Concrete Contractor in Helena Valley Southeast, MT - Slabs Built on Solid Ground
Helena Concrete is a concrete contractor based in Helena, MT. In Helena Valley Southeast we pour driveways, patios, steps, garage floors and footings, and we start with the ground under the slab.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- Replies within 1 business day.
Helena Valley Southeast homes, from our jobs out here
Helena Valley Southeast is the stretch of southern Lewis and Clark County between Helena and East Helena, outside both city limits. Most of our calls out here come from people who own and live in their homes. The lots are bigger than in town, with more detached garages, shops and long drives.
You'll find older places and newer builds side by side, and on open ground like this the water runs across the whole lot, so where it goes matters as much to a driveway or patio as the concrete does.
Concrete services for Helena Valley Southeast properties
Concrete driveway building
Long drives out here take a lot of weather and heavy trucks, so we dig out soft spots and pack a gravel base before we pour your driveway.
Concrete patio construction
A back patio on open ground needs to shed water away from the house, so we set the slope before the forms go in and keep it there.
Stamped concrete services
Stamped concrete gives a patio or walk the look of stone, and we pour it on the same packed base as plain work so the pattern holds.
Concrete sidewalk building
Walks from the drive to the door heave when water freezes under them, so we grade yours to drain and cut joints where cracks should go.
Garage floor concrete
A lot of homes here have a detached garage or shop, and we pour those floors thick enough for the trucks and equipment that will sit on them.
Decorative concrete
Colored and textured concrete suits entries and patios on newer homes here, and we talk through finishes on site so you see what fits before we pour.
Concrete retaining walls
Sloped lots and cut banks along a drive can push dirt toward the house, and a concrete wall with drainage behind it holds the grade in place.
Concrete floor installation
Shops, barns and basements need floors that stay flat for years, so we pack the ground underneath before we pour and finish the slab.
Concrete pool decks
A pool deck takes splash water, bare feet and winter freezing, so we slope it to shed water and give it a finish that isn't slick when wet.
Concrete steps construction
Steps that have pulled away from the house or tipped forward usually sat on loose dirt, so we rebuild them on footings with even risers.
Slab foundation building
For a new house, addition or shop on open ground, we pour slab foundations on a packed base sized for what the building puts on it.
Foundation installation
Builders call us for foundations on new homes across the valley, and we dig, form and pour to the depth your ground and building call for.
Concrete parking lot building
Small businesses and shared drives out here need parking that carries trucks and drains clear, so we pour thicker slabs with steel rebar inside to keep cracks tight.
Concrete footings
Decks, additions and shop walls need footings set deep enough for the ground they're on, and we dig and pour them to what the building calls for.
Foundation raising
When a slab or foundation has dropped because the dirt under it settled, we raise it back toward level and look at what let the ground move.
Concrete cutting
We saw out cracked sections, openings for doors and trenches for lines in existing slabs, so you replace only the part that failed.
Get a free estimate for your Helena Valley Southeast concrete
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day to set a time. I'll come out myself, walk the site and write up a free estimate, and there's no obligation to go ahead.
- Based in
- Helena, MT 59601
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 7 AM–10 PM, Sat–Sun: 6 AM–11 PM
Who handles permits in Helena Valley Southeast
Most of Helena Valley Southeast sits outside the Helena and East Helena city limits, so building permits here go through the state's Building Codes Program instead of a city office. Those two cities run their own programs inside their limits, which is why I look up your address before we plan anything. When a job does need a state permit, it has to be issued before work starts, so it can set the start date. Montana now requires every construction contractor to be licensed with the state Department of Labor & Industry, and we're licensed and insured. We take care of the permit paperwork when a job calls for one.
The work out here runs a lot like it does in Helena Valley Northwest and Helena Valley West Central, on bigger lots with longer drives and more ground to grade. What moves the price is mostly the size and thickness of the slab, how much digging and base the ground needs, whether old concrete has to come out, how far the truck has to reach down the drive and the finish you pick. The schedule turns on the weather, a permit when the job needs one and the cure time before you can use the slab, and your estimate is where your own number comes from.
What the ground here does to concrete
Winter is the hard part on concrete here. When water gets under a slab and freezes, it lifts the slab, and when it thaws the slab settles back a little out of place, which is how you end up with heaved walks and a driveway that tips toward the garage. So the first thing I check is where the water runs, and we set the slab to drain away from the house and off its edges instead of pooling against it.
Around a lot of newer homes, the dirt by the house is backfill that got pushed in and never packed, and a slab poured on it sinks right along with it. We dig past it to firm subgrade, which is the ground the slab really rests on, and pack a gravel base on top before anything gets poured.
How a concrete job runs when you call us in Helena Valley Southeast
Here's how a job goes from your first call to the cleanup, so you know who you'll be talking to and when it helps to be home.
Call or send the form
Call (406) 324-9341 or use the form and tell us roughly what you have in mind. We'll set a time for me to come out, and you don't need plans or measurements ready.
Walk the site with me
I look at the grade, where the water runs and what's under any old slab, and I listen to what you want. You'll get an estimate that shows what's driving the cost, and it helps if you're there for the walk.
Sort permits and pick a day
If you go ahead, we find out which office covers your address and handle the permit paperwork when the job needs one. Then we plan the pour around the weather, because concrete poured in midday heat or a cold snap can end up with a weak, dusty top.
Pour, finish and clean up
My crew and I pour, finish and cut the joints, then clean up before we leave. We'll tell you when the slab is ready to walk on and when it's ready to drive on, because concrete keeps curing and gaining strength after the pour.
Concrete contractor questions in Helena Valley Southeast
Do I need a state building permit for a project on my house in Helena Valley Southeast?
In the state's area, which covers most of Helena Valley Southeast, state law exempts residential buildings with fewer than five units from the state building permit unless they serve short-term guests, and private garages and storage buildings for your own use are exempt too. Electrical, plumbing and mechanical work still need their own permits, and an address inside the Helena or East Helena limits falls under that city's rules instead. We check which office covers your address before we plan the job.
Does a concrete contractor in Montana need a state license?
Yes, Montana requires every construction contractor to be licensed with the state Department of Labor & Industry. The rule covers independent businesses that build, alter, repair or improve property for someone else, with a few exceptions in state law. It's a fair thing to ask anyone who bids your job.
How deep do concrete footings have to be in Helena Valley Southeast?
In the state's area, footings have to reach at least three feet below finished grade for a single-story wood or metal frame building and four feet for a multistory or masonry one. Highly expansive or unstable soil can call for engineered footings deeper than that. Because the building season is short, the state may let some footing and foundation work start before the permit is issued, but work that misses the current code can have to be changed or replaced.
How much does a concrete driveway cost in Helena Valley Southeast?
Your price comes from the estimate, because the ground under the slab can swing it as much as the size does. If you need to trim the budget, I'd cut the finish before the base, since a plain broom finish, swept for grip, can be dressed up later, but a weak base can't be fixed without tearing the slab out.
Will a new driveway in Helena Valley Southeast crack like my old one?
It may get hairline cracks, but they should land in the joints and stay tight instead of running across the slab like the old ones. Control joints are grooves we cut so the concrete cracks along a line we picked, and we cut them on time instead of skipping them or coming back late. Most of the bad cracking we tear out goes back to a base that was raked level instead of dug out and packed, or a midday pour that left a weak top.
How long does a new concrete driveway take before I can use it?
You'll be walking on a new driveway well before you can drive on it, because concrete keeps curing and gaining strength after the pour, and a truck on it too soon can crack it. The tear-out and pour usually go faster than people expect, and the weather decides more about the dates than we do. I'll give you the walk-on and drive-on dates for your slab at the estimate.
Other areas we serve
Plan your Helena Valley Southeast concrete job
Montana's building season is short, so calling (406) 324-9341 or sending the form early gives your pour a better pick of dry, mild days.