Concrete Contractor in Ellisville, MO - Driveways and Patios That Drain
Caliber Chesterfield Concrete Company is a concrete contractor building driveways, patios, steps, walks, retaining walls and foundations for homes in Ellisville, MO, with the base dug out and packed under every slab we pour.
Ellisville concrete starts with what's underneath
Ellisville is mostly neighborhood streets of single-family homes and townhouses, with shops and offices along the main roads. The calls we get here sound a lot like the ones from next door in Ballwin and from Chesterfield, where we're based. Somebody's driveway has given up, a patio is too small or sitting wrong, the front steps need redoing, and now and then a builder needs footings for an addition.
A lot of these driveways and patios are original to the house, and when one fails, the trouble is usually under it, not on top. That's why my first look on an Ellisville job goes to the ground the slab sits on and where the yard sends its water.
What wears out Ellisville driveways and patios
Most of the concrete we tear out here didn't fail because it got old. It failed because of what was done, or skipped, before it was poured. Here's what we usually find.
Back patios that tip toward the house, so every rain sends water at the foundation instead of out into the yard.
Driveways cracked across the middle or broken at the apron, the strip where the drive meets the street or the garage.
Front steps that have dropped or pulled away from the porch, leaving a gap that catches water and the occasional toe.
Sloped back yards where a level patio needs a wall or a step down, which changes the forms, the base and the cost.
Tight side yards and finished landscaping between the street and the back patio, which decide how the concrete gets to the pour.
None of that shows up in a photo the way it does in person, so I come out, walk the yard and check where the water goes before I write your estimate.
Where we work around Ellisville
We're based in Chesterfield and work in Ellisville the same as we do next door in Ballwin and Manchester, plus plenty of other cities across St. Louis County and St. Charles County.
Concrete work we do for Ellisville homes
Concrete driveway building
When your driveway has cracked through or sunk by the garage, we tear it out, rebuild the base and pour it fresh with a grippy broom finish.
Concrete patio construction
A back patio that tilts toward the house sends water at the foundation, so we set the new one to fall away from it.
Stamped concrete services
Stamped concrete gives a patio or walk the look of stone or brick in one pour, with no pavers to shift or weed between.
Concrete sidewalk building
Front walks that have lifted or split into trip edges get replaced on a packed base, with joints cut so a crack has somewhere to go.
Garage floor concrete
A garage floor that's pitted, cracked or sunk at the door gets broken out and poured new, sloped so water runs out the door instead of pooling.
Decorative concrete
Colored and textured concrete for a front entry or a patio border, when you want the slab to match the house instead of just sitting next to it.
Concrete retaining walls
On sloped back yards, a poured wall holds the ground so a patio or driveway can sit level, with drainage behind it so water doesn't push it over.
Concrete floor installation
Basement, shop and addition floors poured over a packed base with a vapor barrier underneath, so the slab comes out flat and ready for flooring on top.
Concrete pool decks
Around a backyard pool we pour a deck with a textured top that grips wet feet and a slope that carries splash water away from the pool.
Concrete steps construction
Front steps that have pulled away from the porch or rocked loose get rebuilt on footings of their own, with even risers so nobody catches a toe.
Slab foundation building
For an addition, garage or outbuilding, we pour the slab on dug-out, packed ground with rebar, the steel inside that holds it together if it cracks.
Foundation installation
When you're building on, we form and pour the foundation walls the rest of the house sits on, checked for line and level before concrete arrives.
Concrete parking lot building
For shops and offices here, a concrete lot or replaced section holds up to daily traffic when the base under it is built for the load.
Concrete footings
Decks, porches, additions and walls all start with footings, the concrete pads set in firm ground below them, and nobody sees them again once we're done.
Foundation raising
When a corner of the house or a slab has dropped, we look at what's under it first, because lifting it without fixing the cause just buys time.
Concrete cutting
We saw-cut old slabs for a clean tear-out line, cut openings for doors or drains, and cut control joints, the grooves that tell a slab where to crack.
Get a written concrete estimate for your Ellisville home
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set a time. I come out to your Ellisville property myself, look at the job and give you a free estimate in writing, with what's in the price and what isn't. There's no pressure and no obligation to go ahead.
- Call
- (636) 237-0079
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 8 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 7 AM–11 PM
Why Ellisville homeowners call us for concrete
I've run this business since 2017, after years of pushing wheelbarrows on other people's crews. We're fully licensed and insured, satisfaction guaranteed, and I'll tell you if a job isn't worth doing.
The owner writes your estimate
I come out to Ellisville myself, look at the slab, the slope and the ground, and write the estimate. Then I work alongside the small crew that does the prep, the forms and the pour.
Base first, finish second
When a budget gets tight, the base is the first thing people want to trim, because nobody sees it on day one. I'd trim the finish instead, since a fancy top on a sinking base is still a sinking slab.
Permits handled before the pour
I find out which city and county offices your Ellisville address answers to and work through the permit paperwork with you, so approvals are in hand before we set a pour date. Call (636) 237-0079 to start.
Ellisville concrete questions we hear most
How do I get a permit for a concrete patio or driveway in Ellisville?
You'll need one, and we work through it with you. The city's permit pamphlet for single-family homes and townhouses lists patios and flatwork, the flat slabs like driveways and walks, among the work that needs a permit. We get that lined up before a pour date goes on the calendar.
Does a concrete retaining wall need a permit in Ellisville?
A retaining wall over 3 feet tall does, according to the city's pamphlet. If your yard needs a wall that high to level out a patio or driveway, the permit goes into the plan from the start. For a shorter wall, we check with the city before we dig rather than guess.
What building codes apply to concrete work in Ellisville, MO?
The city reviews plans against its own zoning and subdivision rules and the International Code Council building codes it has adopted, including the one written for single- and two-family homes. Once a job has a permit, the city's Engineering Department does the building inspections, so we schedule around those visits instead of pouring first and hoping.
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Ellisville?
It comes down to size, what has to come out first and how much base work the ground needs, so I don't put a number on it until I've seen it. Tearing out an old slab, a thicker slab or rebar for heavy vehicles, a stamped or colored finish and a lot the truck can't reach all add to it. The schedule turns on the permit and on curing, the wait while the slab hardens before you can drive on it, and your written estimate spells out what's in the price and what isn't.
What causes a concrete driveway to crack and sink?
Most of the time it's the base, raked flat instead of dug out and packed, so the dirt settles and takes the slab down with it. Water running toward the slab, joints cut late or not at all, and a pour in midday heat that leaves a weak, dusty top do the rest. We dig to firm ground, pack the base, check where the water runs and cut control joints on time, so a crack has a straight groove to follow instead of wandering across the middle.
Will the new fiber optic lines in Ellisville affect my driveway or patio project?
They can, because fiber optic cable is going into subdivisions and onto private property here. Many lines run along the street frontage in the public right-of-way, right where a driveway meets the street, and some run through utility easements in side or back yards. We find where they run before we dig out for a new base, so a tear-out doesn't turn into a cut cable.
Call before you start your Ellisville project
We take calls until 11 PM every day, so ring (636) 237-0079 or send us a note while the old slab is still in place and I can see what went wrong under it.
Mon–Fri: 8 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 7 AM–11 PM