Ask any concrete contractor for their license number before you ask for a price, and watch how fast the conversation changes. A contractor with nothing to hide will rattle off the number, the issuing state agency, and often their insurance carrier without hesitation. One who stalls, changes the subject, or says “I work under my cousin’s license” has already told you everything you need to know.
Confirm the license, the insurance, and the bond
Most states that regulate concrete work separately from general contracting require a specific trade license once a job crosses a certain dollar threshold, often $500 to $1,000 depending on the state. Look up the license number directly on your state contractor licensing board website, not through a link the contractor sends you. Check three things: that the license is active, that it covers flatwork or concrete specifically, and that there are no unresolved complaints or disciplinary actions tied to it.
Insurance matters as much as licensing. Ask for a certificate of insurance showing general liability coverage of at least $1 million, and workers’ compensation coverage for every employee who will step onto your property. Call the insurance agent listed on the certificate to confirm the policy is current. A surprising number of “current” certificates are actually expired policies the contractor never updated after switching carriers.
In states that require contractor bonds, ask for the bond number and the amount. A $10,000 to $20,000 bond won’t cover a botched driveway pour, but its existence tells you the contractor is registered with the state and has something to lose if they walk off the job.
Look at real, recent work, not just photos
Photos on a website or social media page tell you almost nothing about how a slab performs after a winter freeze-thaw cycle or two years of driveway traffic. Ask for three addresses of jobs completed at least 18 months ago, ideally in your climate, and go look at them in person. Check for cracking beyond normal control joint separation, for spalling or flaking on the surface, and for pooling water where drainage should have carried it away.
While you’re there, knock on the door if the homeowner is around. Ask two direct questions: did the crew show up when they said they would, and did the final cost match the bid. Cost overruns and schedule slips are the two most common complaints against concrete contractors, and past customers will tell you the truth faster than any sales pitch.
Get the mix design and specs in writing
A bid that just says “pour concrete driveway, $6,400” is not a bid you can evaluate. Push for specifics in writing before you sign anything.
- PSI rating: residential driveways and patios typically call for 3,500 to 4,000 PSI concrete; anything below 3,000 PSI is undersized for vehicle traffic in most climates.
- Thickness: 4 inches is standard for driveways and patios, 5 to 6 inches for areas that will see RVs, trailers, or heavy trucks.
- Reinforcement: rebar (typically #3 or #4 bar on 12 to 18 inch centers) or wire mesh, and whether fiber mesh is added to the mix itself.
- Base prep: how many inches of compacted gravel base will go down before the pour, and whether a vapor barrier is included for interior slabs.
- Control joints: spacing should generally match the slab thickness in feet times 2 to 3 (a 4 inch slab needs joints every 8 to 12 feet) to control random cracking.
- Curing method: wet curing, curing compound, or curing blankets, and for how many days.
If a contractor can’t answer these questions without checking a notebook, that’s a sign they’re bidding by habit rather than by engineering. Contractors who work with structural drawings or municipal permits will have these numbers memorized because inspectors ask for them.
Understand who’s actually pouring your job
Many concrete companies that advertise heavily are brokers who subcontract the actual pour to a crew you’ll never meet during the bidding process. That’s not automatically a problem, but you need to know it going in. Ask directly whether the same company that bids the job will supply the crew, and if not, who will, and what their experience level is.
Concrete work is unforgiving on timing. Once the truck arrives, the crew has roughly 60 to 90 minutes before the mix starts to set up, depending on temperature and the admixtures used. A crew that’s inexperienced with your specific application (stamped concrete, a steep grade, a large pour requiring multiple trucks) can end up rushing the finish or adding water on site to keep it workable, which weakens the final PSI. Ask how many pours of this size and type the crew has done in the last year, not the company’s total years in business.
Review the payment schedule for red flags
A deposit of 10 to 30 percent to schedule the job and order materials is standard. Many states cap deposits by law, commonly at 10 percent or $1,000, whichever is smaller, so check your state’s rule before agreeing to anything larger. Payment should then follow the work: a portion after base prep and forming, a portion after the pour, and the final balance after curing and a walkthrough, not before.
Be cautious of contractors who ask for 50 percent or more up front, who only accept cash, or who pressure you to sign the same day you get the bid to “lock in the price.” Legitimate contractors are usually booked out several weeks, sometimes months, during peak pouring season (spring and early fall in most regions), so same-day urgency is often a pressure tactic rather than a scheduling reality.
Before you sign anything, request a written bid that includes the license number, insurance certificate, mix specs, thickness, base prep details, payment schedule, and an estimated start and completion date. Take that document and call your state licensing board to confirm the license is active and matches the name on the bid. That one phone call, which takes about five minutes, resolves more problems before they start than any other step in this process.
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