Hiring a concrete contractor
A plain guide to hiring someone to pour concrete
Questions worth asking before you pour a driveway, a slab, or a patio. No concrete company runs this site yet.
Before you hire
Concrete gets poured once
Driveways, slabs, footings, walkways, and patios are poured one time, and fixing concrete costs more than pouring it. The hour you spend on the quote is the cheapest hour of the job. These four questions are a good place to start.
Start with the ground, not the concrete
A slab is only as flat and as lasting as what sits under it. Ask what base goes down, how deep it is, and how it gets compacted. Ask where water will run once the pour is done. A slope of a few millimeters per meter keeps water off the surface and away from the building, and it is planned before the forms go in.
Agree on the thickness and the steel
A garden path and a driveway that parks a truck are not the same pour. Thickness and reinforcement are set by the load the slab carries. Ask how thick it will be and whether rebar, mesh, or fiber goes in. Get the answer in writing so two quotes can be read side by side.
Decide the finish before the truck arrives
The surface you end up with is set in the hours after the pour. A broom finish grips underfoot. A smooth trowel finish suits a garage. Exposed aggregate shows the stone. Each is a different amount of work, so name the one you want up front rather than after it has cured.
Plan for cracks and curing
Concrete shrinks as it cures, so it moves. Control joints decide where that movement shows, and curing time decides how strong the slab ends up. Anyone who promises concrete that never cracks is promising something they cannot deliver. Ask where the joints go, and how long before you can use the surface.
Comparing quotes
Put the same scope in front of everyone
Two quotes for the same job can rest on different assumptions. Base prep, thickness, reinforcement, and site cleanup are the usual places they part company. Hand each contractor the same list, then read the numbers. Ask for a business license, liability insurance, and WorkSafeBC coverage while you are at it. Anyone who carries them will share the details without fuss.
About this site
No concrete company runs this address yet
Acorn Websites owns levelconcrete.ca. There is no crew behind it, so nothing here is a quote and nothing here is an offer. If you pour concrete and you want this address working for you, get in touch.