Concrete Floor Installation in Lafayette LA - a slab ready for the floor you choose
Need a concrete floor for a room, shop or addition? We prepare the ground first, so the slab holds up under the covering you choose.
What goes into a new concrete floor in Lafayette?
Concrete floor installation in Lafayette, LA means pouring a concrete slab on prepared ground so it can carry the tile, wood, carpet or coating you plan to put on top of it.
Most people who call us about a floor are building something new, such as a room, a shop, an addition or a home, and they want a slab that stays flat and dry under whatever goes on it. The price mostly comes down to the size of the floor, how much ground has to be dug out and rebuilt before we pour, whether the slab carries steel and what finish it needs. The schedule turns on that ground work, the permit check for your address and a good day to pour. I'll give you the figure for your own floor in a written estimate that lists what's included and what isn't. We're based in Lafayette and do this work in the cities around it, so please ask if your city isn't on our list.
What happens after you call us about a concrete floor?
Call us to set a visit
When you call (337) 216-1997 or send the form, we set a time for me to come out to your property. I make the visit myself, so the person who prices your floor is the one who saw your ground.
I look over the site
I see the spot, ask how you'll use the floor and look at where water goes around it, then send a written estimate that lists what's included and what isn't. We also check with the permit office for your address before anything is scheduled.
Our crew builds your floor
On the work days our crew lead runs the job with our finishers, and I come by to check the work and answer your questions. When the floor is done, we clean up the site and go over it with you.
How we install a concrete floor, and the work that often comes with it
I start where I always do, with the ground, because if what the slab sits on is weak, the floor is far more likely to settle and fail no matter how much steel goes into it. Our crew digs out soft soil, brings in base material and packs it down in layers rather than raking it level, and that care matters here because research on Louisiana soils found every developed part of the state carries some risk of expansive soil, the kind that swells when wet and shrinks as it dries. Before we lay the vapor barrier, a plastic sheet that keeps ground moisture from coming up through the slab, I ask what covering you plan, because national floor guidance says coverings and coatings get the most protection when that barrier sits right against the concrete. Then we set the forms, place any rebar, the steel bars that tie the slab together, pour, finish the surface to suit your covering and cut control joints, shallow grooves that give the concrete a straight place to crack as it shrinks. When a budget is tight, the base is usually the first thing people want to trim, since nobody sees it once the floor is down, and I'd rather trim the finish, because a nice surface on a poor base won't hold up.
A new floor often leads to work outside the walls. If the room opens toward a pool, we can build the concrete pool deck around it on the same kind of packed base, and where a new floor sits higher than the yard, we build concrete steps that meet the door at the right height.
Ask for a written estimate on your concrete floor
We reply to every message within one business day to set a time for me to come out and look at the spot. The on-site estimate is free, and you're under no obligation once you've read it.
Questions about concrete floors in Lafayette
How much does a concrete floor cost in Lafayette, LA?
A concrete slab in Lafayette, without staining or stamping, usually costs about $6 to $11 per square foot, and that's the area's usual range, not our price. Reinforced slabs start a little higher per square foot than plain pads, and staining or stamping adds to the cost. The written estimate from your site visit gives the figure for your floor.
Who issues the permit for a new concrete floor in Lafayette?
The Development and Planning Department of Lafayette Consolidated Government issues permits for all development in the City of Lafayette and unincorporated Lafayette Parish. We check with that office for your address as part of the estimate, and when a permit is needed, we take care of the application and keep you informed as it moves along.
How high does a new home's floor have to be in a Lafayette flood zone?
If a new home is in the flood fringe, the city requires its lowest floor to sit 1 foot above the base flood elevation, the height the flood maps expect water to reach, and that covers the mechanical and electrical equipment serving the home too. If fill dirt is brought in to raise a floor in the floodplain, the city's Zero Net Fill rule requires the flood storage it takes up to be replaced with an equal volume. Both shape how high the floor sits and what goes under it, so it's worth settling them before the ground work is planned.
Who is allowed to install a concrete floor in Louisiana?
For a home project of $50,000 or more, or one with any structural work, Louisiana's contractor licensing board requires a licensed Residential Building Contractor. Projects over $7,500 and up to $50,000 need a home improvement registrant or a licensed contractor, so it's fair to ask whether your job involves structural work, since that alone calls for the residential license. We're fully licensed and insured, and I'm glad to talk through which rule fits your job.
Will my new concrete floor crack?
A few fine cracks are a normal part of any concrete floor, and the national guidance for concrete floors says some random cracking should be expected even with joints cut close together. What we can do is keep them small, because properly sized and placed reinforcement holds cracks tightly closed, and the control joints we cut give most of the shrinkage a line to follow. We back every floor with the promise we make on all our work. Your satisfaction, guaranteed.
What is the best way to pour a concrete floor in hot weather?
The best way is to plan the pour around the heat, because fresh concrete sets faster when it's hot, is harder to finish and is more prone to shrinkage and heat-related cracking. Heat also makes the mix seem to need more water and stiffen sooner, which tempts some crews to add water at the site. We'd rather move the pour time or the day than water down your floor, because that extra water leaves a weak, dusty top later.
Other concrete work that goes with a new floor
Concrete pool decks
If your patio door opens toward a pool, a deck poured on a well-packed base keeps the surface even and sends water away from the house.
Concrete steps construction
When a new floor sits higher than the yard, concrete steps at the door give you an even, steady climb that lines up with the finished floor height.
Book a visit for your concrete floor
Have your address, the floor size in square feet and the covering you plan ready when you call (337) 216-1997 or send the form, because those three things let me plan the visit around your job.