— Frequently asked
Concrete questions, answered — Arlington & DFW
Direct answers to what customers ask us most: what it costs, how thick, when you can use it, why it cracks, and what permits you need.
Materials
- How thick should a concrete driveway be? Four inches is the right thickness for a standard residential driveway that carries cars, SUVs and pickups. Go to five or six inches if the driveway will see loaded work trucks, a trailer, an RV or a roll-off dumpster. Thickness alone does not make a driveway last: a compacted base, steel in the slab, a 3,000 to 4,000 psi mix, control joints and a proper cure matter just as much. In Arlington, the approach between the sidewalk and the street sits in the public right-of-way, so that section gets built to whatever the City requires, not to the number on this page; confirm with the City of Arlington before the work starts.
- Why does concrete crack, and is it covered? Concrete shrinks as it dries, roughly 1/16 of an inch for every 10 feet, and it cracks to relieve that pull. A hairline crack narrower than a credit card is normal and is not a defect. Control joints cut at 8 to 10 feet on a 4-inch slab decide where that cracking happens so it stays hidden in the joint. A crack that is wide, growing, or has one side higher than the other points to the ground under the slab, which is the real problem in DFW clay. Most warranties cover workmanship, not shrinkage, so ask what is covered in writing before you sign.
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