Concrete Driveway Building in Fayetteville AR - a slab that drains away from your garage
Cracked, sinking or puddling driveway? We dig out the soft ground, pack and grade it, then pour a new slab that sheds water.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free on-site estimates.
- Expect a reply within 1 business day.
What goes into building a concrete driveway, from the dirt up?
Concrete driveway building in Fayetteville is mostly about what goes under the slab. At AJ Fayetteville Concrete Construction we dig out the soft ground, pack and grade what's left so water runs away from your garage, then form, pour, joint and finish a driveway that gives you a flat, solid place to park. The job often starts with tearing out the old driveway, and it ends with the slab curing before you park on it.
Most people call when the old driveway has cracked through, dropped at one corner or started holding a puddle by the garage door, or when they're building new and want it done right the first time. The price mostly turns on the size, whether an old driveway has to come out, how much soft ground we dig out and replace, what will park on it and the finish you pick. The schedule turns on the weather, the cure time before you can drive on it and any permit needed where the driveway meets the street, which I check with the city before we set a date. When I come out, I measure and send a written estimate, so you're working from your own number instead of a guess.
How do you know it's time for a new driveway?
Cracks that keep spreading
A hairline crack or two is normal, but cracks that widen, branch out or lift at the edges usually mean the ground underneath is moving. The longer they stay open, the more water gets in and softens the base, until patching stops being worth the money.
A section sinking lower
When one section sits lower than the one beside it, the dirt underneath has usually settled or washed out because it was never dug out and packed. You end up with a trip edge and a tire bump, and it rarely stops sinking on its own.
Water pooling by the garage
Puddles at the garage door or along the edges mean the slab falls the wrong way, so rain runs toward the house instead of away from it. Left alone, that water works under the slab and toward your foundation, and that's a bigger bill than a driveway.
Often poured alongside a driveway
Concrete patio construction
A back patio poured over the same dug-out, packed ground gives you room to sit outside, and the yard drains better when both slabs are graded together.
Stamped concrete services
Stamped concrete presses a brick, stone or slate pattern into fresh concrete, which works well for an entry walk or a border along the drive.
How we build a concrete driveway that drains
On a driveway the part that matters most is the ground under it, so that's where we start. We strip out the topsoil and soft stuff, compact what's left along with any old utility trenches, and grade the subgrade, the dirt the slab sits on, so water heads away from the garage instead of sitting against it. Some clays in Arkansas swell when they're wet and shrink when they dry, and that kind of trouble is far easier to plan for before construction than to fix after, which is why we don't hurry this part. If the driveway crosses a culvert or a freshly filled trench, that spot gets its own support plan, because pouring it thicker doesn't fix soft ground. Then we set the forms, pour in the cooler part of the day so the top doesn't dry out weak and dusty, and usually give it a broom finish, a light texture that keeps tires and shoes from slipping when it's wet. Our crew cuts control joints on time, shallow grooves that give the slab a straight place to crack instead of a random one, and then it cures, which is just the concrete gaining strength before it takes weight. If the budget's tight, I'd rather you skip the fancy finish than skimp on the base, because a nice top on soft ground cracks just the same.
Most driveway jobs come with a little work around them. If an old driveway is coming out, we break it out and haul it off before any prep starts, and that adds to the job. A lot of owners add a concrete patio the same season so the grading around the house works for both, and some want an entry walk or border done in stamped concrete so the front of the house looks finished and not just paved.
Standard broom-finish driveway
This suits most homes with cars and a pickup coming and going, because the texture grips in the rain and it's the simplest slab to keep up. It also puts most of your money into the base, where it does the most good.
Driveway built for heavier loads
This suits you if a work truck, an RV or a trailer will park on it, because heavier loads can call for a different slab than a typical car driveway. Tell me at the estimate so we plan the thickness and mix for that weight.
Get a written estimate for your new driveway
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set up a free on-site estimate, with no obligation. Rather talk it through? Call (479) 598-4435.
Call (479) 598-4435Why Fayetteville homeowners call AJ Fayetteville Concrete Construction for driveways
I walk the job myself
I come out for the estimate, and I'm on site running our crew through the prep, forming, pouring and finishing. The person who talked through the drainage with you is the one standing there when the grade gets set, and questions are welcome the whole way.
Trained on city sidewalks and curbs
I learned concrete on a city public works crew, pouring sidewalks, curbs and the odd wall, and I started this business in 2020. That work taught me to get the ground and drainage right before the truck shows up, because nobody can fix it once it's poured.
Based in Fayetteville, working nearby
We're based in Fayetteville and work across Northwest Arkansas, in the cities on this site and plenty of others around them. We're licensed and fully insured, so you aren't carrying the risk while our crew works on your property.
The ground under a driveway is the part you can't see once it's poured, so ask me anything about it. Call (479) 598-4435 or contact us and I'll come take a look.
What happens after you call about a new driveway?
Call or send the form
Reach us by phone or the form, and we'll get back to you to set a time for me to come out. Morning, evening or weekend visits are fine, since we answer seven days a week.
I walk and measure it
I walk the job with you, measure, watch where the water runs and talk through what you want. Then I send a written estimate that lays out the work, so you can take your time with it.
We prep, pour and walk it
Once you say go, I check with the city and line up any inspections, then our crew preps, forms, pours and finishes. When it's done, we walk it with you and go over when it's ready for your car.
Common questions
How much does a concrete driveway cost in Fayetteville, AR?
Concrete driveway work in Fayetteville usually runs about $6 to $11 per square foot, not counting tearing out an old driveway. That's the going rate around here, not our price, and where your job lands depends on the size, how much ground needs work, what will park on it and the finish. My written estimate gives you your own number.
How long before I can drive on my new concrete driveway?
One concrete publisher says a new driveway is usually strong enough to hold a car after 7 to 10 days. The edges are still weaker at that point, so keep your tires away from them a while longer, and I'll tell you when yours is ready.
Do I need a city permit for a driveway in Fayetteville?
Work where your driveway meets the street falls under the right-of-way permit the city lists for driveways, curb cuts and other digging in the public right-of-way. The city's Development Services Department coordinates permits for construction in Fayetteville, and I check with them on your job before we set a date. If a permit's needed, we handle the paperwork and line up the inspections.
Does a concrete driveway need rebar?
Reinforcement such as rebar, steel set inside the slab, helps keep cracks narrow and holds the slab together if it does crack, but it doesn't replace solid ground and well-placed joints. A reinforced driveway on soft dirt still settles, so we decide on reinforcement at the estimate once we know your ground and what will park on it.
How long does a concrete driveway last?
One concrete publisher puts a concrete driveway's life at 40 years or longer, and in my experience those years depend on the base under it. If you use ice melt in winter, ask whether the mix has entrained air, tiny bubbles that help concrete hold up through freezing and thawing and limit flaking from de-icers.
What is the best time of year to pour a concrete driveway?
Concrete cures best when the air stays above 50°F, so the milder months are the easy window. In colder weather curing slows way down or can stop, so if your pour lands in a cold stretch, ask me how we'll keep it curing and I'll walk you through it.
Plan your new concrete driveway
Call (479) 598-4435 or send the form with the rough size, whether an old driveway comes out and what will park on it, so I show up ready to talk real options.