Winter in Michigan means freeze-thaw cycles and road salt that attack concrete from below. We start every driveway with proper excavation and a compacted granular base, then pour an air-entrained mix in the right thickness. Broom, stamped, exposed aggregate or colored finishes. New construction, full replacement, or widening for a second vehicle.
A concrete slab is only as good as what sits beneath it. When we remove an old driveway, we excavate to proper depth, check the grade for drainage, and lay a compacted granular base in lifts. This foundation prevents settling, manages water, and distributes vehicle loads evenly across the soil.
The concrete itself is air-entrained, meaning tiny air bubbles are mixed in to allow the slab to expand and contract through Michigan's temperature swings without cracking. We pour to the thickness your vehicles demand, saw-cut control joints on a planned grid, and finish the surface to your choice of texture and appearance.
If your existing slab is structurally sound but showing age, driveway resurfacing can extend its life without the cost of a full tear-out. We also handle sidewalk and walkway work, and can tie in patio concrete to match the driveway finish.
The existing concrete comes out and is hauled away. We dig to the right depth, check the slope so water runs away from the house, and confirm the soil is stable.
Lay and compact the base
Crushed stone or gravel is spread in layers and compacted with a plate compactor. Forms are set to the finished height and slope, then staked and leveled.
Place and finish the concrete
The air-entrained mix is delivered, placed into the forms, screeded flat, and finished to your choice: broom, exposed aggregate, stamped, or colored.
Cut joints and cure
Control joints are saw-cut on a grid pattern to manage shrinkage. The slab is misted and covered to cure properly, then you get a schedule for walking and driving.
Four finish styles
Choose the Driveway Finish That Fits Your Home
The finish is what you see and what handles the weather. A brushed broom finish is the standard choice: affordable, durable, and easy to sweep clean. It hides dirt and minor wear well through Michigan winters.
Exposed aggregate washes away the top layer to reveal the stone in the mix, giving grip and a textured look. Stamped concrete presses a pattern into the fresh slab that mimics flagstone, slate, or brick. Colored concrete uses integral pigment or a hardener to tint the entire slab to match your home's trim or siding. We bring finish samples to every estimate so you can see them in natural light before committing.
Pricing, thickness, finishes, and cure times for Detroit driveways.
Several things: the finish, the slab thickness, the base condition, site access, and how much old concrete has to come out. A broom-finish driveway generally runs $9 to $14 per square foot in Detroit, with stamped, exposed-aggregate or coloured finishes higher. Every quote is written and itemised after an on-site measure.
Yes. We handle tear-out of the old slab, haul-away, excavation and re-grading, then rebuild the gravel base before any forms go down. Driveway repair and resurfacing is also an option when the slab is structurally sound.
Most Detroit residential driveways are poured at four inches over a compacted granular base, stepped up where heavier vehicles park or turn. We confirm the thickness and any reinforcement on the site visit based on use and soil.
You can usually walk on it within 24 to 48 hours. Wait about seven days before light vehicle traffic and 28 days for full design strength. We give you the exact cure schedule at handoff.
Broom and exposed-aggregate finishes shed water and hide wear well; stamped and coloured finishes look sharper and want resealing every few years. Sealing is what keeps salt and water out of any finish.
Homeowner reviews
What Detroit Homeowners Say About Their Concrete Driveways
Old driveway was heaved and cracked corner to corner. They rebuilt the base properly and the new broom-finish slab has stayed dead flat through a full winter.
P. D.
Detroit
★★★★★
Went with exposed aggregate and it looks sharp. The crew brought samples to the estimate so we knew exactly what we were getting before the pour.
R. H.
Warren
★★★★★
Widened the driveway for a second vehicle and tied it into the original cleanly. You would not know it was two pours, the colour and finish match.
A. M.
Sterling Heights
★★★★★
Quoted a resurface instead of a full tear-out because the slab was still sound. Saved us money and they were upfront about it from the first visit.
T. G.
Ann Arbor
From the blog
Concrete Guides & Articles
Practical reading on planning, finishes and caring for concrete in Detroit.
Whether you need a new pour, a full replacement, or a widening for a second vehicle, we measure the site, walk you through finish options, and send a written quote with a firm completion date within one business day.
