Frequently Asked Questions

That turns on what the job is and how big it is. Florida licenses construction trades through the Department of Business and Professional Regulation, and counties can add their own rules, so look up the DBPR license search and Marion County Building Safety for the work you are planning. Separately, we check the permit requirements for every job before we schedule it.

HomeGuide's concrete slab cost guide puts installed slabs at $6 to $12 per square foot, which makes 1,000 square feet roughly $6,000 to $12,000. Thickness moves it within that band: the guide shows 4-inch slabs at $6 to $8 a square foot and 6-inch slabs at $8 to $10. Tear-out, grading, access and finish change the total. Your written estimate is the price.

It usually means a cheap stand-in for a poured slab, such as compacted gravel, crushed concrete or a stabilized sand and cement mix. It can work for a path or under a shed that will not carry much weight. It does not hold up like a properly based, reinforced concrete slab under vehicles, and it erodes in heavy rain.

HomeGuide's national driveway guide lists standard concrete at $6 to $10 per square foot installed, about $3,500 to $8,600 for a 24 by 24 foot two-car driveway. Removing an old driveway adds $2 to $6 per square foot. Ocala prices depend on tear-out, length, thickness and finish, and the written estimate is the price.

Often, yes, especially where a driveway meets a public road. Marion County Building Safety lists driveway and right-of-way permits among the permits its online system handles. If you live inside Ocala city limits, the City's rules apply instead. We check the requirements for your address before we schedule.

Yes. June through September is wet, but most rain comes in afternoon storms. Concrete is ordered for early morning, plastic sheeting is on hand and the radar gets checked before the pour. If a storm is forecast for the morning, we move the pour rather than risk the finish.

No. Ocala sits on limestone, and sinkholes do occur in this part of Florida, but cracked or sunken concrete is far more often caused by a poorly compacted base, roots or water running under the slab. If a depression is growing or the ground is clearly moving, have it checked before new concrete goes in.

HomeGuide puts the lifespan of a concrete driveway at 30 to 40 years with basic maintenance. A compacted base, the right thickness and good curing matter more than anything else.

HomeGuide advises waiting at least 7 days before driving a car on it, and the full 28 to 30 day cure before heavy vehicles or sealing.

Sometimes a thin overlay can go over sound concrete, but a driveway that is broken, sunken or lifted needs to come out. New concrete over a failed base will crack the same way.

Four inches is common for cars. HomeGuide recommends 6 inches for heavy vehicles. If you park a truck with a trailer, a boat or an RV on it, plan on the thicker slab at least where they park.

It depends on where you live and whether the work touches the road or right-of-way. Marion County handles driveway and right-of-way permits through Building Safety, and the City of Ocala has its own rules. We check before we schedule.

Going by HomeGuide's patio cost guide, plain concrete runs $4 to $12 per square foot and a broom finish $6 to $13. A plain 16 by 16 foot patio comes to roughly $1,000 to $3,100. The written estimate for your yard is the actual price.

When the existing slab is flat and solid, yes: we drill and dowel the addition into it. A slab that has sunk or broken up is better replaced, so you end up with one sound patio.

Four inches suits most patios. Where a screen enclosure, roof posts or a heavy outdoor kitchen will sit, the edges should be poured thicker.

Dark colors in full sun do get hot. A lighter color or a broom finish helps, and a covered lanai stays much cooler.

HomeGuide gives stamped concrete 7 to 10 days to cure. Light foot traffic is usually fine after a day or two, and the sealer goes on once the cure is done.

HomeGuide says every 2 to 3 years to keep the color from fading. Uncovered slabs in full sun need it on the shorter end.

It can be when the sealer is wet. We mix a non-slip grit into the sealer on pool decks, steps and walkways.

All concrete can crack. A compacted base, reinforcement and control joints placed along pattern lines keep cracks small and less visible.

HomeGuide lists poured concrete at $5 to $15 per square foot and stamped concrete at $8 to $19. Resurfacing an existing deck starts at $3 to $6. Your written estimate is the price.

If the slab is solid and level, yes. Resurfacing does not fix a deck that is broken up or has sunk, because the problem underneath will show through.

Light colors and textured coatings stay cooler than dark or smooth sealed concrete. HomeGuide notes that a cool-deck coating helps lower surface temperatures.

Usually the backfill around the pool was not compacted well, or water is getting under the deck at the coping joint or a crack and washing out the base.

HomeGuide lists installed slabs at $6 to $12 per square foot, which works out to about $6,000 to $12,000 for 1,000 square feet. Thickness, base work and access move the price. Your written estimate is the price.

We recommend 6 inches with reinforcement where the axles and jacks sit. HomeGuide prices 6-inch slabs at $8 to $10 per square foot.

HomeGuide notes that one cubic yard covers about 81 square feet of a 4-inch slab. We measure and order the concrete as part of the job.

It depends on the size of the building and where you live. Slabs under structures are often tied to the structure's permit. We check with the City of Ocala or Marion County for your address.

Usually, if the cracks are narrow and the slab has not shifted. HomeGuide notes that cracks wider than 1/4 inch often signal a problem below, and large cracks or crumbling call for replacement.

Both raise sunken slabs. Mudjacking costs less. Polyjacking uses smaller holes, adds less weight and, per HomeGuide, often lasts longest.

HomeGuide says 8 to 15 years before repairs are needed, as long as the slab underneath is sound.

Fresh concrete and patch material start out a different shade from weathered concrete. If an even color matters to you, an overlay across the whole surface is the way to get it.