Concrete Contractor in Saint Martin, MS - Slabs Built on a Packed Base
Gautier Concrete pours driveways, patios, slabs, footings and foundations for homes and small businesses in Saint Martin, MS. I come out to look at the spot myself, and my crew and I build it from the base up.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free on-site estimates.
- We reply within 1 business day.
Saint Martin homes and the ground under them
Saint Martin is mostly homes, from older single-story houses on slabs to raised houses and newer builds, with a few small businesses mixed in. Calls from here are usually for driveways, back patios, walks to the front door, and footings or slabs for an addition or a new house. It sits right next to Gulf Hills, and the jobs on both sides look a lot alike, so what we learn on one carries over to the other.
The ground shapes the work. Lots here tend to sit low and flat, so a slab that's off by a little can send water back toward the house, which is why we set the slope before any concrete shows up.
Concrete work we pour in Saint Martin
Concrete driveway building
When a driveway runs flat from the road, we dig out soft dirt, pack the base and pitch the new slab so rain runs off toward the street.
Concrete patio construction
A patio out back gets puddles if it's poured flat against the house, so we slope yours away from the wall and cut joints where cracks should go.
Stamped concrete services
Stamped concrete gives a patio or walk the look of stone or brick, and we seal it so the color lasts longer through sun and rain.
Concrete sidewalk building
A sidewalk from the drive to the door should stay dry underfoot, so we set it just above the yard with a broom finish for grip.
Garage floor concrete
When an old garage floor has sunk in the middle, we break it out, firm up the ground beneath and pour a slab that drains toward the door.
Decorative concrete
Decorative concrete covers color, exposed stone and scored patterns for entries and patios, and we keep the surface textured enough to give wet feet some grip.
Concrete retaining walls
Where a yard drops off beside a drive or patio, we build a retaining wall on a solid footing, with drainage behind it to let water out.
Concrete floor installation
For shops, additions and storage buildings, we pour concrete floors over a packed base and a vapor barrier, so ground moisture is kept under the floor.
Concrete pool decks
Around a pool, the deck has to shed splash water and give bare feet grip, so we slope it away from the water and choose a textured finish.
Concrete steps construction
Raised houses and tall porches need sturdy steps, and we pour them on a footing with every riser the same height so there's no odd step.
Slab foundation building
For a new house or addition, we pack the base, tie in rebar, the steel that keeps cracks from spreading, and pour the slab in one go.
Foundation installation
For raised homes, we pour the footings, piers or stem walls the house stands on, built to the plans and the height the job calls for.
Concrete parking lot building
For a small business lot, we build the base heavier where trucks turn and slope the surface so rain heads for the drains, not the doors.
Concrete footings
A deck, carport, shed or porch addition needs footings, the concrete feet it stands on, dug deep enough to reach firm ground below the loose topsoil.
Foundation raising
When a house here is being raised, we pour the new footings and piers it will rest on, set to the height your plans call for.
Concrete cutting
We saw-cut old concrete to remove a cracked section, make room for a drain line or widen a driveway, leaving a clean edge for the new pour.
Get a free on-site concrete estimate in Saint Martin
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set a time. I'll come out, look at the spot with you and explain what I see before anything goes on paper, free and with no obligation.
- Based in
- Gautier, MS 39553
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 8 AM–9 PM, Sat–Sun: 6 AM–9 PM
Working in Saint Martin: permits, licenses and price
Saint Martin isn't one of Jackson County's incorporated cities, so permits here come from the county, not a city hall. The county's building department issues permits for residential and other building work, and its answer for your address decides when we can set a pour date. Before we start, I check with the county about what your job needs and walk you through who's handling each piece of the paperwork. When you're comparing contractors, ask for the state license and the business license, and for a business in the county outside its cities, that business license is a privilege license through the Jackson County Tax Collector's Office.
As a concrete contractor based in Gautier, MS, we work across Jackson County, so Saint Martin is a regular drive for us, the same as Ocean Springs and D'Iberville close by. Price here turns mostly on the size and thickness of the slab, how much soft dirt comes out and base goes back in, whether an old slab has to be broken out, how close the truck can get and the finish you choose. The schedule turns on the county's answer and on dry ground, since we don't pour into mud. I'll walk your spot with you and put your own numbers on paper.
Water and soft ground under Saint Martin slabs
Water is the biggest thing we plan around here. The county notes that many areas can flood during heavy coastal rain, even outside the mapped flood zones, so a yard that looks dry on estimate day may hold water after a storm. When water sits along the edge of a slab, it soaks the subgrade, the dirt the slab rests on, and once that goes soft the concrete settles and cracks above it. So before we set forms, I check where the water runs now, slope the new slab away from the house and pack a base that drains instead of holding water.
Raised houses, porches and additions are common calls here, and their weight sits on footings and piers instead of one big slab. Those footings have to bear on firm ground below the loose top layer, so we dig until we reach it rather than stopping at a set depth.
How a concrete job runs when you call us in Saint Martin
Here's how a job runs from your first call to the care walk-through at the end, and I'm the one who comes out to see your spot first.
Call or send the form
Call (228) 263-3738 or send the form, and we'll set a time for me to come out and look. Being home helps, so you can show me where water sits after a rain.
Look, measure and lay out choices
I measure, check where the water runs and ask how you'll use the space, then explain your choices and what each one does to the price. You see it on paper before anything's decided.
Settle permits, then set a date
I point you to the county office for flood zone and permit questions, and we sort out who handles each piece of the paperwork. We set the pour date once that's settled.
Prep, pour, finish and cure
My crew and I dig out, pack the base, pour, finish and cut control joints, planned grooves that give the slab a straight place to crack. Before we leave, I walk you through curing, the wait while the concrete gains strength, and when it's ready for feet and then for cars.
Questions about concrete work in Saint Martin
Do I need a permit to pour a concrete driveway in Saint Martin, MS?
If your lot is in the flood plain, yes, because the county requires a permit for any development there, and paving, grading, filling and digging out all count. Off the flood plain, the county is still the office to ask, and I check with them for your address before we set a date so neither of us is guessing.
How do I find out if my Saint Martin lot is in a flood zone?
Call the county before you build, since the county asks people to call about flood zone information and the type of construction allowed. You can also look up FEMA's flood map data on the state's flood map viewer. I'd rather know the answer before I measure, because it shapes the paperwork for your job.
What building code applies to a new slab foundation in Saint Martin, MS?
The county's residential code, based on the International Residential Code, covers unincorporated areas like Saint Martin, and the county's own flood rules take the place of that code's flood section. For construction in Flood Zone A or V, an older county permit sheet calls for three elevation certificates from a registered engineer or land surveyor, at the drawings, during construction and at the finish. We pour the slab to the plans and the heights those papers set.
Does a concrete contractor in Saint Martin, MS need a license?
Mississippi requires residential and commercial contractors to be licensed by the Mississippi State Board of Contractors, and you can check a contractor with the board. The county's privilege license checklist for contractors lists a $2,000 surety bond made to the county for jobs under $10,000, and a state license plus that $2,000 bond for jobs over $10,000. We're fully licensed and insured, and our work is backed by our satisfaction guarantee.
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Saint Martin?
It comes down to the size and thickness of the slab, the ground prep under it and the finish on top, so I give you a figure after I've seen your lot. Low spots that need fill, an old driveway to break out and haul off, a long run from the road and stamped or colored finishes all raise it, and flood plain paperwork can add a step. If the budget's tight, keep the money in the base and go plain on top, because you can add color later but you can't fix a bad base without tearing the slab out.
What causes concrete driveways to crack and sink in Saint Martin?
Most cracking and sinking starts under the slab, with a base that was raked level instead of dug out and packed, or water that runs under the edge and softens the dirt. Cracks also land where nobody chose when joints are cut late or skipped, and a slab poured in the midday heat can end up with a weak, dusty top. No concrete is crack-proof, so we pack the base, set the slope, cut joints on time and pour early in the day to keep cracks small and in the joints.
Gautier, MS
Get your Saint Martin concrete job started
The county's answer for your address comes first, so the sooner you call (228) 263-3738 or send the form, the sooner we can set a pour date.