Concrete Contractor in New Iberia, LA - Slabs Built on Packed Ground
B&R Lafayette Concrete Construction is a concrete contractor based in Lafayette that pours driveways, patios, steps, walks and slabs for homes and businesses in New Iberia, starting with the ground underneath, because that's what decides how the slab holds up.
What New Iberia's houses and lots ask of new concrete
New Iberia follows the bends of Bayou Teche, and the blocks around Main Street hold many of the older houses we work on, with narrow driveways, front steps up to a raised porch and walks that were laid long ago. Out toward the edges of the city, the subdivisions are newer and the calls turn to patios and wider driveways, and along the main roads, shops and offices call about lots and entry walks.
We also work in nearby Saint Martinville and Youngsville, and New Iberia's older blocks take more planning than most. A porch set at its own height, a tight side yard and an old walk that has to meet the new slab all mean we measure the house as it is and build the forms to fit it.
Services in New Iberia, LA
Concrete driveway building
Narrow driveways beside older houses here often need a full tear-out, not a patch. We break out the old slab, pack the subgrade underneath and pour new.
Concrete patio construction
Many backyards here have a small slab at the back door with no room for a table. We pour a larger patio that meets your step evenly.
Concrete steps construction
Front steps on older houses here often crack and pull from the porch. We build new concrete steps on packed ground, with steel rebar holding them together.
Concrete sidewalk building
Walks on older lots here often heave or chip into trip edges. We replace the bad runs and cut control joints, grooves that steer where a crack goes.
Foundation raising
When an older house here settles, you see it in sticking doors and sloping floors. We check what's underneath before we raise and support it.
Concrete parking lot building
Small shops and offices here call us when lots and entry walks break up under daily traffic. We plan thicker slabs and steel where vehicles turn.
Permits, licenses and what sets the price in New Iberia
Permits here come from the city's Permit & Inspection Department, which issues them for building, remodeling, adding to or tearing down a structure, and lists fences, signs and moving a house among the jobs that need one. In the department's words, a permit must be obtained "for any and all work before any work begins," so we check with them about your address and your project before anything is scheduled, and when a permit is needed we take care of the application and keep you informed. Occupational licenses for businesses in the city are overseen by the city's Tax Office, so that's the place to ask about any contractor you're considering, and we're fully licensed and insured.
The price of a job here mostly follows what's under and around it, which means how much old concrete has to be broken out and hauled away, how deep we dig to reach firm ground, how much base we pack back in, the size of the slab and how close the truck can get on a narrow lot or a tight downtown street. The schedule turns on that permit check, on what we find once the old slab is up and on a dry day to pour. Your written estimate spells each of these out, the same way we write them for homeowners in Crowley and every other city we work in.
Why driveways and walks here crack, sink or hold water
Many of the cracked, sinking driveways and walks we look at here were poured on dirt that was raked level instead of dug out and packed, so the concrete went down as the ground under it did. We break out the old slab, dig to firm ground, pack the base in layers and add steel rebar where the load calls for it. If a budget has to give somewhere, I'd rather trim the finish than the base, because you'll never see the base again, but it decides whether the new slab stays flat.
Water is the other thing we watch. A patio or driveway that tips toward the house sends rain to your foundation and leaves puddles at the door, so before we set forms we look at where water runs across your lot and slope the new slab to carry it away.
Request a free on-site estimate for your New Iberia project
We reply to every call and request within one business day to set a time for me to come out to your New Iberia property. The on-site estimate is free and comes with no obligation, so you can read it over and decide in your own time.
What happens after you call us about a New Iberia job
Call or send your request
Call (337) 216-1997 or use the request form, and we set a time that suits you. It helps to know roughly where the concrete goes and what it will carry.
Walk the site with me
I come out, look at the spot, ask how you'll use it and watch where water goes on your lot. If an old slab is coming out, show me where puddles sit after a rain.
Read your written estimate
You get a written estimate that lists what's included and what isn't. That way you can compare it line by line with any other bid.
Check the permit before scheduling
We check with the city's permit office for your address before anything goes on the calendar, and when a permit is needed, we take care of the application. If plans are part of it, the start date waits until the city has reviewed and approved them.
Our crew builds, I check
On the work days our crew lead runs the job with our finishers. I come by to check the work and answer any questions you have.
Concrete questions we hear in New Iberia
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in New Iberia?
Your figure comes from a written estimate after I've seen the spot, since the tear-out, base work and size covered above set most of the price. From there your choices move it, because a plain broom finish, the light brushed texture that keeps shoes and tires from slipping, costs less than stamped or colored concrete, and a thicker slab with more steel for trucks or a trailer costs more than one for two cars. Call (337) 216-1997 and I'll come take a look.
How long before I can drive on a new concrete driveway in New Iberia?
Usually you can walk on new concrete after a couple of days, but keep cars off for about a week while it cures, the slow hardening that gives concrete its strength. Heavier trucks should wait longer, and I'll go over the timing for your slab when I come by during the job.
What is the best way to keep a new concrete patio from cracking?
Build it on a dug-out, packed base and control where it cracks, because concrete shrinks as it dries and nearly every slab cracks somewhere. We cut the control joints early so those cracks fall in the grooves, pour in the cooler part of the day so the top doesn't dry into a weak, dusty surface, and keep the slab from drying too fast while it cures.
How do I schedule a building inspection in New Iberia?
You schedule it by phone with the city's inspection office or in person at City Hall, 457 E. Main Street, Suite 412, on the 4th floor. Every permit the department issues has inspections on it, and the city's inspection and permit page has the details. When we handle the permit for your job, we keep you informed as each inspection comes up.
What plans does New Iberia need for a building permit?
A home project gives the department one set of detailed plans, and a commercial project gives it one copy of plans approved and stamped by the State Fire Marshal. The department reviews and approves those plans, and since we check with the city before scheduling, we'll tell you whether your job calls for them and how they affect your start date.
Will a Lafayette concrete contractor come to New Iberia for a small job like front steps?
Yes, we're based in Lafayette and work in New Iberia and the cities around it, including jobs as small as a set of steps or a short walk. Please ask if your city isn't named on this site, since those pages aren't every place we work.
Call about your New Iberia concrete job
We pick up seven days a week and until 11 PM on weeknights, so call (337) 216-1997 after work or send the request form whenever it suits you.