Concrete Contractor in Mount Vernon, WA - Driveways and Patios Built on a Solid Base
Arlington Concrete is a concrete contractor based in Arlington that pours driveways, patios, sidewalks, steps, footings and foundations for homes and small businesses in Mount Vernon. We work out the ground and drainage before the first truck arrives.
Concrete work in Mount Vernon and the Skagit Valley
Mount Vernon is one of the Skagit Valley cities we cover from our base in Arlington, along with Stanwood and the cities around them. I'm the one who comes out to look at a job here. Our crew and I do the work ourselves, and we bring in an engineer or another trade when a job calls for one.
Most of what we pour here is flatwork, the driveways, patios, walks and garage floors that lie flat on the ground, plus steps, retaining walls and footings. Where a yard sits low or holds water after a storm, I spend more of the visit on where the water goes than on the finish, because that's what decides how the concrete holds up.
What I check before we pour
Before we pour anything in Mount Vernon, I want to know three things: what the slab will sit on, where the water runs, and what's going to drive or stand on it. We dig out the subgrade, the dirt and gravel under the concrete, and pack it rather than rake it level, because a slab only stays flat as long as the ground under it does.
- Soft or wet base. Where the ground stays soft or wet, a slab poured on raked dirt settles along with it, and that's when you see sinking and uneven sections.
- Slab falls toward house. If a patio or driveway slopes toward the house, rain pools against the foundation, so we set the slope before the forms go in.
- Joints cut late. Control joints are the grooves that tell a slab where to crack, and if they're cut late or skipped, it cracks wherever it likes.
The jobs that bring Mount Vernon homeowners to us
Most calls start with an old driveway or patio that has cracked, sunk or started pooling water, and the first thing I want to know is why it failed. If the base was never packed, a new pour on the same dirt goes the same way. So we dig out, rebuild the base and add rebar, the steel that holds a slab together if it cracks, where the load calls for it.
Others want something new, like a new concrete sidewalk to the front door, steps that don't rock, or a pad behind the garage. Small business owners call about lots, pads and foundations, and those get the same planning I learned on commercial jobs.
Getting us out to your place
We're based in Arlington and cover Mount Vernon along with Burlington and the rest of the valley. Call or use the form, and I'll come out and measure. Price moves with size, base work, access and finish, while the schedule turns on weather and the permit check. The written estimate spells out what's in it and what isn't.
Tell us about your slab
Send the size, what's there now and any water or cracking you've noticed, and we'll reply within one business day to set a time for me to come out.
(360) 474-2804- Free on-site estimate
- Written scope, in and out
- No obligation to book
Questions from Mount Vernon homeowners
Do I need a permit for a new concrete driveway in Mount Vernon?
The city doesn't require a building permit for a driveway or sidewalk, but it may require an Engineering permit for one. We check what the city wants before we schedule the work and tell you plainly what we'll file and what falls to you. City permits are submitted through its permit portal.
Does a concrete retaining wall in Mount Vernon need a permit?
The city says a retaining wall no taller than 4 feet, measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall, needs no building permit unless it holds back extra load, like a driveway or slope above it. A taller wall, or one carrying that load, does need one, and on a wall like that I bring in an engineer.
Does a concrete contractor in Washington have to register with L&I?
Yes. Washington requires every construction contractor to register with the state Department of Labor & Industries and to be bonded and insured. The City of Mount Vernon also requires a business license for work inside city limits. We're fully licensed and insured, and you should ask any contractor about their registration before you hire them.
How common is flooding in Mount Vernon, and does it affect a new slab?
The city says flooding is its most common natural disaster after severe storms, and a significant portion of Mount Vernon lies in the 100-year floodplain. A slab won't stop a flood. On low ground, though, I spend more time on the base and on where the water drains, so the concrete isn't left sitting in it.
How long until I can drive on a new concrete driveway?
You can walk on new concrete well before you can drive on it, because it keeps gaining strength while it cures, the slow hardening that goes on for days after the pour. Weather and slab thickness change the wait, so I'll walk you through it for your job. Parking on it early is how edges crack.
Will my new concrete patio crack like the old one?
A slab on a dug-out, packed base, with its joints cut on time, usually cracks in the joints instead of across the middle. If the budget's tight, I'd keep the base and pick a plain broom finish, the brushed texture that gives shoes grip, because you can change a finish later but not the base without tearing it all out.