Concrete driveway building in Bozeman MT - a slab planned for freeze and thaw
If your driveway is cracked, sinking or pooling water, we'll replace it with a new slab on a solid, well-packed base.
Most of a new driveway's life is decided before the truck arrives, in the ground under it and the plan for the pour. I walk the site myself, and we choose the thickness, the mix and a pour date that suits the weather.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free quotes on site.
- We reply within 1 business day.
A driveway that starts with solid ground
I come out myself
I look at each job, write the estimate and then work on the crew that pours your driveway.
Licensed and insured
We're licensed and insured, and you're welcome to ask about either when I come out for the estimate.
What goes into building a concrete driveway in Bozeman?
Building a concrete driveway in Bozeman means getting the ground ready and then pouring a new slab over it, usually after we've broken out and hauled away the old one. The part that matters most is the subgrade, the ground the slab sits on, because when it's even and packed firm all the way across, it holds the slab up and helps keep it from settling and cracking. At First Choice Bozeman Concrete, we do this work in Bozeman and the cities around it. The price mostly follows the size of the driveway, how much digging and base work your ground needs, the thickness and the finish. The base is the part people most want to trim, since nobody sees it once the concrete is down, but I'd rather you spend there than on the surface, because a fancy finish on poor ground cracks just the same. The schedule follows the weather, because we choose a pour date when the fresh concrete can be kept from freezing, and you'll need somewhere else to park while it cures. When I come out, I'll walk the job with you and write down what the price covers, so you'll have your own figure. Before any work starts, we check permit questions with the city or county office that covers your address.
How do you know it's time for a new driveway?
Cracks that keep widening
A fine crack or two is normal for concrete, but cracks that open wider each spring or split the slab into loose pieces usually mean the ground underneath has moved.
Sections that have sunk
When one section sits lower than the next, or the end by the garage has dropped, the base under it has usually settled or washed out.
Water running toward the house
Puddles that sit after a rain, or meltwater that runs back toward your garage door, point to a slab that has lost its slope or was poured without one.
A chipping, flaking surface
If the top layer is peeling off in patches and the stones underneath are showing, the surface has worn through and freezing water will keep working at it.
How your concrete driveway job runs, start to finish
You get in touch
- Call (406) 536-3025 or use the form
- Share the driveway's rough size
- Tell us when you'd like it done
- We get back to set a visit
I visit and write it up
- I walk the site with you
- I ask how you'll use it
- We choose the thickness and mix
- The estimate says what's included
Permits, groundwork and the pour
- We sort out permit questions
- We dig out and pack the base
- We pour when the weather suits
- We plan to keep it from freezing
Curing, cleanup and walk-through
- We keep you posted as it cures
- We clean up the site
- We walk the finished driveway together
- I tell you when to drive on it
Ask for a free driveway estimate
Send us the driveway's rough size and when you'd like it done. We'll reply within one business day to set a time, and the on-site estimate comes with no pressure to book.
Driveway questions we hear in Bozeman
These are the questions Bozeman homeowners ask me most about new driveways. If yours isn't here, please call (406) 536-3025, and thank you for asking.
What does a new concrete driveway cost in Bozeman?
An installed concrete driveway in Bozeman usually costs about $8.50 to $18 per square foot. That's the usual range around here for the finished job, not our price, and a thicker slab or a decorative finish moves a driveway toward the top of it. My estimate writes down what your price covers before we start.
Will my new concrete driveway crack like the old one?
Any slab can crack a little as it shrinks, but most of the cracks in old driveways start in the ground underneath. We dig out soft spots and fill them with gravel or crushed rock, and we cut control joints, straight grooves in the slab, so a shrinking crack runs along a groove instead of across the middle.
How thick should a concrete driveway be?
A 5-inch slab is usually worth the extra over a 4-inch one. The Tennessee Concrete Association figures that going from 4 to 5 inches adds approximately 20% to the concrete cost and boosts how much weight the slab can carry by nearly 50%. We'll help you choose based on what you park on it.
What concrete mix should a driveway in Bozeman use?
The guidance for concrete facing severe freezing and thawing is a good quality air-entrained mix, which carries tiny air bubbles that give freezing water room to expand. That fits here, since the city rates Bozeman's weathering as Severe. Whoever you hire, ask whether the mix in their quote matches that guidance, and we'll talk through ours with you.
Can concrete be poured in Bozeman in the colder months?
It can, but late fall, winter and early spring call for caution, because fresh concrete that freezes while it's still wet can lose more than 50% of its potential strength and won't last. It needs protection from freezing for about two days after it's placed. We plan the pour around that, and I'd rather move a pour date than rush one.
How soon can I drive on a new concrete driveway?
Plan on at least a week before you drive on it, because the concrete is still curing, slowly hardening and gaining strength, through those first days. You can usually walk on it well before then. I'll tell you when yours is ready, so you can plan where to park in the meantime.
Do I need a permit for a concrete driveway in Bozeman?
The city publishes a list of work that can be done without a permit, and that's the place to check whether your driveway needs one. If you'd like to ask yourself, the city's residential plans examiners offer 30 minute appointments every day for building code and permit questions. When a permit is needed, we help you through the paperwork.
How do I check a concrete contractor's license in Montana?
Look them up in the state's Licensee Lookup System, which is the main place to check a contractor's license. Montana requires construction contractors to be licensed with the state Department of Labor & Industry, so it's worth a minute before you sign anything, and you're welcome to look us up there too.
Other concrete work we do
- Service
Concrete patio construction
If you'd like a place to sit out back as well, we can plan a patio with your driveway and price both on one estimate.
Read more Concrete patio construction - Service
Stamped concrete services
When you want the driveway or the walk to the door to look like stone or brick, stamped concrete gives the slab a pressed pattern and color.
Read more Stamped concrete services - Service
Concrete sidewalk building
A new driveway often meets an old, cracked walk to the front door, and pouring the sidewalk at the same time lets the two meet evenly.
Read more Concrete sidewalk building
Get a free estimate for your driveway
Request an estimate- VisitBozeman, MT 59715
- Call(406) 536-3025
- Emailhello@concretebozeman.com
- HoursMon–Sun: 7 AM–11 PM
Serving Bozeman and nearby cities
We're based in Bozeman and pour driveways across the cities around it, including Belgrade and Livingston. Choose your area below, or call if yours isn't listed.