Concrete Contractor in Prichard, AL - Driveways and Slabs Built From the Base Up
Quickset Fairhope Concrete is a concrete contractor based in Fairhope, AL. We pour driveways, patios, steps, footings and slabs for homes in Prichard, and we put as much care into the ground under each slab as the finish on top.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- We respond within 1 business day.
Prichard homes and the concrete around them
Prichard sits in Mobile County about five miles north of Mobile. Most of what we pour here is at people's homes, like driveways, front walks, back steps and patios, along with the odd church or shop lot.
A lot of the concrete we're asked to replace here has been down a long time. It's often been cracked and patched more than once, and sometimes a newer slab has been poured right up against an older one. So on most jobs here, part of the work is breaking out the old slab and hauling it off before we can see what's underneath and plan the new one around it.
Concrete work we do for Prichard homes
Concrete driveway building
When a Prichard driveway has sunk at the street or split across the middle, we break it out, pack a new base and pour it fresh.
Concrete patio construction
A backyard patio here usually has to handle water from the roof and the yard, so we slope it away from the house before we pour.
Stamped concrete services
Stamped concrete gives a patio or walk the look of stone or brick. We don't press the pattern until the base underneath has been dug out and packed.
Concrete sidewalk building
A front walk that has heaved or tipped is a trip waiting to happen, so we replace the broken sections and set new joints where cracks should go.
Garage floor concrete
If your garage floor is cracked, stained or low by the door where water runs in, we tear it out and pour a new slab on packed fill.
Decorative concrete
If you want more than plain gray concrete, we add color, borders or exposed finishes to walks, patios and entries, with the same care for the base.
Concrete retaining walls
Where a yard drops off or soil keeps washing onto a drive, a retaining wall holds the ground back. We put drainage behind it so water can't build up.
Concrete floor installation
For a shop, workroom or addition, we pour an interior concrete floor over a packed base and finish it smooth so it's easy to sweep and seal.
Concrete pool decks
Around a pool we pour a deck with a textured top for wet feet, and we slope it so splash water runs away from the pool and the house.
Concrete steps construction
We tear out steps that have pulled away from the house or crumbled at the edges, then form new ones on a base dug past loose dirt.
Slab foundation building
For a new house or addition, we pour the slab foundation to your approved plans and grade the pad so water runs off it.
Foundation installation
Building on low ground means planning the foundation around what the city asks for at your address, and we sort that out before forms go up.
Concrete parking lot building
For a church, shop or small business lot that has broken up and holds water, we pour concrete paving and work out the slope and joints first.
Concrete footings
Footings carry the weight of a wall, porch, carport or addition, so we dig them to firm ground and pour them before anything is built on top.
Foundation raising
When a slab or one corner of a house has dropped and doors start sticking, we find out why it sank, then lift it back toward level.
Concrete cutting
We saw-cut old concrete for a new door, a wider driveway or a plumbing repair, so only the section that needs to come out gets removed.
Get a free on-site concrete estimate in Prichard
Send the form and I'll get back to you within one business day to set a time to come out. The estimate is free, it's written on site, it lists what's included and there's no obligation.
(251) 850-0154- Based in
- Fairhope, AL 36532
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 6 AM–10 PM, Sat–Sun: 7 AM–11 PM
What we deal with on Prichard concrete jobs
Inside city limits, permits come from the City of Prichard Inspections Department, which is also where any required inspections start. That means your pour date runs on the city's calendar as well as ours, and the city's website links to its permitting and inspection portal. For a permit on work under $50,000, the city wants the contractor to hold a current City of Prichard business license, which the City Clerk's Office handles. For work over $50,000, it wants a State of Alabama General Contractor license and a copy of the signed contract showing the total. Ask anyone you're getting a bid from which side of that line your job falls on, and ask to see the license that goes with it. On our end, we check whether the city or the county covers your address before we set a pour date. If the job needs a permit, we pull it, line up the inspections and leave the work open until it's been looked at.
Price here comes down mostly to how much old concrete and soft dirt has to come out before we can start. After that, it's the size and thickness of the slab and the finish you want on top. The schedule turns on the permit, the inspections and curing, which is the wait while new concrete hardens enough to take weight. Your written estimate lists what's included, so you can see what you're paying for. We're licensed and fully insured, every job is backed by our satisfaction guarantee, and we do the same kind of work in Chickasaw and other cities across Mobile and Baldwin counties.
Why Prichard driveways sink and hold water
Most of the sunken driveways and tipped walks we see weren't finished badly on top. They were set on a base that was raked level instead of dug out and packed, so the slab settled right along with the dirt. The subgrade, which is the ground the slab sits on, is where I spend the extra time. We dig past the soft stuff, bring in fill and pack it before any concrete shows up. If the budget gets tight, that's the part I'd keep over a fancier finish, because nobody sees the base on day one and you can't fix it once the slab is on top.
Water is the other half of it. A slab that falls toward the house sends rain to the foundation and leaves it pooling by the door. Before we form anything, I walk the yard with you to see where the water already runs, and then we slope the new slab to carry it away.
How a concrete job runs when you call us in Prichard
Here's how a job goes from your first call to the walk-through at the end, and what you'll have in hand at each step.
Call or send the form
Reach us at (251) 850-0154 or through the form and tell me a little about the job. I call you back to set a time to come out.
Walk the site together
I come out myself, ask how you'll use the slab and where the water goes, and look at what's under the old concrete. Then I write up an estimate that lists what's included, so there are no surprises later.
Permit, base and pour
Once you say go, we sort out the permit side for your address, and our crew, with me working beside them, digs out and packs the base and pours. In Prichard, an inspection has to be called in by 9:00 AM to happen that day, with no set appointment time, so we call it in and keep the work open until the inspector has seen it.
Cure and final walk-through
The new slab cures while we keep traffic off it. Before we pack up, I walk the finished job with you so you can look it over and ask about anything.
Questions about concrete work in Prichard
Do I need a permit for a concrete driveway in Prichard, AL?
You do if the work digs into the public right-of-way, because Prichard requires a permit for any excavation there, paved or unpaved, and the end of a driveway at the street usually sits in it. For the rest of the driveway, the Inspections Department can tell you what your address needs. If it needs a permit, we handle that as part of the job.
Can I pull a concrete permit myself as a homeowner in Prichard?
Yes, but the city wants proof that you own the property before it issues a homeowner permit. If someone other than the owner applies, they need a signed affidavit from the owner, and the city checks zoning to confirm the use is allowed. For an addition or a new structure, plan review may also call for a site plan and a building plan showing setbacks, openings and exits.
How do I check if my house in Prichard is in a flood zone?
Search your address on the state's AlabamaFlood map, which shows FEMA floodplain data, or download Mobile County's flood zone maps. It matters for new structures, because the city's plan review may include a flood map review, and an Elevation Certificate may be required if the site is in a flood zone. I'd check before we plan footings or a slab foundation, so the design fits what the city asks for.
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Prichard?
There's no honest number until I've seen your lot, because the cost turns on what has to come out, how much base work it needs and what you want on top. A broom finish, the light brushed texture that gives tires and shoes some grip, costs less than stamped or colored concrete. Rebar, the steel bars set inside the slab to help hold it together, adds some cost and is usually worth it on a drive. If the job needs a city permit, Prichard bases the fee on the cost of construction, labor and materials included.
What causes concrete driveways to crack and sink?
Most cracks come from a base that settles under the slab or from joints that were cut late or skipped. Concrete shrinks as it hardens and will crack somewhere, so we cut control joints, straight grooves across the slab that make it crack along a line we picked instead of across the middle, and we cut them on time. Add the packed base I talked about above, and a new slab has a much better shot than the old one did.
How long until I can drive on a new concrete driveway in Prichard?
You'll be walking on it well before you can drive on it, and I'll tell you both days for your slab when we set the pour, since the wait depends on the mix and the thickness. Keep cars, and anything heavy like a trailer, off it until then. A slab that takes weight too early can crack or chip at the edges before it's reached full strength.
Fairhope, AL
Get your Prichard concrete job on the calendar
Call (251) 850-0154 or send the form, because the sooner I see the old slab, the sooner you'll know whether the base under it is sound or has to come out.