Concrete & Demolition Across All Chicago Neighborhoods

Concrete and demolition work in Chicago

Chicago has everything from 1890s workers' cottages and greystones to new-construction infill. That shapes the work we do here more than anything else. The three things we get called for most in Chicago are century-old slabs poured with no base under them, gangways too narrow for anything but a buggy or a pump truck, and alley garages and the pads under them.

We are based in Avondale at 3227 N Western Ave, which puts Chicago well inside our normal working radius. Because we run demolition and concrete with the same crew, a tear-out and a new pour in Chicago is one contractor and one schedule rather than two companies negotiating with each other over your driveway.

What Chicago concrete is up against

Chicago is one of the hardest climates in the country on concrete. The freeze-thaw cycle runs from November into March, de-icing salt goes down on every driveway and public walk, and the clay soil underneath holds water instead of draining it. Concrete that survives here is air-entrained, poured on a compacted stone base, pitched so water leaves, jointed on a proper grid, and kept away from salt through its first winter.

What we see repeatedly in Chicago is water. Slabs pitched the wrong way, downspouts discharging onto concrete, and yards that hold instead of drain. Fixing the slab without fixing the water just resets the clock.

• Freeze-thaw scaling. Water gets into the surface, freezes, and lifts the top layer off in flakes. It comes from too much water in the mix, finishing while bleed water is still on the slab, or skipping the air entrainment Illinois exterior concrete needs.
• Control joints cut late or shallow. Concrete is going to crack. Joints decide where. Cut at the wrong depth or a day late and the slab picks its own line across the middle.
• Settled and heaved sections. Where the slab is sound but has dropped, lifting or a single section replacement costs a fraction of a full tear-out.
• Road salt damage. De-icing salt accelerates surface scaling badly. New concrete should not see salt through its first winter and should be sealed before the second.

Services we offer in Chicago

Every one of these has a page of its own, and a page specific to Chicago.

How a Chicago job runs

1. Scope walkWe look at what is coming out, what is staying, how material leaves the site, and what the building or municipality requires.
2. Permits and disconnectsDemolition permits pulled where required. Utilities confirmed disconnected before anything starts.
3. Protect and containFloor protection, dust containment, and protection for anything staying put.
4. Demolish in sequenceWorked in an order that keeps the structure stable and the site safe.
5. Load and haulMaterial loaded and hauled, separated for recycling where the facility allows.
6. Broom cleanSite left broom clean and ready for whatever comes next, including our own concrete crew.

What we look at before quoting in Chicago

Every estimate in Chicago starts with the same five questions, because the answers change the number far more than square footage does.

• How does material get in and debris get out? On the tighter lots around Chicago this is half the labor. A site a truck can back up to and a site where everything moves by buggy are not the same job.
• What is under the existing slab? If the base was never compacted, the new pour needs the bad material dug out, not covered over.
• Where does the water go? Grade, downspouts and where the yard drains. Fixing the slab without fixing the water just resets the clock.
• Does any of it sit in the public way? Aprons and sidewalk sections usually need a permit and have to meet municipal spec.
• What is the slab actually carrying? A work truck, an RV or a dumpster means a thicker slab and more reinforcement than a passenger car.

Taking care of new concrete in Chicago

Once the pour is done, the first twelve months decide how the next twenty go. Keep vehicles off for about a week and foot traffic off until the next day. Do not put de-icing salt on it through its first winter, and get it sealed before the second one. Keep downspouts discharging onto grass or a splash block rather than straight onto the slab, and if a planter or a pile of firewood is going to sit on it, put something underneath so it does not trap moisture in one spot. That is the whole list.

Nearby areas we serve

We work across Chicago and beyond. Close to Chicago we are regularly in Lincoln Park, Lakeview, Logan Square, North Center and Avondale. The full list is on the areas we serve page.

Chicago FAQ