Concrete driveways, steps and repair in Council Bluffs
Hillside lots, houses that sit high above the sidewalk, and front steps that have been shifting a little every winter for decades.
Concrete work in Council Bluffs, Iowa
We work both sides of the river, and Council Bluffs is a different kind of job. The city is built right into the Loess Hills, which is why the streets north and east of downtown climb and wind the way they do. Add houses that run from 1880s Victorians to post-war ranches out by Lake Manawa, and you get a little of everything.
We pour driveways, aprons, front steps, stoops, walkways, patios and garage floors all over town. A lot of it is replacing concrete that's been there since before World War II. Council Bluffs has its own permit office and its own rules, and we're used to working with them.
Loess, hills and old steps
Loess is the whole story here. It's very fine silt the wind dropped thousands of years ago. Dry, it's strong enough to stand in a vertical cut, which is why the hills look the way they do. Soaked, it can collapse. So when water gets under a slab on a hillside lot, the ground under it can just drop. That's why you see so many driveways in the older neighborhoods with one corner sunk and retaining walls leaning out.
Fixing that means fixing the water first: gutters that drain somewhere useful, grading that carries water away from the top of the hill, and slabs that shed it instead of holding it. We'll point that stuff out even if it isn't part of what we're quoting.
Steps are a big one here, since so many houses sit well above the sidewalk. A long run of steps needs footings below the frost line, about 42 inches around here, plus even risers so nobody catches a toe. Steps rebuilt on shallow footings heave a little more every winter. We pour ours deep every time.
Parts of Council Bluffs we work in
Pretty much all of it, including Downtown and Bayliss Park, Fairmount Park area, Lake Manawa, Twin City, Lewis Central area, Broadway, Madison Avenue and East Council Bluffs. If you're in or near Council Bluffs and don't see your street, call (531) 236-6623 and ask. It takes about thirty seconds.
Council Bluffs questions
Are Iowa permits different from Omaha's?
Yes. Council Bluffs has its own permit office and inspectors. Driveway aprons, sidewalks and curb cuts go through the city with their own standards. Concrete on your own lot usually doesn't need a permit. We work on both sides of the river all the time and will tell you what your job needs.
My driveway sank on a hillside lot. How do you fix that?
Find out why first. If water's been washing out or collapsing the loess underneath, lifting the slab without fixing the water just starts the clock over. Once the water's handled, a slab that's still in one piece can usually be lifted. If it's cracked into pieces, it's a replacement, and we'll fix the drainage while the ground's open.
Can you rebuild old front steps?
That's one of the most common jobs we do in Council Bluffs. New steps on footings below the frost line, even rise and run, a slight pitch on each tread so water runs off, and a textured finish so they're not slick.