Concrete contractor in Los Fresnos, TX - driveways and slabs that drain right
Elite Brownsville Concrete Construction is a concrete contractor based in Brownsville. We pour driveways, patios, steps and sidewalks for Los Fresnos homes, and slabs, footings and lots for builders and shop owners there.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- Replies within 1 business day.
Los Fresnos homes, lots and the ground underneath
Los Fresnos sits up the road from Brownsville, where we're based, and it feels more like a small country city than a suburb. A lot of the homes we see there are single-story houses on wide lots, some in neighborhoods and some out on acreage where the owner is tired of a gravel drive that ruts every time it rains. We also hear from shop owners and builders who need a slab, footings or a small lot poured.
The ground here is flat and slow to drain, so on most jobs the real work happens before the pour, in the base under the slab and the slope that carries water off it.
Concrete work we do around Los Fresnos
Concrete driveway building
If your driveway has sunk or holds water after rain, we tear it out, dig to firm ground and slope the new one toward the street.
Concrete patio construction
A backyard patio here needs to shed rain away from the back door, so we set the slope before we pour and keep it gentle enough for chairs.
Stamped concrete services
Stamped concrete gives a patio or walkway the look of stone or brick, and we seal it so the color holds up under South Texas sun.
Concrete sidewalk building
A cracked or lifted walk from the driveway to the front door is a trip waiting to happen, so we replace it on a packed base.
Garage floor concrete
Garage floors here take truck weight and whatever water blows in under the door, so we pour them thick enough for the load and pitched toward the opening.
Decorative concrete
Colored and textured finishes dress up an entry, porch or patio, and we talk through how each one handles heat and wet shoes before you pick.
Concrete retaining walls
When a flower bed or raised section keeps washing onto your drive after rain, a short concrete retaining wall holds the soil in place with drainage behind it.
Concrete floor installation
For a shop, barn or room addition, we pour an interior floor that's flat, level and ready for whatever goes on top, from tile to equipment.
Concrete pool decks
Pool decks here sit in full sun and get splashed all day, so we use a finish that stays grippy and slope them to drain.
Concrete steps construction
Steps up to a raised front door or back porch need even risers and a solid footing, so they don't settle away from the house and tip.
Slab foundation building
On low, flat lots, a slab for a new house, addition or shop has to sit on packed fill, and we build it to the plans you bring.
Foundation installation
Builders and owners putting up a new building here get the forms, steel and pour from our own crew, with an experienced lead running it.
Concrete parking lot building
Small business lots along the main roads take traffic and heavy rain, so we build them with a thick base and grades that send water off the lot.
Concrete footings
Carports, sheds, porch posts and additions sit on footings that spread their weight into firm soil, and we dig them as deep as the plans call for.
Foundation raising
If a slab or porch has dropped as the soil underneath shifted or washed out, raising it back toward level can sometimes save a tear-out.
Concrete cutting
When you need an opening in a wall, a trench through a slab or a cracked section removed cleanly, we saw-cut the concrete instead of busting it out.
Get a written estimate for your Los Fresnos concrete job
Send the form or call, and we'll get back to you within one business day to set up a visit. I come out myself, look at the site and write up a free estimate, with no pressure to book.
(956) 505-5331- Based in
- Brownsville, TX 78520
- Hours
- Mon–Sun: 7 AM–10 PM
Working in Los Fresnos: permits, licenses and price
Inside city limits, the City of Los Fresnos issues construction permits, and you'll find its residential and commercial applications on the city's permit applications page. Before we start, I check which city or county office covers your address and ask them when something's unclear. Then we help with the permit steps for our part of the job and put the inspections on the calendar with you, since those dates usually set when we can pour. On a new house or addition, the city also wants your plumber, electrician and air conditioning contractor to show a state license and proof of insurance before it issues their permits, and the lines that run under the slab go in before we pour, so their permits matter to our schedule too. We're fully licensed and insured, and our work is backed by our satisfaction guarantee.
We do the same kind of work up in Harlingen, so the ground and the calls here aren't new to us. What moves the price most is the size and thickness of the slab, how much old concrete comes out, how much soft dirt has to be dug out and replaced with packed base, and the finish, since a plain broom finish, the light texture that keeps tires and shoes from slipping, costs less than stamped or colored work. On rural lots, a long drive or a soft shoulder after rain can keep the ready-mix truck from reaching the forms, and getting the concrete in another way adds cost. The schedule turns on the permit, the weather and the cure, and your written estimate spells out what's in and what isn't.
Low ground and summer heat are hard on slabs
The city's own flood rules say its flood hazard areas go under water from time to time, and on this flat ground, rain finds its way under slabs that weren't built for it. Water softens the subgrade, which is the dirt and base the slab rests on, and the concrete settles or cracks wherever that support gives way. So we dig out the soft dirt and pack a firm base before any truck backs up. If the budget gets tight, I'd rather keep the base and go with a plainer finish, because a surface can be resealed or recolored later, but a bad base can't be fixed without tearing the whole slab out.
Summer sun is the other thing. Concrete poured in midday heat can dry too fast on top and turn weak and dusty later, so we pour early and keep the surface damp while it cures, the slow stretch when concrete gains strength before you use it.
What to expect when you call us about a Los Fresnos job
Here's how a job runs from your first call to the final walk-through, including who you'll see and when it helps to be home.
Call or send the form
Call (956) 505-5331 or send the form with your address and what's going on, and we'll get back to you to set up a visit. Photos of the cracks or low spots help me plan before I come out.
I look at the site
I come out myself, look at the ground and where the water runs, and ask how you'll use the slab, so it helps if you're home. You get the scope in writing, with what's included and what isn't, so the price doesn't surprise you later.
We prep, pour and cure
Once you say go, we line up the permit steps for our part of the job, then dig out, pack the base and pour when the weather suits it. Our own crew does the work, with an experienced lead on site running each pour.
We walk it with you
When the pour is done, we walk the finished work with you and go over when it's ready for feet and when it's ready for tires. If something doesn't look right to you, say so then, and we'll talk it through.
Questions about concrete work in Los Fresnos
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Los Fresnos, TX?
Your price depends on what I find at your lot, mostly the size, the tear-out and how much base work it needs, and you get the full number in writing after I see it. If your job needs a city permit, the fees follow the city's fee schedule, and a plan checking fee of half the building permit fee is added when the work is valued over $1,000.00 and a plan is required. Fees double if work starts without a required permit, which is a good reason to settle the permit before the forms go up.
What causes concrete driveways to crack and sink in Los Fresnos?
Most sinking comes from a base that was raked level instead of dug out and packed, so when rain gets under it, the dirt settles and the slab follows. Cracking is something concrete does as it shrinks, so we cut control joints, straight grooves that give a crack a place to run where you won't notice it, and set rebar, steel inside the slab that holds the pieces together. I won't tell you a new slab will never crack, but built this way it usually cracks along the joints and stays level.
Do I need a floodplain permit to build in Los Fresnos?
If your lot is in an area of special flood hazard that FEMA has mapped inside the city's jurisdiction, the city requires a Floodplain Development Permit for building there. The city uses FEMA's flood maps for Cameron County to draw those lines, so that's where to check your lot. Outside city limits, Cameron County has its own floodplain rules, and we check which one covers your address before we plan a slab.
Does a new addition in Los Fresnos need a windstorm inspection?
If you want wind and hail coverage through TWIA, yes, because Cameron County is one of the counties the state calls first tier, where new structures, additions, alterations and repairs have to be built and inspected to Texas Department of Insurance specifications. If you're adding on, talk it through with your builder and your insurance agent before we pour, so the inspections are part of the plan from the start.
How long does new concrete need before I can drive on it in Los Fresnos?
You'll wait a good deal longer to drive on a new slab than to walk on it, because concrete keeps gaining strength well after the pour and a car's weight can crack it too early. Thickness and the weather change the wait, so before we leave, I give you the days for feet and for tires on your job.
What is the best way to keep water from pooling on a patio in Los Fresnos?
Pour it with a slope that runs away from the house and toward a spot where the water can actually leave the yard. On flat lots like these the slope has to be planned before the forms go in, because once the concrete sets you can't change it without cutting or tearing out. If your patio already holds water against the house, call (956) 505-5331 and I'll come look at whether it can be fixed or needs replacing.
Brownsville, TX
Get your Los Fresnos pour on the calendar
If you're building new or adding on, an early call gives us time to sort out the floodplain and windstorm questions before a pour date is set.