Homeowner's Guide to Hiring Texas Concrete Contractors

Quality concrete contractors transform your bare backyard into a premium outdoor living space and create stunning driveways and walkways that last decades. But does your contractor provide Texas-specific solutions to extend the lifespan of your new concrete patio or pathway?

The best local providers install concrete solutions that survive hot Texas summers, protect against clay soil erosion, and hold up during heavy rainfall.

This guide provides step-by-step assistance in finding, interviewing and hiring the right concrete contractor for your residential outdoor project. Here’s what you need to know:

• Define your project scope before hiring a contractor. Assess your overall vision, budget and design preferences — a good service provider values your input.
• Quality concrete contractors offer outstanding service features. Expect total project management, outdoor living design expertise, varied product options, excellent installation work, and a lasting commitment to restoration and maintenance.
• Avoid common red flags when you hire a concrete company. Demand active license and insurance. Be wary of lowball bids, and request a dedicated Construction Coordinator and a Construction Supervisor.

Why Trust Our Concrete Contractor Hiring Advice?

Allied Outdoor Solutions creates custom, handcrafted outdoor living spaces for Texas homeowners. We’ve completed over 20,000 outdoor design projects for residents of Houston, San Antonio, Austin and the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. 

Our concrete solutions have delighted thousands of Texas homeowners. We offer design, construction, renovation and refinishing of concrete driveways, walkways, patios and pool decks that transform your home’s exterior into a premium outdoor living area.

We maintain deep working relationships with trusted brands like Carvestone to offer our customers custom, hand-crafted hardscaping features that are equally durable and beautiful.

Defining the Scope of Your Outdoor Concrete Project

Define the scope of your project before hiring a contractor. Walk in with a clear understanding of the services and features you want and how much you’d like to spend. 

A trustworthy concrete contractor works to fulfill your vision within your means, and uses their local experience to provide insightful solutions to bring those plans to life.

Here’s your 3-step gameplan to plan and create an outdoor concrete project:

Your Vision

The overall vision for your concrete project has 3 components:

1. Specific projects: What type of construction or installation do you need? Are you looking for a patio, pergola, pool deck, pathway, driveway, or a concrete slab for your new outdoor kitchen?
2. Aesthetic preferences: Pair your home’s existing style with your preferred exterior design. Are you adding outdoor concrete features to a rustic ranch, modern farmhouse, sturdy Craftsman, or charming Spanish style home?
3. Use of space: How will your new project function on a daily basis? Are you entertaining friends and guests on a stamped concrete patio? Do you need a durable Carvestone pool deck? Or do you want a new concrete overlay on your worn-out driveway?

A reliable concrete company will amplify your vision with reliable materials, past design inspiration and solutions for your specific property concerns — like leveling a sloped yard or correcting poor drainage.

Your Budget

Settle on a budget for your concrete repair, renovation or installation. Choose a sensible number before you meet a contractor, and you’ll feel empowered during interviews and estimates.

Your input matters greatly when creating a budget for outdoor living projects. A realistic budget isn’t just what the market dictates — it’s what you are able to responsibly spend.

Concrete contractors with a commitment to transparent negotiation and business practices will have no problem finding solutions that meet your budget.

Pro Tip: Look for concrete companies that offer competitive financing on projects. You’ll stretch your budget further and ensure sensible payments. Use our concrete financing calculator to estimate monthly payments, select term length, and calculate your APR. 

We offer no interest and payments for 12 months to qualified applicants!

Texas-Specific Considerations

Advanced concrete technology offers incredibly strong, durable building solutions for Texas homes — but how concrete directly benefits you is all about location.

Where you live matters greatly when creating an action plan for concrete projects. Be conscious of the regional climate, weather and soil.

For example — Dallas-Fort Worth residents should be mindful of expansive clay soil that expands, shifts and contracts when exposed to moisture. Work with a concrete provider that knows how to build on top of shifting soil.

Houston experiences heavy rainfall due to its location near the coast. Does your contractor have specific strategies to ensure their concrete stands up to the weather?

Here’s a helpful chart that outlines Texas-specific climate concerns that factor into concrete construction and renovation projects:

Must-Have Concrete Contractor Qualifications

The amount of outdoor living contractors who provide concrete services in Texas is massive. Knowing where to start is difficult — we think it’s important to establish a set of “dealbreakers” from the beginning.

There are 4 categories of must-have qualifications we think every worthwhile concrete company should offer:

1. Proof of active insurance and licensing
2. A depth of local work experience
3. An extensive portfolio and references
4. Character traits that exhibit reliable, trustworthy service

Here’s how to define these qualifications.

Licensing and Insurance

Every contractor who works on your property must have active insurance. That includes general liability insurance, workmans’ compensation insurance, and commercial auto insurance (if they operate work vehicles).

Active insurance is non-negotiable — contractors without it should not be hired. If there’s an accident on your property and they’re not covered, you can be sued for damages. If there’s damage caused to your property, you can be held responsible for repair costs.

Licensing requirements in Texas vary by municipality — there are no statewide requirements for general contracting licenses. 

Use the following online resources to find licensing information for a contractor:

• Austin Building and Trade Contractor Services (BTCS)
• Dallas Online Records — Registered Contractors
• Fort Worth Citizen Access License Search
• Houston Boards & Commissions — License Search
• San Antonio 311 — Licensed Contractor Search

Local Work Experience

Any work experience with outdoor concrete installation is great, but a depth of local work experience is strongly preferred.

Local experience means your contractor understands the specific regional demands of installing, repairing or renovating concrete where you live. 

For example, a veteran San Antonio concrete company understands how to work near limestone at surface level — a contractor that’s new to town may not.

Portfolio and References

Ask your contractor for a portfolio and list of references during the interview process. Better yet, they should have a wealth of online project data, photos, and customer reviews.

Here are some great places to find concrete contractor portfolios and reviews online:

• Company website: An experienced provider should have Before & After past project galleries and customer testimonials on their website. (Visit those links to read ours.)
• Better Business Bureau: Place high value on companies who are accredited by the BBB and who hold A+ rankings. (Visit our BBB page to check our status.)
• Contractor review sites: Look for consumer reviews on sites focused on contractor job performance. These include Angi, Birdeye, and Best Pick Reports.

Character Traits

It’s completely normal to “feel out” your concrete contractor to assess a good fit! 

Here are 5 top-level character traits that generally imply a strong work ethic and high character in a service provider:

• Clear communication skills
• Strong eye contact
• Punctuality
• Direct answers to questions
• Sincere interest in your vision

The Concrete Contractor Hiring Process, Start to Finish

Hiring a concrete contractor is much simpler when you break the process down into smaller phases. You’ll maintain control over estimates, demand time and space to make smart hiring decisions, and ensure clear communication throughout the process.

Here are the 6 steps in a well-executed contractor hiring process:

Initial Consultation and Estimate

Contact your preferred candidate to set up an initial consultation and estimate. The contractor should take a thorough walk through your design space and listen intently to your vision, budget and specific property concerns.

An estimate should be constructed and provided after the consultation, when the contractor has ample time to review and analyze the job. This guarantees you a customized, thoughtfully prepared bid.

Agreements and Guarantees

Be wary of contractors who demand full up-front financial guarantees. You should be given financing options and customized payment plans that work for your budget.

Contracts and agreements should be written in simple terms with easy-to-understand benchmarks, delivery dates and guarantees. Ask your contractor any questions you have — they should be answered clearly and completely.

If any permits must be acquired, the contractor should handle that at this time.

Planning and Design Phase

A qualified concrete contractor with outdoor living design experience helps develop a plan to execute your overall design vision.

Discuss preferred materials and ask for suggestions on trustworthy products and brands. Expert contractors have pre-existing relationships with manufacturers — these connections often lead to better deals on materials.

Make sure your outdoor design matches your overall home style.

Construction Phase

It’s best when the same team that oversees the design phase also handles the construction phase. This full-scope project management means no gaps in communication and no misunderstandings between contractors.

Your dedicated Construction Coordinator and Construction Supervisor are available to answer and return calls and emails in a reasonable timeframe to address concerns, questions and comments.

Final Inspection

Your contractor conducts a thorough final inspection of the job site and project. You should be present for this walkthrough — it’s a great opportunity for the Construction Supervisorto explain the work that was completed, display any features, and handle any final questions.

Your final payment should be made after the final inspection.

Ongoing Commitment

Choose to hire a concrete company that displays an ongoing commitment to the quality, durability and function of your project. Whether it’s a patio, pool deck or driveway, your contractor must take a long-term interest in its success.

Ask your contractor about ongoing maintenance offers, customer loyalty perks, and referral rewards (ours is $1,500!).

7 Non-Negotiables When Hiring a Concrete Contractor

Make sure your contractor fulfills all 7 of these non-negotiable requirements before making a hiring decision. These factors ensure peace of mind, quality workmanship, and clear communication to voice concerns, check in on projects and resolve all questions.

1. Active local contractor’s license. Use the local resources provided earlier in this article to check the licensing status of contractors in your city.
2. Proof of active insurance. No insurance, no hire. Period.
3. Realistic bids. A lowball bid looks great on paper, but rarely looks good in real life. Be wary of project estimates that fall 10-15% below the others you collect.
4. Low-pressure sales tactics. A trustworthy contractor has no problem letting you sit and discuss your bid and weigh your options before making a decision.
5. Full scope project management. Select a concrete service provider who manages the complete scope of your project — from design through construction and delivery.
6. Dedicated project management. Your contractor should provide a dedicated project manager as a direct point of contact, who assumes responsibility for your job.
7. Excellent warranty offers. Choose a company that stands behind its work with competitive workmanship warranties — not just product warranties.

Take a look at Allied Outdoor Solutions’ customer warranty and maintenance guarantees.

5 Above-and-Beyond Qualifications of a Great Concrete Contractor

Want to take your concrete project to a superior level? There are certifications, accreditations, and relationships your contractor can achieve to set themselves apart from competitors.

Look for these 5 “above-and-beyond” qualifications in your concrete service provider:

1. Better Business Bureau accreditation.
2. ICPI certified concrete paver installation status.
3. Direct relationship with concrete manufacturers.
4. International Code Council (ICC) certification.
5. 3D rendering technology for project design.

Quality Concrete Designs Enhance Your Outdoor Space 

The right concrete contractor delivers durable, aesthetically pleasing outdoor solutions to your property — whether that’s a gorgeous new patio or a resurfaced driveway.

Ask questions during your initial interview to ensure your contractor has specific, local solutions to issues like clay soil, torrential rains, hot summers and winter freezing events. The right candidate for the job has the experience needed to combat these concerns.

Consider Allied Outdoor Solutions for your concrete project in Austin, Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth or San Antonio, TX. Schedule a free consultation — we’d love to answer your questions and hear about your vision for a dream outdoor living space.