Garage floor concrete in Chesterfield MO - a solid slab that drains and holds up
Cracked, sinking or chipping garage floor? We'll tell you whether it can be resurfaced or needs replacing, then build one that lasts.
Do you need a new garage floor or just a new surface?
Garage floor concrete in Chesterfield means breaking out a worn or sunken garage floor and pouring a new slab on a packed base, or resurfacing the old one when it's still sound, so you end up with a level floor that carries your car and drains toward the door.
Most calls start with a floor that has cracked, dropped near the door or started chipping where the car sits, and the first thing I'll tell you is whether it's sound enough to resurface or needs to come out. The price moves with the size of the garage, whether an old slab has to be broken out and hauled off, how much base work the ground needs and whether we add steel. The schedule turns on the permit, the weather and the wait before you can park on it, and your written estimate puts your own number on paper. If you're after color or a polished look, that's decorative concrete, and it holds up best on a slab that was built right underneath.
How do you know your garage floor needs work?
Most garage floors tell you something's wrong long before they fail. Here's what homeowners usually notice first, and what it tends to mean about the base, the drainage or the pour underneath.
Cracks that keep getting wider, or one side sitting higher than the other, usually mean the base has moved.
A slab that has dropped near the overhead door usually sits on dirt that was never dug out and packed.
Water that pools in the middle or runs back toward the house door means the floor wasn't sloped to drain.
A dusty, chalky top that wears off under your shoes usually points to a weak surface left from the pour.
Chipping and flaking where the car parks often comes from winter salt dripping off it all season.
A section that rocks underfoot or sounds hollow when you drop a wrench usually has an empty space under it.
If a crack is widening or a section has dropped, call (636) 237-0079 rather than waiting it out, because a base that's moving usually keeps moving.
What happens when you call about a garage floor in Chesterfield?
We're based in Chesterfield and pour garage floors across the cities around it in St. Louis County and St. Charles County. Here's how a job runs, and I'm part of every step.
Call or send the form
Call (636) 237-0079 or use the form, and tell us roughly how big the garage is and whether an old slab has to come out. Photos of the cracks help me know what I'm walking into.
I come out and look
I come out myself, look at the floor and the ground around it, and ask how you'll use the garage, since a workshop and a place to park two cars aren't quite the same job. You get a written estimate that shows what's in the price and what isn't, so there's nothing to guess about later.
We line up permits and weather
Once you say go, we line up the permit steps for your address so approvals are in place before we set a pour date. Then we pick a day the weather agrees with, because a pour in midday heat can leave a weak, dusty top.
We pour and walk it together
Our small crew breaks out the old floor, digs out and packs the base, and pours, with me working alongside. Then we walk the finished floor with you and go over how to care for it that first season.
Find out if your garage floor needs replacing
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set a time for me to come out. The on-site estimate is free, in writing and comes with no obligation.
- Call
- (636) 237-0079
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 8 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 7 AM–11 PM
Base, drainage and joints in a garage floor
The base is where the budget should go first. We dig out the subgrade, the dirt the slab sits on, and pack it instead of raking it level, because your car sits on the same spots every day and loose dirt settles. A good base is invisible on pour day and a bad one shows up a few years later, so if something has to be trimmed from the job, it won't be that.
Drainage comes next. Angi's guide to St. Louis slabs says the area's dense, reactive clay makes drainage key to protecting both the slab and the house, which matches what we dig into around here. So we check where the water runs and slope the floor out toward the door, not back toward the house. If the yard beside the garage slopes in and sheds water onto the apron, concrete retaining walls can hold that ground back.
Garage slabs are poured at the thicker end of what home floors get, and rebar, steel set inside to hold the concrete together if it cracks, is worth talking through. Control joints are straight cuts that give the slab a place to crack, so we lay them out before the pour. A broom finish, a fine texture dragged across the top, gives shoes and tires some grip when snow melts off the car.
Garage floor questions we hear in Chesterfield
How much does a new garage floor slab cost in the St. Louis area?
A concrete slab in the St. Louis area usually costs about $7 to $14 per square foot, which is the going rate around here, not a quote from us. Tearing out an old floor adds to that, and reinforced concrete runs a little more per square foot than plain. Send the garage size and a few photos and I'll put your own number in writing.
Can I resurface my garage floor instead of replacing it?
Yes, if the old floor is still sound and only the top is worn. Quikrete sells its resurfacer for thin repairs to sound concrete, so it won't fix a slab that's sinking, rocking or cracked clean through. I'll tell you straight which kind of floor you have.
Will my new garage floor crack?
Probably a little, because concrete always cracks to some degree, but well-designed joints control where it happens and keep it small. That's why we plan the joints so the cracks that come land where we chose, and wire mesh won't stop cracks but tends to keep them from opening up. When you compare contractors, ask each one how they'll lay out the joints.
How long does a new garage floor take before I can park on it?
You can usually walk on a new slab within 48 hours, and it's safest to wait about a week before parking a car or rolling heavy loads onto it. It takes about a month to fully cure, which is the concrete slowly hardening as it holds onto its water. Plan on that first week without the garage and go easy for the rest of the month.
Who issues building permits for a garage floor in Chesterfield?
St. Louis County issues building permits in Chesterfield and does the inspections, and the city requires a permit for new construction and for alterations to existing structures. The county keeps a list of work that needs no permit, and you can ask for it at (314) 615-5184. We find out what your address needs and handle the paperwork with you before we set a pour date.
What is the best way to protect a new garage floor in its first winter?
Keep salt off it that first winter and seal it once it has cured. Ohio Concrete advises skipping deicing salts in the first year after a pour and using sand or kitty litter for grip, and one supplier's guide says to seal new concrete after at least 28 days so moisture and deicing chemicals stay out. Salty slush dripping off your car counts too, so sweep it out when you can.
Concrete work that pairs with a new garage floor
Decorative concrete
Once the new slab is down, decorative concrete can add color, a polished look or a pattern to a garage that doubles as a workshop or gym.
Concrete retaining walls
If the ground beside your garage or driveway slopes in, a retaining wall holds the soil back and keeps runoff from washing under your new slab.
Get your garage floor looked at
Call Caliber Chesterfield Concrete Company at (636) 237-0079 or send the form, because we're fully licensed and insured and I'd rather tell you a floor isn't worth replacing than sell you one you don't need.
Mon–Fri: 8 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 7 AM–11 PM