Frequently Asked Questions

For most exterior changes, yes. The District Government says homeowners must submit an Architectural Review Application for exterior alterations, and its committee page lists coloring walks or driveways among them. There is no fee to apply. We draw the dimensioned sketch the application asks for and wait for approval before we pour.

HomeGuide's slab guide lists a 4-inch slab at $6 to $8 a square foot installed, which works out to roughly $6,000 to $8,000 for 1,000 square feet by our arithmetic. Removal of old concrete, a thicker slab, reinforcement or a decorative finish adds to that. Your measured quote is the real number.

A 15 by 30 slab is 450 square feet. At HomeGuide's $6 to $8 a square foot for a plain 4-inch slab, that is about $2,700 to $3,600 by our math, before removal, extra thickness or a coating. Access matters too: a lanai behind the house that a truck cannot reach may need a pump.

HomeGuide's concrete price guide gives $119 to $147 per cubic yard of ready-mix delivered within 20 miles, as a national figure with no Florida breakdown. Small loads under 10 yards carry a short-load fee, about $172 a yard in total. A yard covers about 81 square feet at 4 inches thick.

Most residential concrete work is priced by the job or by the square foot, not by the hour. HomeGuide lists slab installation labor at $3 to $5 a square foot on average. We quote a fixed price for the work on the sketch.

Usually not. Most cracks and sunken panels come from loose sand, washouts under the edge or a settled trench. Signs that point to something deeper include a crack that keeps widening, a sudden depression in the lawn, or cracks in the house walls. If we see those, we tell you to call your insurer or an engineer before any concrete work.

Walking is usually fine after a day or two. HomeGuide's driveway guide says light vehicles can use a new slab after 7 to 10 days and that concrete reaches full cure at 28 to 30 days. We give you dates for your slab based on the mix and the weather that week.

In Sumter County, the county's Driveway Permitting page says a residential driveway permit is required for widening where the driveway meets the street, and that residential permits are free. Homes in the Lake or Marion County parts of The Villages follow those counties' rules. We confirm the permit for your address.

Often, yes, with Architectural Review Committee approval. The application asks for a sketch with the new dimensions and distances to the property lines, and there is no fee. We draw the sketch; the committee decides.

Not exactly in plain concrete. New concrete is lighter and the old slab has weathered. A coating over the whole drive is the usual way to make them look like one surface, and a color change needs ARC approval.

HomeGuide's driveway guide gives at least 4 inches for cars, 5 to 6 inches for RVs or heavy vehicles, and 6 to 8 inches at the edges. We thicken the areas where trucks or trailers park.

HomeGuide gives 30 to 40 years for a well-built, maintained concrete driveway. A firm base, good drainage and keeping water from washing out the edges decide where in that range it lands.

Sumter County's Driveway Permitting page says a residential permit is required for new driveways, surface changes and widening where the drive meets the street, at no charge. We confirm it for your address.

HomeGuide puts standard patios at 4 inches. Under a hot tub or an outdoor kitchen it recommends 6 inches with added reinforcement. A screen enclosure company may have its own edge requirements, which we follow.

Yes, an extension is an exterior alteration. The application asks for a sketch with the new dimensions and distances to the property lines and easements, and it is free to submit.

Not perfectly in bare concrete. Most homeowners coat the old lanai and the extension together so the floor looks like one surface.

HomeGuide's patio guide says an extension costs about the same per square foot as a new patio, $4 to $30 depending on finish, and still needs grading and a base. We price yours after measuring.

Resurface if the concrete is sound and the problem is the surface. HomeGuide's resurfacing guide says to replace instead when there are large cracks, crumbling, spalling or structural problems. Settled sections that drain toward the pool need lifting or replacing first.

Light colors and textured coatings stay cooler than dark or bare surfaces in direct sun. HomeGuide lists Kool Deck, a common cool deck coating, at about $4 a square foot.

HomeGuide's pool deck guide lists plain poured concrete at $5 to $15 a square foot and pavers at $10 to $17. Stamped concrete, at $8 to $19, overlaps with pavers.

A pool addition is on the committee list of changes that need approval, and changing the deck size or color generally counts as an exterior alteration too. We draw the sketch for the application.

Yes. The Architectural Review Committee page lists coloring walks or driveways and painted driveways among the changes that need approval. There is no fee to apply. We provide the color name and a sketch for the application.

If the driveway is sound, a coating is usually the lower-cost way to change its look. If it is cracked, sunken or being widened anyway, a new stamped or plain slab may make more sense. We price both where both fit.

HomeGuide's resurfacing guide gives 8 to 15 years before an overlay needs repairs. Good prep, sound concrete underneath and resealing every few years push it toward the longer end.

Usually because the surface was not cleaned and profiled before coating, because the slab is cracking or moving, or because water is getting under it. We find which one before recoating.

Three feet is the usual minimum and four feet is more comfortable for two people or a walker. If you use or expect to use a wheelchair, wider is better, with a gentle slope.

Yes, a new pad or path is an exterior alteration. The free application asks for a sketch with dimensions and distances to the property lines, which we prepare.

We pour cart pads at driveway thickness, at least 4 inches, which HomeGuide gives as the minimum for cars. That covers a loaded cart with room to spare.

Sometimes. A sunken section can often be lifted, and a slightly raised edge can be ground down. A section that is broken or pushed up badly is usually replaced.

Often, if it is still in one piece. Mudjacking or foam lifting pumps material under the slab to raise it. HomeGuide gives 5 to 10 years or more for leveled concrete, and replacement costs more per square foot.

Hairline cracks are common and mostly cosmetic. HomeGuide notes that cracks wider than 1/4 inch usually point to deeper problems. A crack that keeps growing, or one where one side is higher, needs a closer look.

Most settling is loose or washed-out sand, not a sinkhole. Warning signs of something deeper include a fast-growing crack, a new depression in the yard, or cracks in the house walls. In that case, call your insurer or an engineer first.

On sound concrete, yes. HomeGuide lists patio and walkway resurfacing at $3 to $7 a square foot and gives 8 to 15 years of life. On concrete that is breaking up, it will not hold, and replacement is the better money.