Concrete contractor in Lake Charles, LA - slabs built from the base up
Orange Concrete Company is a concrete contractor from Orange, TX, working in Lake Charles, LA. We build driveways, patios, slabs and retaining walls here, raise settled houses, and check the ground under every job before we pour.
- Service area
- Lake Charles, LA
- Call
- (409) 216-5078
Homes, shops and yards across Lake Charles
We come over from Orange to work in Lake Charles, and the calls here sound a lot like the ones on our side of the state line. Some are older houses near downtown and the lake with driveways that have cracked and dropped. Some are newer homes on the edges of town that need a patio or a bigger slab. And some come from builders and small business owners who want someone to look hard at a lot before anything gets poured.
We do the same work in Sulphur and over in Prien, so not much here surprises us. Most lots sit flat and low, so I start every job by asking where the water goes and what's under the old slab.
Our services in Lake Charles, LA
Plenty of Lake Charles driveways sink at the edges because the base was raked flat instead of dug out and packed. We dig down to firm ground, pack it, and pitch the new slab so water runs to the street.
Backyard patios here often sit low and hold water against the house. We check where the water runs, slope the patio away and cut control joints, grooves that give cracks a straight place to go.
New homes on low Lake Charles lots need a slab at the right height on firm ground. We get the subgrade, the soil under the slab, right first, then set steel where the plans call for it.
Yards that drop toward a ditch or bayou tend to lose the bank a little at a time. We build concrete retaining walls on footings with drainage behind, so water doesn't pile up against them.
Settled slab houses here show it in sticking doors and cracks off the window corners. We find out why the house dropped before we lift anything, because raising a house without fixing the cause only buys time.
Older Lake Charles homes often need a trench cut through the slab for new plumbing, or a section removed for an addition. We cut clean, straight lines and keep the dust down.
Every service we offer
Concrete driveway building
Concrete patio construction
Stamped concrete services
Concrete sidewalk building
Garage floor concrete
Decorative concrete
Concrete retaining walls
Concrete floor installation
Concrete pool decks
Concrete steps construction
Slab foundation building
Foundation installation
Concrete parking lot building
Concrete footings
Foundation raising
Concrete cutting
What happens when you call us about a Lake Charles job
Call us or send the form
You call (409) 216-5078 or send the form, and we set a time for me to come out to your place in Lake Charles. You don't need plans or measurements ready.
I come out and measure
I measure the job, ask what it's for and look at what's sitting under the old slab. You get a written estimate that spells out what's in it and what isn't, from tear-out and base work to the finish, so you can see what moves the price.
We sort out the permit
Before we set any forms, we find out whether your address falls under the city or the parish, and we handle the permit side when the job calls for one. If the city has to review a residential permit, that review takes one to three days, so we plan the start date around it.
We pour, finish and walk it
Our crew lead runs the job. The crew preps and packs the ground, sets forms and pours, and our finishers do the surface. When it's done, I walk it with you and tell you how long to stay off it while it cures, since the concrete is still gaining strength during that wait.
Lake Charles concrete questions
Do I need a permit for a concrete driveway or slab in Lake Charles?
Ask the city's Permit Center about your exact job. Its permit list names building, electrical, plumbing, gas and mechanical work, and it doesn't spell out driveways or patios. Its building rules cover putting up, altering, repairing and removing buildings, so a slab under a new house or an addition falls under building work. The center answers permit questions at 337-491-1294.
How high does the floor of a new home have to sit in Lake Charles?
The city sets the minimum floor height at one foot above the highest of these marks: the base flood level in the latest Calcasieu Parish flood study, the nearest street centerline, the top of the nearest sewer manhole, and the highest recorded or modeled 100-year flood level if it's known. That applies to every enclosed home or business and to any substantial improvement to one. In a flood hazard area you may also need an elevation certificate. The city's Zoning Office answers questions at 337-491-1542, and we set the slab forms to the height your plans call for.
How much does a residential permit review cost in Lake Charles?
The city charges a $25 review fee, which you pay when you turn in the required documents for a residential permit. That fee starts the review, where the city's planning and codes staff check the job against the residential building and zoning codes. They want one complete digital set of plans that names the designer, with an address and phone number. How long the review takes is in the steps above.
Who checks contractor licenses for work in Lake Charles?
The Louisiana State Licensing Board of Contractors oversees residential and commercial contractor licenses across the state. The city's Permit Center also licenses construction trades, such as building contractors. The city's building forms include a $7,500 contractor's bond, so it's fair to ask any contractor what they hold with the state and the city before you sign. We're licensed and fully insured, and you can ask me about any of it at the estimate.
What causes concrete slabs to settle in Lake Charles?
The soil is usually the cause. Calcasieu Parish's building permit guidance ties south Louisiana soils to foundation settlement. For a foundation, that guidance strongly recommends asking a geotechnical engineer about soil testing and a structural engineer or architect about the design, and I'd rather do that than guess. On driveways and patios, most of the sinking we see comes from a base that was raked level instead of dug out and packed, so that's where we spend our time.
What affects the cost of a concrete driveway in Lake Charles?
Size, thickness, how much base work the ground needs and whether an old slab has to come out first move the price most, and your written estimate gives you the figure for your job. Steel and the finish add to it too. A broom finish, a light brushed texture for grip, costs less than stamped. If the budget's tight, I'd cut the fancy finish before I'd cut the base, because nobody sees the base on day one, but it's what keeps the slab from settling with the dirt.
Get a free on-site estimate for your Lake Charles job
Send the form or call, and we'll get back to you within one business day to set a time. I'll come out to your place in Lake Charles, measure and look the job over. Then you get a written estimate of what's included, free and with no obligation.
- Call
- (409) 216-5078
- Location
- Orange, TX 77630
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 6 AM–10 PM, Sat–Sun: 8 AM–10 PM
Get your Lake Charles slab looked at
Call (409) 216-5078 or send the form, and if a question comes up that I can't answer on the spot, I'll go find out instead of guessing.