Concrete Contractor in Friendly, MD - Driveways and Patios Built on a Solid Base
J&K Alexandria Concrete Company builds concrete driveways, patios, steps and retaining walls for homes in Friendly, MD. We're based across the river in Alexandria, and our own crew does the work start to finish.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- Replies within 1 business day.
Concrete work around Friendly, Maryland
Friendly was mostly farm country until about 1960 and has filled in since with single-family neighborhoods, so one street can have a driveway poured with the first houses right next to one that's only a few years old. Lots tend to have some room, with trees, side yards and backyards that fall away from the house. We do the same kind of work next door in Glassmanor and Oxon Hill, so the calls look familiar: a driveway cracked across the middle, front steps pulling away from the door, a patio holding water against the foundation.
That mix shapes the job. On an older driveway I want to know what the first crew put underneath before I price a new one, and on a sloped yard, where the water goes decides the plan more than the pour does.
What we build for Friendly homes
Concrete driveway building
Plenty of Friendly driveways went in with the house, and decades of settling show in the cracks. We tear out, pack a new base and pour.
Concrete patio construction
Backyards here often slope, so a patio that sheds water toward the house is a common call. We set the grade so rain runs away from your foundation.
Concrete steps construction
Front steps on older houses here often sink away from the door. We build new concrete steps on a solid footing so every step is the same height.
Concrete retaining walls
Sloped lots here often need a wall to keep the yard from creeping downhill. We set it on a footing dug below the loose topsoil.
Concrete sidewalk building
Walkways from driveway to door often heave where roots and wet ground work under them. We take out the lifted slabs and pour new on a packed base.
Concrete cutting
Widening an older driveway or running a new drain line often means opening old concrete. We saw-cut a clean edge so the rest stays sound.
What Friendly yards ask of a slab
The ground we dig into around here usually has clay in it, which holds water after a storm and swells and shrinks as it wets, dries and freezes. A slab poured on raked dirt moves right along with it, which is why so many cracks start at a low corner or near a downspout. So we dig down to firm subgrade, the soil the slab actually sits on, pack a gravel base over it and pitch the surface so water heads away from the house. Then we cut control joints, shallow grooves that give the concrete a place to crack in a straight line instead of wherever it pleases.
When a budget gets tight, the base is the first thing people want to trim, because nobody sees it on day one. I'd rather you pick a plain broom finish, the light texture that keeps it from getting slick, and keep the base right, since a fancy top on a bad base cracks just the same.
Get a written estimate for your Friendly concrete job
Call (571) 760-4255 or send the form, and we'll reply within one business day to set a time. I come out to Friendly myself, walk the job with you and write a free estimate that lists what's included, like tear-out and haul-away, so you can compare it fairly with other bids. There's no obligation.
Questions we hear in Friendly
Here's what homeowners in Friendly usually want to know about permits, licenses, water and cost before a pour. If your question isn't here, call or send the form and ask about your own job.
Do I need a permit to replace a concrete driveway or patio in Friendly, MD?
Sometimes, so we check your address before we price the job. Building plans in Prince George's County go through the county's permitting office, DPIE, and the county code as printed in 2023 treated replacing a driveway or patio in kind as an ordinary repair with no application, while a new or bigger slab is a question for the county. A property on the county's historic preservation plan or in a local historic district needed a Historic Area Work Permit from the Historic Preservation Commission before exterior work, so tell me if that's you. We take care of the permit work for our part of the job and tell you up front if anything needs your signature.
Does a concrete contractor in Maryland need a home improvement license?
Yes, for work on your home, only a contractor licensed by the Maryland Home Improvement Commission can sign a contract with you, and that covers patios and retaining walls. State law also requires those contractors to carry at least $500,000 in general liability insurance, and MHIC's Guaranty Fund can pay you back for poor work or a job left unfinished, up to what you paid and no more than $30,000, but only when the contractor was licensed. We're licensed and fully insured, and I'd still tell you to look up any contractor, us included, before you sign.
How do I check if my house in Friendly is in a flood zone?
Look up your property on the county's floodplain map, which shows floodplain boundaries and the properties in high-risk zones. If your lot is in one or close to it, tell me at the estimate, because where the water runs decides how we pitch the slab and whether it needs a drain.
How much does a concrete driveway cost in Friendly, MD?
Your price comes down to what comes out, what goes under, how big it is and how it's finished. Tearing out and hauling off an old driveway, a sloped lot that needs extra base or forming, and a stamped or colored finish push it up, while a plain broom finish on a straight run keeps it down. I write all of that out on the estimate so you're not guessing what's in the number.
How long will I be without my driveway after a new concrete pour?
You can usually walk on it well before you can park on it, because concrete keeps gaining strength while it cures, the wait before it can take weight. The calendar mostly turns on tear-out, how much base work the ground needs and the weather, and in summer we pour early in the day so the heat doesn't leave a weak, dusty top. I'll tell you both waits for your slab when we set the pour date.
What is the best way to build a patio on a sloped yard in Friendly?
Usually it's to cut into the high side and hold it with a short concrete retaining wall rather than piling fill on the low side, because fill settles and takes the slab with it. Behind the wall we give water a way out, since water trapped back there pushes on it. If the yard drops a lot, a few steps between two smaller levels often beats one big wall.
Driveways, patios and steps
Other cities we work in
We're based in Alexandria and work across the cities around it in Virginia and Maryland. Find yours here, or just call and ask if it isn't listed.