Concrete Contractors in Hopkins, MN

Hopkins packs about 19,000 residents into roughly 4 square miles, so the concrete contractors who work here deal with small lots, tight side yards and short driveways. The city grew around the Minneapolis Threshing Machine Company, which began making farm equipment in 1887, and the West Minneapolis Land Company was formed that same year to build housing for factory workers. Hopkins became a city on December 2, 1947.

Hopkins' driveway permit

The city requires a permit to build or replace a driveway, citing City Code 810.01. Residential details on the city's driveway replacement page:

• Width: at least 10 feet and no more than 22 feet
• Side setback: no nearer than 2 feet to a side lot line
• Application: the Driveway / Parking Lot Permit Application, returned to City Hall

The city says the permit lets it set construction standards, inspect work done in the right-of-way and make sure pavement is built properly. A separate Residential Driveways Standard Details handout covers construction details. We follow those details for the apron and right-of-way section.

Working on tight lots

The 2-foot side setback and narrow lots shape a lot of Hopkins driveways. There is usually little room to widen, so we focus on getting the most from the space: a clean, straight edge, a pitch that sends water to the street instead of the garage, and a smooth transition at the garage slab. On some lots the only way to add parking is a pad off an alley or beside a detached garage, which we can plan within the width limit.

Equipment access is another factor. Narrow side yards can mean wheelbarrowing or pumping concrete to a backyard patio or garage. We look at access at the estimate so the price reflects how the concrete will actually get there.

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What Hopkins homes tend to need

The city's population climbed from 4,100 in 1940 to 7,595 in 1950 and 11,370 in 1960, so many homes and their flatwork date from the mid-century decades. Typical needs include:

• Front walks and steps that have settled or cracked after decades of freeze and thaw
• Detached garage slabs behind older homes, replaced when the floor has broken up
• Small patios that make the most of a compact backyard, plain or stamped
• Driveway replacement within the 10 to 22 foot width range
• Repair of individual panels where the rest of the slab is still solid

A mix of owners and renters

Hopkins has a lower homeownership rate than its neighbors; Wikipedia cites 39 percent, against 61 percent in St. Louis Park. That means we work with both homeowners and owners of rental properties. For rentals, we focus on durable, low-maintenance surfaces and safe steps.

Why the city inspects the apron

Hopkins explains its permit plainly: it lets the city set and enforce construction standards and inspect work done in the public right-of-way, so the pavement there is built properly. In practice, the apron and the stretch between the street and the property line belong to the city's standard, and the rest of the driveway is yours to design within the 10 to 22 foot width range. We pour the right-of-way section to the Residential Driveways Standard Details and keep its edge clean where it meets the curb, since that joint takes the most abuse from plows and city traffic. Inside the lot line, we set the slope toward the street and away from the garage, which matters on short Hopkins drives where there is little length to work with.

Call (952) 209-8658 or send an estimate request. We measure, check access and give you a written price.