K&L Saint Charles ConcreteK&L Saint Charles Concrete

Concrete Contractor in Chesterfield, MO - Driveways and Patios Built on a Solid Base

K&L Saint Charles Concrete builds and replaces driveways, patios, steps, walls and pool decks for Chesterfield homes and businesses, starting with the digging and base work that keeps a slab from settling on sloped lots.

Request a quote(636) 277-0973
A gray concrete pool deck surrounds a swimming pool, with a stone retaining wall, garden beds, and a covered pavilion.
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  • Free on-site estimates.
  • We respond within 1 business day.

About Chesterfield, MO

Chesterfield sits just across the Missouri River from us, on the west side of St. Louis County. Most of the houses we're called to are in subdivisions built over the last few decades, with two- and three-car garages, long driveways and backyards that drop away to a walkout basement. The lots run bigger than in the older cities closer in, and a lot of the homes look like what we see nearby in Town and Country and Creve Coeur.

There's a busy commercial side too, down along the river bottoms, where shops and small businesses need walks, steps and parking areas. On the residential side, it's the slopes and the fill dirt around these houses that shape most jobs, because a slab is only as steady as what's under it.

Services in Chesterfield, MO

  • Concrete driveway building

    Long driveways on sloped lots crack and sink when the base under them settles. We tear out the old slab, rebuild the base and pour with rebar, steel that holds cracks tight.

  • Concrete patio construction

    Walkout basements and sloped backyards here leave many patios pitched toward the house. We build patios that drain away from your foundation, so rain doesn't end up in the basement.

  • Concrete retaining walls

    Sloped lots here often need a wall to hold soil before a patio goes in. We build concrete retaining walls with drainage behind them, so water drains out instead of pushing on them.

  • Concrete pool decks

    Larger lots here often have pools, and the deck takes splash water and bare feet all summer. We pour decks that drain away from the pool with a slip-resistant texture.

  • Concrete steps construction

    Front steps here often sink or pull away from the house as the fill beside the foundation settles. We break them out and pour new steps on firm, packed ground.

  • Garage floor concrete

    Winter salt dripping off cars pits and flakes older garage floors here. We replace worn slabs with a new floor pitched toward the door, so meltwater runs out instead of pooling.

Working in Chesterfield: who signs off, and what moves your price

Building permits in Chesterfield come from St. Louis County, not the city, because the City of Chesterfield contracts with the county for permits and inspections. Before the county takes a permit application, the city has to give its zoning approval, and some jobs also need a separate sign-off from the local fire district, so your start date depends on more than our calendar. We check with the city and county for your address before we start, handle the filing when a permit is needed and tell you if another office has to sign off. We're licensed and insured, and our work is backed by our satisfaction guarantee.

We're a concrete contractor based in Saint Charles, MO, and Chesterfield is a short drive over the river for us. Your price here moves mostly with the size of the slab, how much digging and base work the ground needs, whether old concrete has to come out first and the finish you pick. The schedule turns on those approvals and on weather, because concrete poured into a hard freeze or a hot afternoon comes out weaker. I send a written estimate with each of those parts listed separately, so you can see where the money goes. We do the same work over in Saint Ann, where the lots are smaller and flatter, so the base and drainage plan there looks different from what a Chesterfield hillside needs.

Chesterfield, MO properties and local conditions

Most cracked and sunken slabs I look at in Chesterfield went wrong underneath, not on top. A lot of what we dig out here is clay that holds water, and the dirt pushed back against foundations and garages on sloped lots is often loose fill, so a base that was only raked flat settles right along with it. We dig down to firm subgrade, the soil the slab actually rests on, and pack gravel over it in layers before anything gets poured. That's the part people most want to cut from the budget, because you can't see it on day one, but I'd sooner you choose a plainer finish than skimp on the base, since base failures are what I spent years repairing for a property management company.

Winters here go back and forth across freezing, and water sitting on a slab or soaking under its edge freezes, swells and lifts it. We check where your roof and yard water runs before we set forms, pitch the slab away from the house and give it a broom finish, the light texture that keeps it from getting slick when it's wet or icy.

Get a free on-site estimate for your Chesterfield concrete job

We reply within one business day to set up a visit, and I come out to your Chesterfield property myself. After we walk it together, you get a written estimate with each part of the job listed separately, and there's no pressure to book.

What happens after you call us about a Chesterfield job

  1. Call or send a message

    Tell us what's going on with your driveway, patio or steps, and we'll set a time for me to come out. You don't need measurements, though a few photos help.

  2. Walk the site with me

    I look at the slab and the yard with you and ask how you'll use the concrete before I suggest anything. Then I send a written estimate with each part listed separately, so you can see what the base costs next to the finish.

  3. Clear the city and county

    Once you say yes, we check what your address needs, and if a county permit is required, the city's zoning review comes first, which usually takes 3 to 5 business days. We handle the filing and keep you posted, so you know your start date before we dig.

  4. Pour, then walk it together

    Our crew lead runs the job on site, from digging out through the pour and cleanup. When it's done I walk it with you and go over care, including how long it needs to cure, the wait while it hardens enough to take feet and then tires.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a permit to pour a driveway or patio in Chesterfield, MO?

St. Louis County issues building permits for new construction and alterations in Chesterfield, inside or outside the house, and the county keeps a list of work that doesn't need one. You can ask for that list at (314) 615-5184, and the city's building permits page explains the zoning approval that comes first. We check both for your address before we start and handle the filing if a permit is needed.

Can I get same-day zoning approval in Chesterfield for a concrete job?

Only for interior residential work, which the city reviews the same day when a complete application with all documents and signatures is in by 10 a.m., ready for pick-up by 3 p.m. A driveway, patio or other outdoor job goes through the standard review I mentioned in the steps above. We work that wait into the start date we give you.

How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Chesterfield?

Your price comes from the driveway's size, how much grading and base work the ground needs, whether the old slab has to be broken out and hauled off, and the finish you choose. A long driveway on a slope usually costs more than a flat one of the same size because of the extra digging and forming, and a stamped or colored finish costs more than a plain broom finish. Call (636) 277-0973 and I'll come measure yours.

Do I need city approval for a dumpster when replacing my driveway in Chesterfield?

Yes, a roll-off container needs the city's zoning approval in Chesterfield. It has to sit on the property on a hard surface such as a driveway, not on the street, sidewalk or yard, and the approval is good for 30 days with no fee. We plan where any container goes and how long it stays when we lay out the job.

What causes concrete driveways to crack and sink in Chesterfield?

Sinking almost always starts with the base and water underneath, as I covered above, while cracks that wander across the middle usually mean the control joints were cut late or skipped. Control joints are shallow grooves that give concrete a place to crack as it shrinks, so the crack runs straight in the groove instead of across your driveway. We cut them on time so the cracks land where we chose.

What is the best way to build a patio on a sloped backyard in Chesterfield?

Usually the best way is to cut into the slope and hold the high side with a short retaining wall, instead of building the low side up on loose fill that settles later. The patio still gets a gentle pitch away from the house so rain runs off. I'll walk the yard with you and show you where the cut and the wall would go before you decide.

Service areas

Explore the services

St Charles, MO

Book your Chesterfield concrete estimate today

We pick up into the evening seven days a week, so call (636) 277-0973 after work or send the form tonight.

Request a quote(636) 277-0973
(636) 277-0973Request a quote