Concrete Contractor in Forest, MS - Driveways and Slabs Built on a Packed Base
Brandon Concrete Company builds driveways, patios, slabs, foundations and walls for homes and properties in Forest, MS. We set each one on dug-out, packed ground and slope it so water runs away from your house.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free quotes on site.
- Replies within 1 business day.
Forest as we see it on concrete jobs
Forest is the county seat of Scott County. It's a small city where older houses near downtown sit a short drive from newer homes on bigger lots and rural property farther out. We're a concrete contractor based in Brandon, and we come east on I-20 for jobs here. Most of the calls are for driveways, patios, garage and shop floors and slabs, plus some business owners who need a parking area or a walk redone.
Bigger lots mean longer driveways and more yard sending water toward the concrete. So on most jobs here, the work that matters most happens before the pour, in the base and the grade around it.
Concrete work we do for Forest homes and properties
Concrete driveway building
Forest driveways often run long to the house, so we dig out soft spots and pack the base before forming, which keeps the slab from sinking.
Concrete patio construction
A back patio usually sits right against the house, so we slope it away from your foundation and check where the yard sends water before we pour.
Stamped concrete services
Stamped concrete gives a patio or walk the look of stone or brick in one pour, and we seal it so the pattern holds its color longer.
Concrete sidewalk building
A front walk that's heaved or sunk is easy to trip on, so we take out the bad sections and set new ones flush with what stays.
Garage floor concrete
When an older garage floor has cracked and settled, we break it out, rebuild the base and pour a new slab that drains toward the door.
Decorative concrete
Colored, stained or exposed-aggregate finishes dress up a plain slab, and we go over samples together so you know what you're paying for before we start.
Concrete retaining walls
On a sloped Forest lot, a concrete retaining wall holds the yard back from a driveway or patio, with drainage behind it so water doesn't push it over.
Concrete floor installation
For a shop, barn or new addition, we pour an interior concrete floor that's level and reinforced, then finish it smooth or textured to fit how you'll use it.
Concrete pool decks
A pool deck has to shed splash water, so we slope it away from the pool and give it a texture that isn't slick when wet.
Concrete steps construction
Older front steps tend to pull away from the porch as the ground under them settles, so we pour new ones on solid footing with even step heights.
Slab foundation building
For a new house, shop or addition in Forest, we build the slab foundation on a packed base, with steel set inside to hold it together.
Foundation installation
When a build needs more than a slab, we dig, form and pour the foundation to the plans, and I check the layout before any concrete arrives.
Concrete parking lot building
Churches, shops and offices around Forest need lots that carry heavy traffic, so we build thicker slabs over a deeper packed base, laid out to drain.
Concrete footings
Footings carry the weight of a porch, addition or wall down into the ground, so we dig them to solid soil and pour them before anything goes on top.
Foundation raising
If doors stick or a slab has dropped, raising the foundation can bring it back toward level, and first I'll explain what likely caused the settling.
Concrete cutting
We saw-cut concrete to open a doorway, remove a damaged section or make room for a new pour, which leaves a clean edge instead of a broken one.
A written concrete quote for your Forest property
We reply within one business day to set a time. Then I come out, walk the site with you and write up the quote. It's free, done on site, and there's no pressure to book.
Call (601) 591-9020- Based in
- Brandon, MS 39042
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 8 AM–10 PM, Sat–Sun: 7 AM–9 PM
Working in Forest: permits, licenses and what sets the price
When a concrete job in Forest needs a building permit, it comes from the local building official. State board rules put permits with a city or county building official, or another office charged with issuing them. We settle the permit question with you before work starts, so your start date follows that answer. When your job needs a permit, we handle it as your licensed contractor so it isn't left on you. The thing you can check on any contractor is the state license. The Mississippi State Board of Public Contractors licenses contractors statewide, Forest included, and its rules cover residential builders and remodelers. We're licensed and insured.
Forest is farther out for us than Pearl or Flowood, so we line up deliveries and crew days ahead. The pour date mostly turns on the permit answer, the weather and how fast the ground dries after a rain. Several things move the price. The big ones are the size and thickness of the slab, how much base work your ground needs, and whether old concrete has to be broken out and hauled off. It also depends on whether the slab gets rebar, the steel bars inside that keep a crack from spreading apart, and on the finish you pick. Your written quote spells out each of those for your job.
Drainage and base problems we see on Forest slabs
Most of the sunken, cracked driveways and patios we look at around Forest started with water. A slab poured flat, or one that falls back toward the house, holds water at your foundation. Runoff from the yard can also work under an edge until the dirt beneath it washes out. Before we form anything, I walk the lot to see where the water goes, and we slope the new slab to carry it toward the yard or the street.
The rest usually comes down to the subgrade, the dirt and gravel a slab rests on. A lot of older concrete went down on ground that was raked level instead of dug out and packed, so it sank right along with the dirt. That base is buried the day we pour, and it's the first thing people want to trim from a budget. I'd cut the fancy finish before I'd cut the base, because a nice surface on a settling slab cracks anyway.
How a concrete job in Forest runs once you call
Here's what happens from your first call or message to the walk-through at the end, and who you'll deal with at each step.
Call or send the form
You call (601) 591-9020 or send a message, and we get back to you to set a time for me to come out. You don't need measurements or a plan ready.
Walk the site with me
I come to Forest myself to look at the ground, the grade and any old concrete, and to hear what you want built. Then I write the quote out so you can see what's included and what isn't before you decide anything.
Settle permits, then build
Once the permit question is settled, our crew does the prep, forming, pouring and finishing, and I'm on site checking the work as it goes. You don't need to be home on pour day as long as the trucks can reach the spot.
Walk the finished job
When the concrete is done, I walk it with you and answer whatever questions you've got. I'll also go over how long to keep feet and cars off it.
Questions about concrete work in Forest, MS
Call (601) 591-9020What sign has to go up after a building permit is issued in Mississippi?
Under the state contractor board's rules, a residential builder or remodeler who gets a building permit puts up a sign at the job site. The sign shows their license or certificate number and the state that issued it, in lettering at least 2 inches high and 12 inches wide. If your job needs a permit, that sign is an easy way to see who's working on your property.
How do I check that a concrete contractor in Forest carries liability insurance?
Ask for it in writing. Under state board rules, a licensed residential builder, remodeler or roofer has to give you a written disclosure about the general liability insurance requirement when you sign the contract. To get or renew a residential builder or remodeler license, a contractor shows the board a certificate of current general liability coverage. The board has to be listed on that policy, so it hears about any cancellation. We're licensed and insured, and you're welcome to ask about it at the estimate.
Where can I find the flood map for my property in Scott County, MS?
Scott County has effective digital flood maps, and each property's flood zone shows on its own panel of the county map. You can find them through the state's Scott County flood map page or FEMA's Map Service Center. It's worth a look before a driveway, patio or foundation goes in, because a lot in or near a flood zone puts even more weight on how the slab sheds water. Tell me what you find, and we'll plan the grade around it.
How much does a concrete driveway cost in Forest, MS?
The cost of a driveway in Forest comes down to its size and thickness, how much base work your ground needs, whether an old driveway has to come out, and the finish you pick. A plain broom finish, the light texture dragged across the top for grip, costs less than stamped or colored concrete. A long driveway on soft ground costs more than a short one on firm dirt. I'll walk your lot and write out a quote that shows where the money goes.
How long does new concrete take to cure before I can drive on it?
You can walk on a new driveway well before you can drive on it. Curing is the slow hardening that gives concrete its strength, and it keeps going for days after the pour. The wait depends on the mix and the weather that week, so I'll tell you when your slab is ready for feet and when it's ready for a car. It pays to wait for both, because a heavy car on young concrete can crack it.
Will my new concrete driveway in Forest crack like the old one?
A new slab can show some hairline cracking as it shrinks. With a packed base and joints cut on time, it shouldn't break up the way a sunken old one did. Control joints are straight grooves we cut while the concrete is young. They give the slab a planned line to crack along, so it doesn't pick its own path across the middle. When old concrete cracked all over, the joints were usually cut late or skipped, or the base under it settled.
Brandon, MS
Plan your Forest concrete project with us
Call (601) 591-9020 or use the form. If you're also weighing a patio or a walk, I can look at both on the same trip out to Forest.