Concrete patio construction in Springfield IL - a slab that drains away from your house
Bare yard, a cracked old slab or water pooling by the back door? We build a patio that sheds water and stays put.
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What goes into building a concrete patio in Springfield?
Concrete patio construction in Springfield, IL means building a new outdoor slab from the ground up, so you get a level, usable space off the house that sends rain away from your foundation instead of toward it.
Most people who call me have a bare patch outside the back door, or an old patio that has cracked, sunk or started pooling water against the house. The price moves with the size, how much digging and base work the ground needs, whether an old slab has to be broken out and hauled off, and the finish, since a stamped surface costs more than a plain one. The schedule turns mostly on the weather, because we plan around cold that could freeze fresh concrete, and on the cure afterward. Your estimate puts all of that in writing for your own patio, so you know exactly what you're paying for before we start.
How we handle concrete patio construction
We start by marking the patio out and checking where the water runs now, then strip the sod and topsoil and dig down to firm ground. Our crew lays the gravel base and packs it, because a base that's only raked level settles along with the dirt under it. Most patio trouble I've repaired started at the house, so we set the forms with a fall away from your home and put an isolation joint, a strip of soft material between slab and wall, where the patio meets the foundation so the two can move on their own. Before the pour I talk through with you whether rebar, steel set inside the slab, is worth it for how you'll use the space. We pour early in the day rather than in the midday heat, which can leave a weak, dusty top, then finish the surface and cut control joints, shallow grooves that give the slab a planned place to crack as it shrinks, before it can pick its own spots. Then the slab cures, the wait while it gains strength before it takes furniture and foot traffic. If a budget has to come down, I'd rather keep the base and save on the finish, because the base is the one part you can't fix later without tearing the patio out.
Most patios connect to something else. If you'd like a pattern or color pressed into the surface, our stamped concrete services are done on the same fresh pour, and if there's no good way to reach the patio from the driveway or a side gate, we can build a concrete sidewalk at the same time so the two meet cleanly.
Concrete patio construction in Springfield: permits and ground
The City of Springfield's own list doesn't settle whether a patio needs a permit. The city issues floodplain development permits for work within a floodplain, and that list names new buildings, swimming pools and fences, not patios, so the place to ask about your address is the city's Office of Public Works, and we check with them before we plan your pour. The city's permit application also puts the research on soil compaction and on mine subsidence, ground sinking over old mine workings, on the applicant and owner, and it says a permit doesn't confirm the land suits the project. So I look at the ground before we dig rather than counting on paperwork, and we take the base down to firm soil and pack it.
Around Springfield and the cities nearby, the patios I'm asked to replace have usually settled because the base was never packed, or tipped back toward the house as the ground moved. We see the same on jobs in Chatham and Decatur, and we build those patios the same way.
Concrete patio finishes and builds
Get a written estimate for your new patio
We reply to every call and message within one business day to set a time for me to come out, look at the spot and measure. The estimate is free and done on site, and there's no obligation to go ahead.
(217) 210-0810Springfield patio questions we hear
How much does a concrete patio cost in Springfield, IL?
A concrete patio in Springfield usually costs about $6 to $11 per square foot, which is the going rate in the area for a poured patio, not a quote from us. Stamped patios cost more per square foot than plain ones, and a replacement costs more when the old patio has to be torn out first, so ask whether removal is included in any price you're given. Your own figure comes in writing after I've measured.
What is the best time of year to pour a concrete patio in Springfield?
The best time is when fresh concrete isn't likely to freeze soon after it's placed, which usually rules out late fall, winter and early spring here. A concrete trade group's guide advises caution about pouring in those months, when the concrete may freeze while it's still saturated. If you call in the cold months, I can measure now and we can plan the pour for a warmer stretch.
What causes a concrete patio to crack, and does reinforcement help?
Concrete shrinks as it dries, so some cracking is normal, and the aim is for it to happen along the control joints described above rather than wherever the slab chooses. One patio guide says reinforcement mostly holds cracks tight rather than adding strength. That's why I talk it through with you instead of adding it by habit, since it's worth more under some uses than others.
Do I need a permit for a concrete patio in Springfield?
Possibly, depending on where your house sits, and the city is the one to ask. The floodplain permit described above doesn't list patios, so it doesn't settle the question either way, and we sort out what applies at your address while we plan the job.
What is the best concrete for a patio that freezes and thaws every winter?
Good quality air-entrained concrete, which has tiny air bubbles mixed in that give freezing water room to expand, is what a concrete trade group's guide advises for concrete facing severe freezing and thawing. It's fair to ask any contractor whether they order that mix for your patio. The same guide says to skip deicing chemicals on new concrete its first winter and use them in moderate amounts after that.
How thick should a concrete patio be?
Four inches is the standard thickness for a patio, and one patio guide advises going thicker under a hot tub or anything heavy. The same guide describes the slab sitting on about 4 inches of compacted gravel over firm ground, with the sod and topsoil removed first. If you're planning a hot tub or other heavy fixture, tell me at the estimate so we can size the slab for it.
Get your Springfield patio on the calendar
Have the patio's rough size, the finish you'd like and whether an old slab needs to come out, and one call to (217) 210-0810 or a short note through the form gets the visit set up.