Concrete Driveway repair

Hi All,

My first post in this forum.

We bought this house only a few months ago and got a notice from the HOA to fix a damaged block in our driveway (pic attached). I have taken quotes, but no-one will remove and replace this small block. The cost to replace the entire driveway is $3800.

Is there any way I could replace just this block myself? How would you go about repaving/fixing this little block.

Thanks all in advance.

EDIT: Thanks, Chris. They are saying too small job, they need to bring in at least a truck load of concrete to any job. Noob homeowner.

Simple, saw cut the joints around it although it is probably already broken through. Next saw cut several grid lines and a square in the center, pop out center piece and start jack hammering away towards the center. Then repour that square back. What is the reason they are giving you to not do it? I repour sidewalk panels all the time, this is no different.

mrmonty said:

They are saying too small job, they need to bring in at least a truck load of concrete to any job. Noob homeowner.

Click to expand...

Then keep looking around for someone that will do a small job. And to House Repair Talk!

Phone the ready mix company, they will be able to send you to someone that does small jobs. You may have to have it removed by someone else, look for someone with a Bobcat.

You will find a concrete guy that wants to earn a living, there are short load trucks all day every day. You can also get a 1 yard trailer in most places. Heck a decent concrete guy will have a small mixer and can mix the 25 bags it will take.

Welcome to the forum. You can do the job yourself as this is a DIY forum. It will require you have some skills and some proper tools. Some of the things you will need you can rent for not much money and some are things you might already have or would have a use for after you are done. Things like a wheelbarrow, shovel, maybe a hoe etc. Even a trowel can come in handy from time to time around the house. They rent electric jackhammers that would work fine for chipping the bad section out.

I’ assuming the HOA won’t allow a just a surface patch? They will want a new full section. It looked like they allowed a patch in the apron where a cable went under the driveway.

The biggest question is do you feel up for the task? You will also need to figure out how to get rid of the broken up rubble.

If the job looks too big to tackle alone and you don’t have any friends or family or new neighbors to help you may try looking for more of a handyman type guy than a concrete company. Ask around look for the guy in the neighborhood that has lots of projects going on and stop and ask him if he knows a handyman that could do a small job like this.

Good luck and if you do tackle it take pictures along the way and show us how it’s going.

Thanks guys. I appreciate the suggestions. It may not be visible from the photo, but the damaged corner is pretty much pulverized. I don't think a patch will. On the other hand, I don't feel up to the task. I might get a handyman involved and look for ones that do small/odd concrete jobs.

Judging by the color difference and the extent of deterioration, that section of concrete has been replaced before. Apparently by someone who didn't quite know what he was doing--the amount of cracking and disintegration indicates a mix that was poured too wet, finished too soon (before the bleed water evaporated off), possibly even not having an adequate cement content, more likely if it was hand-batched. Don't make the same mistakes, or the HOA will be coming after you again.

Not sure where you live but in Southern CA we can find competent cement guys via CraigsList very easily. By checking references and insisting on someone who can speak English, you can get this job done for a $250 easily, including demolition and finishing.

Just for fun, I am going to post your exact pic on my local Craigslist account to see what bids I get. Will be back with the results.

Here are the edited, nearly verbatim, responses I got. If I had the square footage, the bids would be more concise. In total, I got 15 responses in just four hours of the posting. I specified demolition, hauling, concrete, mesh in the cement for strength, and finishing. Bid to include all materials and labor .... You can see my original idea as to the cost was a bit low ... but I was very speficic on the tasks required. The $1200 bid is stupid ... and the guy who bid $150 had to be on drugs.

Here are some of the actual bids:

Hi. I can do it for anywhere from $500-$700 depending on the size.

I CAN DO DRIVEWAY REPAIR ON FRIDAY $12OO

I have all the tools needed for your project. demo, labor, placement ,and finish for around $700.

hi labor $230 ,and hauled away concrete,,you buy cement bags,,send me
directions

I can take care that for u. I say $350.00 for everything