Portland Concrete Guides
Guides for Portland, Maine homeowners planning concrete work: cold-weather pours, deicers on new concrete, heaving steps, and the City's curb cut rules.
Latest
We write these guides for homeowners planning concrete work in Portland and nearby towns: when it is too cold to pour, what to keep off new concrete in its first winter, why front steps heave, and what the City requires at the curb. Every figure comes from a named source, such as NOAA or City Code.
You will not find prices here, because every job depends on its size, access, base and timing; our page on what sets the price of concrete work in Portland explains what drives the number. When you are ready, call or send the form for a free written quote.
When it is too cold to pour concrete in Maine: what to do
ACI 306 calls it cold weather once the air falls to 40°F, and Portland's lows reach freezing on 144.1 days a year. Here is how a cold pour is protected.
Read moreDeicers and new concrete in its first Maine winter
PCA says concrete poured late in the year should get no deicing chemicals its first winter, and some deicers should never touch concrete at all.
Read moreWhy concrete steps heave and crack in Portland, Maine
Frost heave needs cold, water and silty soil, and a Portland stoop can have all three. How footing depth and drainage keep steps level.
Read morePortland driveway and curb cut rules for Maine homeowners
Portland must approve any new or wider curb cut, home driveways are held to 10 to 20 feet at the property line, and street digging pauses in winter.
Read morePlanning concrete work in Portland?
Call or send the form. We will ask a few questions and put a quote in writing.
- Where the job is: the town and street, or the neighborhood
- What you want poured or fixed, and roughly how big it is
- What is there now: old concrete, asphalt, grass or nothing yet
- How a concrete truck gets close: the driveway, the yard, or a long carry