Concrete contractor in Talladega, AL - slabs that start with the ground underneath
Oxford Concrete is a concrete contractor based in Oxford that pours driveways, patios, sidewalks, steps, garage floors and foundations for homes and small businesses in Talladega, AL, starting with the ground under the slab.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free quotes on site.
- Replies within 1 business day.
Talladega homes, from Victorian houses to newer lots
On our jobs in Talladega, a lot of the concrete we're asked to replace sits beside a house with some age on it. The Silk Stocking District holds homes from before the Civil War through the early 1900s, many of them Victorian, and the older streets near downtown carry that same age in their front walks, porch steps and narrow driveways. Farther out, the lots get bigger and the houses newer, with long driveways, detached shops and the occasional small business that needs a slab for parking or a building.
We see the same mix of old and new in Lincoln and the other cities near us in Oxford. On an older lot, the job usually starts with tearing out what's there and finding out what it was poured on, because that, more than the surface, is why it sank or cracked.
Concrete work we do on Talladega properties
Concrete driveway building
Many older driveways here sat on dirt that was only raked flat, so on a replacement we dig out the soft ground and pack a real base.
Concrete patio construction
A patio behind an older house usually has to meet a door or an old step, and we slope it so rain runs away from the wall.
Stamped concrete services
Stamped concrete gives a walk or patio the look of brick or stone, which can suit an older Talladega home better than a plain gray slab.
Concrete sidewalk building
When a front walk has heaved or sunk enough to catch a toe, we take out the bad sections and pour new ones on a packed base.
Garage floor concrete
An old garage floor that's cracked, pitted or holding puddles can be broken out and repoured, with the slope set toward the door, not the back wall.
Decorative concrete
Color, borders and exposed stone let new concrete sit easier beside a house with some age on it, and we talk through upkeep before you pick.
Concrete retaining walls
Where a yard drops toward the street, a retaining wall holds the soil back, and the drainage behind it matters as much as the wall.
Concrete floor installation
For a shop, storage building or room addition, we pour interior floors flat and finished smooth enough for what goes on them next.
Concrete pool decks
Around a pool, we use a textured finish so wet feet don't slip, and we slope the deck so splash water drains off instead of pooling.
Concrete steps construction
Older houses often have tall front steps that have pulled away from the porch, and we rebuild them with every step the same height so nobody misjudges one.
Slab foundation building
A slab foundation for a new house, garage or addition starts with the subgrade, the ground it sits on, so we get that dug, packed and checked first.
Foundation installation
When you're building on a lot with some grade to it, we set the foundation to the ground you actually have instead of forcing a standard layout.
Concrete parking lot building
For a small business lot, we pour parking areas that drain to the right spot and hold up under daily cars and delivery trucks.
Concrete footings
Footings carry the weight of a wall, porch or addition down to firm ground, so we check the soil at the bottom of the trench before we pour.
Foundation raising
When part of a slab or an older house has settled, we look for why it sank before raising it, because lifting without fixing the cause rarely lasts.
Concrete cutting
Cutting through an old slab lets us add a drain line, widen a driveway or remove one bad section without breaking out the whole thing.
Get a free concrete estimate in Talladega
We'll get back to you within one business day to set a time for me to come out to Talladega and walk the job with you. The estimate is free and on site, with no obligation.
(256) 649-5980- Based in
- Oxford, AL 36203
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 6 AM–9 PM, Sat–Sun: 8 AM–10 PM
Working in Talladega: permits, inspections and what we check
In Talladega, the city's Building Inspection Department issues building permits, and its list includes site prep and excavation work and accessory structures, though it doesn't name driveways or patios on their own. So before we start any job here, we check with that office about what it needs and tell you plainly who handles it, and if a permit is required, every one the city issues comes with inspections, which can set the pour date. The city also issues its own business license, so it's fair to ask any contractor about theirs, and we're fully licensed and insured.
The price on a Talladega job moves with the size of the slab, how much old concrete has to come out, how far down we dig to reach firm ground, how the water has to be routed and the finish you pick. The schedule turns on the weather, any inspection the city books and curing, the days new concrete needs before it can take weight. We work Talladega the same way we do Pell City and the other cities around Oxford, and your estimate lists what's in it and what isn't, so you can see where the money goes.
Why Talladega driveways and patios sink and crack
Most of the sunken or broken slabs we look at were poured on dirt that was raked level instead of dug out and packed, so the concrete settled right along with the soft ground under it. On older lots there's often old fill and tree roots in the mix, and a new slab poured over the same ground will do the same thing. We dig out the soft material, pack a base in layers and add rebar, steel bars that hold the slab together if it does crack, where the job calls for it.
The other thing we see is water running the wrong way, toward the foundation or into a low spot where it sits and softens the ground. Before we set a single form, we figure out where your water goes now and slope the new slab to carry it off.
How a concrete job runs when you call us in Talladega
Here's what happens from your side, from the first call to the day the job is done, and when it helps to have you there.
Call or send the form
You reach us at (256) 649-5980 or through the form, and we get back to you to set a time that suits you. Our hours run into the weekend, so a Saturday call is fine.
Walk the site with me
I come out, walk the yard with you and ask a lot of questions about drainage, the old slab and how you use the space, so it helps if you're home. Then you get a written estimate that lists what's in it and what isn't, so you can compare it line by line.
Prep the ground and pour
Our crew digs out and packs the base, sets the forms and cuts control joints, the grooves that give the slab a planned place to crack, and I'm on site for the pour. If the city needs to inspect first, its permit office keeps hours Monday to Friday, 8 AM to 4 PM, so we book the pour around that visit.
Walk the finished job together
Before we leave, we walk the finished slab with you and point out anything you should know about it. We'll give you a date for walking on it and a later one for driving on it, because concrete keeps gaining strength well after it looks dry.
Questions about concrete work in Talladega
How do I apply for a building permit in Talladega, AL?
You fill out the city's standard permit application and can email it, completed and with plans, to buildinginspector@talladega.com. Whether your driveway or patio needs one is the city's call, and we check with the office before any job starts so you know before anything's poured.
How do I request a building inspection in Talladega?
Call the city's inspection office at 256-362-8186 Ext. 1027 or send an email, because inspections are by appointment. When your job has a permit, we plan our pour around that appointment.
What building codes does Talladega enforce for new construction?
The city enforces the International Residential Code for houses and the International Building Code for other buildings, each with the city's own amendments or exceptions. Those are the rules a permitted footing, slab foundation or garage gets checked against, so we build to them and to whatever the inspector asks for.
Does living in the Silk Stocking District change anything for a concrete project in Talladega?
The city's permit application asks whether your project is in a historic district, so owners in one answer that question when they apply. If your house is in or near the district, tell us at the estimate and we'll ask the city what it means for your job before we plan anything.
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Talladega?
Your price comes from the size of the driveway, any tear-out of old concrete, the base work your ground needs and the finish you choose, and we put a number on all of that at the estimate. If the budget's tight, I'd rather you go with a plain broom finish, the light texture that gives tires and shoes some grip, than cut the base, because the base is the part you can't fix later without tearing the whole thing out.
What causes a new concrete driveway or patio to crack in Talladega?
Concrete shrinks as it dries, so most slabs crack somewhere, and the real question is whether it cracks where you chose. That's what the control joints are for, and a packed base, rebar where the job needs it and a pour timed out of the midday heat help keep cracks small and the top from turning weak and dusty.
Oxford, AL
Call us about your Talladega concrete job
Call (256) 649-5980 or send the form, because the questions I ask at the estimate are a lot cheaper to answer than a surprise on pour day.