Concrete contractor in Somerville, MA - slabs built for tight lots
Ironset Boston Concrete Construction is a concrete contractor based in Boston that builds driveways, patios, steps, walks and foundations in Somerville, with the base and drainage done right underneath so the slab holds up.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- We respond within 1 business day.
Concrete work on Somerville's close-set streets
Most of what we pour in Somerville goes in between close-set two-families and triple-deckers, many of them rentals. I spent years patching steps, walks and slabs on rental buildings around Boston before starting this business, and the failures here look like the ones in Everett and Medford: steps pulling off the porch, walks tipping toward the house and cracks that come back every time they're patched.
On a Somerville lot the price mostly turns on access, how much old concrete comes out and how deep we dig to reach firm ground. The schedule turns on the permit, the weather and curing, which is the wait while fresh concrete gains strength before you use it, and I go through all of it when I come out for the estimate. With no room for a truck beside most houses, old slabs usually come out by hand and new concrete goes in by pump or wheelbarrow, so getting it to the spot is often harder than the pour itself.
What we build in Somerville
Concrete driveway building
Narrow driveways between houses get rebar, steel in the slab that holds cracks tight, because every car rides the same few feet.
Explore Concrete driveway buildingConcrete patio construction
On a small Somerville backyard the patio often is the yard, so we slope it to carry rain away from the back door.
Explore Concrete patio constructionStamped concrete services
Stamped concrete gives a walk or patio the look of brick or slate, which suits the older houses here, without loose pavers to reset.
Explore Stamped concrete servicesConcrete sidewalk building
Walks that tip toward the house or lift at a joint get torn out and rebuilt on a packed base instead of patched again.
Explore Concrete sidewalk buildingGarage floor concrete
Old detached garages here often have floors that have cracked and sunk, so we break them out, rebuild the base and pour fresh.
Explore Garage floor concreteDecorative concrete
When your walk faces the street a few feet from the sidewalk, color or an exposed-stone finish can make the concrete fit the house.
Explore Decorative concreteConcrete retaining walls
We build walls for hilly yards that drop toward the next lot, with drainage behind them, because trapped water is what pushes walls over.
Explore Concrete retaining wallsConcrete floor installation
Basement floors in older two-families and triple-deckers are often thin or broken. We pour new ones, working through narrow cellar doors and stairs.
Explore Concrete floor installationConcrete pool decks
Few lots here fit a pool. Where one does, the deck gets a brushed finish for wet feet and slopes away from the water.
Explore Concrete pool decksConcrete steps construction
Steps that pull away from the porch usually sit on footings too shallow for frost, so we rebuild them on footings dug below it.
Explore Concrete steps constructionSlab foundation building
Slab foundations for the small additions and garages tight lots allow, poured on a dug-out, packed base instead of loose fill.
Explore Slab foundation buildingFoundation installation
A new foundation dug a few feet from the neighbor's house takes care, so we plan the excavation around both buildings.
Explore Foundation installationConcrete parking lot building
We pour the small parking areas behind multi-family buildings and corner shops, and steer the water to a drain instead of the back door.
Explore Concrete parking lot buildingConcrete footings
Footings for porches and decks have to reach firm ground, and old city lots often hide loose fill, so we look before we pour.
Explore Concrete footingsFoundation raising
A house settled at one corner can often be raised back, but first we find the water or soft ground that let it sink.
Explore Foundation raisingConcrete cutting
With neighbors this close, we saw out cracked sections, trenches and openings in slabs instead of jackhammering the whole thing apart.
Explore Concrete cutting
What Somerville's close-set houses ask of concrete
I spent years patching the same broken steps and walks on rental buildings around Boston, so I start every Somerville job by asking why the old concrete failed. I write the estimate myself and work alongside our crew on the pour.
A packed base, not raked dirt
On narrow lots it's tempting to rake the old dirt level and pour. We dig out to firm subgrade, the ground the slab sits on, and pack new stone in layers.
Water pitched away from your house
With houses a few feet apart, runoff has to go somewhere. Before we form anything, we check where water runs now and pitch the new slab away from both foundations.
Cracks that land where we chose
Concrete shrinks as it dries, so it cracks somewhere. We cut control joints, grooves that pick where, early enough that the crack follows them instead of wandering.
Your free on-site estimate in Somerville
Describe the job, such as cracked steps or a new patio, and give your Somerville address. We reply within one business day, then I come out and write your free estimate myself, with no obligation.
What Somerville homeowners ask us
Do I need a building permit for concrete work on my house in Somerville?
Usually yes, because the city requires a building permit for all interior and exterior work on a house except painting, tiling and flooring, and new steps, walks and slabs aren't on that short list. The permit has to be in hand before work starts and posted where it's easy to see at the job. If it isn't clear for your job, we check with Somerville's Inspectional Services building division rather than guess, and you can call them yourself at 617-625-6600 ext. 5600.
Can a homeowner get their own building permit in Somerville?
Yes, if you own a one- or two-family house and live in it, you can get the building permit for it yourself. On a house with three or more units, the city requires a licensed contractor to apply for and get the permit, so on a triple-decker that's our job. Either way, we help line it up before work starts and I'll tell you which office is involved.
Does a concrete contractor need HIC registration in Massachusetts?
Yes, for work on an existing, owner-occupied home with one to four units, the state requires anyone who bids on or does the work to be registered as a Home Improvement Contractor. That registration is separate from a Construction Supervisor License, and a contractor pulling a permit on that kind of house submits both. The active registration number has to appear on the permit and the contract, and a job of $1,000 or more needs a written contract with the terms the state requires, so ask to see the number before you sign.
What affects the cost of a concrete driveway or patio in Somerville?
Access, tear-out and the base usually affect it more than the size of the slab. If old concrete has to come out by hand and new concrete gets pumped over a fence, that adds labor, and how deep we dig for a solid base only shows once the old slab is up. When the budget's tight, I'd keep a plain broom finish, the brushed texture that gives your feet grip, and spend the money underneath, because a fancy surface on a weak base cracks like any other.
How long does new concrete take to cure before I can park on it?
You can walk on new concrete well before you can drive on it, because it keeps gaining strength for a good while after it looks hard. I'll give you the walking and driving dates for your pour, since the mix and that week's weather move them. On a lot where the driveway is your only parking, we sort out where your car goes before we break out the old slab.
How do I get approval for concrete work on a historic house in Somerville?
If your house is in a Local Historic District, the city has you apply for the proposed work through CitizenServe under "Historic Permit". If you're not sure whether your house is in a district, we check with the city before we plan anything instead of guessing.
Other cities we work in, and more
If your city has its own page here, start there. If it doesn't, call (617) 226-2081 and ask, since we work across Boston and the cities around it.