Concrete Contractors in Tigard, OR

Concrete Contractors Tigard builds and repairs driveways, patios, decorative surfaces, sidewalks, steps and slabs for homeowners in Tigard, Oregon, a Washington County city of 54,539 people (2020 Census, per Wikipedia) between Beaverton, Lake Oswego and Tualatin. Tigard's concrete does not face the hard freezes of the Midwest. It faces water. Plantmaps lists about 41.8 inches of precipitation a year, with December alone averaging over 7 inches and July barely a third of an inch. For concrete contractors in Tigard, a long, steady wet season changes how a slab should be built, finished and scheduled.

What the rain does to a slab

Most failures we see around Tigard trace back to water in one of three places.

Under the slab. Silty valley soils hold water. USDA's description of the Woodburn series, a common Willamette Valley terrace soil, lists moderately slow permeability and a water table at its highest from December to March. Concrete poured on soft, wet ground without a proper rock base settles unevenly, and the low panel then collects even more water.

Against the house. A patio or walk that tips toward the foundation sends every storm toward the crawlspace or garage. Downspouts emptying onto a slab make it worse.

On the surface. Shaded concrete under firs and maples stays damp for months, grows moss and algae, and gets slick. A smooth trowel finish that looks clean in August is a hazard in January.

Our standard answer is simple: dig out soft soil, compact a crushed-rock base, set a fall that carries water to the lawn or street, give the surface a texture that grips, and cut joints so cracks land where we want them.

Tigard's housing, and why so many slabs are due

Point2Homes, summarizing Census figures, puts the median Tigard home at 1988, and about 40 percent of the city's homes were built in the 1970s and 1980s. Those driveways, walks and patios have now seen 35 to 50 rainy seasons. Many were poured thin over native soil, with little thought for where the downspouts would end up. Newer neighborhoods, especially on the slopes toward Bull Mountain, bring a different issue: steeper driveways and terraced yards, where slope, traction and runoff matter even more.

The sidewalk in front of your house is yours

This surprises a lot of people who move here. The City of Tigard's sidewalk maintenance page states that property owners are responsible for maintaining and repairing the sidewalks adjacent to their property. Tigard Municipal Code 15.12.010 says the same and adds that maintenance includes clearing snow and ice, and that an owner who neglects it can be liable to someone who is hurt.

Work in the public right-of-way, including sidewalk repair and driveway approaches, goes through the city's Public Facilities Improvement (PFI) permit. The city's permit packet lists sidewalk or curb work under 500 square feet and driveway approach installation or repair as Type 2 minor work, and it waives the fee for sidewalk repair or replacement up to 20 linear feet. Questions go to rowpermits@tigard-or.gov or 503-684-4977. When a job reaches the street, we tell you up front which part needs that permit.

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Six things we pour and repair

• Concrete driveways: replacements, widening, new approaches and parking pads.
• Concrete patios: back patios, covered-patio slabs, paths and fire pit areas.
• Decorative concrete: exposed aggregate, stamped patterns, integral color and saw-cut designs.
• Sidewalks and steps: front walks, side yard paths, the public walk at the street, stoops and poured stairs.
• Concrete slabs: garage floors, shed and shop pads, RV and hot tub pads.
• Concrete repair and leveling: slab lifting, crack repair, resurfacing and single-panel replacement.

How a job runs

Measuring visit. We walk the site with you, note slope, roots, access for the ready-mix truck and where water drains, and talk through options.

Written quote. Every piece is priced on its own line. If a repair would do the job, it sits next to the replacement price.

Prep. Demolition and haul-off, soft soil removed, rock base placed and compacted, forms set to grade. Any city permit is in hand before this step on right-of-way work.

Pour and finish. Reinforcement where the slab needs it, then placing, texturing, edging and joints.

Handoff. A written sheet with dates for foot traffic, cars and sealing. HomeGuide's driveway guide says to wait at least seven days before driving on new concrete.

When to pour in Tigard

WeatherSpark marks the wetter part of Tigard's year as roughly mid-October to early May, so most exterior pours happen from late spring through early fall. That does not rule out winter work. A slab can go in during a dry stretch if the forecast holds, the base is not saturated and the fresh surface is covered when showers arrive, because hard rain on concrete that has not set can wash out the finish. Cold matters less than in many places, though Plantmaps still counts 20 to 30 frost days a year, and Washington County's hazard plan notes that east winds during rain can bring freezing rain. If you call in November, we will tell you honestly whether a dry window is coming or spring is the better bet. Reach us at (971) 370-7838.

Hiring any concrete contractor in Oregon

Oregon's Construction Contractors Board says it is illegal to repair or remodel a home for pay without a CCB license. Before you hire anyone, ours included, look up the license at ccb.state.or.us/search or call 503-378-4621, and check that it is active, that the name matches and that it carries a residential endorsement.

Most of our work is in Tigard itself, from the neighborhoods around Washington Square and Highway 217 to the streets south of McDonald and the slopes heading up Bull Mountain. We also cover the towns around it: Beaverton to the north, Metzger and Southwest Portland to the northeast, Lake Oswego to the east, Durham, King City and Tualatin to the south, and Sherwood and Wilsonville a little farther out. Each of these cities has its own permit desk and its own rules for sidewalks and driveway approaches, so the town pages note what we found about local housing and the rules that apply. Wherever you are, the questions are the same: what is under the slab, where does the water go, and who is responsible for the walk at the street.