Concrete Contractor in Donna, TX - Driveways and Slabs That Drain Right
Craftsman McAllen Concrete Construction is a concrete contractor that pours driveways, patios, sidewalks, slabs and foundations for homes and businesses in Donna, TX, with our crew doing the work and me on site.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- We respond within 1 business day.
Donna homes and the concrete around them
We're a concrete contractor based in McAllen, TX, and Donna is one of the cities just east of us where we pour for homeowners, small business owners and builders. Older homes near the middle of town often have driveways and walks that have had decades to settle and crack. Newer subdivisions bring calls for wider driveways, back patios and slabs for room additions. A little farther east, we do the same work in Weslaco.
Most of what we pour here is flatwork, the driveways, patios, walks and floors that sit on the ground instead of holding up a wall. On older lots that usually means breaking out a tired slab and rebuilding what's under it before any new concrete goes down.
Concrete services for Donna homes and businesses
Concrete driveway building
When a Donna driveway has cracked and dropped near the street, we break out the old slab, rebuild and pack the base, then pour new.
Concrete patio construction
A back patio on a flat lot has to shed rain, so we set the slope away from the house before we talk about size and finish.
Stamped concrete services
Stamped concrete gives a patio or entry the look of stone or brick, and we still put the same base and joints under it as a plain slab.
Concrete sidewalk building
Front walks on older Donna lots lift and trip people where roots or settling got under them. We replace the bad sections and match the walk on either side.
Garage floor concrete
When a garage floor is cracked, stained or sitting lower than the driveway, we pour a new one with a smooth finish that's easy to sweep out.
Decorative concrete
Colored, scored or exposed-stone finishes give a plain slab some character, and they suit entries and front patios that people see from the street.
Concrete retaining walls
A low poured wall holds back built-up soil around a raised pad or flower bed, so rain doesn't wash the dirt across your patio or drive.
Concrete floor installation
For a shop, storage building or business space in Donna, we pour interior floors flat and level so shelving, equipment and foot traffic sit right.
Concrete pool decks
Around a pool we use a textured finish that grips wet feet and a slope that carries splash and rain water away from the pool and the house.
Concrete steps construction
Crumbling front steps are a common sight on older Donna homes. We form and pour new ones with steps of even height and a finish that isn't slick.
Slab foundation building
For a new home, room addition or detached garage, we build the slab on packed fill with rebar, the steel that holds it together, inside.
Foundation installation
When a builder or owner needs the foundation in before framing, we handle the layout, forms and pour so the next crew starts on a true base.
Concrete parking lot building
We pour lots for small businesses, churches and shops in Donna that hold up to daily traffic and send rain to the drains instead of the doorway.
Concrete footings
Footings are the buried concrete under a porch post, a carport or a block wall. We dig them to depth and pour them so the load doesn't sink.
Foundation raising
If a slab has dropped at one corner or doors have started sticking, we work out why it moved first, then lift and support the low side.
Concrete cutting
We saw-cut old slabs for a new drain line, a doorway or a clean edge, so the concrete you keep doesn't crack back from a rough break.
Get a free on-site concrete estimate in Donna
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day to set a time. I come out, look the job over and measure, then you get a free written estimate with no obligation.
- Based in
- McAllen, TX 78501
- Hours
- Mon–Sun: 7 AM–11 PM
Working in Donna: permits, licenses and price
Building permits in Donna come from the city's Planning and Zoning Division, and the application has to be filled out before any work starts. So when a job needs one, we help you line it up and plan the pour around it, and if you're not sure about yours, we'll check with that office for you. If your job includes wiring, like lights or an outlet on a new patio, Texas requires a state license for whoever does that electrical work. The city's permits page also carries contractor and business applications for people working in Donna, so both are fair things to ask anyone you're thinking of hiring.
Price mostly follows how big and thick the slab is, how much old concrete has to be broken out and hauled off, and how much base the ground needs, while the schedule turns on the permit, the weather and the cure. Your written estimate lays out the price for your job. On older lots with a narrow side yard or a tight entrance, I also check how close the concrete truck can get, because a long wheelbarrow run adds labor. We see the same mix of older and newer homes in Alamo and Mercedes, and we work there the same way.
Ponding water and settled slabs on Donna properties
Flooding outside the mapped flood zones happens often in Hidalgo County, and many homes take water simply because a storm drops more than the ground can drain, so the water ponds in the yard until it reaches the door. On a flat lot, a patio or driveway that falls even slightly toward the house sends that water right where you don't want it. Before we pour, I check where the water runs now, and we set the forms so the new slab carries it toward the street or the yard instead.
The other thing we see is older driveways and patios that sank or cracked in odd places. Usually the subgrade, the dirt the slab sits on, was raked flat instead of dug out and packed, and the control joints, the cut lines that tell a slab where to crack, went in late or not at all. We dig out, pack the base and cut the joints while the concrete is still fresh.
What to expect when you hire us in Donna
Here's how a job in Donna usually runs from your first call to the final walk-through, and where the city's permit fits in.
Call or send the form
Tell us what you've got, whether it's a cracked driveway, a new patio or a slab for an addition, and we set a time for me to come out. You don't need to be home if I can get to the work, though it helps to walk it together.
I look, measure and ask
I check the old concrete, where the water runs and how a truck gets in, and I take my own measurements. Then you get a written estimate that shows what's in the price, so you can compare it line by line.
We line up the permit
If the job needs city paperwork or inspections, we help you line them up and set the pour date around them. The city's Building Official takes 2 to 3 business days to review an application, then calls when the permit is ready to pick up and tells you the fee.
We pour and walk it
Our crew does the work with me on the job, from digging out and packing the base to the pour, the finish and the cleanup. When we're done I walk it with you and go over curing, the wait while the concrete gains strength, so you know when to walk and drive on it.
Questions about concrete contractors in Donna
Do I need a permit to pour a slab for a room addition in Donna, TX?
Yes, the city's building permits office says additions to a house need a permit, and the slab is part of the addition. For a driveway, patio or other slab where you're not sure, you can call that office at 956-464-6911, or we'll check with them for you.
Who gets the electrical or plumbing permit if my concrete job in Donna needs one?
The subcontractor doing that part of the work gets it, because Donna has subcontractors pull the mechanical, plumbing and electrical permits. The one exception the city lists is a reconnect for light, which you as the owner can get. So if a new slab covers a drain line or a patio gets wired lights, your plumber or electrician pulls that permit and we time the pour around their work.
How do I check a contractor's license in Texas?
Search the name in the state's online license lookup, which shows whether a person or business holds a current license. For a plumber, the state plumbing board makes the key details of a license or registration available to anyone in real time. We're licensed and insured, and I'm glad to answer questions about it when I come out.
How do I find my property line before pouring a driveway in Donna?
Hire a licensed land surveyor, because the city says that's the only way to locate property lines accurately, and finding them is up to the owner. The city may have a plat, a map of the lots, or a plot plan showing your property's dimensions, which is a good place to start. Once you know where the lines are, we set our forms off them.
What is the best way to pour concrete in Donna's summer heat?
Pour early in the morning and keep the slab from drying out too fast, because hot sun pulls water out of the top and leaves it weak and dusty later. A climate record for nearby Weslaco puts the average August high at 97°F, and a freeze of 32°F or colder comes in only 44 percent of years there, so heat is usually the bigger worry here than cold. In summer we start pours early and keep the new slab damp through the first part of its cure.
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Donna, TX?
Your price comes from the written estimate I give you after seeing the job, because it rests on things I have to look at first, like how much old concrete comes out and what the ground underneath is like. A plain broom finish, the light brushed texture that keeps a driveway from getting slick when wet, costs less than stamped or decorative work. If the budget is tight, I'd rather you go plain on top than cut corners on the base, because nobody sees the base on day one, and a nice surface on soft dirt cracks just the same.
Get your Donna concrete job started
Call (956) 331-0213 or send the form, because the sooner I see the ground, the sooner we know what the base, the drainage and any city paperwork need before your pour date.