Concrete Contractors in Shadeland, IN

Shadeland is spread out, and concrete contractors who work here plan for bigger pours. The town is coextensive with Union Township, so its limits cover 27.33 square miles, and the 2020 census counted only 1,757 residents and 731 housing units. The township chose to become a town so that Lafayette could not annex any of it. What came out of that is a municipality with plenty of space: deep setbacks, long drives and room for a pole barn or detached shop behind the house.

Long driveways

A drive that runs a few hundred feet from the road is a different project from a short city apron. Things we plan for on Shadeland drives:

• Thickness and base. If delivery trucks, a camper or farm equipment will use the drive, we build it thicker over a deeper stone base.
• Joints. A long slab needs regular control joints so shrinkage cracks fall where we choose.
• Turnarounds and parking pads. Many owners add a wider area by the garage so nobody has to back down the whole drive.
• Drainage. On a long drive, low spots collect water. We set grades so runoff leaves the slab.
• Phasing. If the full length is more than you want to pour now, we can do the section near the house first and plan a clean joint for later.

Shop, garage and shed slabs

Outbuildings are common on lots this size. A good Garage & Shed Slab starts with a compacted stone base, thickened edges where the walls bear, and reinforcement sized to the use. If you will park a truck or run a car lift, tell us early so we can plan thickness. For a workshop, a smooth trowel finish is easier to sweep. For a building that will see muddy boots, a light broom finish gives better footing.

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Along State Road 25

State Road 25 crosses Shadeland on an east-west line. Where a driveway meets that highway, the apron may fall under different rules than the rest of the drive, so we find out what applies before touching it. Shadeland's own building permit checklist also includes a driveway permit that the town signs off on as part of the Tippecanoe County Building Commission process, so a new drive here starts with paperwork.

Patios and walks

On a big lot it is tempting to build a patio far from the house. We usually suggest keeping it close enough to carry a tray of food out and wide enough for the way you entertain. Concrete Patios in broom finish are low-care. Stamped Concrete works well for a patio that faces open fields, since a stone pattern looks natural there. Sidewalks & Steps that tie the drive, the house and the shop together keep mud out of the house.

Getting concrete to the back of a big lot

On a large property, the pour site may be hundreds of feet from the road. A loaded concrete truck is heavy and can rut a lawn or crack a septic lid. We plan the route ahead, use plywood or mats to protect soft ground and, when the truck cannot get close, bring in a pump. Tell us where your septic tank, field and any buried lines are so we can steer around them.

Old buildings nearby

Two local landmarks, Farmers Institute and Stidham United Methodist Church, carry National Register status. Older farmhouses in the area often have original concrete steps and walks that have settled. Concrete Repair & Replacement can fix those without replacing everything around them.