Chalmette's homes sit on soft, wet marsh soil that shifts and settles year after year, and your concrete bears the weight of that challenge every day. We're New Orleans Concrete, and we've spent years rebuilding driveways, slabs and foundations across 70043 after Katrina and ever since, because this neighborhood's ground demands concrete work that actually holds.
Most Chalmette homeowners call us when a driveway starts sinking, a slab cracks unevenly, or a sidewalk lifts dangerously near the roots of a live oak. We know the soil here, the rain that never stops, and the specific fixes that work in this part of New Orleans.
Concrete in Chalmette (70043)
Chalmette's post-Katrina housing stock is a mix of raised ranch homes and rebuilt slab-on-grade construction, most of it sitting on the same backswamp clays and organic marsh soils that have caused concrete to settle and crack since the neighborhood was first built. The water table is high, drainage is poor, and the ground itself moves. Your driveway isn't sinking because of bad work; it's sinking because the soil underneath it is soft, wet, and compressible. Sixty inches of rain a year, near-daily summer thunderstorms, and the constant humidity speed concrete curing and breed mildew on unsealed surfaces. There's no freeze-thaw to worry about here, but there is subsidence, standing water, and the slow downward creep that leaves a driveway or ribbon parking pad lower than the house foundation it once matched.
We've poured hundreds of slabs and driveways in Chalmette and the surrounding New Orleans area. We know how to build thicker, reinforced pours with proper base preparation and drainage. We know when a slab needs lifting instead of replacement, and when it needs to come out and start fresh. That knowledge keeps your concrete level and your property safe.
Our services in Chalmette
- Concrete Driveways in Chalmette · New concrete driveway installation and full driveway replacement built to last…
- Concrete Patios in Chalmette · Custom concrete patios that expand your outdoor living space and add lasting…
- Stamped & Decorative Concrete in Chalmette · Stamped, stained, and exposed aggregate finishes that replicate stone, brick…
- Concrete Repair & Resurfacing in Chalmette · Repair of cracked, spalling, or worn concrete and full resurfacing to restore…
- Concrete Leveling & Slab Lifting in Chalmette · Lifting and leveling of sunken or uneven concrete driveways, patios…
- Concrete Slabs & Foundations in Chalmette · Poured concrete slabs and footings for garages, sheds, room additions…
- Sidewalks, Walkways & Steps in Chalmette · New and replacement sidewalks, walkways, and steps…
- Concrete Pool Decks in Chalmette · Slip-resistant pool decks in broom, textured…
- Concrete Sealing in Chalmette · Professional sealing that protects concrete from stains, moisture…
- Concrete Removal & Replacement in Chalmette · Full tear-out and haul-away of old, cracked…
- Garage Floors in Chalmette · Poured and finished concrete garage floor slabs for new builds, replacements…
- Polished Concrete in Chalmette · Mechanically ground and polished concrete floors with a smooth…
How a Job Works in Chalmette
We start with a free on-site assessment. We'll walk your property, look at the concrete that's failing, check the ground and drainage, and talk through your options. In Chalmette, that often means understanding how close you are to the street, whether your lot is narrow (many are), and what kind of access we have for equipment. We'll give you a realistic estimate right there, no surprises later.
The work itself depends on what needs doing. If it's a new driveway, we'll excavate, prepare a solid base with proper slope for drainage, set forms, and pour reinforced concrete thick enough to handle the settling soil underneath. If it's a sunken slab, we might lift it with concrete jacking instead of tearing it out, which saves time and money. If it's a cracked or spalling sidewalk, we repair or replace it, and we handle any city permits required for right-of-way work. We coordinate with neighbors if there's a property line question, and we work around your schedule.
When we're done, we clean up completely. We haul debris, sweep the site, and walk through the finished work with you so you know exactly what you've got. Your property looks better than it did when we arrived.
Concrete work in Chalmette starts at realistic prices: new driveways and patios run about $6 per square foot, slabs and foundations around $5 per square foot, and repair work as low as $3 per square foot depending on what's broken. Stamped or decorative concrete costs more, around $10 per square foot, and sealing runs $0.75 to $1.50 per square foot. The real cost drivers are size, site access (narrow lots cost more), ground condition (soft soil means thicker base prep), and urgency (emergency work after a storm or a cave-in costs more than planned repair). A typical Chalmette driveway might run $2,000 to $4,000 depending on size and what's underneath. Call us at (504) 565-2441 for a free estimate on your property. We'll measure, assess the soil, and give you a firm price before we start.
