Most concrete around Smyrna doesn't need to be torn out. A driveway that has settled an inch at the garage, a patio with a crack running corner to corner, a walkway whose surface has worn thin: these are often sound slabs with one problem, and we fix that problem. Repair, leveling and resurfacing cover that ground. We fill and seal cracks, raise sunken sections back to grade, and bond a new surface over old concrete that is still structurally fine underneath.
The first thing we do on any property is find out why the slab moved or failed. Gwinnett soil is Cobb County's dominant type, and it drains well, but it varies across the county, so we test every site individually before work starts. That tells us whether a section can be lifted and will stay put, or whether the base under it needs attention first. Resurfacing only goes over concrete that passes that check. A fresh surface on a failing slab just hides the failure for a while.
Water is behind most of what we see. The area gets about 59 inches of rain a year, and when that water runs toward a slab instead of away from it, it can soften the base and wash material out from under the edges. Cracks let more in. So part of every repair is looking at drainage: where the downspouts empty, how the yard slopes, whether the joints are sealed. Fixing the slab without fixing the water means doing the job twice. Call for a free estimate on both.
The cost of a slab comes down to things we can measure on site: its footprint, its thickness, how much ground has to be cut or filled, and what goes inside it. A shed pad on flat, firm ground is simple. A garage slab carrying vehicles needs more depth, rebar set on chairs and a compacted gravel base. Access for the truck matters too. We test the soil at every site first, then write an estimate that shows each of those lines separately.
Most driveway failures start underneath. We dig out soft material, lay and compact a gravel base, and set rebar or wire mesh so the slab holds together if it does crack. Edges get thickened where tires roll off. With about 59 inches of rain a year here, slope matters as much as strength, so we pitch every driveway to carry water away from the garage and foundation. Finishes run from a plain broom surface to stamped or exposed aggregate.
Interior floors ask for a different kind of care than outdoor work. Under a basement, garage or shop floor we lay a vapor barrier so ground moisture does not work up through the finish. The surface is power troweled flat and smooth, then sealed, polished or stained depending on how the room gets used. A residential garage and a storefront near Marietta Square share the same basics: a level slab, and saw-cut control joints placed before cracks pick their own line.
Cracks, sunken sections and flaking surfaces each have a different cause. Patch the symptom without finding it and the problem comes back. So we look first: settled fill, a washout from a downspout, tree roots, or a slab poured too thin. Settled sections can often be lifted and leveled by pumping material beneath them. Surface scaling calls for grinding and a bonded resurfacing layer. When a slab is broken through or its base is gone, replacing that section is the honest answer.
A sidewalk is a narrow slab that takes foot traffic, mowers, roots and runoff. We form it straight, compact the base, and cut joints at regular spacing so shrinkage cracks fall where they are meant to. A light broom finish keeps it from getting slick on wet mornings. Where a walk meets a driveway, a stoop or the public sidewalk, we match the grades so no edge sits high enough to catch a toe. Call for a free estimate.
A cracked walkway or a sunken driveway slab in Smyrna is usually telling you something about what sits underneath it. We start there. Before we grind, patch or resurface anything, we find out why it moved: water running under an edge, a void where the fill settled, reinforcement that was never placed. Repair that ignores the cause tends to crack again along the same line. Repair that fixes it lets concrete you already own keep doing its job.
Every site is tested individually before work starts. Gwinnett soil, which drains well, is the dominant type in Cobb County, but it varies from one property to the next, so we check instead of assuming. After that the work is straightforward. We lift or level the settled sections, cut out what is past saving, and resurface so old and new materials bond and wear as one surface. Residential driveways and patios get the same process as commercial frontage.
Rain is the condition we plan around most. The area sees about 59 inches a year, and water that finds a crack will keep working at it. So we seal joints, pitch surfaces to carry water away from the structure, and match resurfacing materials to what they will actually face. Decorative and stamped finishes can go over sound concrete as part of the same project. If your slab has started to move, call for a free estimate.
We start by walking the property and working out what the slab has to carry: a car, a loaded trailer, foot traffic, or nothing heavier than patio chairs. Gwinnett soil, which drains well, is the dominant type in Cobb County, but it varies across the county, so every site is tested individually before work starts. We check grade, where water runs after a storm, and where roots, utility lines and old concrete sit. The estimate is built around what we find.
Most failed slabs fail from the ground up. We dig out sod, topsoil and anything organic, because it rots and leaves voids under the concrete. Soft spots get removed and replaced rather than covered over. Crushed stone goes in next, spread in lifts and compacted with a plate compactor, one layer at a time. The finished base is graded to carry water away from the house. With about 59 inches of rain a year here, that slope matters more than anything poured on top of it.
Forms are straight lumber or steel, staked tight and checked against a string line so the edges run true and the slope stays where we set it. Driveways and anything carrying vehicles get rebar tied in a grid and raised on chairs. Steel lying in the dirt does nothing; it has to sit inside the slab. Lighter patios and walks may get wire mesh or fiber reinforcement instead. Expansion joint material goes wherever new concrete meets the house, a step or an existing slab.
Truck access gets settled before the pour, not during it. We order a mix matched to the job, plan a route that keeps a loaded truck off your existing driveway, and have the crew and tools staged before it arrives. Concrete goes in continuously so no batch sets up against the next and leaves a cold joint. We don't add water at the chute. It makes the pour easier and the slab weaker, dustier and more likely to crack. Then we screed it flat to the forms.
The bull float goes on right after screeding. Then we wait for the bleed water to leave the surface before touching it again. Trowel too early and that water gets trapped in the top layer, which later flakes off in patches (scaling). Driveways and walks get a broom finish for grip. Patios can be troweled smooth, stamped with a pattern, or colored for a decorative finish. Control joints are tooled or saw-cut so the slab cracks along our lines instead of its own.
Concrete keeps gaining strength for weeks after it looks done, and only if it holds onto its moisture. Right after finishing, we apply a curing compound or cover the slab with wet burlap or plastic, depending on the finish and the weather. Hot, windy afternoons pull water out of the surface fast and leave fine shrinkage cracks, so we watch those days closely. Foot traffic comes back well before vehicles do. Rushing either one is how a good slab gets marked early.
Once the slab has cured, a sealer slows down the water, oil and leaf stains that soak into bare concrete. Penetrating sealers leave the surface looking natural. Film-forming sealers add a slight sheen and more stain resistance. Stamped and decorative work needs sealing most, since it also deepens the color and protects the texture of the pattern. Plain broom-finished driveways benefit too. Resealing every few years is ordinary upkeep, and we tell you which product went down so it can be matched later.
We don't publish a price list, because two jobs with the same footprint can land far apart once the site is factored in. What moves the number is mostly visible from your own driveway or backyard, and every site is tested individually before work starts.
| What changes the price | Which way | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Old concrete or asphalt still in place | costs more | It has to be broken out, loaded and hauled off before any new work begins. |
| How close a truck can get to the pour | costs less when close | If a ready-mix truck can back up to the forms, we chute straight in. Fences, tight side yards or steep grades mean pumping or wheelbarrows. |
| Thickness and reinforcement | costs more when heavier | A driveway carrying a work truck needs more depth and more rebar than a patio carrying a grill. |
| Where water goes now | costs more when it pools | Low spots and downspouts that empty onto the slab have to be regraded or drained first. With about 59" of rain a year, drainage mistakes show up fast. |
| Roots, stumps and buried lines | costs more | Roots get cut back, stumps come out, and marked utility lines are dug around by hand. |
| How far the slab has dropped | costs more the worse it is | A slab that has settled but stayed in one piece can often be lifted and leveled. One that has broken apart usually needs replacing. |
| Condition under a resurfacing job | costs less when sound | An overlay only holds on a solid slab. Flaking, hollow or crumbling spots get repaired before any new surface goes down. |
When you compare bids, line them up on thickness, reinforcement, base preparation and who removes the old material. A lower number often leaves one of those out. Ours lists each separately, so the comparison is straightforward. Call for a free estimate.
Ask for current license and insurance documents before any contractor sets foot on your property, and verify them with the issuer yourself instead of trusting a photocopy. That applies to every company you talk to, including this one. Concrete is heavy, permanent construction. If a truck cracks a sidewalk or a form fails mid-pour, those documents decide who pays, so they deserve a real look before you sign anything.
Mostly through water. Smyrna gets about 59 inches of rain a year and around 1 inch of snow, with average daily highs and lows near 72°F and 53°F. Water pooling on or under a patio is what shortens its life, so we slope every surface away from the house, compact the base, set reinforcement in the slab and seal stamped and decorative finishes. Soil gets tested on every site first. Gwinnett soil, which drains well, is the most common type, but it varies from lot to lot.
Yes. We pour reinforced concrete retaining walls for residential properties where a slope needs holding back, whether that means a terraced yard, a level patio area or a driveway cut into a grade. The parts nobody sees do the real work: footing depth, steel reinforcement, and drainage behind the wall so water pressure never builds up against it. Taller walls, or walls carrying a driveway load, get an engineered design before any construction begins.
Get any warranty terms in writing, read what they cover and what they exclude, and do it before the project starts rather than after. Terms only matter as much as the work underneath them. A slab lasts because the base was compacted, the reinforcement sits where it should, and the concrete cured properly. Those three things are the questions worth asking about your own job, whoever you hire.
No. We work across metro Atlanta, on the same terms everywhere. A resurfaced driveway in Kennesaw gets the same crew, the same materials and the same prep as a patio in Smyrna. Commercial work, like storefront walks and small parking areas, follows the same approach as residential. If you are not sure whether your street falls inside our area, call and ask.
Before the first form goes in, we lay plywood over any lawn or pavers the equipment has to cross, and cover siding, foundation walls and fences near the pour with plastic. Trucks wash out in a contained spot, never in your yard or a storm drain. Broken concrete from a tear-out leaves with us. Tools get stacked at the end of each day, and when the job is finished, forms, stakes and debris are all hauled away.