Concrete Contractors in West Lafayette, IN

West Lafayette is not flat, and that is the first thing concrete contractors notice when they work here. Ground in the city sits a little above 500 feet along the Wabash and climbs past 720 feet on the north side by U.S. 52. A driveway that climbs to a garage, a patio set into a slope, or front steps that rise from the street all take more planning than the same job on level ground. We start every West Lafayette estimate by looking at where water will go.

Grade comes first

Water runs downhill and takes base stone with it. On a sloped lot we look at:

• How steep the drive is and whether it needs a broom finish for traction
• Where runoff from the street and neighbors lands
• Whether the garage floor sits lower than the driveway
• Where a trench drain or a gentle swale would keep water off the slab

A steep drive also changes how we pour. We work from the top down and keep the mix stiff enough to hold the slope while it is finished.

Newer homes, younger slabs

Census data summarized by Point2Homes puts the median year built in West Lafayette at 1992. About 20% of homes date from 2000 to 2009 and about 19% from 2010 to 2019. In newer subdivisions, driveways are often sound, but homeowners call us to add a patio, widen the drive for a third car, or replace a builder's walk that cracked near the porch.

The older parts of town are a different job. Today's city took shape in 1888, when three neighboring towns, Chauncey, Oakwood and Kingston, combined. Three of its neighborhoods, Happy Hollow Heights, Hills and Dales, and Chauncey-Stadium Avenues, are National Register historic districts. Front steps there can be decades old and out of square, and retaining the look of the street matters to owners.

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City right-of-way permits

The City of West Lafayette says any work in the city right-of-way, which includes the sidewalk where there is one, needs a Right-of-Way permit from the City Engineering Department. If your project ties into the public walk or the curb, we plan for that permit before we set a pour date. Work entirely on your lot may have its own rules, and we confirm them for your address.

Retaining the slope around a patio

When a patio is cut into a hillside, the high side needs support. A short concrete curb or a low wall keeps soil from sliding onto the slab after heavy rain. On the low side, the patio may sit a step or two above the lawn. We plan steps there with the same even risers as your front entry so nobody misjudges them at night.

Services that fit West Lafayette homes

• Concrete Driveways, including widening and replacing cracked builder drives
• Concrete Patios set level into sloped back yards, with steps down when needed
• Stamped Concrete for patios and walks where a plain gray slab looks out of place
• Sidewalks & Steps rebuilt with even risers, which matters on hillside entries
• Garage & Shed Slabs for detached garages and storage buildings
• Concrete Repair & Replacement for settled, scaled or broken sections

Many renters, many owners in between

Of the 16,109 homes the 2020 census found in the city, Census QuickFacts estimates only 29.4% are lived in by their owners. Many homes are rentals near Purdue, and landlords often need a walk or stoop fixed between leases. We can schedule exterior work so tenants still have a safe way in and out.