Concrete Contractor in Faribault, MN - Slabs That Hold Up to Frost and Clay
Truegrade Owatonna Concrete is a concrete contractor based in Owatonna and working in Faribault, MN. We build driveways, patios, steps, sidewalks, garage floors and foundations for homeowners, small business owners and people building a new home.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free on-site estimates.
- Replies within 1 business day.
Faribault homes and lots we pour for
Faribault is a short drive up I-35 from our base in Owatonna, and the work here looks a lot like what we see at home. Close to downtown there are older houses with narrow driveways, single garages off the alley and front steps that have been patched more than once. The newer neighborhoods toward the edges of the city have wider driveways, attached garages and backyard patios. Mixed in are small shops and businesses that need parking and walks that can take daily traffic, and we see the same mix up the road in Northfield.
Both kinds of lots shape the job. Under an old slab I usually find a thin, worn-out base and tree roots, and around a newer house the dirt is often fill that still has some settling to do, so on either one the first real work is digging out and packing before we pour.
Concrete services we offer in Faribault
Driveways here take shovels, road salt off your tires and hard freezes, so we dig out soft dirt and pack a solid base before the pour.
A patio out back often sits on loose fill from when the house went up, so we pack the base and slope the slab away from your walls.
Stamped concrete gives a patio the look of stone or brick in one solid slab, so there are no loose pieces for frost to push up.
Front walks and side paths heave and start tripping people after a few winters. We replace them on a packed base, with joints cut where we want cracks to go.
A garage floor pitted from salty slush or sunk at the door gets torn out and poured new, with steel inside and a slope out the door.
Colored and textured concrete lets a front step, walk or patio match the brick and stone on Faribault's older houses without the upkeep of pavers.
On a sloped Faribault yard, a concrete retaining wall holds the soil in place, and we put drainage behind it so wet clay doesn't push it over.
Basement floors, shop floors and pole-building slabs need a flat, even surface, so we set the base and thickness to match what will sit on them.
A pool deck has to shed splash water and be safe for bare feet, so we slope it away from the pool and give it a finish with some grip.
Front steps on older Faribault homes often pull away from the house or crumble at the edges. We rebuild them on footings set below the frost line.
Garages, additions and outbuildings around Faribault often go on a slab, and we form it, set the steel and pour it to the plans you've got.
When you're building a new home or addition, we pour the footings and walls the house will sit on, set deep enough for Minnesota frost.
Small business and church lots in Faribault take plows, delivery trucks and salt, so we pour them thicker on a base built for heavy loads.
Decks, porches and additions need concrete footings that frost won't lift, and we dig and pour them to the depth and size your plans call for.
When a slab or foundation has sunk on soft or washed-out ground, raising it back can fix the slope and the trip edges without tearing everything out.
We cut openings, saw out damaged sections and cut joints in fresh slabs, so a repair or a new doorway starts with a clean, straight edge.
Get a free on-site estimate for your Faribault project
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set a time for me to come out and look at the spot. The estimate is free, and there's no pressure to book.
(507) 599-0098- Based in
- Owatonna, MN 55060
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 7 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 6 AM–10 PM
Working in Faribault: permits, schedules and price
Under state rule, the building official has to issue any required permit before the work starts. In Faribault that's the city's Building Code Division, which enforces the state building code here. The city's permit list names projects like decks, porches and pools but doesn't spell out driveways or patios. So I check with the division early on every Faribault job, and when a permit is needed we help with the paperwork and plan the pour around the inspections. That way the permit is on the schedule from the start instead of holding up a pour date later.
Besides the permit, the schedule mostly turns on the weather and on how long the concrete has to cure before you can use it. The price turns on the size of the job, how much old concrete comes out, how much digging and packing the base needs, the slab thickness and steel, and the finish you pick, and you'll see your own figure on the written estimate once I've seen the spot. We're fully licensed and insured, our work is backed by our satisfaction guarantee, and we do the same work over in Waseca and the other cities around Owatonna.
Why Faribault driveways and slabs wear out
Minnesota winters are hard on concrete. Water gets into the surface and every small crack, freezes, swells and thaws again, over and over until the top flakes and chips. Salt tracked in off Faribault's streets speeds that up on driveways and garage floors. We fight it from the bottom up: a packed base that drains, a slope that sends water off the slab instead of letting it sit, and a broom finish, that light brushed texture that gives your boots some grip on ice. We also saw in control joints, shallow cuts that give the slab a place to crack, so if it does crack, it cracks there in a straight line instead of wherever it wants.
Drainage is the other half. A lot of the ground here is heavy clay that holds water, so when a slab settles and tips toward the house, rain and snowmelt pool against your foundation instead of running off. We check where the water goes before we form anything, pack the subgrade, the ground the slab sits on, and set the slope so water runs away from your walls. Got a puddle by the back door every spring? That's usually where it starts.
What to expect from a Faribault concrete job
Here's how a Faribault job runs from your first call to the day you use the new slab, so you know who you'll be talking to at each step.
Call us or send the form
Call (507) 599-0098 or send the form, and we'll get back to you to set a time for me to come out. You don't have to be home, but it helps if you can walk the spot with me.
I look at the spot
I check the old concrete, the ground and where the water runs, and I ask how you'll use the space. Then you get a written estimate that spells out the prep, the steel rebar we set inside the slab to hold it together, and the finish, so you know what you're paying for.
We set the date together
We work out the permit side with you and pick a pour date around the weather and your plans. On hot days we schedule the pour away from midday heat, because it can dry the top too fast and leave it weak and dusty.
We form, pour and finish
I'm on site with our crew from setting the forms to the last pass of the finish, and we cut the joints and clean up before we go. Before we leave, I go over how to care for your new concrete and when it's ready to use.
Questions about concrete work in Faribault
Do I need a permit for concrete deck footings in Faribault, MN?
Most likely yes, because the permit goes with the deck, and the city's building permit list names decks. Under state rule, a deck up to 30 inches above the ground next to it is exempt if it isn't attached to a structure with frost footings and isn't on an accessible route, though exempt work still has to meet the code. We dig and pour the footings to the size and depth your plans call for.
Does a concrete retaining wall need a permit in Faribault?
Under state rule, a retaining wall four feet tall or less, measured from the bottom of the footing to the top, doesn't need a building permit unless it carries extra weight or holds back certain fuels or other flammable liquids. That extra weight is called a surcharge, and it can be a driveway, a parked car or a slope above the wall. A taller wall falls outside that exemption, and a shorter one still has to meet the code, so I look at what sits behind the wall before we plan it.
Do I need a permit to repair or cut concrete in Faribault?
Ordinary repairs need no application or notice to the building official under state rule, but cutting into the structure doesn't count as ordinary. Opening or removing walls, cutting beams or load-bearing supports, or changing a required exit is outside that line. That's why sawing a foundation wall for an egress window, an escape window big enough to climb out of, falls on the city's building permit list. When a job involves cutting, I check which side of the line it's on before we bring the saw.
How do I apply for a building permit in Faribault?
You apply online, because the city now has all of its permits and applications on its permits and applications page. For questions about building, electrical, plumbing or mechanical permits, the city's permit page lists 507-333-0387.
How much does a concrete driveway cost in Faribault?
Your price comes from the estimate, because it turns on things I have to see in person: how much old concrete comes out, how soft the ground is, how big and thick the slab is and the finish you want. Stamped or colored finishes cost more than a plain broom finish, and any permit fee is set by the city, which reviews its fees every year. If you need to trim the budget, cut the fancy finish before you cut the base, because you can dress up a surface later but you can't fix a bad base without tearing out the slab.
How long does a new concrete driveway take to cure before I can drive on it?
You can walk on new concrete well before you can drive on it, and I give you the day for each before we leave, because it depends on the weather and the slab. Curing is the stretch when concrete gains its strength, and it goes slower in cool weather, which matters in a Faribault spring or fall. Driving on it too early can crack a slab that would otherwise hold up fine.
Owatonna, MN
Plan your Faribault concrete project now
Concrete work here runs on the weather, so getting me out to see the spot now puts your job on the calendar before the good pouring days fill up.