Concrete Contractor in Mount Dora, FL - Driveways and Patios Built on a Solid Base
Custom Apopka Concrete is a concrete contractor based in Apopka, FL, and we pour driveways, patios, walkways and slabs for homes and small businesses in Mount Dora, starting with the ground underneath.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free quotes on site.
- Expect a reply within 1 business day.
Mount Dora properties, from old porches to newer slabs
Mount Dora sits on Lake Dora, and on our jobs here we see two kinds of property. Older homes near downtown and the water have front walks, porch steps and driveways that have been patched for years, while the newer neighborhoods have slabs that are starting to show their first cracks. We're based in Apopka, and the flatwork we do here, the flat pours like driveways, patios and walks, is the same work we do in Fairview Shores.
On the older lots that usually means tight side yards, big tree roots and fill that's been settling for years under the old concrete, and that's what decides how much digging out a new slab needs before we pour.
Concrete work we do on Mount Dora homes and businesses
Older Mount Dora driveways often sink where the base was thin, so we break out the old slab, dig out soft fill and pour on packed ground.
Back patios here take hard afternoon storms, so we pitch the slab to shed water away from the back door instead of letting it pool against the house.
Stamped concrete pressed to look like brick or stone suits the older houses near downtown, when you want a patio or walk that fits the porch and trim.
We replace front walks lifted by tree roots or sunk at the joints, so the path to your door is flat again and water doesn't sit on it.
A cracked, dusty garage floor gets broken out and repoured on a packed base, with joints cut so new cracks follow straight lines you can live with.
Color and texture give a plain slab some character, which matters on houses here where the front walk and entry steps are part of the curb look.
Yards that slope toward the lake, or low spots that wash out in heavy rain, can use a concrete wall to hold soil back and keep water moving.
We pour interior slabs for sunrooms, workshops and back additions, with the ground packed and a moisture barrier laid first, because Florida soil stays damp.
Pool decks here take sun, splashing and storm water, so we slope them away from the pool and give the surface a texture that grips wet feet.
Front steps on older homes often pull away from the house, so we form new ones with even risers and rebar, steel bars that hold them together.
For a new garage, workshop or addition, we pack the ground and pour the slab to the plans, following the engineer's details where there are any.
Additions on older lots often sit on uneven ground, so we build the foundation to the drawings and leave the structural design to the engineer, where it belongs.
Small shops and offices here need a lot that holds up to daily cars and drains in a downpour instead of ponding at the entrance.
Footings carry porches, columns, block walls and additions, so we dig them to the depth on the plans and keep the bottom clean and firm before the pour.
When a slab or porch here has dropped, we look for the cause first, usually washed-out or soft ground, and tell you plainly when it needs an engineer.
We saw-cut openings for doors and drain lines, take out broken sections of old slab and cut joints in fresh concrete so cracks land where we choose.
Get a free on-site estimate for your Mount Dora concrete
We'll reply within one business day to set a time. I'll come out, measure and ask a lot of questions, then put together a free estimate that spells out what's in it, and it's obligation-free.
(407) 358-0192- Based in
- Apopka, FL 32712
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 6 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 8 AM–9 PM
What working in Mount Dora means for your job
In Mount Dora, building permits and inspections run through the city's Building Department, and when a job needs a permit the application has to be signed and notarized, so the permit side usually sets how soon we can start more than the pour does. Before you hire anyone here, ask to see their state contractor license, since the state licensing board has certified contractors pass its exam first, and ask whether they hold the city's Business Tax Receipt, which anyone doing business in the city needs before opening, after getting the county's. We're licensed and fully insured, and before we start we check with the building office that covers your address, then file the permit as the licensed contractor when one's needed.
Rain is the other thing that moves a date, because we won't pour onto a soaked base. The price comes down to the size and thickness of the slab, how much old concrete and soft fill has to come out, and the finish, and your estimate spells out each of those. Narrow streets and tight side yards in the older neighborhoods decide where the concrete truck can park and how far we move the mix, which is the same thing I check on jobs in Wekiwa Springs and the other cities around Apopka.
Why Mount Dora slabs crack, sink and hold water
Most of the cracked, sinking concrete we get called out to look at started underneath, where the dirt was raked level and poured on instead of dug out and packed, so it kept settling and took the slab with it. We dig down to firm ground and pack the subgrade, the layer the slab sits on, then cut control joints, shallow grooves that give cracks a straight line to follow, before the concrete can crack on its own. No slab is crack-proof, but that's how a new one cracks where we chose instead of across the middle like the old one. In summer we pour early, because midday heat dries the top too fast and leaves it weak and dusty. If the budget gets tight, I'd rather you take a plain broom finish, the light texture that keeps it from getting slick, than skimp on the base, because nobody sees the base on day one and it decides how the whole thing holds up.
Water is the other half of it. This winter, usually our dry season, the regional weather outlook flags a greater chance of well above normal rainfall and severe weather through April, and a slab that falls toward the house sends all of that to your foundation or garage door. Before we set forms, we check where the water runs on your lot and pitch the slab away from the house.
How a concrete job runs with us in Mount Dora
Here's how a job goes from your first call to the final walk-through, so you know who you'll see and what you'll get along the way.
- +01
Call or send the form
Tell us what's going on with the driveway, patio or slab, a rough size and anything you've noticed like pooling water, and we'll get back to you to set a visit.
- +02
I look, measure and ask
I usually come out myself, check where the water runs and how soft the ground is, and ask a lot of questions, so it helps if you can be there. Then you get an estimate that spells out what's in it, from digging out to the finish, so you know what you're paying for before you decide.
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We handle permits and pour
Once you say go, we sort out the permit question, then our crew digs out, packs the base and pours. When the job has inspections, the city needs them booked by 4 p.m. the business day before, so we set the pour date around that.
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We walk the job together
We walk through the finished slab with you, and I'll show you where the joints are and where the water goes. You can usually walk on it the next day but should keep cars off for about a week while it cures, the slow hardening that gives concrete its strength, and every job is backed by our satisfaction guarantee.
Questions about concrete work in Mount Dora
Do I need a permit for a concrete driveway or patio in Mount Dora?
The city's permit list doesn't settle it for flatwork, so we check your address with the building office before we schedule anything. Under the city's older fee schedule, permits cover building, altering, repairing, moving or demolishing a building, and it doesn't name driveways or patios, which you can follow up on through the city's online permitting page. Checking first matters, because that same schedule charges $150 or double the permit fee, whichever is greater, for a permit issued after work has started.
How long does a building permit stay valid in Mount Dora?
An issued permit is good for 180 days, and each inspection that passes adds another 180 days, according to the city's permit FAQ. For a driveway or patio that's usually plenty of room, so the clock mostly matters if a job stalls during a wet stretch, and we keep inspections moving so it doesn't run out.
When do I need a Notice of Commencement for concrete work in Mount Dora?
The city requires a Notice of Commencement for any improvement valued over $5,000, recorded in Lake County, with a certified copy filed before the first inspection. A large driveway or pool deck can cross that line, so I'll tell you at the estimate if yours does and when it has to be in place.
How do I find out if my Mount Dora lot is in a flood hazard area?
Ask the city, which checks houses against the current FEMA flood map kept at City Hall, and its staff help owners, insurers and real estate agents look up a house or lot's flood hazard area. If you're building a new home on a slab, the city also wants an Elevation Certificate from a Florida registered architect, engineer or land surveyor before it issues the certificate of occupancy.
Does an older house in Mount Dora's historic area need extra approval for concrete work?
It can, because the city says structures over 50 years old in the Historical Review Area, or on a city, county, state or national historic register, need additional review and approvals. If your house fits that, we raise it with the building office before we plan the job, since I'd rather know before we set a pour date.
What affects the cost of a concrete driveway in Mount Dora?
The biggest local factors are how much soft fill and old concrete have to come out and how deep we have to dig to reach firm ground. Big tree roots, a lot that slopes toward the lake and needs steps or a short wall, and a permit or Notice of Commencement when one applies all add to it, and your estimate lists each piece so you can see what you're paying for.
Tell us about your Mount Dora project
Describe the job and ask about permits when you call (407) 358-0192 or send the form, since knowing about a slope, an old slab or tree roots ahead of time makes the first visit go further.
Apopka, FL