Concrete contractor in Burlington, WA - slabs set on a dug-out, packed base
Craftsman Bellingham Concrete Company is a concrete contractor based in Bellingham, WA. We pour driveways, patios, walks, steps, garage floors and footings in Burlington for homeowners, small businesses and builders.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free quotes on site.
- We reply within 1 business day.
Burlington homes and lots as we see them on jobs
Burlington is a short drive south of our base in Bellingham. Most of the calls we get here come from homeowners, along with shops and builders who need slabs, footings or a place to park. We see older houses with walks and driveways that have settled over the years, newer subdivisions where people want a patio or a wider driveway, and commercial buildings that need floors or lots that hold up to traffic. It's much the same work we do next door in Mount Vernon and up north in Birch Bay, and it starts the same way, with a look at what the old concrete is sitting on.
Most lots we see in Burlington are flat, so water doesn't run off on its own the way it would on a slope. That shapes the job more than anything else here, because the grade we set under a new slab decides whether water drains toward the street or sits against your house.
Concrete services we offer Burlington homes and businesses
Concrete driveway building
Older Burlington driveways that have sunk or split usually need tearing out, not patching. We dig to firm ground, pack the base and pour new.
Concrete patio construction
On flat backyard lots, a patio has to be pitched just enough to shed water away from the house. We set that slope before we order the concrete.
Stamped concrete services
Stamped concrete gives a Burlington patio or front walk the look of stone or brick, laid over the same packed base we'd use for plain concrete.
Concrete sidewalk building
Walks in older neighborhoods often heave or drop at the joints until someone trips. We replace the bad sections and set new ones flush with what stays.
Garage floor concrete
A cracked or pitted garage floor in an older house can come out and go back in with a packed base and a slope toward the door.
Decorative concrete
Color, exposed rock and cut patterns can give the entry or patio of an older Burlington home some character, with less weeding than loose pavers.
Concrete retaining walls
Burlington is mostly flat, but raised beds, a sunken driveway or a lot higher than the neighbor's can need a wall, and we drain each one from behind.
Concrete floor installation
Shops, warehouses and outbuildings in Burlington need floors poured flat for equipment and shelving. We plan the thickness around what will sit on the slab.
Concrete pool decks
A pool deck needs a surface that grips wet feet and a slope that sends splash water away from the pool, which matters on a flat lot.
Concrete steps construction
Front steps on older homes tend to pull away from the house or crack at the top landing. We rebuild them with even steps on a solid footing.
Slab foundation building
For a new shop, garage or addition, a slab foundation starts with ground we've dug out and packed, so the building isn't sitting on loose fill.
Foundation installation
Builders and homeowners call us for foundation walls under new homes and additions in Burlington. I check the ground and drainage before anything is formed.
Concrete parking lot building
Small businesses along Burlington's commercial streets need lots that carry delivery trucks and drain without puddles at the door. We build the base for the weight.
Concrete footings
Decks, carports and additions need footings, the concrete pads that carry the weight down to firm ground, and on soft valley lots we dig deeper to reach it.
Foundation raising
If a corner of your house or garage has dropped, raising the foundation can bring it back toward level. I'll look and say if it's the right fix.
Concrete cutting
We saw-cut openings, trenches and clean edges in existing slabs, so you can add a drain line or remove a damaged section without tearing out the whole driveway.
Get a written concrete estimate for your Burlington property
We reply within one business day to set a time for me to come out. After I've measured the site, you get a free written estimate with the scope spelled out, and 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 Burlington: permits, licenses and price
Inside city limits, permits for land use, construction and infrastructure all go through Burlington's one-stop Permit Center, and outside them the job goes through Skagit County, so the first thing I do is check with you which side of the line your property is on. When a permit is needed, the city's review has to come back before we dig, so the permit often sets the start date more than our calendar does. Before you hire anyone, you can also check that the contractor is registered with the state and holds a Burlington business license, and the questions below say who handles each.
We're licensed and insured, and when a job calls for a permit, we handle the paperwork with the right office. If you'd rather apply yourself, we'll give you what you need from our side. The price turns on the size and thickness of the slab, how much soft ground has to come out and be replaced with packed rock, whether old concrete has to be broken out and hauled away, and the finish you choose. The schedule turns mostly on the permit and on curing, the stretch after the pour when the concrete gains strength and you stay off it. Your own figure comes in the written estimate after I've measured, the same kind of estimate we write for jobs up the river in Sedro-Woolley.
What Burlington's flat floodplain ground does to concrete
Most of Burlington sits within the Skagit River floodplain. On our jobs here, that usually means flat lots where the dirt under an old slab is soft and gives way. A driveway poured on ground that was only raked level settles along with it, which is why so many of the cracked, sinking slabs we're called to look at tip one way or the other. We dig out to firm ground, bring in rock and pack it, so the subgrade, the ground the slab sits on, holds up under the new concrete.
When a budget gets tight, people usually want to trim the groundwork and keep the fancy finish, because the base is buried on the first day and the finish is what they'll look at. I'd rather go the other way. A stamped top on a poor base cracks along with it, while a plain broom finish, the light texture that gives shoes and tires some grip, can last for years on a well-packed base.
How a concrete job runs when you call us in Burlington
Here's how a job with us runs in Burlington, from your first call to the day I walk you through caring for the new concrete.
Call or send the form
Thank you for calling or writing. We get back to you and set a time for me to come out to your property.
I measure and look around
I measure, check where water runs on your lot and ask how you'll use the concrete, so it helps if you can be there. You then get a written estimate that spells out what's included, so you know what you're paying for before you decide anything.
Prepare the ground and pour
Once you're ready, we take care of any permit the job needs, and if the city's review is part of it, the dig waits until it comes back. Then we dig out, pack the base, pour and finish, and I work alongside our crew the whole way.
Walk through care, then clean
Before we leave, I walk you through looking after the new concrete while it cures, including when it's ready for foot traffic and for the car. We clean up so your yard is as tidy as we found it.
Questions about concrete work in Burlington
Call (360) 312-3799Do I need a permit to pour concrete in the Burlington floodplain?
Usually, yes. Except for minor improvements, the city usually requires a flood development permit for any construction, clearing, grading, excavation or other development in its floodplain areas, and the digging under a new slab is that kind of work. Whether your project counts as minor is something we'll check with the city before we break ground.
When does a building permit expire in Burlington, WA?
A city building permit becomes void if work hasn't started within 180 days of being issued, or if work stops for 180 days after it starts. That's why we schedule the dig once the permit is in hand rather than letting it sit.
Does a concrete contractor need a city business license to work in Burlington?
Yes. The city requires a business license for anyone doing business within city limits, and through a joint program with the state Department of Revenue, a business can get its state and city licenses in one transaction. It's a fair thing to ask any contractor about before work starts.
Who registers concrete contractors in Washington State?
The Department of Labor & Industries does, and the state requires every construction contractor to register there and to be bonded and insured. On residential jobs of $1,000 or more, contractors must also give you a disclosure statement notice, so ask for it along with their registration.
How do I get an accurate price for a concrete driveway in Burlington?
The surest way is an on-site estimate, because the biggest unknowns, like how soft the ground is under the old slab and where the water goes, only show up in person. If you'd like to keep the cost down, a plain finish and keeping the old footprint usually help more than thinning the base, and we'll check what your lot needs before suggesting either.
What causes new concrete to crack on Burlington driveways and patios?
Concrete shrinks a little as it cures, so some cracking is normal, and the job is deciding where it happens. We cut control joints, grooves that give the slab a straight line to crack along, before it can crack on its own, and we pour early in the day so the top doesn't dry too fast and turn weak and dusty. Ground moving underneath, which we covered above, is the other big cause.
Bellingham, WA
Ask about your Burlington concrete project
If your property is in the floodplain, calling early gives us time to sort out the permit step before you need your driveway back.