Concrete & Demolition Contractor in Evanston, IL

Concrete and demolition work in Evanston

Evanston has older North Shore homes with original driveways, walks and foundations. That shapes the work we do here more than anything else. The three things we get called for most in Evanston are driveways and walks well past their service life, mature tree canopy putting roots under everything, and municipal permitting that expects the work done right.

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

What Evanston 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.

In Evanston the variable that decides most jobs is access. Getting material in and debris out is half the labor on a tight site, and any quote that ignores it is going to come with a change order attached.

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

Services we offer in Evanston

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

How a Evanston 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 Evanston

Every estimate in Evanston 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 Evanston 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 Evanston

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 North Shore and north suburbs and beyond. Close to Evanston we are regularly in Wilmette, Skokie, Lincolnwood, Edgewater and Lincoln Square. The full list is on the areas we serve page.

Evanston FAQ