Concrete Contractor in Blaine, WA - Driveways, Patios and Slabs on Solid Ground
Craftsman Bellingham Concrete Company is a concrete contractor serving Blaine, WA. We pour driveways, patios, walks, steps, garage floors and footings for homes and small businesses here, and we start with the ground underneath.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free quotes on site.
- We reply within 1 business day.
Blaine homes and what they ask of concrete
Blaine sits up against the Canadian border on Boundary Bay, and most of our calls here are for flatwork, which is our word for driveways, patios and walks. The houses run from older homes close to downtown and the water to newer ones in the subdivisions further out. We also hear from small businesses that need a walk, an entry or a lot redone, and from builders who need slabs and footings poured.
We come up from Bellingham for this work, as we do for Lynden and the other cities around it. On the older lots, the slab you have now was often poured thin with little base under it, and I look at that first, because what's under the new slab decides how long it stays flat.
Concrete work we do on Blaine properties
Concrete driveway building
Older Blaine driveways were often poured thin on raked dirt, so we tear them out, dig down to firm ground and pack a new base before the pour.
Concrete patio construction
A back patio that tips toward the house sends water against the foundation. We set the new slab to fall away from the walls and into the yard.
Stamped concrete services
For a patio or front entry with a stone or slate look, stamped concrete gives you the pattern in a single pour, sealed to handle foot traffic.
Concrete sidewalk building
Front walks on older houses here often sink at the joints and catch a toe. We pour a level replacement, broom finished so it isn't slick underfoot.
Garage floor concrete
When a garage floor in an older home has gone cracked and dusty, we pour a new slab with steel rebar inside to hold it together.
Decorative concrete
Colored or exposed-aggregate concrete suits entries and walkways on Blaine's newer homes, where a plain gray slab can look unfinished next to the house.
Concrete retaining walls
Where a yard drops toward the street or the bay, a concrete retaining wall holds the slope so a patio or driveway has level ground.
Concrete floor installation
Shops, sheds and basements around Blaine need a flat floor inside. We pour and trowel it smooth over a packed base and a vapor barrier against ground moisture.
Concrete pool decks
A pool deck has to shed splash water away from the pool and the house. We slope it for that and texture the top for bare, wet feet.
Concrete steps construction
Concrete steps on older Blaine porches often crumble at the edges or pull away from the house. We rebuild them on footings with every step the same height.
Slab foundation building
For a new garage, shop or addition on a Blaine lot, we pour the slab on dug-out, packed ground, thickened and reinforced at the edges where walls sit.
Foundation installation
Builders and homeowners adding on in Blaine call us for full foundations, from layout and forms through the pour, built to the approved plans.
Concrete parking lot building
Small businesses in Blaine with a cracked or puddled lot get a concrete surface poured in sections, sloped toward drains so water doesn't sit where customers park.
Concrete footings
Decks, fences, posts and small additions need footings, the concrete pads that carry the weight down into firm ground. We dig them to the depth the plans call for.
Foundation raising
When an older Blaine house or garage has settled at one corner, we lift and support the low side to bring the floor back toward level.
Concrete cutting
We saw-cut old slabs for clean removal, cut openings for drains or doors, and add control joints, grooves that tell the slab where to crack.
Get a free written estimate for your Blaine concrete job
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set a time for me to come out. I'll look at the site and send a free written estimate, with no pressure to book.
Call (360) 312-3799- Based in
- Bellingham, WA 98225
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 6 AM–9 PM, Sat–Sun: 7 AM–9 PM
Working in Blaine: permits, licenses and pricing
Inside Blaine city limits, permit questions go to the City of Blaine through its Planning and Building counter at City Hall, and outside the limits they go to the county, so the first thing I check with you is which side of that line your property is on. The city's permit list names new houses, plumbing, mechanical and demolition work rather than driveways or patios, so we'll check with the counter whether your job needs a permit, and if it does, the pour date waits on that review. The city also requires every business working inside its limits to hold a Blaine Business License, which is a fair thing to ask any contractor about before you sign. We're licensed and insured, and when a job calls for a permit we handle the paperwork with the office, or give you what you need from our side if you'd rather apply yourself.
We're a concrete contractor in Bellingham, WA, and Blaine is a straight drive up I-5 for our crew, past Ferndale and close to Birch Bay, where we do the same work. The price here moves with the size and thickness of the slab, how much old concrete comes out, how deep we dig before we reach firm ground, whether the truck can reach the forms and the finish you pick, while the schedule turns on the permit, the groundwork and the wait before you can use the new concrete. Your written estimate spells out each of those for your property.
Why Blaine driveways and patios crack, sink and pool
Most of the slabs we're called out to in Blaine were poured on dirt that was raked level instead of dug out and packed, so over the years the subgrade, the soil and gravel the slab sits on, settles unevenly, and the concrete cracks, drops at one corner or tips water back toward the house. We dig out the soft material, bring in gravel and pack it in layers, set the slope so water runs away from your walls, and cut the control joints while the concrete is still young so it has a place to crack that isn't the middle of your driveway.
Near the water the ground can be different again. Part of Blaine's waterfront, at Marine Park, sits on land reclaimed from the tide flats of Boundary Bay, so if your house is close to the bay, I'll dig down and look at what's under the yard before I plan the base, because fill and soft ground settle in their own way and usually need more digging out.
What happens when you call us about a Blaine job
Here's how a job runs from your first call to the day you can use the new concrete, and who you'll be talking to at each step.
Call or send the form
Thank you for getting in touch. We get back to you to set a time for me to come out, and it helps if you can be there to walk the site with me.
Look, measure and write it up
I look at the ground, measure, and ask how you'll use the concrete, whether that's foot traffic, cars or a heavy truck. You get the estimate in writing with the scope spelled out, so you can see exactly what you're paying for before you decide anything.
Permit, groundwork, pour and finish
Once you're ready, we sort out the permit side with the city or the county, and if a review is needed, the pour date waits on it. Then our crew digs out and packs the base, sets the forms and rebar, pours, finishes and cuts the joints, and I work the job right alongside them.
Walk through care and clean up
Before we leave, I walk you through curing, the stretch while new concrete gains its strength, and tell you when you can walk on it and when you can drive on it. Then we clean up and leave your property as tidy as we found it.
Questions about concrete work in Blaine
Call (360) 312-3799How do I apply for a building permit in Blaine, WA?
You apply at the city's Planning and Building Front Counter at City Hall, 435 Martin St, Suite 3000, which is open Monday to Friday from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. The city's permit page has fillable forms, including a submittal checklist for single-family homes, and once work is underway, inspections are requested on the city's inspection line at 360-543-9975.
Which building codes apply to a concrete project in Blaine?
Blaine follows the current construction codes adopted by the State of Washington, for residential permits and for commercial or multi-family permits alike. When your job is permitted, those are the rules it's built to, and we'll check what they mean for your plan before the estimate is final.
What forms do I need for a demolition permit in Blaine?
The city asks demolition applicants to complete three forms: the city's Demolition Permit Application, a North West Clean Air asbestos demolition application and a Whatcom County Health Department form. The city application and the county health form go back to the city, so if you're taking down an old garage or shed before we pour a new slab, we'll go over that part with you at the estimate.
Does a concrete contractor working in Blaine need a city business license?
Yes, the city requires every business providing services inside Blaine city limits to hold a Blaine Business License. Businesses apply through the State of Washington's Business License Service, and a business that's already licensed adds Blaine to its existing license with a city addendum sent to the state.
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Blaine, WA?
I can't give you a fair number until I've seen your driveway, because size, tear-out and the base work your ground needs vary a lot from one Blaine lot to the next. If the budget is tight, I'd keep the money in the base and choose a plain broom finish over a fancier surface, because the base is hidden on day one but it's what keeps the slab flat for years. The written estimate lists each piece so you can see where the cost sits.
What causes concrete driveways in Blaine to crack, and will a new one crack too?
Most cracking comes from what's underneath, usually a thin, raked base or water running toward the slab, and joints that were cut late or skipped let the cracks wander. A new driveway on a dug-out, packed base, sloped for drainage and with its control joints cut on time, usually cracks only along those joints if it cracks at all, and when we take out your old slab I'll tell you what we find under it.
Bellingham, WA
Get a written estimate for your Blaine project
Call (360) 312-3799 or use the form while you're still planning, so there's time to check the permit side and the ground before you pick a pour date.