Concrete patio construction in Helena MT - a slab that drains and sits level
Cracked, sunken or holding water out back? We dig out and pack a proper base, then pour a patio that drains away from your house.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- Replies within 1 business day.
What goes into building a concrete patio in Helena?
Concrete patio construction in Helena starts with digging out and packing a firm base. Then we set the forms on a slight slope so water runs off, and we pour on a day when the nights are warm enough for the concrete to set right.
Most folks who call us either have an old patio that's cracked, sunk or holding puddles, or they have a back door that opens onto dirt and they want somewhere to put a table. The price mostly comes down to size, whether an old slab has to be broken out and hauled off, how much digging the base needs and how close we can get a truck. The schedule mostly comes down to weather, because we won't pour into cold nights. It also depends on curing, the wait after the pour while the concrete gains strength before you put weight on it. Your own numbers come from the estimate once I've seen the spot.
How do you know your patio needs replacing?
Cracks that keep spreading
One hairline crack is common, but cracks that widen or branch out usually mean the ground under the slab has moved. Water gets into them and freezes every winter, so they open a little more each year until pieces break loose.
Slab tipping toward the house
If the patio now leans back toward your wall, the base has probably settled under that edge. Every storm then runs straight at your foundation, and that water costs more to deal with than the patio does.
Water pooling after rain
Puddles that sit for hours mean the slab lost its slope or never had enough of it. In Helena that standing water turns into ice, which is slick to walk on and wears the top of the concrete down over time.
How our concrete patio construction works
I start by watching where the water runs in your yard, because a patio that falls toward the house sends every storm at your foundation. Most patio trouble I see goes back to the base, so that's where we spend our time before any forms go up. We dig out the loose dirt and pack a base in layers over the subgrade, the ground the slab sits on, so it doesn't settle later. Then we set forms with a gentle fall away from the house and lay in rebar, steel bars that hold the slab together, where the job calls for it. We pour early in the day rather than in the midday heat, because a rushed, hot pour leaves a weak, dusty top. After that we cut control joints, shallow grooves that give the concrete a place to crack where we chose instead of across the middle. If the budget gets tight, I'd rather make the patio smaller than skimp on the base, since nobody sees the base on day one but it decides whether the slab stays level. Before we leave, we talk through how to look after it that first winter.
Patios are flatwork, the trade's word for slabs that sit on the ground, so the work around them comes naturally to the same crew. A lot of patios need a path out to them, and our concrete sidewalk building lets us set both at matching grades so water doesn't get trapped where they meet. If you want a pattern pressed into the surface, that's what our stamped concrete services cover.
Replacing an old, broken patio
This suits a patio that has sunk, cracked through or tipped toward the house. We break it out and haul it off, then rebuild the base under it, because the old base is usually why it failed in the first place.
A new patio on open ground
This suits a yard with no slab yet, just a door that opens onto grass or dirt. We lay out the size and shape with you on site and make sure the water will run away from the house before we dig.
A patio tied into a walk or steps
This suits a patio you want to reach from the driveway, the side yard or a back door with steps. Planning both pieces together keeps the heights lined up so nobody trips at the seam and water has somewhere to go.
Get a patio estimate from the person who'll pour it
We reply within one business day. I'll come out, walk the spot where you want the patio and give you a free estimate in person, with no obligation to go ahead.
- Based in
- Helena, MT 59601
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 7 AM–10 PM, Sat–Sun: 6 AM–11 PM
What happens when you call about a patio in Helena?
From your first call to the last load hauled off, here's how a patio job runs with us and who you'll be dealing with along the way.
Call or send the form
Ring (406) 324-9341 or fill out the form with your patio's rough size and where it'll go. We'll set a time for me to come out and look.
I walk the site with you
I look at where the water runs, what's under any old slab and how a truck gets in, and I listen to what you want the patio for. The estimate lays out the size, the base work and the price, so you can see where the money goes before you decide.
We sort permits and timing
We handle the permit side if your job needs one. Then we pick a pour date around the weather, because cold nights and frozen ground change what's safe to pour.
My crew and I build it
We dig out, pack the base, pour and cut the joints, then clean up after ourselves. Before we go, we go over what the patio needs that first winter.
Why Helena homeowners call Helena Concrete for a patio
The owner estimates and pours
I come out myself to look at the job and write the estimate, then I work the pour alongside a small crew. The person who told you how the base would go in is the one packing it.
Licensed under Montana's contractor rules
Montana now requires every construction contractor to be licensed with the state Department of Labor & Industry, and its Licensee Lookup System lets you check anyone before you hire. We're licensed and insured, and we'd rather you look us up than just take our word for it.
Raised on Helena concrete crews
I grew up pouring concrete beside my dad around Helena and worked his crews for years before starting Helena Concrete in 2021. He taught me to slow down on the prep, and that's still how we build for Montana winters.
On a patio, the ground under it and the way the water runs matter more than anything you'll see on the surface, so I'd like to look at yours in person. Get in touch and we'll set up a time.
Patios, permits and winter around Helena
The city's building official issues permits for building any structure. Helena's list of work that doesn't need a permit names sidewalks and driveways, not patios, so that list doesn't settle the question for your patio. We find out which office covers your address and take care of the permit paperwork when a job calls for one, and you can see the city's permit information yourself. The city also says that work it lets go without a permit still has to meet its code. If your plan includes posts for a cover or a short wall, Helena's design rules put the bottom of each footing at least 42 inches down, below the frost. Those are the details a licensed contractor should know before the first form goes up.
Most patios we pour here sit off a back door or near the garage, where snow gets shoveled and boots track in salt. So we look hard at where the meltwater will run and where the snow pile ends up. We plan around the same cold nights and long winters on jobs in Helena Valley Southeast and Helena Valley Northwest.
Questions about concrete patios in Helena
How much does a concrete patio cost in Helena MT?
A concrete patio in Helena usually costs about $7 to $15 per square foot installed. That's the going rate around here, not our own price. Where your patio lands in that range depends on what I find on site, so the estimate is where you get your own figure.
When is it too cold to pour a concrete patio in Montana?
One concrete trade group treats it as cold weather once the air drops to 40°F, or is expected to drop below it, before the fresh concrete has gained strength. Early-fall and late-spring nights around Helena can hit that, and cold slows the set and risks freezing. So we watch the overnight lows, not just the afternoon high, when we pick a pour date.
Can you pour a concrete patio on frozen ground?
No, concrete belongs on thawed ground. A ready-mix trade group warns that concrete placed on a frozen subgrade is likely to settle unevenly and crack once the ground thaws. If the ground is still frozen, we wait.
How do I take care of a new concrete patio in its first winter?
In a new slab's first winter, one concrete trade group advises using sand for traction and no deicers at all. After that winter, it advises staying away from magnesium chloride and calcium chloride. Deicing salt is linked to scaling, where the top flakes off, and that's the most common frost damage concrete sees.
What is the best concrete mix for an outdoor patio in Helena?
For outdoor flatwork that freezes and thaws over and over, a ready-mix trade group calls for a minimum strength and recommends a set amount of air in the mix. That air gives freezing water room inside the concrete. Ask me which mix we order for your patio when I'm out, and I'll tell you why.
What causes a concrete patio to crack and sink?
Poor base work under the slab is a common cause, because it can lead to settling, uneven slab thickness and poor drainage, and all three can crack concrete. That's why base preparation is a fair thing to ask about when you compare bids. Ask each contractor exactly what they dig out and how they pack it.
Related services that go with a new patio
Stamped concrete services
Worth a look if you'd like the patio surface to carry a pressed pattern instead of plain concrete, so it fits the look of your yard and house.
Concrete sidewalk building
Useful when the new patio needs a solid path from the driveway or side gate, poured to meet it at the same height so nobody trips at the joint.
Service areas for patio work around Helena
Helena Concrete is based in Helena, Montana, and we work across Helena and the cities around it in the valley. That includes Helena Valley West Central and Helena Valley Southeast. The four places below have their own pages, with more on our work there.
Get your patio on the pour schedule
Have your patio's rough size, where it'll go and the season you're hoping to pour ready when you call (406) 324-9341 or send the form, and we can start planning on the first call.