Commercial Concrete in Austin
Slabs, ADA ramps, parking pads, equipment bases and structural pours — specified, formed, placed and finished.
About commercial concrete
Commercial concrete covers everything from a small equipment pad to a warehouse floor that will take forklift traffic for the next thirty years. The visible part — the pour itself — is the shortest phase. Sub-base compaction, vapour barrier, reinforcement grade and spacing, and joint layout are decided before a truck is booked, and they are what the slab's service life actually depends on.
Slab thickness and concrete strength are specified against the load the floor will see, not against a rule of thumb. A retail floor and a distribution centre with racking point loads are different structures even when they look identical. Where an engineer has issued drawings, the reinforcement schedule on those drawings is the specification; where none exist, the contractor should say what standard they are working to.
Joints are a design decision, not an afterthought. All concrete moves as it cures and as temperature changes. Control joints put the cracking where it was planned to go; isolation joints keep the slab from binding against columns and walls. Joint spacing that is too generous is one of the most common reasons a young slab cracks in a place nobody wanted.
Curing is the other half. Concrete gains most of its strength in the first week and continues for weeks after that. Protecting the surface from drying too fast — with a curing compound, a wet cure or blankets in temperature extremes — costs very little on the day and is difficult to make up for afterwards.
A commercial pour also has to fit into somebody else's programme. Framing, mechanical rough-in and tilt-up panel erection all queue behind the slab, so a written sequence that the general contractor, the owner's representative and the inspector can all read is part of the job rather than an extra.
What commercial concrete work involves
Excavation to level, compaction of the base course, and a vapour barrier where the slab sits under conditioned space.
Edges set to line and level, penetrations and blockouts boxed out before any steel goes in.
Mesh, rebar or post-tensioned cable placed to the schedule, on chairs, at the specified cover.
Where the work is permitted, the reinforcement is inspected with everything still exposed.
Concrete placed, consolidated, screeded and finished to the specified surface.
Control joints cut in the window after set, then the surface protected while it gains strength.
Materials, finishes and specifications
General trade practice for commercial concrete. The figures on your job are whatever ends up on your written scope.
- Concrete strength
- Commonly 3,000–4,500 psi for commercial flatwork; structural elements are specified by the engineer
- Slab thickness
- Roughly 4″ for light duty, 5–6″ for general commercial, 6–8″ and up where point loads or vehicles are involved
- Reinforcement
- Welded wire mesh, #3–#5 rebar, or post-tensioned cable, per the design
- Sub-base
- Compacted aggregate base course, plus a 10–15 mil vapour barrier under conditioned slabs
- Finishes
- Broom, smooth trowel, salt, exposed aggregate, stamped, stained or polished
- Joints
- Saw-cut control joints, typically at 24–36 times the slab thickness, plus isolation joints at columns and walls
- Curing
- Curing compound, wet cure, or insulated blankets in hot or cold conditions
Project types
What decides the price of commercial concrete
No two jobs price the same. These are the things that move the number, and they should each appear as a line on a written quote.
- Area and thickness of the pour
- Concrete strength and mix design
- Reinforcement: mesh, rebar size and spacing
- Sub-base preparation and vapour barrier
- Surface finish and any decorative treatment
- Site access, and whether a pump is needed
- Demolition, excavation and haul-off included in the scope
- Joint layout, sealing and cure protection
What to ask before you hire
- Ask for the contractor's licence number and current insurance certificates, and check them yourself.
- Insist on an itemised quote rather than a single lump sum — thickness, reinforcement, prep, finish and haul-off should each have a line.
- Ask whether the crew on site works for the company or is brokered out, and who your point of contact is on pour day.
- Ask what the sub-base preparation is, what reinforcement is specified, and how joints will be laid out. Vague answers are the warning sign.
- Ask what happens if the work fails later, and whether that answer is written into the contract rather than said on the doorstep.
- Ask for recent references for the same kind of work in your area, and call one.
What goes wrong on these jobs
- Cracking, spalling or settlement traced back to sub-base preparation.
- Failed inspections from reinforcement cover, joint spacing or thickness.
- Programme slip when the slab is squeezed between other trades.
- ADA ramps and curbs that do not pass on the first inspection.
- Existing slabs in tenant improvements that have to be cut out and re-poured.
- Dock and forklift slabs cracking under heavy point loads.
Straight answers
The load it will carry and the sub-grade underneath it. A floor with racking point loads or vehicle traffic is designed, not assumed, and the design also sets the reinforcement.
All concrete shrinks as it cures. Control joints decide where that movement shows. Cracks that appear away from the joints usually point at joint spacing, sub-base or curing.
No. Thickness without the right sub-base and reinforcement mostly adds cost. Matching the specification to the actual load is what makes a floor last.
Concrete strength, thickness, reinforcement schedule, sub-base preparation, vapour barrier, finish, joint plan, cure protection and haul-off, each priced separately.
Want this quoted?
Send a few details and we will come and look at it.
What happens after you call
- 01
Site visit
We come out, walk the job, and look at access, levels and what has to come out first.
- 02
Written scope
Thickness, reinforcement, sub-base prep, finish, joints and haul-off, itemised so it can be compared line for line.
- 03
Prep and scheduling
Permits where they apply, then excavation, formwork and any inspections booked in sequence.
- 04
Pour and finish
Place, consolidate and finish to the spec on the quote — broom, smooth, salt or stamped.
- 05
Walkthrough
We walk the finished work with you and go over how to look after it while it cures.
Questions about commercial concrete
Where these crews work
Other work these crews do
Foundations & Excavation
Footings, stem walls and site prep for new construction.
Flatwork & Driveways
Sidewalks, patios, aprons and warehouse floors.
Concrete Demolition
Saw-cut, break-out and haul-off for slabs, footings and walls.
Commercial Renovation
Tenant improvements, retail build-outs and ADA upgrades.
Home Renovation & Repairs
Remodels, concrete decks and residential repair work.
Flooring Services
Tile, laminate and vinyl plank flooring installed clean and level.
Ready to talk about commercial concrete?
Send a few details and photos, and we will take it from there.