limits?
If you're within two miles of the city, the Building Inspector still issues the permit, because Schuyler's zoning area reaches that far. Land under county zoning is handled differently, and Colfax County's residential zoning permit form says you apply before construction, with the permit expiring within six months if the work hasn't begun. Where the city's area ends and the county's begins isn't always clear, so I check which office covers your property before we plan anything.
What building codes apply to concrete work in Schuyler?
Schuyler's city code adopts the 2012 International Building Code and the 2012 International Residential Code, along with the 2018 International Property Maintenance Code for the condition and upkeep of all property and structures. Copies of the adopted building and residential codes are open to the public at the City Clerk's office during normal business hours if you'd like to read them yourself. I'm glad to go over which parts touch your job when I come out.
How much does a concrete driveway cost in Schuyler, NE?
I can't give you a fair number until I've seen the driveway, because the price comes mostly from its size and the ground it sits on. Beyond that, the thickness of the slab, whether it needs rebar, the steel bars set inside to hold it together, the finish you choose and how easily the truck can reach the spot all move it up or down. A plain broom finish costs less than stamped or colored work, and if the budget is tight, the base is the last place I'd cut.
How do I check that a concrete contractor is properly registered in Nebraska?
Search the contractor on the state Department of Labor's list mentioned above, and take note if they're missing from it. A contractor with employees has to keep a current workers' compensation certificate on file with the department, and one whose coverage lapses comes off the list until a new certificate arrives. The department also says registration doesn't vouch for the quality of the work, so it's fair to ask any contractor how they prepare the base and handle drainage.
What causes a new concrete driveway to crack like the old one?
New concrete usually cracks because the base settles, which I covered above, because it was poured in the midday heat and left with a weak, dusty top, or because the control joints were cut late or skipped. We pack the base, plan the pour time and cut the joints soon after finishing so any crack has a straight line to follow, then give it time to cure before it takes weight. Nobody can honestly promise concrete won't crack at all, but done this way the cracks usually stay in the joints where they belong.
Other areas we serve
Fremont, NE
Tell me about your Schuyler concrete project
If you mention roughly where the property sits and what you'd like poured, I can sort out which permit office covers it early, so the paperwork doesn't hold up your pour date.