Concrete Contractor in Cloquet, MN - Driveways and Patios Built From the Base Up
Duluth Concrete Works pours driveways, patios, walks, steps and retaining walls for homes in Cloquet, MN. We dig out the soft ground, pack a solid base and plan where the water goes before any concrete arrives.
Get a concrete estimate in Cloquet
I walk the site with you, check the ground and drainage, and measure everything.
Request an estimateCloquet: wooded lots and soft ground
Cloquet is a river and forest city, and the city itself says its landscape was shaped by both. On our jobs here, you notice it most in the yard. Older houses sit closer together near the center of town. Newer homes sit farther out on bigger, wooded lots where the driveway can run a long way from the road. The calls we get look a lot like the ones from Hermantown: an old driveway that's sinking, a patio that holds water, front steps pulling away from the house.
Tree roots, dark topsoil that stays spongy and low spots where water sits after a rain all mean the same thing for concrete. The soft stuff has to come out and a packed base has to go in, or the slab settles right along with it.
Working in Cloquet: what we sort out before the pour
In Cloquet, building permits come from the city's Building Official, and the city ties them to work like structural changes, added square footage and new buildings, so I check what your job needs before we put a pour date on the calendar. When a job needs a permit, we pull it and book the inspections, and the pour waits on the city's schedule as well as ours. If you'd rather apply yourself, I'll tell you what the city will want to see from us. Before you hire anyone, you can check their business license with the City Administrator's office, which handles most business licenses here. It's also worth knowing the city says it isn't accepting transient merchant licenses right now.
We're based in Duluth, and we work in Cloquet the same way we do at home. I come out for the estimate, and I'm on site running the crew. Your price here mostly comes down to the size of the slab, how much soft ground has to come out, whether an old slab gets broken out first and how close the concrete truck can get, because a long wooded driveway or a tucked-away back patio means more work moving concrete. The schedule turns on the permit, if there is one, and on a good day to pour. You get your own number at the estimate, before anything starts.
Services in Cloquet, MN
Concrete driveway building
Long driveways on wooded Cloquet lots often run over soft, root-filled soil that settles under a car. We dig that out and pack a firm base before we pour.
Concrete patio construction
Back patios here often sit in low, shady spots where water pools by the house. We slope yours away from the house and cut joints so cracks land in straight lines.
Concrete sidewalk building
Front walks on older Cloquet houses heave and tip where tree roots and settling have pushed them. Our concrete sidewalk building starts with clearing roots and packing a level base.
Garage floor concrete
Older detached garages here often have sunken floors that were poured onto bare dirt. We break out the old slab, pack a real base and pour a new floor.
Concrete retaining walls
Sloped yards here need walls that hold back soil and let water drain out behind them. We plan the footing and the drainage before any forms go up.
Concrete steps construction
Front steps on older houses here often settle away from the door and leave a gap. We pour new steps on footings dug down to firm ground, not loose fill.
Get a free on-site concrete estimate in Cloquet
Send the form, and we'll get back to you within one business day to set a time. I come out to Cloquet myself, look at the ground and the drainage with you, and walk you through what you'd be paying for. The estimate is free, and there's no pressure and no obligation.
- Phone
- (218) 514-2182
- Location
- Duluth, MN 55802
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 7 AM–10 PM, Sat–Sun: 8 AM–9 PM
- Credentials
- Licensed and insured.
What you can count on in Cloquet
We're based in Duluth, MN, and offer 16 concrete services across 4 service areas, Cloquet among them. We're licensed and insured, and every estimate is free and done in person.
- Based in
- MN
- Duluth
- Services
- 16
- Service areas
- 4
- Licensed and insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- We reply within 1 business day.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a permit to replace a concrete driveway in Cloquet?
The city's published permit list doesn't settle it for a driveway, so ask the city at (218) 879-3347 before work starts. The city's building permit guidance is written around structural changes, added square footage and new buildings, and it says a permit applies even when you do the work yourself. If your job needs one, we take care of it, as covered above.
Do I need a permit for a concrete retaining wall in Cloquet?
Yes, if the wall is over 4 feet tall, because the city's guidance says retaining walls over that height need a permit. A taller wall also needs more thought about its footing and the water building up behind it. I'd talk through the height with you at the estimate, before the design is set.
Do I need a permit to pour a garage or shed slab in Cloquet?
The city's permits page says garages and accessory structures over 200 square feet need a building permit, and smaller ones need a site plan/zoning permit, which you can ask about at 218-879-2507. The city's building FAQ also lists new buildings over 120 square feet as needing a permit. If your building falls between those two sizes, I'd confirm with the city before we pour.
How do I schedule a building inspection in Cloquet?
Call the city at (218) 879-3347 with 24 hours' notice, or email permitworks@cloquetmn.gov. The city may charge a re-inspection fee if the work isn't ready at the booked time, unless it's a re-check after corrections were needed. If we pulled the permit, we book the inspections and have the job ready for them.
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Cloquet?
The price comes down to the size and thickness of the slab, how much soft ground has to come out and be replaced with packed base, and whether an old driveway gets broken out and hauled away first. A long run from the road or a decorative finish adds to it, while a plain broom finish, the light texture that gives tires and boots some grip, keeps it lower. If something has to give in the budget, I'd rather simplify the surface than skimp on the base, because nobody sees the base on day one, but it decides how the driveway holds up. You get your own number at the free estimate.
What causes a concrete driveway to crack and sink in Cloquet?
Most cracking and sinking starts under the slab, usually because the subgrade, the ground the slab sits on, was raked flat instead of dug out and packed. Water running toward the house or under the edges makes it worse, and joints that were cut late or skipped let cracks pick their own path. We dig out the soft soil, pack the base, check where the water goes and cut control joints soon after the pour, because those shallow cuts give the slab a planned place to crack.
Service areas
Plan your Cloquet concrete job with us
Call (218) 514-2182 or send the form, and ask me everything before we pour, because that's when changing the plan is cheap.