Concrete contractor in Crowley, LA - driveways, walks and slabs on solid ground
B&R Lafayette Concrete Construction is a concrete contractor based in Lafayette that builds driveways, patios, walks, steps and slabs for homes and small businesses in Crowley, starting with the ground the concrete sits on.
Crowley as we see it on our jobs
Crowley has a historic downtown where many homes and buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and a lot of the older houses around it still have the narrow driveways, front walks and porch steps they were built with. Farther out we see newer houses on roomier lots, along with shops and offices whose owners call us about parking areas and walks.
It's a short drive west of us, past Rayne, so our crew works here much the way it does at home. On the older lots the job usually starts with an old slab to break out and ground that has settled under it, which is why we look at the base before we talk about the finish.
Services in Crowley, LA
Concrete driveway building
Older Crowley driveways are often narrow and cracked where the base gave way. We break them out, rebuild the base and pour new concrete with planned joints.
Concrete sidewalk building
Front walks by older Crowley houses often tip and sink one section at a time. We replace them on a packed base so the walk sits level again.
Concrete steps construction
Porch steps on older homes here tend to pull away from the house or chip at the edges. We form and pour new steps on firm, packed ground.
Slab foundation building
Additions and new buildings on Crowley lots need ground that won't settle. Our slab foundation building work starts with grading and packing that ground before any pour.
Concrete parking lot building
Crowley shop owners call us when a lot holds water or breaks up under traffic. We rebuild the base and slope the new concrete so water leaves the lot.
Concrete cutting
Widening an older Crowley driveway or adding a walk often means cutting into sound concrete. We saw clean, straight lines so the new pour meets the old slab neatly.
What we've learned working in Crowley
In Crowley, every permit comes from the city's Code Enforcement Department, so before we put your job on the calendar we check with that office for your address, and if a permit is needed we take care of the application and keep you informed. That check can move the start date, which is why we finish it before we promise a pour day. Code Enforcement also issues business permits, while the City Clerk's office handles occupational licenses, the city's local license to do business, and we're fully licensed and insured.
Most of the price on a Crowley job is settled before any concrete arrives, by how big the slab is, whether an old one has to be broken out and hauled off, how much ground has to be dug out and packed, and how easily the truck can reach the forms. The schedule turns mostly on the permit check and on how much of that ground work your job needs, and your written estimate spells out both so you can see what you're paying for. We do the same work in Abbeville and across the cities around Lafayette, so please ask if your city isn't named on our site.
What Crowley houses and lots usually need from us
On older Crowley houses we see walks and steps that have sunk or tipped, and driveways cracked straight across, usually because the original base was dirt raked level rather than dug out and packed. A slab only holds up as well as the subgrade, the ground it rests on, so we dig down to firm soil, pack a new base in layers and set our forms before we think about the surface.
Water is the other thing we watch. On the flat lots we work on here, we check where your water runs before we set a form, so the new slab falls away from the house and toward the yard or the street instead of pooling against your garage.
Get a written estimate for your Crowley concrete job
Send us your address and a few words about the job, and we'll reply within one business day to set a time for me to come out to your place in Crowley. The estimate is free, done on site and comes with no obligation.
How a concrete job in Crowley goes once you call us
Call us or send the form
We set a time for me to come out to your Crowley property. It helps if you have a rough idea of where you'd like the new concrete to go.
I walk the spot with you
I look at the old concrete, the ground under it and where your water runs, and I ask how you'll use the space. Please point out anywhere water stands after a rain.
You get a written estimate
It lists what's included and what isn't, from breaking out the old slab to the finish on top. Nothing goes on the calendar until you've read it and said yes.
We check the permit first
We check with the city's Code Enforcement office for your address, and if a permit is needed we handle the application and keep you informed. The pour date is set once that's settled.
Our crew lead runs the work
Our crew lead and finishers dig out, pack the base, set the forms, pour and cut the joints, and I come by to check the work and answer your questions. Before we leave, we clean up and tell you when the slab is ready to walk and drive on.
Crowley concrete questions we hear
Where do I send a building permit request in Crowley?
Building permit requests in Crowley go by email to buildingpermits@crowley-la.com, and the city's forms, including a site plan form that shows where the work will go on your lot, are on its building permit forms page. Those forms name fences, moves and signs rather than concrete work, so we check with the city for your address before we schedule, and when a permit is needed we handle it for you.
How do I find out if my Crowley house needs historic district review?
Ask the city when the permit question goes in, because Crowley's building permit forms include a historic district review procedure for work in a historic district. On older houses we raise that question during our permit check and pass along what the city tells us.
How much does a concrete driveway cost in Crowley?
The cost of a Crowley driveway comes down to its size and the work underneath it, so I give you a figure only after I've seen the spot. A long drive that needs old concrete broken out and the base rebuilt costs more than a new pour on firm ground, a stamped finish costs more than a broom finish, the plain brushed texture that gives shoes and tires grip, and added thickness or rebar, the steel that holds the pieces together if the slab cracks, adds to it too. If something has to give, I'd trim the finish before the base, because the base is buried on the first day and decides whether the driveway settles.
How long until I can drive on a new driveway in Crowley?
Usually about a week, and you can walk on it after a day or two. That wait is curing, the time concrete spends slowly gaining strength, and a car on it too early can crack or mark the surface. Driveways are usually poured about 4 inches thick, and we'll tell you the day for your own job before we leave.
What causes old driveways and walks in Crowley to crack and sink?
Most sinking starts with a base that was raked level instead of dug out and packed, so the slab drops as the dirt under it settles. Cracks land wherever the slab chooses when control joints, the shallow cuts that give a crack a straight place to run, are cut late or skipped, and water running under the slab makes both worse. Any slab can crack, but packing the base, checking the water and cutting joints on time keep cracks where we planned them.
Can concrete washout or grass clippings go down the storm drain in Crowley?
It's best to keep both out, because water in Crowley's storm drains goes straight to local waterways without treatment, and the city's stormwater guidance says grass and other waste there can block drainage and hurt water quality. On our jobs we keep washout and saw slurry out of the gutter and the street.
Call us about your Crowley concrete job
We answer (337) 216-1997 seven days a week, from early morning into the evening, or you can send the form and we'll set a time for me to come see the spot.