Concrete Contractor in Sonterra, TX - Slabs Built for Fast-Rising Water
What Sonterra homes need from a concrete crew
Sonterra is a short run up I-35 from Round Rock, past Georgetown. Most of our calls there come from homeowners with a driveway that's started to sink, a back patio they want poured or widened, or a slab for a shed or garage.
We're a concrete contractor based in Round Rock, TX, and we do the same flatwork here that we do down in Hornsby Bend. Flatwork is the driveways, patios and walks that lie flat on the ground. In Sonterra, two things set the job apart from closer to home. One is which county or city office covers your address. The other is where the next hard rain is going to run. Your price follows the slab's size, what has to come out first and the finish you pick, and you get your own number when I come out to look. The schedule follows the permit check and the weather. On ground where storm water moves fast, the base and the grade decide how a slab holds up far more than anything we put on top.
What we run into on Sonterra jobs
Storms that hit fast
The county warns that flash floods can come in any month and are worst in spring and from late summer into fall. We check where water crosses your lot first, so the slab sends it away from the house.
Driveways sinking at the edges
Most sinking slabs sat on dirt that was raked flat instead of dug out and packed, so it settled. We dig out and compact the subgrade, the ground under the slab, before any truck shows up.
Lots on septic
If your address shows as unincorporated or in a city's ETJ, the band just outside its limits, you're likely on county-regulated septic. We find the tank and lines before the truck rolls in.
Tops that chip and dust
Slabs poured in the midday summer heat dry too fast on top, and later they chip and turn dusty. We pour in the cooler morning hours and keep the surface wet so it hardens slowly.
Should you patch or replace concrete in Sonterra?
If the slab is still flat and drains, thin cracks are usually cosmetic, and sealing or patching them is fine. If it's sunk, tilted toward the house, holding puddles or chipping all over, the trouble is underneath. Patching the top won't fix that, so we tear the slab out and start again with the base.
When the budget's tight, cut the finish, not the base. The base gets buried on day one, so it's the first thing people want to trim. A plain broom finish, the light texture that keeps it from getting slick, on a solid base will outlast a fancy finish poured on raked dirt. Front concrete steps that pull away from the porch tell the same story, because the ground under them usually settled before anything wore out.
Concrete services in Sonterra
- Concrete driveway building in Sonterra, TX
- Concrete patio construction in Sonterra, TX
- Stamped concrete services in Sonterra, TX
- Concrete sidewalk building in Sonterra, TX
- Garage floor concrete in Sonterra, TX
- Decorative concrete in Sonterra, TX
- Concrete retaining walls in Sonterra, TX
- Concrete floor installation in Sonterra, TX
- Concrete pool decks in Sonterra, TX
- Concrete steps construction in Sonterra, TX
- Slab foundation building in Sonterra, TX
- Foundation installation in Sonterra, TX
- Concrete parking lot building in Sonterra, TX
- Concrete footings in Sonterra, TX
- Foundation raising in Sonterra, TX
- Concrete cutting in Sonterra, TX
Sonterra concrete questions
Do I need a Williamson County permit to pour a new driveway in Sonterra?
If your new driveway connects to a county-maintained road, yes. Williamson County requires a Driveway Permit for that, and you apply online through MyGovernmentOnline. The county's Road & Bridge Division also issues the permit for structures and other development outside a floodplain in unincorporated areas, and if your address falls in a city or a city's ETJ, you'll need to check with that city as well. Before we set a date, we look up which office covers your address, and when a permit is needed we handle the application and keep it moving.
How do I know if my Sonterra lot needs a floodplain permit for a new slab?
If your property is in or next to the 100-year floodplain, Williamson County requires a Floodplain Development Permit before construction. The county also requires new structures to sit at least one foot above the base flood elevation, which is the height a 100-year flood is expected to reach. Many of the county's flood maps were last studied about 30 years ago, and some areas still haven't had a detailed study, so we check your address before planning the grade and don't treat an old map as the last word.
Does Williamson County require a building code for a new slab foundation?
No. Williamson County says that at this time it doesn't require a building code for new residential construction and has no authority to zone property. That means nobody from the county checks the base, the thickness or the rebar, the steel bars that hold the slab together if it cracks. It all comes down to how the job is planned and who pours it, so ask us exactly what goes under and inside your slab before you sign anything.
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Sonterra, TX?
The price comes down to the size of the driveway, how thick it is, what has to be broken out and hauled off first, and the finish you choose. I give you the figure for your driveway after I've walked it. Base work, a stamped or colored finish, and a county permit if the driveway ties into a county road all move the number. If you need to trim the cost, the finish is the place to do it.
What causes a concrete patio to crack, and will my new one crack too?
Most bad cracking starts with a base that was raked flat instead of packed, water running under the edge, or joints cut too late. Control joints are the shallow cuts across the slab, and they give the concrete a straight line to crack along where you won't notice it, as long as they're cut on time. Concrete can still crack some, so we pack the base, set the slope, cut the joints on time and pour in the cooler hours, aiming for a slab that cracks in the joints if it cracks at all and stays flat.
How long does it take before I can drive on a new driveway in Sonterra?
You can usually walk on it within a few days, but driving on it takes longer. Concrete is still curing, slowly hardening and gaining strength, well after it looks done. How soon we can pour depends on the permit check and the weather, and out here that means watching for those heavy spring and fall storms. I'll give you a date once the permit's sorted and tell you which days you'll be parking on the street.
Don't see your city? Give us a call
If another city here is yours, open its page. If it isn't listed, call (512) 276-6396, since we work in many of the cities around Round Rock.
Get a free estimate for your Sonterra slab
Tell us what you want poured and where. We reply within one business day, then I come out to look and give you a free estimate, with no obligation.