Concrete
Concrete Patios & Slabs
A patio is the concrete version of a deck: a flat, dry place to put a table. On a level yard it is often the better answer, and it never needs staining. We pour concrete patios across Philadelphia, South Jersey and northern Delaware, plus the slabs nobody thinks about until they need one: under a shed, around a pool, for a hot tub, or as the footings and block foundation for a room addition.
In pictures
Concrete · Concrete Patios & Slabs
What this work looks like
Finish is the choice here. Broom finish is the classic and the best grip. Stamped concrete gives the look of stone at a fraction of the labor. Exposed aggregate hides dirt. We bring samples so you see the real surface, not a rendering.
Stock photography for illustration. Our own project photos are on the way.
Spec sheet
Concrete · Concrete Patios & Slabs
Time, permit, material, lifespan
The questions we get on every call, answered before the call.
| On site | 1 to 3 days for a patio. Additions are scheduled with the framing. |
|---|---|
| Walk on it | 24 to 48 hours |
| Furniture on it | 7 days |
| Permit | Patios usually no. Foundations and additions, yes. |
| Finish | Broom, stamped, exposed aggregate, or smooth for a covered space |
| Best for | Level or nearly level yards, and anywhere a structure needs a base |
What is included
- Layout marked in the yard with you, pitched away from the house
- Excavation and compacted stone base
- Reinforcement sized to what will sit on the slab
- Poured, screeded and finished in the surface you chose
- Control joints and edges tooled, curing compound applied
- Footings and block walls for additions, inspected before backfill
Signs
Concrete · Concrete Patios & Slabs
How you know this is the chapter you need
- 01
The grass behind the house is just mud
A patio gives you a place to sit without the maintenance of a lawn nobody uses.
- 02
The shed sits on blocks
Sheds on dirt rot from the floor up. A slab is the cheapest insurance for what is inside it.
- 03
A hot tub is on the way
Filled, it weighs as much as a car. It needs a level, reinforced slab and the delivery date is usually sooner than you think.
- 04
You are adding a room
The addition starts with footings and a foundation. We pour and lay that so the framing crew has something square to build on.
Not sure what it needs?
Text a photo. We tell you what it needs.
How it goes
Concrete · Concrete Patios & Slabs
From the first visit to the walkthrough
- 01
Layout on site
We mark it with paint so you can see the size and walk around it before you decide.
- 02
Written scope
Size, thickness, finish, drainage and the dates.
- 03
Base and pour
A day for the base, a day for the pour. Bigger patios and foundations take longer.
- 04
Cure and use
Walk on it after a day or two, furniture after a week. If something we built is not right, we come back and fix it.
Questions
Concrete · Concrete Patios & Slabs
Concrete Patios & Slabs, answered
-
Patio or deck?
If the yard is level and dry, a patio is usually less money and zero upkeep. If the yard slopes or the back door is a step or more above grade, a deck avoids the grading. We will tell you which one your lot wants.
-
How long until I can use the patio?
Walk on it after a day or two, put furniture on it after a week. Keep anything heavy off for the full 28-day cure.
-
Does stamped concrete last as long?
Yes, it is the same slab with a patterned surface. It wants a sealer every few years to keep the color, which broom finish does not.
-
How big a slab does a shed need?
A few inches bigger than the shed on each side, four inches thick, reinforced. We size it to the shed you bought, so bring the dimensions.
See also
Concrete · Concrete Patios & Slabs
Chapters that usually go with this one
-
New Deck ConstructionPressure-treated or composite, framed and finished by the same crew. -
Concrete DrivewaysNew driveways and replacements, poured thick, on a compacted base, with control joints that work. -
Sidewalks, Walkways & StepsCity sidewalks, front walks and stoops, poured to code and pitched to drain.
Order form
Free on-site estimate · No obligation
Tell us what you are picturing. We come and measure it.
Nothing is priced from a website. We come to the house, walk the yard with you, and you get a written scope with the material, the size and the dates. Most simple decks are a few days of work; most concrete is two to four.
- Measured on site, written down before anything starts
- If something we built is not right, we come back and fix it.
- The people who quote the job are the people who build it
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