Concrete Contractor in Burlington, WA - Slabs Built for Floodplain Ground
Arlington Concrete pours driveways, patios, garage floors, footings and foundations for homes and small businesses in Burlington, WA. We're based in Arlington, and we start every job with the ground under the concrete.
Concrete in a city on the Skagit floodplain
Most of Burlington lies within the Skagit River floodplain, so that's the first thing on my mind when I walk a job here. Before we talk about a finish, I want to see what the old slab sits on, where water runs across the yard and which way the new concrete should fall so it carries water away from the house.
We're based in Arlington and do the same work here that we do at home: driveways, patios, walks, garage floors, and the footings and slabs a small business needs for a pad or a lot. If a job is tricky, like a yard that won't drain or a cut nobody else wants to touch, that's usually the kind of call I like best.
What we check before we pour
We start below the surface on every Burlington job, because the ground under concrete decides how it holds up. I check the subgrade, the soil and gravel the slab sits on, for soft spots and loose fill. Then I look at where water runs across the lot and how the new slab meets the house, the garage and the street. That tells us how deep to dig and how much base to pack.
- A soft base. Where an old slab was laid on raked dirt instead of dug-out, packed gravel, it settles with the ground and the cracks follow the low spots.
- Water toward the house. If a driveway or patio falls toward the foundation, water sits against the house and pools on the slab instead of running off to the yard.
- Missing control joints. Control joints are the grooves cut so a slab cracks where we choose. When they're cut late or skipped, the cracks run across the slab wherever they like.
Concrete work we do for Burlington homeowners
A lot of driveway and patio jobs start with an old slab that's cracked, sinking or holding puddles. When that's the trouble, we break it out, haul it off, dig to firm ground and pack a new base before the pour. The base is the part you never see, and it's the first thing people want to cut. I'd put your money there before a fancy finish, because no finish saves a slab that's settling.
Inside, it's garage floors, shop slabs and concrete floor installation for additions and outbuildings, where a floor has to be flat and stay that way. Small business owners call us about pads, footings and parking lots. That's the same commercial work I spent years on before I started this business.
Getting us out to Burlington
We're based in Arlington and cover Burlington along with Mount Vernon and, farther south, Lake Stickney. The price turns on the size, the old concrete coming out and the base the ground needs. The schedule turns on the dig and the cure. Call or use the form, and I'll measure and send a written estimate.
Tell us about your slab
Tell us what you want poured or replaced and where, or give us a call. We reply within one business day, and I come out to measure with no cost or obligation.
(360) 474-2804- Free estimate on site
- A written estimate
- What's included and what isn't
Burlington concrete questions
Do I need a permit to pour concrete in Burlington's floodplain?
If the work is in the city's floodplain areas, you usually do. The city usually requires a flood development permit for construction, clearing, grading or excavation there, apart from minor improvements, and its Permit Center handles construction permits. We check what the city wants before we schedule, and we tell you what we'll file and what falls to you.
When does a building permit expire in Burlington, WA?
A Burlington building permit becomes void if work doesn't start within 180 days of issue, or if work stops for 180 days once it's underway. The city handles grading permits for clearing, fill and excavation as a type of building permit. We line up the schedule with that window in mind.
Does a concrete contractor need a city business license in Burlington?
Yes. The City of Burlington requires a business license for anyone doing business in the city. A joint program with the state's Business Licensing Service lets a business get the state and city licenses in one transaction, so it's a fair thing to ask any contractor you're comparing.
Who registers concrete contractors in Washington state?
L&I, the state Department of Labor and Industries, registers construction contractors, and Washington requires every one of them to be registered, bonded and insured. On residential jobs of $1,000 or more, the contractor also has to give you the state's disclosure notice to the customer. We're fully licensed and insured.
Will my new concrete driveway in Burlington crack like the old one?
It can still crack, but a well-built slab cracks along the control joints we cut instead of across the middle. Most cracked slabs we tear out sat on raked dirt or had water under them, so we dig to firm ground, pack the base and set the slope before the pour.