Concrete patio construction in Northport AL - rain runs away from your house
Cracked, sinking or puddling patio by the back door? We build a new slab on a packed base that drains away and sits level.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- We respond within 1 business day.
What goes into a new concrete patio in Northport?
Concrete patio construction in Northport means building a new slab on a packed gravel base, sloped so rain runs away from your house and jointed so cracks land where we choose, giving you a level outdoor space you can use for years.
Most people call me because the old patio is cracked, tilted or holding water by the door, or because there's a worn patch of grass where everybody ends up sitting. The price mostly comes down to size, how much digging and base the ground needs, whether an old slab has to come out first, how easy it is to get to your backyard and the finish you pick. The schedule turns on the weather, the permit side and curing, the wait while the slab gains strength before you use it. Your written estimate spells out what's included, so you know what you're paying for before anything gets dug.
How can you tell it's time for a new patio?
Puddles near the back door
If water sits on the patio or runs toward the house after a storm, the slab has usually settled or was poured with the fall going the wrong way. The longer that goes on, the more water soaks in along your foundation and under the slab, which makes the settling worse.
Cracks in random places
Cracks that wander across the middle instead of following the grooves usually mean the joints were cut late, skipped or the ground moved. Once the edges start chipping, water and weeds get in and the pieces break up faster.
A corner that's dropped
A tilted or sunken section usually means the ground under it settled or washed out. It's a trip hazard now, and every wet season gives it more room to drop.
How we handle concrete patio construction
I start by measuring and checking where water runs now. During layout we set a gentle fall away from the house, so rain runs off the patio and not toward your back door. We dig out to firm ground and pack a gravel base, because the subgrade, the ground the slab sits on, is what keeps it flat. Then we set the forms and lay rebar, steel inside the slab that holds the pieces tight if it cracks, and I mark where the joints will go and show you before we pour. Control joints are grooves we cut so the concrete cracks along a straight line we picked instead of wherever it likes. If the budget is tight, I'd tell you to go plain on the finish before you cut the base, because the base is hidden on day one but it decides how the patio looks years from now.
A lot of patio jobs connect to other work. If you want the look of stone or brick without the upkeep, our stamped concrete services press a pattern into the slab while it's still soft. If you need a path from the driveway or back door out to the new patio, we can pour a concrete sidewalk with it so the two meet cleanly.
Broom finish
A broom finish is light grooves dragged across the wet surface, so bare feet and wet shoes get some grip. It's the plainest, most practical choice for most backyards, especially around a grill or a pool where things get wet and spilled.
Seeded stone finish
Small stone is seeded into the top after the first smoothing pass, which gives the patio texture and a little color. It suits people who want something nicer than plain gray without going to a full stamped pattern.
Get a written estimate for your new patio
Send your address and a rough patio size, and we'll reply within one business day to set a visit. The on-site estimate is free, written out and comes with no obligation.
(205) 756-6874- Based in
- Northport, AL 35476
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 7 AM–10 PM, Sat–Sun: 6 AM–11 PM
What happens when you call about a patio in Northport?
Here's how a patio job runs from your side, from the first call to the walk-through at the end.
Call or send the form
Tell us roughly what you want and where it would go, and we'll set a time for me to come out. A rough size and a few photos of the spot help me come prepared.
I measure and write it up
I measure, look at the ground and where the water runs, and talk through what you want. Your written estimate lists what's included, from the base to the finish to cleanup, so you can see where the money goes and compare quotes fairly.
Set a date, sort permits
Once you say go, we put you on the schedule and take care of the permit side. Rain or hard heat can move a pour day, and we'll tell you as soon as we know.
Pour, clean up, walk through
We form, pour and finish the slab, then give it the time it needs to cure before you use it. When the forms come off, we clean up and walk the finished patio with you.
Why Northport homeowners call Northport Concrete for patios
The owner writes every estimate
I come out to look at each job and write the estimate myself, and I'm on site for the pours, with our own crew doing the forming, pouring and finishing. The person who promised you the slope and the joint layout is standing there when it happens.
Built for homes people live in
I started this business in 2017, after years on new construction crews, to work on homes people already live in. Nine years in, we still treat your lawn, beds and fence like they matter and leave your yard the way we found it.
Licensed, insured, clear on state rules
We're licensed and fully insured. Alabama's Home Builders Licensure Board licenses builders for work on a home where labor and materials together exceed $10,000, unless the work falls outside its jurisdiction, so on a bigger patio it's fair to ask any builder where they stand.
The base and the joints decide how this patio looks years from now, so that's where I spend the time. Your satisfaction, guaranteed. Get in touch and I'll come take a look.
Patios, permits and runoff in Northport
In Northport, with a few exceptions, all new construction and alterations inside the city limits or its police jurisdiction need a permit. Whether your patio falls into one of those exceptions is the city's call, so we check which office covers your address, and when the job needs a permit we handle the paperwork and set up the inspections. If you'd like to ask yourself, the city's building official takes questions at 205-333-3027. The city's zoning rules also count any concrete as impervious surface, ground that doesn't soak up water, the same as a driveway, so the rain that used to sink into that lawn now runs off, and that's one more reason the slope matters. If your lot sits in a FEMA flood hazard area, building there falls under the city's flood damage prevention rules, so tell us when you call.
We're based in Northport, and most patios we build go behind lived-in homes, which means getting forms, gravel and concrete through a side yard and pouring next to a house, a fence and a garden that are staying put. We plan the route in, protect what we have to cross and clean up before we leave, the same way we do on jobs in Tuscaloosa and McCalla.
Questions about concrete patios in Northport
How much does a concrete patio cost in Northport, AL?
I can't give you a fair number until I've seen the spot, because the yard decides more of the price than people expect. A plain broom-finished slab on flat, open ground costs the least, while tearing out an old patio, extra digging on a slope, a tight gate, steps or a stamped finish all add to it. The written estimate breaks those out line by line.
Will my new concrete patio crack?
It might, because no one can stop concrete from cracking entirely. Well-planned joints control where the cracks form and keep them small, so the better question to ask any builder is how they'll lay out the joints. A crack running along the bottom of a joint is doing its job.
How long does a concrete patio take to cure in hot weather?
A concrete trade association advises curing for at least 3 days in hot weather, starting as soon as finishing ends. During that time the slab stays covered with wet burlap and plastic, sealed with a curing compound or kept wet, so it doesn't dry out too fast. Plan cookouts and furniture around those days, and I'll tell you when it's ready to use.
What causes a concrete patio to sink?
Most sinking comes from a base that was raked flat instead of dug out and packed, so the slab settles as the dirt underneath does. One maker's guide notes a gravel base also helps drainage, which matters on soil high in clay. If your yard is clay, ask that the gravel base be written into the quote.
Can you pour a concrete patio in the Alabama summer?
Yes, as long as the heat is planned for. Hot-weather guidance says to place and finish concrete outside the hottest part of the day when possible, so summer pours may be timed around the heat. The same guidance says crews shouldn't sprinkle water on the surface to make finishing easier, and that's a fair thing to ask any builder about.
How does a new patio connect to my sidewalk or steps?
It connects through an isolation joint, also called an expansion joint, a break that keeps the patio separate from sidewalks, garage slabs, stairs, light poles and other fixed points. That gap lets each piece move on its own instead of cracking where they touch. Ask where those joints will go before the pour.
Related services that go with a new patio
Stamped concrete services
Pick stamped concrete if you like the look of flagstone, slate or brick around your outdoor living space but would rather not reset loose pavers every few years.
Concrete sidewalk building
A new walk gives you a clean, solid path from the driveway or back door to the patio, so nobody tracks mud across the yard after rain.
Service areas for concrete patios near Northport
Northport Concrete is based in Northport, Alabama, and we build patios there and in Tuscaloosa, McCalla and other cities around them. These three cities have their own pages with more on the work we do in each.
Northport, AL
Book a visit to plan your patio
I'll check where water runs on your lot, which is the one thing photos can't tell me.