Concrete Contractor in Watertown, MA - Steps, Slabs and Walls Built From the Base Up
Ironset Boston Concrete Construction is a concrete contractor based in Boston. We build driveways, patios, steps, walls and foundations in Watertown, MA, starting with the base and drainage under each slab.
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- Free estimates at your property.
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Concrete work on Watertown's tight lots
Watertown sits along the Charles, next to Boston, where we're based as a concrete contractor, with Newton just across the river. A lot of it looks like the older parts of the city, with two-family houses set close together, narrow driveways between them and front steps up to the porch. Around the squares and the main roads, homes mix with shops and small apartment buildings that have their own walks and parking.
What moves the price here is mostly what's underneath and how we get to it. The schedule turns on that, on any permit the job needs and on curing, the days fresh concrete needs to harden before you put weight on it. I go through both with you when I come out. On lots this tight, we often wheel or pump concrete in between houses and take an old slab out in pieces, and that access shapes how most jobs here get planned.
Concrete work we do in Watertown
Concrete driveway building
Narrow driveways squeezed between two-family houses usually crack where cars turn in, so we dig out the soft base before we pour.
Explore Concrete driveway buildingConcrete patio construction
Small backyards here leave little room for error. We slope the patio so rain runs away from the house, not toward the back door.
Explore Concrete patio constructionStamped concrete services
Stamped concrete gives a front walk or patio the look of stone or brick, which suits the older house styles found around Watertown.
Explore Stamped concrete servicesConcrete sidewalk building
Front walks on older lots often heave or sink. We find out why first, then rebuild on a packed base.
Explore Concrete sidewalk buildingGarage floor concrete
Detached garages behind older houses often sit on a broken slab. We break it out and pour a new floor sloped toward the door.
Explore Garage floor concreteDecorative concrete
Colored concrete, or a finish that shows the stone in the mix, dresses up a small yard or patio to suit the house.
Explore Decorative concreteConcrete retaining walls
A wall that holds water behind it starts to lean, so on sloped Watertown yards we build drainage in behind it.
Explore Concrete retaining wallsConcrete floor installation
Basements and shop spaces in older buildings can have floors that are cracked or uneven. We pour new slabs indoors, even where access is tight.
Explore Concrete floor installationConcrete pool decks
Backyard pools on smaller lots sit close to the house, so we slope the deck away from both and give it a grippy top.
Explore Concrete pool decksConcrete steps construction
I spent years patching front steps on rentals like the two-families here, so we rebuild yours on proper footings instead.
Explore Concrete steps constructionSlab foundation building
A garage or workshop slab behind the house starts below ground, so we dig out and pack the base before any steel goes in.
Explore Slab foundation buildingFoundation installation
Additions and rebuilds behind older houses often go in with little room to work, so we plan forms, footings and pours around tight access.
Explore Foundation installationConcrete parking lot building
Parking lots behind apartment buildings and shops tend to pool water and crumble at the edges, so we sort out drainage before we pour.
Explore Concrete parking lot buildingConcrete footings
Porches and decks on older houses often sit on undersized footings, so we dig and pour new ones sized for the load.
Explore Concrete footingsFoundation raising
When a corner of an older house has settled, we find the cause first, since a lift that ignores it rarely holds.
Explore Foundation raisingConcrete cutting
We saw clean openings in older basement floors and walls for drains, doors and window wells, instead of breaking out a whole slab.
Explore Concrete cutting
What Watertown's houses ask of concrete
I spent years patching steps, walks and slabs on rental buildings around Boston before I started this business in 2023. So I look hardest at the parts you never see, which are the base, the drainage and the prep.
I look at the job myself
I come out to look at the job and write the estimate myself. I'll tell you what's likely under the old slab and what we won't know until it's open.
I work alongside the crew
Our crew forms, pours and finishes the work with me working alongside them, so the person who looked at your drainage is there when the base goes in.
We start with why it failed
We're best known for the awkward jobs, like a slab that keeps cracking or a wall holding water. We find out why it failed before we talk about pouring again.
Get a free on-site estimate for your Watertown project
Tell us what's wrong, like a cracked driveway or sinking steps, and where in Watertown it is. We reply within one business day, and I come out to write your free estimate myself, with no obligation.
Watertown concrete questions, answered
Do I need a permit for a concrete retaining wall in Watertown, MA?
If the wall is 48 inches high or taller, plan on a permit, because the City of Watertown lists retaining walls less than 48 inches high as an exception to its building permit rule. Building permits come from the city's Inspectional Services office. When a job needs one, we help line it up before work starts.
Does a concrete pad for a small shed need a permit in Watertown?
The city lists installing or building a shed less than 200 square feet as an exception to its building permit rule, but it doesn't name the concrete pad under the shed, so ask before you pour. The Inspector of Buildings answers questions about whether planned work needs a permit. If it isn't clear for your job, we check with that office instead of guessing.
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Watertown?
Your cost comes down to the driveway's size, how much old concrete and soft fill has to come out, how hard it is to get equipment between the houses and whether the drainage needs fixing first. The finish matters too. A plain broom finish, the light brushed texture that gives tires and shoes grip, costs less than stamped or colored concrete. If you need to trim the budget, trim the finish and keep the base, because the base is hidden on day one and it's what decides whether the driveway settles and cracks.
How long does a new concrete driveway take before I can drive on it?
You can walk on a new driveway days before you can drive on it, because concrete keeps hardening as it cures and a car on it too soon can crack the edges. I'll tell you when it's ready for feet and when it's ready for tires. On a narrow lot, we'll work out where your car goes in the meantime.
What causes concrete slabs and steps to crack and sink on older Watertown houses?
Most of it starts underneath. Usually the base was raked level instead of dug out and packed, so the slab settled along with the dirt, or water running toward the house softened the ground. Cracks also land in random places when control joints, the grooves cut so a slab cracks along a line we chose, go in late or get skipped. A new slab can still crack, but with a packed base, water sent away from the house and joints cut on time, it's far more likely to crack along a joint than across the middle.
Who handles wetland permits for a patio or wall in Watertown?
The city's Conservation Commission takes wetland permits and conservation questions, so if your yard borders wetlands, start there before a patio or wall goes in. Bigger work is different, because the city says some building permits, such as those for additions and new construction, need approval from Zoning or the Department of Public Works first. Either way, we'll tell you which office is involved before we start.
Don't see your city? Call us
If your city isn't among those listed below, call (617) 226-2081 and ask. We work across Boston and the cities around it, not only the ones listed here.