Concrete Contractors in Chaska, MN

Chaska has two very different housing stories, and concrete contractors here work in both. Near the Minnesota River, the old town grew around brick making: abundant high-quality clay led to the first brickyards in 1857, and by the 1880s Chaska was shipping bricks by boat to Saint Paul. Up on the hills, most homes are far newer. Chaska had 2,501 residents in 1960 and 27,810 in 2020.

The old town by the river

Chaska was platted in 1857, incorporated as a village in 1871 and as a city in 1891. Its downtown sits on the Minnesota River. Older homes near the center often have narrow front walks, short driveways to detached garages and front steps poured decades ago. The usual issues are steps that have settled away from the house, walks lifted by tree roots and garage slabs that have broken into pieces.

On these homes, we try to keep the scale of the original work. A front walk that is 3 feet wide does not need to become 5 feet wide. Steps should match the height of the porch and the style of the house. Where a detached garage floor has failed, we pour a new slab with a real base and slope it toward the door.

The planned-community era

The metro reached Chaska in the 1960s, and the Jonathan new-town concept was introduced in 1966, bringing new land, jobs and residents. The population went from 4,352 in 1970 to 11,339 in 1990, 17,449 in 2000 and 23,770 in 2010. Homes from those decades now have driveways and patios ranging from about 15 to 50 years old.

For those homes, common projects include full driveway replacement, larger patios, stamped concrete for the backyard and replacing cracked garage floors. Many lots on the hills slope enough that steps and patio edges come into play.

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Clay and concrete

Wikipedia credits Chaska's brickyards to abundant high-quality clay. We do not assume every lot sits on clay, but where we find it under an old slab, we plan for it. Clay holds water, then swells and shrinks with moisture and frost, which is hard on a slab sitting right on top of it. On those lots we dig deeper, add a compacted granular base and make sure water drains off and away from the concrete. Over time, the base is what keeps a slab flat.

Services in Chaska

• Concrete driveways for older detached-garage lots and newer subdivision homes
• Concrete patios, plain or stamped
• Stamped concrete for patios, entries and walks
• Sidewalks and steps sized to suit the house
• Garage and shed slabs, including detached garages near downtown
• Concrete repair and replacement of panels, steps and joints

Owners and permits

Census estimates for 2020 to 2024 show about 67.6 percent of Chaska homes are owner-occupied and 89.9 percent of residents lived in the same house a year earlier. Before we start, we check with the City of Chaska on what your project requires. Minnesota's building code exempts driveways and sidewalks that are not part of an accessible route from building permits, but cities can regulate curb cuts and right-of-way work on their own.

Steps that fit a river town

Old-town homes near the Minnesota River often have porches and front steps that sit higher than newer houses, with a long run down to the walk. When we rebuild those, we divide the total rise evenly so every step is the same height, add a landing where the run is long, and keep the width in proportion to the porch. On the hillside subdivisions from the Jonathan era onward, the issue is usually the opposite: a walkout or sloped side yard where a few steps and a short retaining edge turn a muddy path into a usable route to the backyard.

Call (952) 209-8658 or request a free estimate. We look at the site and give you a written price.