A driveway carries the heaviest load on the lot, so the crew starts there. We pour new driveways, replace broken ones, widen narrow ones and rebuild the apron where the drive meets the sidewalk. In Paterson the section that crosses a sidewalk must be reinforced concrete built to the city's standard. Each slab is formed, pitched toward the street and tied into its apron so water never pools against the garage door. On narrow city lots the crew measures twice before the forms go in, because a few inches of width decide whether two cars fit side by side.
Many Paterson yards are small, and a patio makes the most of one. The slab is cut to the shape of the lot and sloped away from the house wall, so rain runs into the grass and not toward the basement. Finishes include broom, smooth trowel, tinted and stamped. A patio can meet an existing step or walk, and the mix matches what goes into a driveway. Raised two-family lots often need a short retaining edge, and that edge is priced as its own line.
Stamped concrete picks up a slate, brick or stone texture while the pour is still soft, and the color goes in at the same time. The result looks laid, yet it is one continuous slab with no joints for weeds. It suits owners who want a paver look with less upkeep. Pattern, color and border are picked together before any concrete is ordered, and a sample board shows the choice at the visit. Budget $15 to $25 per square foot for stamped patios and walks, and $150 to $300 per step for stamped stairs.
Concrete Repair
A repair buys years before a replacement is needed. The crew fills and seals cracks, rebuilds chipped corners and resurfaces tops that have flaked from salt. A slab that still lies flat on firm ground can be saved. A slab that has dropped, or that crumbles all the way down, cannot, and the estimate shows both options as separate lines. Seeing the two prices side by side makes the choice easy, and a patched slab is often good for several more winters when the base underneath is still sound.
Concrete Sidewalks
Each sidewalk panel that heaves or sinks is a hazard for neighbors, and in Paterson the abutting owner pays for the paving. Sidewalks must be at least 5 feet wide and cannot mix bluestone with concrete. A permit from the Streets Division comes first, at $25 per permit for each 25 feet of frontage, and the city gets 24 hours of notice before the pour. Street trees often lift panels, so any root cutting appears in the estimate as a separate item, and a clean saw cut keeps the tree healthy.
Commercial Concrete
Shops, lots and yards get the same crew with heavier steel and a deeper base. Commercial jobs cover loading areas, curbs, walks and equipment pads. Truck traffic sets the thickness, and the estimator sizes each slab to the load on that property. Work is staged so one part of the lot stays open, and each stage gets its own line in the written price. Permits belong to the job, and the office handles the paperwork so a manager can stay on the floor.
