Concrete Contractor in Superior, WI - Driveways and Patios Built on a Solid Base
Duluth Concrete Works pours driveways, patios, walks, steps and footings for homeowners and builders in Superior, WI. We start every job by checking what the slab will sit on and where the water will run.
Get your Superior concrete job estimated
I'll walk the spot with you, check the ground and see how water leaves it.
Request an estimateSuperior: bays, rivers and where water goes
Superior sits at the western tip of Lake Superior, across the bay from Duluth, where we're based, and the city is bounded by bays and rivers. On our jobs here we mostly find older houses on city lots, many with a detached garage out back, a front walk to the street and a driveway that's been patched more than once.
With that much water around, the first thing I want to know is where the rain runs, because a slab that sits on soft fill or tips toward the house will sink or push water at the foundation, however good the top looks.
Working in Superior: permits, contractors and the schedule
In Superior, the city's Building Inspection Division issues permits, and its list names houses, sheds, fences and home alterations without naming driveways or patios, so we ask Building Inspection about each job instead of guessing. When a job needs a permit, we pull it and book the inspections, and if you'd rather apply yourself, I'll tell you what the city will want to see from us. Once the city has everything it needs, it asks you to allow 10 business days for review, so we build that time into the schedule before we dig. The city also requires every contractor to register before working in Superior, which is a fair thing to ask anyone you hire, and when a contractor pulls a permit for a one- or two-family home, the state wants them to hold a Dwelling Contractor certification.
Most of the price comes from what's underneath. That means how much old concrete we break out and haul away, how deep we dig to reach firm ground and how much base we bring in, and then the size, the thickness and the finish, from a broom finish, the light brushed texture that keeps a slab from getting slick, up to stamped. The schedule depends on any permit, the dig and the curing, the wait while fresh concrete hardens before you can use it. Your own number comes from the estimate once I've seen the spot. Plenty of Superior jobs sit behind a house or a detached garage, so I price in how close the truck can get. It's the same work we do in Hermantown and Cloquet.
Services in Superior, WI
Concrete driveway building
Many older Superior driveways sink and crack where the base gave out. We break them out, dig to firm ground, pack a new base and pour.
Concrete patio construction
Yards near the bays and rivers can stay wet, so a patio has to shed water away from the house. Our concrete patio construction starts with slope and base.
Concrete sidewalk building
Front walks on older Superior lots often tip and leave trip edges. We replace them over a packed base, with control joints, cuts that tell the concrete where to crack.
Garage floor concrete
Detached garages on older lots here often have thin, broken floors. We pull the old floor, rebuild the base and pour a slab that drains toward the door.
Concrete steps construction
Front steps on older Superior houses often pull away from the wall or crumble at the edges. We form and pour new ones with rebar, steel bars that hold them together.
Concrete footings
Additions, garages and decks in Superior need footings, the wide concrete base a wall or post stands on. We dig and pour them to your plans, working alongside your builder.
Get a concrete estimate at your Superior property
Send us the details and we'll get back to you within one business day to set a time. I'll come out to your place in Superior myself, look at the ground and talk the job through with you. The estimate is free, with 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 Superior homeowners can count on
We're based in Duluth, MN, and offer 16 services across 4 service areas, Superior included. Every estimate is free and done in person at your site.
- 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 dig out for a new driveway in Superior, WI?
You might, because the city lists a Land Disturbing & ROW permit for any excavation in the city and any work in the city right-of-way, the strip along the street where your driveway meets the road. Applications go through the city's Self Service Portal, and the city wants plans in digital form as well as on paper. We check with Building Inspection before we dig so it doesn't hold up the pour.
How do I schedule a city inspection for footings or a slab in Superior?
Call Building Inspection at (715) 395-7288, which takes inspection requests 24 hours a day, and give at least 24 hours' notice. The city requires an inspection before any stage of the work gets covered by the next one, so footings get looked at before concrete goes in. When we pull the permit, we book these for you.
When does a concrete project in Superior need a stormwater permit?
The city's Stormwater Management Permit covers projects that disturb an acre or more of land or add 20,000 square feet or more of hard surface. A home driveway or patio is far smaller than that, so it mostly comes up on parking lots and larger commercial work, and that's when we sort it out before the job starts.
How much does a concrete driveway cost in Superior, WI?
The price comes down to the size, how deep we dig to reach firm ground, whether an old slab has to be broken out and hauled away, and the finish you pick. If the budget gets tight, I'd cut a fancy finish before I'd cut the base, because you can always add a finish later but you can't fix a weak base without tearing the slab out. I'll give you the full picture at the estimate.
How long before I can drive on a new concrete driveway?
You can walk on it well before you can drive on it, because concrete keeps gaining strength for a while after the pour as it cures. Putting a car on it too early can crack a slab that would otherwise have lasted. We'll tell you when yours is ready and mark it off until then.
What causes a concrete patio to crack and sink?
Most of the time it's the base, because dirt that was raked level instead of dug out and packed settles and takes the slab down with it. Water running under or toward the slab, a pour in midday heat that leaves a weak, dusty top, and control joints cut late or skipped can all add cracks in places nobody picked. We plan each of those before the pour so your new slab doesn't go the way of the old one.
Service areas
Talk through your Superior concrete job
Send a few photos of the old slab with the form, and I'll show up with better questions.