Concrete Contractor in Amherst, NH - Driveways, Patios and Slabs Built on a Solid Base
Quality Merrimack Concrete is a concrete contractor based in Merrimack, NH, and we pour driveways, patios, walks, steps, garage floors and foundations for homeowners in Amherst, NH, with our own crew and me on site.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- We reply within 1 business day.
Amherst houses, from the village common to wooded lots
Around the village common, the neighborhood is mostly houses, and a lot of them are Georgian, Federal and Greek Revival homes that have stood for a long time. Concrete work there tends to be front steps, walks and patios that have to sit right next to old clapboard, brick and granite without looking out of place. Out past the village, homes sit farther back on bigger, wooded lots, and the calls we get there lean toward long driveways, garage floors and back patios.
Amherst is a short drive from our base in Merrimack, and we do the same kind of work next door in Milford. On the older houses the job starts with fitting new concrete to steps and grades that have shifted, and on the newer lots it starts with how far back the house sits and how the ground slopes between it and the road.
Concrete work we do for Amherst homes
Concrete driveway building
Long driveways on wooded Amherst lots need the soft topsoil and roots dug out and a packed base underneath, so the slab doesn't settle where the dirt does.
Concrete patio construction
A back patio works best when we check where the water runs first, so the slab falls away from your house instead of pooling against the foundation.
Stamped concrete services
Stamped concrete can give a patio or walk the look of laid stone, which suits the older houses in the village better than a plain gray slab.
Concrete sidewalk building
A cracked or tilted front walk on an older Amherst house usually means a thin base, so we dig it out and rebuild it properly.
Garage floor concrete
A cracked or pitted garage floor gets a new slab from us, pitched toward the door so water runs out instead of sitting in puddles.
Decorative concrete
Colored and textured finishes let a new walk, step or patio sit comfortably beside clapboard and old brick instead of looking like it was dropped there yesterday.
Concrete retaining walls
On sloped yards, a retaining wall holds back soil so you can level a patio or parking spot, with drainage behind it so water doesn't push it over.
Concrete floor installation
For basements, barns and workshops, we pour interior floors on a packed base with a smooth finish you can sweep, roll a cart across or cover later.
Concrete pool decks
Behind Amherst homes, a pool deck needs a finish that isn't slick when wet and a slope that sends splash water away from the pool and the house.
Concrete steps construction
Front steps on older homes often settle or crumble at the edges, and we form new ones sized to your door and walk so each rise feels even.
Slab foundation building
For a detached garage, shed or addition, we pour a slab foundation on ground that's been dug out and packed, so the building above starts level and solid.
Foundation installation
New houses and additions on Amherst's larger lots start with a poured foundation, and I walk the site first to see the grade and where water goes.
Concrete parking lot building
Small businesses call us for parking areas and lots that need a deeper base and joints planned around the cars and trucks they'll carry.
Concrete footings
Decks, porches and additions sit on footings, concrete pads that carry the weight into the ground, and we pour them to the size your plans call for.
Foundation raising
When a porch, shed or old outbuilding has sunk, we raise it and set it on new concrete so doors and floors line up again.
Concrete cutting
We saw-cut old concrete to open a doorway, make room for a drain line or take out a broken section without tearing up the rest of it.
Get a free estimate for concrete work in Amherst
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set up a visit. I come out myself and leave you a free estimate on site, with no pressure to book.
(603) 377-5028- Based in
- Merrimack, NH 03054
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 8 AM–10 PM, Sat–Sun: 7 AM–9 PM
Working in Amherst: permits, price and planning
Permit questions for a job in Amherst go to the Town of Amherst building department, and the Town asks homeowners to call and talk plans over with the Building Official before any work starts. That conversation usually has to happen before we can put a date on the pour, and the Town's permit forms include a driveway permit, so a new or changed driveway is worth asking about too. We'll help you find out which office handles your job and get the paperwork moving, then we work to whatever they ask. We're licensed and insured.
What moves the price here is mostly how much digging and base the ground needs, the size of the slab, and how far our crew has to haul from where the truck can park. The finish matters too, since a plain broom finish, the light texture we drag across the top for grip, costs less than stamped or colored work, and the schedule mostly turns on that first permit conversation and the wait after the pour. The estimate I leave you on site puts your own number on it, and it's the same planning we do in Londonderry and the other cities around Merrimack.
Older steps and wooded lots shape the work here
Older homes here often have front steps and walks that were put in long ago, and over the years many have settled, cracked or started tipping back toward the house, which sends water at the foundation. Before we form anything new, we check where the water runs across the yard and set the new slab to fall away from the house, because a slab that slopes the wrong way keeps causing trouble long after it's poured.
On wooded lots the ground under a driveway or patio is often soft topsoil threaded with roots, and that has to be dug out and replaced with packed stone before any concrete goes down. That base is the part you never see once the slab is poured, which makes it the first thing people want to trim when the budget is tight. I'd rather you pick a plain finish than skimp on the base, because a nice top on a sinking base still sinks.
How a concrete job runs when you call us from Amherst
Here's how it goes from your first call to the day you can use the new slab, with me on the job at each step.
Call or send the form
Tell us what you're thinking of pouring and roughly where, and we'll set a time for me to come out. Photos of the spot help if you have them.
I look at the spot
I come out myself, walk the area, check where water runs and ask how you'll use the slab, so the thickness and base fit the job. It helps if you're home, and you'll have the estimate in hand before anything is booked.
Permits, prep and the pour
Once you say go, we get any permit paperwork moving and book inspections early, since the Town usually needs one or two days' notice for an inspection request. Then our crew digs out and packs the base, and I'm there for the pour and the finish.
Curing and what to watch
Curing is the wait while the concrete hardens and gains strength, and keeping weight off it until then protects the surface. I'll tell you before we leave when you can walk on it and drive on it, and what to keep an eye on over the first months.
Questions about concrete work in Amherst, NH
Do I need a building permit for a garage or shed slab in Amherst, NH?
Usually, yes, if the slab is going under a new garage, shed, barn or addition, because the Town says those projects usually need a building permit. Its list also takes in decks and pools, so footings or a pool deck tied to one are worth raising on that first call. The Building Official settles what your job needs, and we pour to what they approve.
Does concrete work in the Amherst historic district need HDC approval?
Most projects in the Historic District Commission's area need its approval before a building permit is issued, according to the Town's permit FAQ. That covers new construction and additions that change a building's outside or its property features, and the Town names things like windows, doors, sheds and generators. If new steps, a walk or a patio will change how your village house or lot looks, ask the commission before we set a date, because that review comes first.
Do I need engineered plans for a concrete foundation in Amherst?
Most residential projects in Amherst don't need stamped engineered plans, as long as the plans meet the building codes. The Building Official decides when a job does, so for a bigger foundation or a tall retaining wall it's worth asking early, since engineered plans take time to get drawn.
What happens if my Amherst property is in the wetland or aquifer protection district?
Properties inside the Town's Wetland and Watershed Conservation District or its Aquifer Conservation and Wellhead Protection District have a conditional use permit application with its own checklist. If you think your lot might fall in one, raise it when you talk to the building department, so an extra application doesn't turn up after the pour date is set.
How much does a concrete driveway cost in Amherst, NH?
The cost of a concrete driveway in Amherst comes down to its length and width, the digging and base it needs, and whether old asphalt or concrete has to come out first, so I put a number on it only after I've walked it. A driveway that carries delivery trucks or a camper may need a thicker slab with rebar, steel bars set inside that hold the concrete together, and that adds cost. You can read more about how we build them on our concrete driveway page.
What causes a new concrete driveway or patio to crack?
Besides a weak base, most cracks in new concrete come from control joints, the shallow lines cut into the slab to give it a straight place to crack, being cut too late or skipped, so it cracks wherever it wants. Pouring and finishing in the midday heat can leave a weak, dusty top, and so can putting weight on it before it's cured. We cut joints on time, schedule the pour so the finish isn't rushed and tell you when it's ready, though no one can honestly promise concrete won't crack at all.
Merrimack, NH
Plan your Amherst concrete job with us
Call (603) 377-5028 or send the form, and we can talk through permits and timing before you're committed to a date.