Concrete driveway building in Tuscaloosa AL - a slab built for what you park on it

An installed concrete driveway in Tuscaloosa usually costs about $8 to $16 per square foot. That's the going rate in the city, not a quote from us. I come out and measure, and your written estimate spells out your number and what's in it.

Trade guidance says at least 4 inches. Going to 5 inches adds about 20% to the concrete cost and raises the weight the slab can carry by nearly 50%, which is a lot of strength for a modest bump. Tell us what's going to park on it, and we'll plan the thickness and the steel around that.

Concrete can crack, so we tell it where. We cut control joints, planned grooves that give the slab a place to break, which helps prevent random cracks, and steel won't stop a crack but helps hold it together if one forms. A random crack is usually an eyesore rather than a structural problem.

Plan on at least a week of curing, the time concrete takes to harden, before anyone drives on it. We ask you to park somewhere else that week, because weight on a slab that's still gaining strength is how a new driveway gets damaged early.

The city requires permits for all new construction, remodels and alterations, and most residential permits are processed within 24 to 48 hours. Permanent work in the right-of-way, the public land by the street, needs a right-of-way use permit, and lots draining to Lake Tuscaloosa, Harris Lake or Lake Nicol can need extra approvals, so we'll tell you who to call.

The Alabama Home Builders Licensure Board counts anyone who builds or improves a residential structure costing over $10,000, labor and materials together, as a residential home builder. Work outside the board's jurisdiction is left out of that definition, so ask any contractor how they're licensed for your job.