Concrete Contractor in Winter Garden, FL - Driveways and Patios Built on a Solid Base
Custom Apopka Concrete is a concrete contractor pouring driveways, patios, sidewalks, pool decks and slabs for homes and small businesses in Winter Garden, FL, with the ground dug out and packed before any concrete goes down.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free quotes on site.
- Expect a reply within 1 business day.
Winter Garden driveways, patios and the ground under them
Winter Garden sits right next to Ocoee, and the West Orange Trail runs from here north into Apopka, where we're based, so we're over here often for driveways, patios and pool decks. Around the historic downtown on Plant Street the houses tend to be older and the lots tighter, and farther out you'll find newer neighborhoods with wide two-car driveways, screened pools and back patios. Most of the calls we get are from homeowners, plus some small business owners who need a walkway, steps or a slab.
That mix decides how the job starts. On an older lot we often break out a tired slab and find it was poured thin over loose fill, while on a newer one the bigger question is usually where the builder graded the water to run, so I look at both before I put an estimate together.
Concrete work we do for Winter Garden homes and businesses
When an older driveway has sunk at the street or cracked across the middle, we tear it out, dig and pack the base, then pour a new one.
A concrete patio out back gives you a level spot for the grill, and we slope it so rain runs into the yard, not toward your door.
Stamped concrete gives a patio or entry the look of stone or brick, which suits homes near downtown, with one solid slab underneath instead of loose pavers.
We pour front walks and side paths for homes and small shops, replacing sections that tree roots have lifted into a trip hazard.
A garage floor that's cracked, stained or sloping the wrong way can be replaced with a fresh slab, so water heads out the door instead of pooling.
Color, scored patterns and exposed stone finishes dress up a walkway or patio on a newer home without the upkeep of pavers shifting in the sand.
On a yard that slopes toward the house or a neighbor, a concrete retaining wall holds the soil back and gives you a flat area to use.
For a new addition, a workshop or a small business space, we pour an interior concrete floor over a packed base with a vapor barrier underneath.
Pool decks here take sun and splash all day, so we finish them with a texture that grips wet feet and slope them away from the pool.
Front and back steps that have cracked or settled away from the house get rebuilt with every step the same height, so nobody catches a toe coming in.
For a detached garage, workshop or addition, we pour the slab it sits on, built to the drawings your designer or engineer provides.
When you're adding a room or building on a lot, we form and pour the foundation the plans call for, and the engineer's details decide the size.
Small business and property owners with a cracked or puddled lot can have it rebuilt in concrete, sloped so rain heads to the drains and not the doors.
Footings are the wide concrete pads under a wall, column or post, and we dig them to the depth the plans require before anything gets built on top.
If a slab or porch has dropped, we check whether lifting it back toward level makes sense, and we'll say so when a house needs an engineer first.
We saw-cut openings for new plumbing, doorways or a wider driveway apron, and cut out damaged sections cleanly so the new pour meets a straight edge.
Get a free on-site estimate for your Winter Garden project
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set up a visit. I'll usually come out myself, look at the spot, measure and give you a free estimate that spells out what it covers, with no obligation.
(407) 358-0192- Based in
- Apopka, FL 32712
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 6 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 8 AM–9 PM
Permits, contractor checks and price in Winter Garden
In Winter Garden, the city's Building Department issues the building permits Florida requires for most projects, and any review the city needs has to clear before we can put a pour date on the calendar. Before we start, we check with that office about your address, and when a permit is needed we file it as the licensed contractor and keep you posted along the way. We're licensed and fully insured, and if you're comparing contractors based inside city limits, it's fair to ask about the city's Business Tax Receipt, because every business operating from a Winter Garden address has to have one before it opens.
Price comes down to the size and thickness of the slab, whether old concrete has to come out first, how much base work your ground needs, how close the truck can get and the finish you pick, and your estimate spells out each one. On the tighter lots near downtown we sometimes pump or wheel concrete in from the street, which adds labor, while newer neighborhoods usually let the truck back right up to the forms. Our crew comes over from Apopka for these jobs, the same way we head up to Wekiwa Springs, so it's the same people and the same base work either way.
Why Winter Garden slabs crack, sink and hold water
Most of the cracked and sunken slabs we see in Winter Garden failed from underneath. The ground here is mostly sand, and when concrete gets poured on soil that was only raked level, the subgrade, the dirt the slab sits on, keeps settling and the slab cracks and drops with it, while a slab that slopes toward the house pools water right against it. We dig out to firm ground, pack the base in layers, check where your water runs before we set forms, and cut control joints, shallow saw lines that tell the slab where to crack, before it picks a spot on its own.
Shade trees are a big part of many yards here, and over the years their roots push up sidewalks and driveway edges. The city asks residents to trim trees before hurricane season, since loose limbs can turn into flying debris, and its crews can't do special curbside pickups once a storm is coming, so when we tear out old concrete we haul it off ourselves rather than leave a pile at your curb.
How a concrete job runs with us in Winter Garden
Here's how a job goes from your first call to the final walk-through, and who you'll be dealing with at each step.
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Call or send a message
Call (407) 358-0192 or send the form and tell us what's going on, whether it's a sinking driveway or a new patio you've been picturing. We'll get back to you and set a time to come out.
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I come out and measure
I usually come out myself, look at the spot, measure and ask a lot of questions about drainage, what parks on it and how you want it to look. Then I put together an estimate that spells out what's in the price, so you know what you're paying for before you decide.
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Permit check, prep and pour
Once you say go, we settle the permit question with the city, since any city review comes before the pour date, and then our own crew digs out, packs the base and pours. Curing comes next, the wait while new concrete hardens and gains strength, and we'll tell you when it's ready for feet and when it's ready for the car.
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Walk the finished job together
We walk the finished job with you and go over caring for new concrete and how it'll look as it ages, since fine hairline cracks and some color change over the first months are normal. It's all backed by our satisfaction guarantee.
Questions about concrete work in Winter Garden
Do I need a permit to pour a concrete driveway or patio in Winter Garden?
You'll need the city's sign-off either way, because Winter Garden's single-family permitting guide says driveways, sidewalks and paver patios still need Planning and Zoning pre-approval for setbacks, lot coverage and easements, and in a flood zone every project needs a building permit no matter what it costs. Some limited single-family work can qualify for a state permit exemption, but the city has to approve an exemption application before that work starts, and a big job can't be split into small ones to get around permits. We settle all of this with the city before we schedule anything.
What happens if concrete work starts without a permit in Winter Garden?
The city can take code enforcement action and charge up to three times the regular permit fee, so starting early to save time usually costs more in the end. That's why we settle the permit question before anyone picks up a shovel.
When do I need a Notice of Commencement for concrete work in Winter Garden?
You need one filed for the permit when the project is over $5,000. It's recorded with the Orange County Comptroller's Office, a certified copy goes to the city's Building Department and a copy has to be posted at the job before the first inspection, so we'll flag it early if your project needs one.
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Winter Garden?
We give you a number after I've seen your lot, because the size, the tear-out and how much base work your ground needs swing a driveway's price more than anything else. If something has to give in the budget, I'd rather you pick a plain broom finish, the light brushed texture that keeps it from getting slick, than cut back on the base, because you can dress up a surface later but you can't fix what's under it without tearing it out.
How long until I can drive on a new concrete driveway in Winter Garden?
You can usually walk on it after a few days, but the car has to wait longer, because concrete keeps curing and gaining strength well after it looks dry. We'll give you the day for your slab once it's poured, and on hot days we pour early in the morning, since a slab that dries too fast in the midday heat can end up with a weak, dusty top.
How do I keep a new concrete driveway in Winter Garden from cracking like the old one?
Start with what's underneath, because the packed base and well-placed control joints we described above are what keep a new driveway from sinking and splitting the way a raked-base slab does. Rebar, steel bars set inside the slab, helps hold any crack tight and the pieces level, and we talk through whether your driveway needs it based on what parks there. Fine hairline cracks can still show up in any concrete, but they shouldn't open into the wide, sunken breaks you're looking at now.
Get your Winter Garden concrete job priced
We're around early and late, 6 AM to 11 PM on weekdays and 8 AM to 9 PM on weekends, so call (407) 358-0192 or send the form whenever you're standing in front of that cracked slab.
Apopka, FL