Concrete contractor in Junction City, KS - slabs that drain away from the house
Junction City Concrete is a concrete contractor based in Junction City, KS. We pour driveways, patios, sidewalks, garage floors, foundations and retaining walls here, with the base packed and the slope set before any concrete goes down.
Junction City as we see it from the job site
Junction City is home for us, so most of our concrete work is on houses we drive past every day. The older blocks closer to downtown tend to have narrow driveways, alley access and slabs poured a long time ago, while newer streets farther out have wider lots and attached garages.
A lot of the calls we get here are about replacing what's already there. It might be a driveway that's sunk at the garage, a patio that holds water or a walk that's heaved at the cracks. We also work in Manhattan and the other cities around us, but the older lots here shape the job in their own way. Replacing a slab usually means digging deeper than the last crew did, and on a tight lot it means working out how the truck and our wheelbarrows reach the forms before I price it.
Permits, licenses and what moves the price in Junction City
In Junction City, the city's Building and Code Enforcement Division issues building permits. Its list names roofs, siding, additions, sheds, windows and fences, and the city says those are just a few of the jobs that need one. Concrete isn't spelled out on that list, so I check with the city on every driveway, patio or slab. When a permit's needed, we pull it before work starts and call in the inspections as the job reaches them. That can add time before we break ground, which is why it comes first. The city also requires anyone doing contracting work in Junction City or Geary County to hold a contractor license from the city, so ask any contractor you're considering about it. We're licensed and fully insured.
The price here mostly comes down to the size of the job, how much old concrete has to come out and how much digging and packing the ground needs. The schedule turns on the permit and on the ground being ready on pour day. A replacement concrete driveway is a common job on the city's older streets, and the written estimate I send after measuring gives you your own figure. We do the same work in Fort Riley and Abilene, and the permit check starts fresh with every address.
Why slabs here fail, and what we do differently
Most of the slabs we replace in Junction City didn't fail on the surface. They failed underneath. When the subgrade, the dirt the slab sits on, was raked flat instead of dug out and packed, it keeps settling for years and takes the concrete with it. That's how you end up with a sunken edge at the garage and water pooling against the foundation. We dig down to firm ground and pack the base in layers. Then we set the forms so the finished slab falls away from your house, because that slope is what keeps water off your foundation.
Property owners call us too, for a parking area, a foundation or a wall. On that work, the question is usually where the money goes. When a budget gets tight, the base is the first thing people want to cut, because nobody sees it on pour day. I'd rather you drop a decorative finish and go with a plain broom finish, the brushed texture that gives shoes and tires some grip. A nice surface on a weak base cracks and sinks just the same.
Get a free on-site estimate for your Junction City slab
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set a time. I'll come out to your Junction City property myself, measure and walk the site with you, and then send a written estimate. There's no obligation to go ahead.
(785) 530-0068How a concrete job runs when you call us in Junction City
Call or send us a message
Tell us what you're dealing with and where the house is in Junction City. A photo or two and a rough size help me plan the visit.
I measure and check drainage
I come out, measure, and look at where the water runs and how a truck can reach the spot. Then I write up the estimate so you can see what's included.
We check on the permit
Before anything goes on the calendar, I ask the city's building division about your job. If a permit's needed, we pull it before work starts, so that wait comes first.
We prep base, forms, steel
Our crew digs out, packs the base, sets the forms and places the rebar, the steel that holds the slab together if it cracks. I check it all over and call in any required inspection before the truck is ordered.
We pour, cure and walk it
We pour, finish and cut the joints, then let the slab cure, the stretch when concrete gains strength and needs to be left alone. After cleanup, I walk the job with you and tell you when it's ready for feet and when it's ready for cars.
Driveways, patios and slabs
Concrete questions from Junction City homeowners
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Junction City?
Your driveway's price depends on its size, how much old concrete comes out and how much base work the ground needs, and you get your own figure in a written estimate after I measure. Breaking out and hauling off an old slab adds cost, and so do extra thickness, more steel or a decorative finish. A plain broom finish and an open path for the truck help keep it down.
What happens if I start a project in Junction City before getting a building permit?
If a building permit is taken out after work has started, the city charges a penalty fee of double the permit fee, up to $500. That comes on top of the permit itself, which is why we settle the permit question before anyone digs. The city's building permit page has the details.
Can I pour my own concrete slab in Junction City without a contractor?
Yes. The city lets an owner who lives at the house do the work, but when the job needs a permit, you still have to get it and call for the inspections yourself. Ask the city's building division before you start, since a late permit costs more.
What causes a concrete driveway to crack or sink?
Most cracking and sinking comes from what's under the slab and how it was jointed, not from the concrete itself. A base that was raked level instead of packed will settle, and a slab without control joints, the grooves cut in so it cracks along lines we choose, cracks wherever it wants. We pack the base, cut the joints on time and avoid pouring in the worst of the midday heat, though nobody can honestly promise a slab that never cracks.
How long does a new concrete driveway take before I can drive on it?
You'll be walking on a new driveway well before you can drive on it, because concrete keeps curing and gaining strength long after it looks dry. On pour day I'll give you the times for your slab, since they depend on the mix and the conditions that week. A patio usually comes back into use sooner than a driveway, because it only has to carry people.
What happens if concrete is poured before a Junction City inspection?
The city expects permitted work to stay visible and open until its Code Enforcement staff approve it, so pouring over a base or steel that hasn't been inspected can mean breaking concrete back out. The city's inspection rules also say it isn't liable for the cost of removing or replacing material for an inspection, so that bill would be yours. When an inspection's required, we call it in and hold the pour until it's passed.
Where we work
Call about your Junction City concrete job
We're open every day from 7 AM to 10 PM, so you can call (785) 530-0068 after work or send the contact form whenever you've had a look at the slab.