Frequently Asked Questions

Most of the price is labor, base preparation and the concrete itself, not the finish. HomeGuide's driveway guide splits a typical job into about $3 to $8 a square foot for materials and $3 to $7 for labor, before tear-out or grading. In a climate like Sheboygan's, skipping the stone base or the air-entrained mix saves a little now and usually costs a new slab later.

Yes. The City of Sheboygan's Building Inspection FAQ says all concrete work requires a permit regardless of cost. Work in the street right-of-way, such as an apron, curb cut or public sidewalk, also needs a Permit to Excavate from Public Works. We plan both before the job is booked.

Ask each bidder to put slab thickness, base depth, air-entrained concrete, reinforcement, joint layout and permits in writing. Ask who handles the city permits and how the apron at the street is treated. A bid that leaves those out is hard to compare with one that lists them.

HomeGuide's national guide lists standard concrete driveways at $6 to $10 a square foot installed, and $2,400 to $6,000 for a 20 by 20 foot two-car drive. Removing an old driveway adds $2 to $6 a square foot. Local prices vary, and the measured, written quote is your price.

The notice comes from the city's Sidewalk Program, and owners choose how the work gets done. If City tree roots caused the damage, the city credits up to 75 square feet per tree, but only when its own contractor does the work. Call 920-459-3440, option 7, with questions before you decide.

Roughly late April through October. NOAA normals for Sheboygan put the last spring freeze around April 22 and the first fall freeze around October 20. Pours near either end need a mild forecast and sometimes insulated blankets.

Flaking, called scaling, happens when water in the surface freezes and expands, and road salt adds more freeze cycles. Concrete without entrained air, or concrete salted during its first winter, is most likely to scale. Light scaling on a sound slab can be resurfaced; heavy scaling usually means replacement.

Walking is usually fine after a day or two. HomeGuide says to wait at least 7 days before driving on a new driveway and to keep heavy vehicles off for the full 28 to 30 day cure. We give you dates in writing for your slab.

HomeGuide puts a well-built, maintained concrete driveway at 30 to 40 years. In Sheboygan, the base, the air content of the mix, regular sealing and your choice of de-icer decide where in that range it ends up.

We rarely recommend it. New concrete laid over a cracked, settled slab picks up the same cracks and movement, and it raises the height at the garage door and the street. Taking the old slab out and rebuilding the base is the dependable route.

Yes. The city requires a building permit for all concrete work, and a Permit to Excavate from Public Works if the job includes the apron, a curb cut or the public sidewalk. We plan both into the schedule.

HomeGuide calls for at least 4 inches for cars and 5 to 6 inches for RVs or heavy vehicles, with thicker edges. We add depth at the apron and wherever heavy vehicles sit.

HomeGuide says to wait at least 7 days for cars and the full 28 to 30 day cure for heavy vehicles. We give you exact dates based on the mix and the weather that week.

HomeGuide says plain, stained and stamped concrete patios last 30 to 50 years when built and maintained properly. Here, drainage and resealing do the most to keep one in good shape.

HomeGuide gives 4 inches as the standard for residential patios. If it will hold a hot tub or an outdoor kitchen, plan on about 6 inches with extra reinforcement.

In the city, yes. The Building Inspection FAQ says all concrete work requires a permit regardless of cost. In nearby villages and towns, we check the local rules for your address.

Concrete is one continuous slab with no sand joints for weeds, while pavers can be lifted and reset one at a time. HomeGuide lists plain concrete patios at $4 to $12 a square foot. Get prices for the same footprint and compare line by line.

All concrete cracks somewhere. Stamped slabs get control joints like plain ones, and we cut them along pattern lines so the cracks follow the design.

Sealed stamped concrete is slicker when wet than a broom finish. A textured pattern helps, and anti-slip grit in the sealer is a good idea on steps, walks and pool decks.

Every few years on most patios, and sooner on walking paths. When water stops beading or the color looks dull, it is due.

If it is solid and level, a stamped overlay may work. HomeGuide lists overlays at $7 to $15 a square foot for one pattern. A sunken or broken slab should be replaced instead.

The city's Sidewalk Program inspects one of ten target areas each spring and notifies owners whose walks need work. Owners choose how it gets done, and the tree-root credit applies only when the city's contractor does the work. Call 920-459-3440, option 7, for details.

HomeGuide puts typical step repair at $300 to $800 for cracks or small damaged sections. Steps that have sunk, pulled away from the house or have uneven risers are usually better replaced.

Yes. The city's Building Inspection FAQ lists concrete, steps and railings among the work that needs a permit regardless of cost. We pull it before work starts.

Often, if the sections are still in one piece. HomeGuide lists mudjacking a 100-square-foot sidewalk at $400 to $900. Our repair page goes into leveling in more detail.

Usually, yes. The old floor is broken out and removed from inside, walls are supported as needed, and the new slab is poured and tied to the existing foundation or curb.

HomeGuide's slab guide says two-car garage floors are typically reinforced concrete 4 to 6 inches thick. Heavier trucks or equipment call for the thicker end.

In the city, the Building Inspection FAQ says all concrete work needs a permit regardless of cost, so plan on one. We check village and town rules for addresses outside the city.

HomeGuide's slab guide says driving can usually start after 1 to 2 weeks, with a full cure taking 28 to 48 days. We give you dates for your floor.

Both lift a sunken slab. HomeGuide lists mudjacking at $4 to $9 a square foot and foam at $8 to $25, and notes foam often lasts longest. Foam uses smaller holes and lighter material, which helps on soft soil.

HomeGuide says professionally leveled concrete lasts about 5 to 10 years or more, with mudjacking typically 5 to 7 years. Good drainage around the slab makes the biggest difference.

If the slab is level and solid, resurfacing can give it a new top layer for $3 to $7 a square foot on patios and walks, per HomeGuide. Deep scaling over most of the surface usually means replacement.

Hairline cracks are normal and worth sealing. HomeGuide notes cracks wider than about a quarter inch usually point to deeper problems, and cracks with one side higher than the other mean the base has moved.