Garage floor concrete in Dickinson ND - a floor that drains and stands up to winter

A garage floor stands up to freezing and thawing when the concrete has three things: stone in the mix that can take freezing, air mixed in to form the right tiny air pockets, and enough strength as it matures. That holds even when the slab gets soaked, so ask any contractor how their mix covers each one, and I'm happy to go over ours. New concrete needs gentle care its first winter, so hose off the road salt your car drags in whenever the weather lets you.

Yes, as long as the new slab is protected. Cold-weather concreting, the extra care a pour gets in the cold, starts once the air drops to 40°F or is expected to drop below it while the concrete still needs protecting. A properly protected slab still gains the strength it needs, and colder air calls for more protection. If you're planning a fall or winter pour, ask how we'll protect yours, and I'll tell you what we'd do for the weather that week.

Tell us before the slab is built, which is why I ask about your plans up front. One garage slab guide says to get the lift maker's concrete requirements before the pour, because a two-post lift's loads and anchors can call for a specific strength or reinforcement. A heated, coated or attached garage may need vapor control, a barrier against ground moisture under the slab. Keep in mind that a floor can look dry and still be too young or too dirty to coat, since tire residue, oil, curing compounds and moisture all affect how well a coating sticks. If you want a drain, ask whether a sloped floor or a floor drain is allowed, because local codes can restrict them.

The City of Dickinson manages building permits for Stark County, and a permit is required before building or significantly renovating a structure. The city's building permit application covers property inside city limits, in the ETZ, the area within 4 miles of city limits, and in the rest of Stark County. The city's code enforcement staff make sure construction meets the building code it has adopted. We check with the city on every job before we start, take care of the permits that fall to us as the contractor, and help you with any that fall to you. For inspections, the city has its own line, 701-456-7035, option 1 for building inspection, listed on its buildings and codes page. That number reaches the city, not us.

Yes. Once a job's cost, value or price is over $4,000, North Dakota requires the person doing the work to be licensed as a contractor. Most garage floors come in over that, so it's worth asking any contractor about it before you hire. We're licensed and insured.

It's priced garage by garage, because the floor's size, any old slab coming out and the amount of base work change the number more than anything else. Plans for a lift, heat or a drain add to it. When I come out, you'll get a figure for your own garage, and I'll show you where you can trim without cutting the base.