New concrete driveways
Excavation, base, forms, steel sized to the use, the pour, the finish, and control joints placed to manage cracking.
New concrete driveways in depth →
Concrete Driveways & Walkways
Concrete driveways graded to drain and built for what you park
A lot of driveways here slope from the street to the garage, so grade and drainage have to be right before a yard of concrete goes down. We build new driveways, replace failed ones, and pour the aprons, walks and curbs that go with them.
Stepping concrete walkway pads up to a covered carport. Bowen Island.
- New driveways, broom, stamped or exposed aggregate
- Tear-out and replacement of cracked or sunken driveways
- Driveway aprons and crossings, City application handled
- Walkways and paths, with steps where the grade needs them
- Formed driveway and landscape curbs
- Reinforced for trucks, RVs and heavy use
Driveway and flatwork jobs
Driveway replacement
Break-out, haul-away and, most important, fixing why the old one failed: a poor base, roots or bad drainage. Otherwise the new slab fails the same way.
Driveway aprons and crossings
The strip between your property line and the road, often over a ditch. In Maple Ridge it needs an application accepted by Engineering before work starts; the City sizes any culvert and the applicant pays for it.
Source: Maple Ridge Driveway Crossing, Culvert and Ditch Infill application
Sidewalks, walkways and paths
Even, sloped walks to the door or around the house. Where the walk needs steps with more than 2 risers, the BC Building Code gives them their own foundation.
Driveway and landscape curbs
Formed curbs that hold a driveway edge or separate lawn from beds, poured with the driveway or added after.
Concrete or asphalt?
Asphalt usually costs less to put down. Concrete usually lasts longer, takes less upkeep, handles heat better and gives you finish options. The base under either one decides most of its life.
City approval at the street in Maple Ridge
Work on the part of the driveway between the property line and the road needs an application to Maple Ridge Engineering. That includes new, widened or relocated driveways and ditch infills. One primary driveway is allowed per property; a second needs the Director of Engineering's approval. Driveways need 1.5 m clearance from the property line, hydrants and poles, and 2.0 m from street trees.
Source: Maple Ridge Driveway Crossing, Culvert and Ditch Infill application
From our job sites
Real jobs, including the forms before the pour, which is the part you can't see once the concrete is in.
Before you build: guides
- Gravel to concrete: what it would take to replace my gravel driveway with concrete (Lower Mainland)
Replacing a gravel driveway with concrete means checking what's under the gravel, grading and compacting a proper base, then forming, reinforcing and pouring a slab sloped to drain. In Maple Ridge, any work on the part between your property line and the road also needs an application to the City's Engineering department first.
- What are the downsides of having a concrete driveway?
A concrete driveway costs more to put in than asphalt or gravel, it will crack somewhere, and de-icing salt and oil can mark the surface. A good base, the right thickness, control joints and sealing handle most of these, which is why concrete usually outlasts the alternatives.
- Cracked concrete driveway: repair, resurface or replace? (Lower Mainland)
Hairline cracks are normal and can be sealed, and a sound slab with a worn surface can be resurfaced. A driveway that has sunk, heaved or broken into pieces has a failed base, and replacing it is the only fix that lasts.
- What is the cheapest way to fix a driveway?
The cheapest fix is to clean out the cracks and seal them, which keeps water and salt out and stops them growing. It only works on a driveway that's still level and solid; if the slab has sunk or broken up, the base has failed and cheap fixes won't hold.
- Driveway aprons and crossings in the Lower Mainland: what to know before you build
The apron or crossing is the part of the driveway between your property line and the road, and in most Lower Mainland cities it sits on City land and needs the City's approval before work starts. In Maple Ridge that means an application accepted by Engineering, with the City sizing any culvert under it and the applicant paying.
- What is the apron of a driveway?
The apron of a driveway is the section where it meets the street, running from the road edge to your property line. The same word is used for the strip in front of a garage door, where the driveway meets the garage slab.
Common questions
How long before I can park on a new concrete driveway?+
Light foot traffic after a couple of days, cars after about a week, and full strength at around a month. We give you the timing for your mix and the weather on pour day.
What's the difference between broom, stamped and exposed aggregate?+
Broom finish is the standard, slip-resistant and most affordable. Stamped concrete is pressed with a pattern to look like stone or pavers. Exposed aggregate washes back the surface to show the stone in the mix. Price and upkeep go up from broom to decorative.
Do I need a permit for a new driveway in Maple Ridge?+
Not for the part on your lot, but the crossing between the property line and the road needs an application accepted by Maple Ridge Engineering, as does widening or adding a driveway.
Source: Maple Ridge Driveway Crossing, Culvert and Ditch Infill application
Should I repair or replace my driveway?+
Surface wear and a few cracks can be repaired. A driveway that has sunk, heaved or broken into pieces has a failed base, and replacement is the only fix that lasts.
How much does a concrete driveway cost?+
We don't estimate blind, because size, access, digging, steel and finish move the number more than the concrete does. Send a photo and rough measurements with the booking form and John will tell you what drives the price on your job, then give you a written estimate after the site visit.
How it works
Four steps, and nothing is ordered or dug until you sign off.
Call or book a site visit
Call John, or tap Book now and send a photo of the spot with rough measurements if you have them.
Site walk
John comes out, walks the site, checks access, slope and drainage, and tells you which permits and inspections the job needs.
Plan and design
You get a clear plan, the design and a written scope and estimate. Finishes are chosen and the build date is locked in before anything is ordered or any ground is broken.
Build
Forms are set, inspected and poured. You get updates as we go and a clean site at the end.
Rather talk it through? Call John at (778) 200-8030 · All services
Builder or GC? Call John to talk through the project, or email the details and drawings to john@bedrockandcedar.com. How it works for builders