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What is concrete flatwork? Driveways, patios and quote details
Concrete flatwork is any slab poured flat on the ground: driveways, sidewalks, patios, garage floors and pool decks. Finishers call it flatwork to separate it from vertical work like foundation and retaining walls. QUIKRETE's patio and sidewalk instructions dig out about 7 inches: 3 inches of compacted gravel and 4 inches of concrete. Ask what thickness, base and reinforcement your quote assumes, and whether tearing out the old slab is included.
How thick should a patio or driveway slab be?
QUIKRETE's slab instructions call for 4 inches of concrete over a 3 to 4 inch gravel base for sidewalks, patios and floors, with the gravel compacted with a tamper, because a solid sub-base helps prevent erosion and settling. A driveway carries cars, so ask the contractor what thickness and reinforcement they pour for it and get both written on the quote.
Ask whether the price includes rebar or wire mesh, and how the base is compacted: a plate compactor on gravel, or concrete poured straight onto dirt. On a tear-out and replace, the old slab has to be broken up and hauled away; ask whether that is in the total or its own line.
Will my new concrete crack?
Concrete shrinks as it cures, and control joints decide where it cracks. QUIKRETE calls for joints in a 4-inch slab at least every 10 feet in each direction, cut at least a quarter of the slab's depth, which is 1 inch on a 4-inch slab. A crack that runs along a joint is the joint doing its job. Ask where the joints go on your slab and whether they are tooled wet or saw-cut later.
Curing is the other half. QUIKRETE has a new slab kept damp with a fine mist for at least 3 to 5 days, and on a hot day it has the gravel base dampened before the pour to prevent shrinkage cracking. Ask who does the curing and for how long.
What should a flatwork quote list?
The square footage and a sketch; tear-out and haul-away of the old slab; excavation, base depth and compaction; slab thickness and reinforcement; the finish; the control joint layout; slope away from the house; curing; and cleanup. Price any stamping, color or exposed aggregate as options. Compare per-square-foot prices only after every quote covers the same list.
A broom finish gives outdoor concrete a non-slip surface; QUIKRETE has every stroke run in the same direction. At the back door, the finished height matters as much as the slope: a patio poured too high sends rain toward the threshold. QUIKRETE has patio and sidewalk forms slope evenly away from buildings, so ask where the water goes at the far edge.
What does flatwork mean on a pressure washing quote?
The concrete you walk and drive on: driveway, walks, patio and pool deck, priced by the square foot. Squeegee Guys in Corona, California charges $0.25 per square foot for flatwork, and HomeGuide puts driveway washing at $0.25–$0.35 per square foot. At HomeGuide's rate, a 800-square-foot driveway (40 by 20 feet) costs $200–$280. Ask whether the price covers the walks and patio or only the driveway.
Washing is a different trade from pouring. A cleaner's flatwork line covers surface cleaning, plus any pre-treatment for oil or rust stains if the quote names it; sealing and crack repair are separate jobs. The Corona price carries a minimum charge, so a small patio on its own costs the minimum.
Frequently asked questions
Should I seal a new concrete patio?
Ask whether the quote includes a cure-and-seal coat. QUIKRETE's acrylic cure and seal goes on right after finishing and replaces the days of water curing. A sealer applied years later is maintenance, priced on its own.
How long before I can drive on a new driveway?
Get the date from the contractor in writing before the pour; it turns on the mix, the slab thickness and the weather. Foot traffic comes first and cars later, and both wait until curing is done.
Is a paver patio flatwork?
No. Flatwork means poured concrete. Pavers are separate units laid on a sand and gravel base, and they come with a different crew and a different quote.
Sources
- QUIKRETE: Pouring and finishing concrete slabs · Checked
Excavation depth, gravel base, 4-inch slab, slope away from structures, broom finish, control joint spacing and depth, curing.
- Squeegee Guys: Corona, California pressure washing · Checked
Corona, California, concrete flatwork washing at $0.25 per sq ft with a $100 minimum. Larger areas can step down toward $0.20 per sq ft.
- HomeGuide: pressure washing prices · Published · Checked
Driveway washing by cleaned area and house washing by the job, with different prices for different surfaces.
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