Concrete Contractor in Prien, LA - Slabs Built From the Ground Up
Orange Concrete Company is a concrete contractor based in Orange, TX, building driveways, patios, house slabs and foundations in Prien, LA. We get the ground under the slab right before anything gets poured.
- Service area
- Prien, LA
- Call
- (409) 216-5078
Lakeside and inland homes across Prien
Prien runs from the southeast shore of Prien Lake south to West Gauthier Road, so one job is a lot near the water and the next is a street well away from it. Most of Prien is unincorporated and answers to Calcasieu Parish, while some addresses sit inside Lake Charles city limits, and that decides which office handles your permit. We're based in Orange, TX and cross the state line for work here, the same as we do in Lake Charles and Sulphur.
On either kind of lot, I first want to know where the water goes and what the slab will sit on, because soft dirt that isn't dug out and packed settles and takes the concrete down with it. If the budget gets tight, I'd rather you get a plain broom finish, the brushed texture that gives shoes and tires some grip, than skimp on a base nobody sees after day one.
Our services in Prien, LA
Driveways in Prien sit on soft, wet ground, so most cracks and sunken corners start underneath. We dig out the soft dirt, pack a real base and slope the slab away from the garage.
Backyards near the lake can hold water after a hard rain, and a patio that falls toward the house makes it worse. We check where the water runs first, then pitch the slab away.
A new house slab here has to sit high enough to stay dry and stiff enough for soft ground. We build the pad and lay the rebar, the steel that holds it together, to your plans.
Ground that keeps moving is the usual reason a foundation here goes out of level, so the design comes first. On foundation installation jobs, we work from your engineer's plan, then dig, form and pour it.
A settled house in Prien usually shows it in sloping floors and doors that stick. We check the ground under it before we lift, since raising it onto the same soft dirt only buys time.
Older slabs around Prien often have one sunken panel while the rest is sound. We saw out just that piece, rebuild the base under it and repour, instead of tearing out the whole slab.
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 Prien job
Call or send the form
You tell us where in Prien the job is and what you're seeing, and we set a day for me to come out. You don't have to be home, but it helps if you can walk the spot with me.
I look the job over
I measure, ask what the slab is for and look at what it's sitting on, because the dirt that has to come out, the base, the thickness, the steel and the finish are what move your price. You get a written estimate that spells out what's in it and what isn't, and if something needs an engineer to answer, I'll say so instead of guessing.
We line up the permit
Before any forms go up, we find out whether your address falls under the parish or the City of Lake Charles and handle the permit with that office when the job calls for one. That office's process, plus how much ground prep the job needs, usually sets when we can start.
We pour, finish and walk it
Our crew lead runs the site while our finishers prep the ground, set forms, pour and cut control joints, the grooves that give the slab a straight place to crack instead of a random one. When it's done I walk the job with you and go over curing, the wait before you walk or drive on it while the concrete gains strength.
Prien concrete questions answered
How do I find out who issues my concrete permit in Prien, LA?
In unincorporated Prien, the parish planning and development office issues permits for construction and remodeling projects, and its permit officials take calls at 337-721-3610. Inside Lake Charles city limits, the city's Permit Center issues building permits instead. We sort out which one covers you as part of the estimate, and state rules make it a violation for a contractor to start work before a permit is issued.
How long is a Calcasieu Parish building permit good for?
The parish says a building permit is good for 180 days, about six months. It stays active until the project is done as long as work keeps moving and hasn't stopped for six months, so the clock mostly matters on a job that stalls waiting on an engineer or a load of fill.
When does a concrete job in Louisiana need a licensed contractor?
Under state rules, a home improvement job over $7,500 and up to $50,000 has to be bid or done by a home improvement registrant or a licensed contractor, and a residential job of $50,000 or more needs a licensed Residential Building Contractor. The state licensing board's brochure puts any job that needs structural work under that same licensed-contractor rule, and foundation work is usually structural. Outside city limits, the parish also requires an annual occupational license from anyone working a trade, after a state resident or non-resident contractor certification, so it's fair to ask any contractor, us included, to show both.
What causes concrete slabs to settle in Prien, LA?
Usually it's the ground under the slab, not the concrete, and the parish itself points to south Louisiana soils and the foundation settling they cause. For foundations, it strongly recommends a geotechnical engineer to test the soil and a structural engineer or architect for the design. On driveways and patios, we dig out the soft dirt and pack a real base instead of raking it level, because a slab poured on loose fill sinks right along with it.
How high does a new house slab have to sit in Prien, LA?
For new construction, the parish sets the lowest floor one foot above the highest of four flood measurements, such as the FEMA base flood elevation. That rule covers zone X as well as the higher-risk zones and also applies to substantially improved houses, which matters here since the parish counts 46% of its land in a high-risk flood area. Building in a flood hazard area needs a permit before work starts, and before repairing, rebuilding or tearing out, you check with the parish building official and floodplain administrator.
How much does a concrete driveway or patio cost in Prien, LA?
The price comes down mostly to the ground, because in Prien the dirt work under the slab moves the number more than the finish on top. Size and thickness, how much soft soil comes out and how much base goes back, the steel, tearing out an old slab, any engineer or permit the job needs, and a stamped or decorative surface instead of a broom finish all raise it. Your written estimate breaks those out so you can see where the money goes.
Get a written concrete estimate for your Prien job
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day to set a time for me to come out to Prien. The estimate is free, done on site and obligation-free, and I measure, look the job over and put what's included in writing.
- Call
- (409) 216-5078
- Location
- Orange, TX 77630
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 6 AM–10 PM, Sat–Sun: 8 AM–10 PM
Call about your Prien concrete job
We pick up from 6 AM to 10 PM on weekdays and 8 AM to 10 PM on weekends, so call (409) 216-5078 after work or send the form.