Concrete Contractor in Fultondale, AL - Driveways and Patios That Drain Right
A&B Hoover Concrete Construction pours driveways, patios, steps, sidewalks and slabs for homes in Fultondale, AL. We dig out and pack the ground first, set the slope so water runs off, then pour and finish with our own crew.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- Replies within 1 business day.
Fultondale homes and the ground under them
Fultondale is just north of Birmingham, a short drive from our base in Hoover, and most of what we pour here is for homes: driveways, back patios, front walks and steps. As a concrete contractor in Hoover, AL, we see the same mix across this part of Jefferson County, with older houses on settled streets whose driveways have cracked and shifted over the years, and newer homes where the owner wants a patio or a wider parking pad.
Plenty of lots here aren't flat, and the clay under the topsoil holds water, so on most Fultondale jobs the slope of the slab and the ground under it decide more about how it holds up than the finish on top.
Concrete work we do for Fultondale homes
Concrete driveway building
Most driveway calls here start with a cracked or sunken slab, so we dig out the soft ground and pack a firm base before the new pour.
See the service Concrete driveway buildingConcrete patio construction
A backyard patio that slopes gently away from the house keeps rain off your foundation, and that matters on clay ground that holds water like it does here.
See the service Concrete patio constructionStamped concrete services
Stamped concrete gives a patio or walk the look of stone or brick in one pour, and it needs the same solid ground underneath as plain concrete.
See the service Stamped concrete servicesConcrete sidewalk building
We replace front walks where roots or settled ground have lifted a panel into an edge you trip on, and we set the new run so rain drains off.
See the service Concrete sidewalk buildingGarage floor concrete
A cracked or pitted garage floor in an older house can be broken out and repoured on a packed base, with a slight fall toward the door.
See the service Garage floor concreteDecorative concrete
Colored concrete, exposed stone and borders let a driveway or patio match a brick house, and we lay out the joints so they sit with the pattern.
See the service Decorative concreteConcrete retaining walls
On a sloped lot, a retaining wall holds the yard back so a patio or driveway gets level ground, with drainage behind it to let water out.
See the service Concrete retaining wallsConcrete floor installation
We pour floors for shops, sheds and additions with a plastic vapor barrier and a packed base under the slab, so it sits flat and stays dry.
See the service Concrete floor installationConcrete pool decks
A pool deck has to shed water away from the pool and house, so we set the slope first and give it a finish that grips wet feet.
See the service Concrete pool decksConcrete steps construction
When front steps on a hillside lot lean or crumble, we pour new ones on solid footings with even rises that are easy to climb.
See the service Concrete steps constructionSlab foundation building
For a new house, addition or garage, we dig down to firm ground, pack the base and pour the slab with steel inside to hold it together.
See the service Slab foundation buildingFoundation installation
When you're building on a slope here, the foundation has to sit level on firm ground, so we set the footings and walls before anything goes on top.
See the service Foundation installationConcrete parking lot building
For shops, churches and small offices, we pour parking lots that drain where you want them to and stand up to delivery trucks, not just cars.
See the service Concrete parking lot buildingConcrete footings
Footings are the buried concrete that carries a deck, porch, wall or addition, and on clay ground we dig them down to firm soil so they stay put.
See the service Concrete footingsFoundation raising
When a slab or a corner of your house has settled on soft ground, we find out why it moved before we lift it back toward level.
See the service Foundation raisingConcrete cutting
We saw-cut existing concrete so a broken driveway section can be replaced, or a drain line put in, without tearing out the whole slab.
See the service Concrete cutting
Get a free on-site estimate for your Fultondale concrete job
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day to set a time. I come out to your place myself, and the estimate is free, with no pressure and no obligation.
- estimates@concretehoover.com
- Based in
- Hoover, AL 35216
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 7 AM–10 PM, Sat–Sun: 6 AM–11 PM
Working in Fultondale: the permit office, licenses and pricing
Permit questions for a Fultondale home go to the city's Inspections & Permits department, so before we put your pour on the calendar, we check with that office about what your job needs. If it calls for a permit, we handle the paperwork and leave room for the inspections, and that review, along with the weather on pour day and the hardening time after it, is what usually sets your schedule. It's worth asking any contractor for their city business license, and the city's License & Taxes page, which says its 2024 licenses were handled through Avenu Insights, is the place to start. We're fully licensed and insured.
What moves the price here is mostly the ground and the access. A bigger or thicker slab, soft clay we have to dig out and replace with packed stone, an old slab to break up and haul off, or a backyard the concrete truck can't reach from the street all add to the job, and a stamped or colored finish costs more than a plain one. We work the same kind of ground in Birmingham and the cities around it, so when I walk your lot I can usually tell you what it needs, and the estimate spells out each part.
Why concrete settles and cracks on Fultondale lots
A lot of yards here slope, and rain runs downhill into whatever sits in its way, so a driveway or patio on these lots catches water along one edge and underneath it. The clay under the topsoil goes soft when it's wet, and if the base under a slab was just raked level instead of dug out and packed, the slab sinks with the dirt, cracks and starts holding puddles. That's why we start with the subgrade, the ground the slab sits on, digging out the soft clay, packing in a firm base and checking where the water runs before we set a single form.
Many of the older driveways and walks we see were poured thin with no steel in them, and after years of roots and settling they break into pieces that rock underfoot. Patching those rarely lasts, so we usually cut out the failed sections and repour them on a proper base, or replace the whole run when most of it has gone.
How a concrete job runs when you call us from Fultondale
Here's how a job goes from your first call to the finished slab, and where you come in along the way.
Call or send the form
Call (205) 325-9006 or send the form with a few lines about the job, and we'll set a time for me to come out. You don't need measurements or a plan yet.
Walk the lot together
I come out myself, look at the ground, where the water runs and why the old concrete failed, and talk through your options with you. You get an estimate that spells out what's in it, so you can see where the money goes.
Permit, base and the pour
Once you're ready, we sort out the permit side with the city, set the pour around any inspections, and our own crew digs out, packs the base, pours and finishes with me on site. You don't need to be home, but we'll ask you to keep cars clear of the work.
Walk the finished work
Before we pack up, we walk the finished slab with you, go over anything you want to look at and clean up the site. The work is backed by our satisfaction guarantee.
Questions about concrete work in Fultondale
How much does a concrete driveway cost in Fultondale, AL?
The cost of a Fultondale driveway comes down to its size, its thickness and how much ground work it needs, so I'd need to see your lot to give you a real number. A driveway is poured thicker than a walk and usually gets rebar, steel rod inside the slab that holds it together if it cracks, and both add cost. If the budget's tight, I'd keep the base and cut back on the finish, because you can live with a plain broom finish, the light brushed texture that gives tires and shoes grip, but nobody can fix a soft base without tearing the slab out.
How do I find out if I need a permit for concrete work in Fultondale?
Call the City of Fultondale at (205) 841-4481 and ask for Inspections & Permits, the office that handles both permits and inspections for work on a Fultondale home. If you hire us, you don't have to make that call yourself, because we check with that office for your address before we schedule anything.
How long does new concrete need to cure before I can drive on it?
You can walk on a new slab well before you can drive on it, because concrete keeps hardening for days after the pour and a car's weight too soon can crack it. That wait is called curing, and heat or cold changes how fast it goes, so we give you the dates for your slab when we finish. Plan on parking in the street for a while.
Will my new concrete driveway crack like the old one?
A slab built on a packed base with its joints cut on time shouldn't split and sink the way a poorly built one does, though concrete can still show fine hairline cracks. Control joints, the straight grooves we cut across the slab, give it a planned place to crack, and the steel inside holds those cracks tight. We also pour early on hot days, because concrete finished in the midday heat can end up with a weak, dusty top.
What is the best way to stop a patio from draining toward my house?
Build the slope in before the pour, so the patio falls gently away from your house and sends rain out into the yard. On a sloped Fultondale lot I also look at where the yard already sends water, because a patio set across that path will catch it at the back door however well it's finished. When an existing slab already tips toward the house, it usually has to come out, since you can't change the fall of set concrete.
How do I plan a patio or driveway on a sloped lot in Fultondale?
Start with the ground, not the surface, because on a slope you first have to decide where the level spots go and where the water will go. Sometimes that means a short concrete retaining wall to hold the yard back, or a few steps between levels, before the patio itself. I walk the lot with you and lay out the options so you can see what each one involves.
Other service areas
Hoover, AL
Start your Fultondale concrete project today
A crack or low spot that's holding water now usually spreads as more water gets under it, so it's less work to look at it early.