Concrete contractor in Davenport, IA - slabs that stay flat and drain right

It can need one, because the City of Davenport lists driveways and sidewalks among the work it wants a permit for, and it says that list isn't complete. The city's permit list also says driveways and walks on private property don't need one when they're unattached, no more than 30 inches above the ground, serve no door and sit over no basement or room below. We check with the city before we set a date, and when your job needs a permit, we pull it and set up the inspections.

Yes. Iowa requires a contractor to register with the state before doing any construction work in Iowa, and the city generally requires building and specialty work to be done by a licensed and bonded contractor, who takes out the permit on your behalf. The state only exempts people earning under $2,000 a year from it or working on their own property, so ask any crew you're weighing whether they're registered. We're licensed and insured, and you're welcome to ask me about it when I come out.

Yes, if you hold legal title to a single-family house, the city lets you do your own new construction, remodeling or renovation without a contractor license, though electrical, plumbing and mechanical work aren't part of that. When your job needs a permit, you'd take it out yourself at the Building Counter in the Davenport Public Works Center, 1200 E 46th Street. If you'd rather hand off the dig and the base, that's the part I'd least like to see rushed.

Check the city's floodplain maps, which show whether a property sits in a Special Flood Hazard Area, also called the 100-year flood plain. Any kind of work on a property in one may need an approved floodplain development permit application, so it's worth knowing before you plan a driveway or foundation. For questions, the city's Community Planning and Economic Development office at City Hall, 226 W 4th Street, takes calls at 563.326.7765.

I'll give you your number on site, because the size, the tear-out and the base work set most of it. Thicker concrete and rebar for heavy trucks, a stamped or colored finish and a permit all raise it, while a plain broom finish on ground that's already firm keeps it down. If something has to give, I'd drop the fancy finish before I'd skimp on the base, because nobody sees the base on day one but everybody sees a slab that sinks.

You're without the driveway from the day we tear out the old one until the new slab has cured enough to take a car, and curing, the time concrete needs to harden before it carries weight, is most of that wait. You can walk on it well before you can park on it, and the exact days depend on the weather that week, so I'll give you dates when we schedule the pour. A permit and its inspections can add time before we pour.