Concrete Contractors in Council Bluffs, IA

Council Bluffs is the largest Iowa city in the metro, and anyone hiring concrete contractors in Council Bluffs should know the ground under the house matters as much as the concrete on top of it. The city spreads across prairie and savanna in the Loess Hills, with extensive wetlands and deciduous forest along the Missouri. Part of town climbs steep bluffs. Part of it sits on flat floodplain. The same driveway design will not work in both places.

Sugar clay

The Loess Hills are made of wind-blown silt called loess, known locally as sugar clay. It is extremely hard when dry and loses its cohesion when it gets wet. For concrete, that means the base under a driveway or walk can be rock-solid in August and soft after a week of spring rain. Water running under a slab can wash loess out from beneath it, leaving voids that crack the concrete.

On hillside lots in Council Bluffs we pay close attention to water. We direct downspouts away from walks and driveways, set the slab so water runs off rather than along its edge, and use a compacted rock base thick enough to bridge small soft spots. Where the yard above a driveway drains straight onto it, we may recommend a curb, swale or trench drain to catch that runoff.

Steep driveways and steps

The Loess Hills rise about 200 feet above the flat plains in a narrow band about 200 miles long, and some Council Bluffs streets reflect every foot of that. Steep driveways need a broom finish for traction, joints spaced to control cracking on the slope, and a landing at the garage. Many older homes on the bluffs have long flights of concrete steps from the street. Rebuilding those safely, with even risers and handrails where needed, is a common request here.

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The flat side of town

The western part of the city sits on the Missouri River floodplain. Lake Manawa, at the city's southern edge, was created by Missouri River flooding in the late 1800s. On flat lots there is little natural fall, so water tends to pond on patios and driveways if they are not sloped with care. We set grades with a level, not by eye, and make sure every slab sheds water toward the yard or street.

Council Bluffs projects we take on

• Driveways: replacement, widening, and new aprons at the street
• Hillside steps and walks: rebuilt flights of steps, landings and front walks
• Patios: plain and stamped, including patios cut into a slope
• Garage and shed floors: replacement slabs and new pads
• Sidewalk repair: heaved and cracked panels along the street
• Small retaining curbs and edges where a slab meets a slope

Iowa side, same crew

Working on the Iowa side of the river does not change how we price or schedule a job. We visit, measure and give you a written estimate. Call (531) 217-5944 to set a time.