We’re concrete driveway contractors in Ottawa handling new driveways, replacements, and widenings across the city, from the urban core out to Kanata, Barrhaven, and Orléans. Ottawa winters are long and the frost runs deep, so a driveway here lives or dies on how well the base was built to drain and handle ground that freezes and thaws — not on the finish poured over it.
Ottawa anchors the Ottawa Region — see that page for the surrounding eastern-Ontario communities we also serve.
New pours, replacements, and widenings across the capital region — each built on a base prepared for deep frost and freeze-thaw.
For a slab that's cracked, sunken, heaving, or spalling — if the base has failed, replacing it is the chance to fix the cause, not just the surface.
For a new build, an addition, or a first-time paved driveway — the finish grade, excavation, and drainage all get set before any concrete goes down.
For a second parking space or squaring off a narrow drive, tied cleanly into the existing slab with any municipal width limit confirmed first.
Excavating to depth, compacting a base that drains, and grading so water sheds away instead of pooling and freezing underneath — the biggest factor in surviving freeze-thaw.
Rebar or mesh sized to the load, plus control joints so the slab cracks where it's meant to rather than at random.
Breaking out and hauling away the old slab and any sub-base that won't compact — part of almost every replacement or widening.
Same base, drainage, and reinforcement rules as a full driveway, at a smaller scale — a poorly built apron fails just as fast.
Patterns stamped into the surface and sealed, for the look of stone or pavers without the shifting joints.
The surface washed back to expose the stone for texture and grip, finished and cured differently on the same structural base.
Ottawa gets long winters with deep, prolonged frost, and that makes the base under a driveway the single biggest factor in whether it lasts. Ground conditions vary from property to property, so we check what’s there during excavation rather than assume it — water that collects under a slab and freezes will shift and crack the concrete above it, so the base has to be built to drain and the surface pitched so runoff leaves toward the street rather than the garage or foundation. Deep frost, repeated thaw-and-refreeze, and winter road salt all add to what the slab has to take. Base preparation is where an Ottawa driveway is won or lost, which is why we plan the excavation and drainage before any concrete is ordered.
We look at your site, then send a firm written quote — not a guess over the phone.
The same factors apply to any driveway in the region — in Ottawa, base depth for deep frost and old-slab removal often drive the number.
We don’t post a Ottawa price we haven’t stood on the site to confirm — every job gets a firm written quote after we see the driveway and the access.
Typical concrete driveway jobs homeowners in the area ask us to quote. These are common project types, not a record of specific completed jobs.
Common request
Driveway replacement in the urban core — removing a cracked or heaving slab, correcting the base, and repouring — the most common request in established neighbourhoods.
Common request
Driveway widening in Kanata or Barrhaven — adding a second parking space or squaring off a narrow drive, tied into the existing concrete.
Common request
Garage apron or parking pad in Orléans — a garage apron or standalone pad, with drainage sorted before the pour.
Ottawa has plenty of driveway crews, and the cheapest quote is usually cheap because it skips the base or the disposal — which matters more here, where frost runs deep. Before you hire, ask:
A driveway that fails in three winters was never a saving.
It depends on size, whether an old slab needs removal, base depth, and finish — see the cost factors above. We give a firm written quote after seeing the site, not a per-square-foot guess over the phone.
Most residential driveways take one to two days to form, excavate, and pour, plus curing time before regular use. Larger jobs or difficult access can extend that.
Through the warmer months and into the shoulder seasons with proper cold-weather precautions. Ottawa’s pour season is shorter than milder parts of the province, and we don’t pour onto frozen ground or in hard frost without cold-weather measures.
Entrance, curb-cut, and driveway requirements are set by the City of Ottawa and can change. Confirm your specific case with the City before starting — we build to whatever the approval allows.
Concrete generally lasts longer with less routine upkeep; asphalt costs less upfront but needs more frequent sealing and resurfacing. It comes down to budget and how long you’re staying.
Because the frost runs deep here. Water trapped under a slab freezes and expands, and if the base wasn’t built to drain and carry the load, that movement cracks and heaves the concrete. Base preparation is the difference between a driveway that lasts and one you replace early.
Yes, full removal and haul-away is part of any replacement or widening that starts from an existing slab.
As a general guideline, light foot traffic after a few days and vehicle traffic after about a week, with the concrete reaching most of its strength by 28 days. We’ll confirm exact timing for your pour.
Local detail for the former municipalities and districts we serve.
Written quote after we see the site — not a number over the phone. Prefer to talk? Call 416-317-8200.
Ottawa and the surrounding region.