Concrete Contractors in Two Rivers, WI

Two Rivers sits on Lake Michigan where the East Twin and West Twin rivers meet, less than a mile before they reach the lake, and the concrete contractors who work here need to know the city's detailed sidewalk rules. The 2020 census counted 11,271 residents and 5,638 housing units. We pour and replace sidewalks, driveways, patios, stamped concrete, steps and stoops, and garage and shed slabs, and we repair concrete that has failed.

The city's sidewalk manual, in plain terms

The City of Two Rivers publishes a sidewalk manual that spells out most of what a homeowner needs to know.

• Who is responsible: the owner of land next to a city street maintains the sidewalk. When the city sends a notice, the owner has at least 45 days to say how the work will be done.
• Permit and inspections: owners or their contractors need a permit from the City Engineering Department, the forms are inspected before any concrete is placed, and the finished walk gets a final inspection. Permit fees double if the permit is not pulled before work starts.
• Thickness: standard 5-foot-4-inch walks are 4 inches thick, and the slab is 6 inches thick where the walk crosses a driveway, placed in one monolithic pour.
• Base and mix: at least 4 inches of compacted sand or gravel, and air-entrained ready-mix meeting Wisconsin DOT Grade A with a minimum strength of 4,000 psi.
• When a slab must go: settling or heaving of three-quarters of an inch or more between slabs, among other defects.

We build to those numbers and schedule the inspections, so the walk passes the first time.

Corner lots and timing

The manual says repairs within the corner pie-shaped slab or the curb ramp at a corner lot are paid by the city. It also asks that a removed walk be replaced within 14 calendar days and the edges backfilled with topsoil within three days of pulling the forms. If your notice covers several squares and your driveway is also tired, it often makes sense to do both at once.

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Lots of snow

Wikipedia lists average annual snowfall in Two Rivers at 46.1 inches, well above the 34.6 inches it lists for Manitowoc next door, and a record low of minus 28. More snow means more plowing, more shoveling and more de-icer, all of which are hard on concrete. The city's manual addresses cold weather directly: if freezing temperatures are forecast within 24 hours, concrete placed in the last 72 hours must be covered, and salt and heating are not allowed as shortcuts. We follow the same practice on driveways and patios.

Older homes and a shrinking population

Two Rivers peaked at 13,732 residents in 1970 and has been smaller since. That means most of its houses are not new, and much of the concrete around them has been in place for decades. Replacing old walks, stoops and narrow drives is a big share of our work here. The city also holds the Rawley Point Light, at 111 feet the tallest lighthouse on the Great Lakes, and claims the first ice cream sundae, served at Edward C. Berners' soda fountain in 1881.

What we pour in Two Rivers

• Public sidewalks: replacements built to the manual, with permits and inspections
• Driveways and aprons: including the 6-inch section where the walk crosses
• Patios and stamped concrete: for back yards
• Steps and stoops: rebuilt on proper footings
• Garage and shed slabs: new floors and pads

Call (920) 635-2280 to set up a visit.