Concrete & Demolition Contractor in Cicero, IL

Concrete and demolition work in Cicero

Cicero has bungalows, two-flats and mixed residential on tight lots. That shapes the work we do here more than anything else. The three things we get called for most in Cicero are narrow-access driveway and walk work, garage slabs, and public walk repair.

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

What Cicero 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 Cicero 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.

• 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.
• Water pitched toward the house. A patio or walk sloping the wrong way puts water against the foundation every time it rains.
• Slabs poured on bad base. Most cracked driveways in the older neighborhoods were poured straight on disturbed clay with no compacted stone under them.
• 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.

Services we offer in Cicero

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

How a Cicero job runs

1. Review plans and permitsDrawings, engineering where it exists, and what the municipality requires before anything is dug.
2. ExcavateTo bearing depth, with spoil managed on a site that often has no room for it.
3. Form and reinforceFootings formed and rebar set to the drawings. Inspection before the pour where required.
4. Pour footingsPlaced and consolidated. Keyways or dowels set for the walls.
5. Form and pour wallsWall forms set, reinforced, poured in a single lift wherever possible.
6. Waterproof and backfillDamp-proofing, drain tile and stone before backfill goes in.

What we look at before quoting in Cicero

Every estimate in Cicero 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 Cicero 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 Cicero

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 the near west suburbs and beyond. Close to Cicero we are regularly in Berwyn, Oak Park, Riverside, Forest Park and River Forest. The full list is on the areas we serve page.

Cicero FAQ