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Cracks running down the driveway are bad enough. The stories that really sting are about a contractor who did what he wanted instead of what was agreed, then refused to fix it. Once the concrete's hard there's no undoing that, so settle it before. Call (786) 686-1048 and we'll connect you with an independent driveway contractor serving your part of Miami-Dade. Before you sign, get the thickness, the rebar or wire, where the control joints go, what happens to the tree roots, the finish, and who pulls the permit for the apron written into the quote, and keep part of the payment until you've walked the finished driveway.
The width was different, the joints were in the wrong place, the finish wasn't the one you picked, and by then the concrete was hard. Every detail you care about belongs in the written quote, with a sketch if it helps, before the forms go in.
They poured while it was drizzling, the rain got heavier, and a few weeks later the surface looks rocky and sandy in patches. In Miami's rainy season that's a real risk. Ask what time they pour, what forecast makes them reschedule, and who pays if rain ruins the surface.
A ficus or an oak by the swale has been lifting the old slab for years. Pour new concrete over the same roots and it happens again. The roots under the slab need to be cut out or blocked with a root barrier, and the new slab built thicker with steel at the tree.
Driveway cracked, lifted or just worn out? Call and we'll connect you with a driveway contractor serving your area.
Call (786) 686-1048Paperwork protects you here, because a promise is worth nothing after the pour. Get the scope itemized, keep the deposit small, hold back the final payment until you've checked the finish and the joints, and write down what happens if it cracks outside the joints or the color comes out blotchy.
Out of 104 driveway stories we read, 15 were exactly this. No other complaint came up as often.
Concrete cracks; control joints decide where. Ask how far apart they'll be, how thick the slab is (4 inches is common for cars, more where trucks park or roots run), whether there's rebar or wire mesh, and how the base under it is compacted.
Cracking ran through almost every complaint, and 14 people asked whether pavers would hold up better. The pavers page covers that side.
Uneven color usually comes from water added at the truck, uneven curing in the sun, or rain. How they cure the slab in Miami heat matters, and so does whether anyone adds water to the mix on site.
Twenty people wrote about a surface that came out blotchy or washed off.
The contractor sets the price after measuring. These are figures posted online from South and Central Florida.
| What was posted | Price |
|---|---|
| Standard, no-frills driveway in Fort Lauderdale or Miami (a South Florida contractor's blog) | $6 to $12 / sq ft |
| Installed in South Florida, depending on the finish (contractor blog) | $6 to $18 / sq ft |
| About 1,040 sq ft new pour, Sarasota homeowner | about $9,000 |
| About 1,100 sq ft tear-out and replace, 4 inches thick | $8,900 |
| A Florida driveway quote a reply called "the norm for residential concrete in Florida" | $10,200 |
What moves the number: tearing out and hauling the old slab, the square footage, thickness and steel, root removal, the apron and its permit, and the finish. Broom finish is the base price; stamped and colored concrete costs more.
The part of the driveway between your property line and the street, the apron across the grass swale, sits in the public right-of-way. That's why it often needs its own permit.
Mildew is the other Miami issue: a shaded, damp driveway goes black. A clean and seal every few years keeps it down; the sealing page explains what to watch for.
Tell them your zip code and that it's a driveway, and you're put through to a driveway contractor nearby.
Size, slope toward the street, the roots, the apron and what has to come out.
Itemized, with who pulls the permit and how long approval takes.
Old slab out, base compacted, forms and steel set, often inspected before the pour.
Usually a morning pour. Stay off it on foot for a few days and with the car longer, as the contractor tells you.
Pavers don't crack the way a slab does, but they sink and shift if the base is poor, and the joints need sand and weeding. Concrete is usually cheaper up front. The right answer depends on the look you want and whether an HOA has a say.
A sound slab with surface wear or stains can often be cleaned, repaired and sealed instead of replaced. Sections lifted by roots or broken through usually can't.
Usually uneven curing, water added at the truck, or rain on the fresh surface. Some evens out over the first months; some doesn't. Get the contractor to look at it. If it's a finish defect, you want their fix in writing.
It depends on the size. Posted South Florida prices run about $6 to $12 a square foot for a plain driveway and more for decorative finishes, plus tear-out. Divide the quote by the square footage and compare line by line.
Usually yes, and often a separate one for the apron in the right-of-way. The rules depend on whether you're in unincorporated Miami-Dade or a city like Cutler Bay, Doral or Coral Gables. Your contractor should know who pulls it.
The roots under the slab need cutting out, and a root barrier along the tree side helps. A thicker slab with rebar where the roots run holds up better. Check with your city before cutting roots of a protected tree.
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Phones are answered 8am to 8pm, 7 days. Tell them the job, the size and your zip code, and ask for a written, itemized price.
Have a slab, a deck or a driveway in mind?
(786) 686-1048