Concrete Contractors in Portland, OR

Many Portland homeowners start looking for concrete contractors in Portland the week a Sidewalk Repair Notice shows up. Others want a new patio, a wider driveway or steps that no longer wobble. Portland had 652,503 residents and 302,034 housing units at the 2020 census, and its housing spans every era from the late 1800s on. We work mainly on the southwest side, closest to our Tigard base, and take jobs across the rest of the city as the schedule allows.

How a Sidewalk Repair Notice works

The Portland Bureau of Transportation cites the City Charter: maintenance of sidewalks and the rest of the frontage is the responsibility of the adjacent property owner. When someone reports a hazard, PBOT inspectors check that walk and the walks nearby, then issue a Sidewalk Repair Notice where repairs are needed. Owners have 60 days to finish the work, and a reminder usually comes about 30 days in. If the repair is not done, the city hires a contractor and bills the owner.

PBOT's thresholds are tighter than many cities. A vertical step of one-half inch or more counts as a trip hazard, and so do cracks or openings one-half inch wide and spalling one-half inch deep. A permit is required for the repair, and the city recommends holding final payment until the work passes final inspection. We pull the mandated repair permit, form and pour to city standards, and schedule the inspection.

Hills, buttes and a river down the middle

The Willamette River runs north through downtown and splits the city into its east and west sides. Since May 1, 2020, Portland has six addressing sextants: N, NE, NW, S, SE and SW. On the west side, the West Hills rise to Council Crest at 1,073 feet, and a 2014 report found more than 7,000 locations at high risk for landslides and soil liquefaction in a major earthquake, much of them on the west side. Southeast Portland sits on the Boring Lava Field, with at least 32 cinder cones; Mount Tabor, an extinct cinder cone, rises to 636 feet.

That terrain matters for concrete. On a steep west-side lot, a driveway needs a firm base, good drainage and a surface with grip. On flatter east-side blocks, the bigger issue is usually street trees lifting the walk and older driveways that have settled.

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Rain more than freeze

Portland averages 36.92 inches of precipitation a year at the airport and 44.07 inches downtown, but only about 4.3 inches of snow. The record high is 116 degrees, set on June 28, 2021, and the record low is minus 3, from February 1950. For flatwork, that means planning around rain more than frost: slope every surface away from the house, keep the base dry when we pour, and cure the concrete properly in summer heat so it does not crack early.

What we do in Portland

• Sidewalk repair: panel replacement for notices, trip edges and spalled walks, built to PBOT standards
• Driveways: tear-out and replacement, approaches and widening on older lots
• Patios: new backyard slabs and replacements for tipped patios
• Decorative concrete: stamped and colored patios and walks
• Steps and stoops: rebuilding front steps on older homes with a safe, even rise
• Slabs: pads for sheds, paths to backyard cottages and garage floors

Trees and the two-year rule

PBOT notes that its own repairs are covered for two years, except when tree roots damage the walk again. If a street tree is the cause, we talk through options before we pour so the new panels are not lifted right back up. Call (971) 370-7838 to get on the schedule.