Concrete Contractor in Cambridge, MA - Slabs Built From the Base Up
Ironset Boston Concrete Construction is a concrete contractor working in Cambridge, MA. We build and replace driveways, walks, front steps, patios, garage floors and footings on the city's older houses and multi-family lots, starting under the slab.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- We respond within 1 business day.
Our concrete work in Cambridge
Most of the Cambridge work I see is on older houses set close together. These are two- and three-family houses and row houses where a driveway squeezes between two buildings and the front steps sit a few feet from the city sidewalk. The calls are usually about the same few problems, like steps crumbling at the edges, a walk that tips rain back toward the foundation, or a driveway that's sunk and split. We see the same thing in Somerville and Medford. When we break out a failed slab, the reason is usually under it. It's a thin base that was raked level instead of dug out and packed.
Those tight lots shape the job, because with little room for a truck, getting the old slab out and the new concrete in takes planning. The price moves with the size, the thickness and how much base work the ground needs once it's open. The schedule mostly turns on the permit, if your job needs one, and the weather on pour day. I write your estimate on site, so it puts those into a number for your lot.
What we build in Cambridge
Concrete driveway building
Narrow Cambridge driveways between two houses get dug out, rebuilt on packed stone and pitched toward the street, not the foundation.
Explore Concrete driveway buildingConcrete patio construction
Small backyards here mean a patio usually sits close to the house, so we pitch it to carry rain away from your basement.
Explore Concrete patio constructionStamped concrete services
Stamped concrete can give a front walk or patio the look of brick or slate, which suits a lot of older Cambridge streets.
Explore Stamped concrete servicesConcrete sidewalk building
Front walks here often run straight to the city sidewalk, and we replace cracked or lifted sections so the edges meet flush again.
Explore Concrete sidewalk buildingGarage floor concrete
Older detached garages behind Cambridge houses often have thin, broken floors. We break them out and pour a new slab on a proper base.
Explore Garage floor concreteDecorative concrete
Colored and textured finishes help a new slab sit well beside old brick and stone, which matters on many of the older houses here.
Explore Decorative concreteConcrete retaining walls
Where a yard drops toward the street, we build the wall with drainage behind it, so water doesn't build up and push it over.
Explore Concrete retaining wallsConcrete floor installation
Basement and workshop floors in older buildings are often patched in layers. We take them back to the base and pour one level slab.
Explore Concrete floor installationConcrete pool decks
On a small city yard, a pool deck has little room for runoff, so we slope it to drains and finish it for grip.
Explore Concrete pool decksConcrete steps construction
Front steps on Cambridge triple-deckers and row houses take a beating from salt and freeze-thaw. We rebuild them on footings with steel inside.
Explore Concrete steps constructionSlab foundation building
Additions and garages on tight lots need a slab that holds, so we pour it on a base we've dug out and packed ourselves.
Explore Slab foundation buildingFoundation installation
New foundations here usually go in close to neighboring houses and lot lines, so we plan the dig and forms around tight access.
Explore Foundation installationConcrete parking lot building
Small landlords and property managers call us for the shared lots behind multi-family buildings, where drainage and daily traffic decide the design.
Explore Concrete parking lot buildingConcrete footings
Decks, porches and additions on older houses need footings set below frost and sized for the load they'll actually carry.
Explore Concrete footingsFoundation raising
When part of an older house has settled, we work out why it sank before lifting it, because the cause decides the fix.
Explore Foundation raisingConcrete cutting
In buildings packed this close, cutting lets us open a basement floor or driveway for drains without breaking out more than the job needs.
Explore Concrete cutting
What older Cambridge lots ask of concrete
I started out patching steps, walks and slabs on rental buildings around Boston, and I kept asking why the same ones broke. That's why I come out to look at your job myself, and why we spend the time on the base, the drainage and the prep you won't see.
The estimate comes from me
I come out, look at the old slab and the way water moves on your lot, and write the estimate myself, then work alongside our crew on the pour.
The base gets the budget first
The base is buried on day one, so it's the first thing people cut to save money. I'd rather trim the finish, because a fancy top on a raked-flat base still settles and cracks.
We line up the permit with you
If your job needs a permit, we help get it in place before work starts and tell you which office is involved. If it's unclear, we ask the building office instead of guessing.
Get a free on-site estimate for your Cambridge job
Tell us what's going on, like a cracked walk, sinking steps or a new patio, plus your address, and we'll reply within one business day. I'll come out, look at it and write a free estimate, with no pressure to book.
Questions we hear in Cambridge
Do I need a building permit for concrete work in Cambridge, MA?
Work that builds, alters or repairs a structure in Cambridge needs a building permit from the city's Inspectional Services Department, and it has to be pulled before work starts and posted where people can see it at the job. The city's only exceptions are ordinary repairs, as the building code defines them, and sheds under 120 square feet. Flatwork like a driveway or patio isn't named either way, so we check with the department on your job instead of guessing.
How do I get a building permit for a concrete project in Cambridge?
The city issues building permits to construction supervisors licensed by Cambridge or the state, and to homeowners doing work on a one- or two-unit house they live in or plan to live in. The work also has to fit the city's zoning, and if your house is in a historic district or a neighborhood conservation district, is a designated landmark or has a preservation restriction, it needs the Cambridge Historical Commission's approval too. When your job needs a permit, we help line it up and walk you through which office is involved.
Does a concrete contractor in Cambridge need to be registered with the state?
Yes, if the work is on an existing, owner-occupied home with one to four units, because Massachusetts requires contractors and subcontractors who bid on or do that work to be registered as Home Improvement Contractors. For work estimated at $1,000 or more, the state also requires a written contract between you and the contractor with certain terms in it.
What hours can construction crews work in Cambridge residential areas?
In residential areas, the city allows construction from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays. Work on Sundays or holidays needs a special permit from the Cambridge Police Department. Concrete has to be placed and finished in one go, so we schedule pours for an early weekday start, which also keeps the finishing out of the midday heat that can leave a weak, dusty top.
How much does concrete work cost in Cambridge, MA?
Your price comes from the size of the job, what has to be broken out first, how much base work the ground needs and the finish you choose, and I can't give a fair number until I've seen the lot. A plain broom finish, the light brushed texture that gives grip underfoot, costs less than stamped or colored concrete, and rebar, the steel that keeps cracks from spreading apart, adds to the materials. I write the estimate on site so it covers your lot, access and all.
How long does a new concrete driveway in Cambridge take before I can park on it?
You can usually walk on new concrete after a few days, but a car has to wait longer, because curing, the slow hardening that gives concrete its strength, keeps going well after the surface looks dry. I'll give you the timing for your slab when we pour, since the weather that week changes it. We also cut control joints, shallow grooves that give the slab a planned place to crack, early, so shrinkage cracks tend to follow them instead of wandering across the middle.
Other cities, or one not listed
If your city is listed, its page covers the work we do there. If it isn't, call (617) 226-2081 and ask, since we work across the cities around Boston.