Questions to ask
1. Are you licensed for concrete or contractor work in my city or state, and will you show proof of liability insurance and workers’ compensation before you excavate?
Why it matters: Flatwork involves heavy trucks, forms, rebar, and crews on your property. Ask for a current certificate of insurance with liability coverage high enough for home, driveway, and landscape damage, plus workers’ comp so an injured worker does not become your claim. A cash “we’ll pour Saturday” outfit with no paperwork leaves you owning the accident and any property damage from forms, pump trucks, or washout.
2. Exactly what are you pouring — slab, driveway, patio, sidewalk, or apron — and what thickness, dimensions, and finish are in the written scope?
Why it matters: “Concrete work” is not a spec. Driveways, garage slabs, patios, and sidewalks often need different thickness, reinforcement, and slope. Ask for square footage or linear dimensions, thickness by area, broom vs smooth vs stamped finish, and whether removal of old concrete is included. A low bid that assumes a thin patio pour for a vehicle driveway fails under load.
3. What mix design are you using — PSI strength, slump, air entrainment, and whether the mix is designed for freeze-thaw or de-icing salt?
Why it matters: Strength and durability come from the mix, not just “gray concrete.” Ask for PSI (e.g. 3,000–4,000+ for many driveways), target slump, air entrainment for freeze-thaw climates, and whether they will provide a ticket or mix sheet from the ready-mix plant. Water added on site to make a wet, easy pour weakens the slab; “whatever the plant has” is not a design.
4. How will you prepare the base — excavation depth, gravel type, compaction method, and drainage away from the slab and the house?
Why it matters: Most early cracks and settlement start under the concrete. Ask how deep they excavate, what aggregate or sand base they use, whether they compact in lifts with a plate compact or roller, and how water drains off the finished surface and away from foundations. Pouring on soft fill, organics, or uncompacted soil is a red flag — so is a slab that slopes toward the house.
5. What reinforcement is included — rebar, wire mesh, or fiber — and how will it be placed (chairs, spacing) so it stays in the middle of the slab?
Why it matters: Reinforcement only helps if it ends up in the right place. Ask whether the quote includes rebar size and spacing, welded wire mesh, or synthetic/steel fiber, and how they keep steel off the dirt (chairs or dobies — not “pull it up while pouring”). Mesh that ends up on the ground does little; fiber alone may not replace structural rebar where loads or spans demand it.
6. Where will control joints and expansion joints go, how deep are they cut or tooled, and how do you handle isolation at walls, posts, and existing concrete?
Why it matters: Concrete shrinks and moves; joints control where cracks appear. Ask for a joint layout, spacing guidelines (often tied to thickness), saw-cut timing, and expansion or isolation joints at buildings, columns, and abutting slabs. A big unbroken pour with no joints invites random cracks across the middle of your driveway or patio.
7. What is your plan for weather, curing, and sealer — and who decides to postpone if it is too hot, cold, or wet?
Why it matters: Hot days, freezing nights, and rain ruin finishes and strength. Ask about pour windows, cold-weather blankets or hot-weather practices, how long you must keep the surface moist or protected, when you can drive or park on it, and whether a sealer is included or recommended. A crew that pours into a storm or leaves a slab to dry out in heat is gambling with scaling and weak concrete.
8. What thickness and slope are you guaranteeing, and how will you verify them before and after the pour?
Why it matters: Undersized thickness and reverse slope cause ponding and early failure. Ask for minimum thickness by area (e.g. driveway vs sidewalk), target slope for drainage (often ~1/8–1/4 inch per foot where appropriate), and whether they check forms with a level or laser before concrete arrives. “About four inches” with no verification is how thin spots and birdbaths happen.
9. Who pulls permits and schedules inspections — and what happens if the city requires different thickness, reinforcement, or approaches?
Why it matters: Many cities require permits for driveways, sidewalks in the right-of-way, and structural slabs. Ask who applies, who pays fees, whether inspections are required before pour, and how change orders work if the inspector demands thicker concrete or different steel. “We don’t do permits” on work that needs them can leave you with a stop-work order or a tear-out.
10. How are payments staged — deposit, forms and base, pour day, completion — and when is final payment due relative to punch list and cure?
Why it matters: Large cash deposits before excavation, or full payment the hour the truck leaves, hand them your leverage. Ask for a written schedule tied to milestones (demo/base done, pour complete, joints/sealer/punch list). Keep a reasonable final amount until thickness looks right, drainage works, edges are finished, and the site is cleaned — knowing full strength takes days to weeks.
11. What warranty covers cracking, scaling, and settlement — what is normal vs covered — and is haul-away of old concrete and washout cleanup included?
Why it matters: Some hairline shrinkage cracks are common; structural cracks, spalling, or settlement often are not “just concrete.” Ask what workmanship covers for the first year (or longer), what voids the warranty (salt, premature loading, poor drainage you caused), and whether demo debris, spoils, and concrete washout cleanup are in the price. A low pour bid that leaves rubble and gray sludge in the yard is not finished work.
Red flags
- Cash-only with no license, insurance certificate, or written scope and mix details.
- Pours on soft fill or dirt with little or no gravel base and no compaction.
- No plan for control joints, or a huge unbroken slab with “cracks are normal” as the only answer.
- Reinforcement laid on the ground with no chairs, or “we’ll pull the mesh up” during the pour.
- Adds lots of water on site to make a soupy mix, or refuses to share PSI / mix ticket.
- Pressure to pay a large deposit before excavation, or full payment before cleanup and punch list.
- Door-knock specials with leftover concrete from another job and urgency to “pour today or lose the price.”
Next-step checklist
- Sketch the area (driveway, patio, sidewalk, slab), note thickness needs, slope/drainage, and photo existing concrete or soft spots.
- Check local permit and right-of-way rules; ask neighbors or the city about driveway apron and sidewalk requirements.
- Get at least two written quotes with the same assumed scope (sq ft, thickness, mix PSI, base, reinforcement, joints, demo, haul-away).
- Verify licensing where required, plus liability insurance and workers’ compensation certificates.
- Confirm base prep, compaction, joint layout, cure/sealer plan, and when you can walk or drive on the pour.
- Hold final payment until edges and finish look right, drainage works, debris is hauled, and you have the invoice plus insurance certs.