A concrete job cannot be undone cheaply, so the checking has to happen before the pour. These are the questions people ask us and the ones we think they should ask anyone.
How do I find a good concrete contractor?
To find a good concrete contractor, look for one who visits the site, asks where water goes and what will park on the slab, and then writes down thickness, base, reinforcement, mix and joints. Ask for addresses of local work that is at least three winters old and go and look. New concrete always looks good. Concrete that has been through Sioux Falls winters tells the truth.
Does a concrete contractor need to be licensed and insured in Sioux Falls?
South Dakota does not issue a state license for concrete contractors. Contractors must hold a South Dakota contractor's excise tax license from the Department of Revenue. The City of Sioux Falls adds its own rule: all contractors doing work that requires a building permit on one and two family homes and townhomes in the city need a Residential Building Contractor license, which requires at least $300,000 of general liability insurance and a $20,000 compliance bond. A contractor who works on the public sidewalk must be bonded and insured with the city. So ask whether a contractor is licensed and insured for the work you need, and ask for the insurance certificate. The city publishes a list of currently licensed contractors.
What should I ask a concrete contractor before hiring?
- How deep will you dig, and what base goes in?
- How thick is the slab, and what steel or mesh is in it?
- Is the mix air-entrained, and what strength?
- Where will the joints go, and when are they cut?
- How will you cure it?
- Who handles permits and the South Dakota 811 request?
- What happens if you find soft soil under the old slab?
- Can I see your insurance certificate and excise tax license?
What should a written estimate include? Is it binding if they hit something unexpected?
A written estimate should list the area in square feet, thickness, base depth, reinforcement, concrete strength and air entrainment, finish, joint layout, tear-out and haul-away, permits, start window, payment schedule and what is excluded. Whether it is binding depends on its wording. A signed fixed-price contract holds the contractor to the price for the work described. Hidden conditions, such as soft soil or a buried slab, are extra only if the contract says how they are priced. Ask for that clause and a unit price.
How much deposit is normal?
We did not find a South Dakota law that caps a contractor's deposit, so there is no legal figure to quote. A modest deposit to hold a date or cover special-order materials is common, with the rest due as the work is done. Tie payments to steps you can see: tear-out complete, forms and base ready, pour finished.
The contractor wants 50 percent up front in cash with no contract. Should I do it?
No. Half the price in cash and nothing in writing leaves you with no proof of what was agreed and no easy way to recover money. Fifty percent up front is high for flatwork, where materials are a small share and arrive on pour day. Ask for a written contract and pay by check or card. If the answer is still cash only, find someone else.
What are the red flags?
- No written quote, or one line with a price and nothing else.
- Cash only, or a large deposit before any work.
- A door knock offering leftover concrete from a job nearby.
- No mention of base, thickness, air-entrained mix or joints.
- No insurance certificate when asked.
- Pressure to sign today.
- An offer to pour late in the fall on cold ground with no plan to protect it.
What warranty should I expect?
Ask for the warranty in writing and read what it excludes. Workmanship warranties on concrete commonly cover defects in placing and finishing for a stated period. They commonly exclude hairline cracks, damage from deicer and movement of the ground. Warranty terms differ from one contractor to the next. Ours are stated in the written quote, so ask us about them at the estimate.
I paid a deposit and the contractor stopped answering. What can I do?
Write down every date and keep the texts. Send a letter by certified mail that states what you paid, what was promised and a deadline to start or refund. If the contractor has stopped answering for good, file a complaint with the Consumer Protection division of the South Dakota Attorney General's office and consider small claims court. If you paid by card, ask the card company about a dispute right away.
How do I know they have done stamped work before?
Ask to see it. A contractor who has done stamped work before can give you addresses of jobs a few years old, show the stamp patterns they own and explain how they color, release and seal. Stamping has a short window while the concrete is workable, and a crew that is new to it shows in crooked lines and shallow texture. Photos help, but visiting a real job is better.
What if the crew hits a hidden water line or sprinkler pipe?
Public utilities are marked through South Dakota 811, and a contractor who digs with care around the marks is doing it right. Private lines are not marked: sprinkler pipes, a water line to a garage, a wire to a yard light. If the crew hits one you did not know about, the repair is usually a small extra. If they hit a marked utility line by digging carelessly, that is theirs to fix. Tell the contractor about every private line you know of before work starts.
How do I check a contractor in Sioux Falls?
Look for the name on the City of Sioux Falls list of currently licensed contractors if the job needs a building permit. Ask for the excise tax license number and an insurance certificate sent to you by the insurance agent. Search the business name with the Attorney General's consumer office and in local court records if the job is large.
We are glad to answer every question on this page about our own work. Call (605) 633-5029.