What Should You Ask a Driveway Contractor?
Ask every driveway contractor the same five questions: how thick the slab will be, how the base is prepared, what reinforcement is included, whether the mix is air-entrained, and whether the price depends on your neighborhood. Written answers make quotes comparable.
1. How Thick Will the Slab Be?
Slab thickness should be written on the quote. We pour driveways at 5.5 inches minimum, because a thinner slab is more likely to crack under years of vehicle traffic.
2. How Is the Base Prepared?
Base preparation is the part of a driveway you never see. Ask how the ground under the slab will be graded and compacted, since a soft base can let a well-poured slab settle and crack.
3. What Reinforcement Is Included?
Reinforcement should be named on the quote and sized to the job, whether that’s rebar or another type.
4. Is the Mix Air-Entrained?
Air-entrained concrete holds up better through freeze-thaw cycles. Exterior concrete must be air-entrained under IRC 402.2 per New Castle County’s inspection checklist, and Cecil County’s building code rates local weathering potential as severe.
5. Does the Price Depend on My Address?
Address-based pricing is something we refuse to do. We price every driveway the same way in every neighborhood, so the quote reflects the driveway and a neighbor down the road pays the same rate.
Red Flags on a Driveway Quote
Red flags on a driveway quote are usually about what’s missing:
- No slab thickness written anywhere
- No written quote at all
- A price that seems to depend on what your house looks like
- A deposit request above one-third of the contract price, which is the cap Maryland’s home improvement law sets
Before You Sign
Before you sign, check whether the driveway needs a permit. Our post on getting a driveway permit in Maryland walks through it, our post on the hidden cost of the lowest concrete bid covers what a low number can leave out, and our Concrete Driveways page has our pricing.
