Your driveway is the biggest slab on the property and the one that takes the most punishment: two cars a day, a plow blade every storm, and the salt that drips off both all winter. A concrete driveway in Plainfield, IL that was built on a solid base handles all of that for decades. One that wasn't starts cracking and sinking long before it should.

We tear out and replace worn concrete and asphalt driveways, pour new ones, widen existing ones, and rebuild the apron at the street to the village's spec. Concrete driveway replacement is most of the work, because so much of Plainfield's housing, and the driveways that came with it, went in during the 1990s and 2000s.

Signs It Is Time for Concrete Driveway Replacement

Some driveways need a repair and some need to come out. These are the signs that point to replacement:

  • Cracks running across most of the panels, with edges that no longer line up
  • Several sections sunk or tilted, especially near the garage and the street
  • The surface flaking or pitted across large areas, not just a spot or two
  • Water pooling on the slab or running toward the garage instead of away from it
  • Repairs that keep coming back, or quotes for repairs that are approaching the price of new

If it is one settled panel by the garage on an otherwise sound driveway, that is a concrete repair job, often leveling, and it costs a fraction of a tear-out. We price both when both are realistic.

Plainfield Driveway Permits and Inspections

Driveway replacement in the Village of Plainfield needs a permit from the Building Department. The fee is currently $50 and the application needs a plat of survey showing the driveway. The detail that catches homeowners off guard: concrete driveways are inspected before the pour, with the forms, base and reinforcement in place, so the schedule has to leave room for that inspection. The village's packet sets a minimum of 5 inches of concrete over 5 inches of compacted gravel for the driveway itself, requires welded wire reinforcing (fiber is allowed only if the inspector can see it was used), and does not allow a pour when there is frost in the ground.

Starting before the permit is issued doubles the fee, and an approved permit that is not picked up within 30 days is voided. Neither is a big number, but a failed or skipped inspection can mean tearing out new concrete.

The apron is the village's part of the job

The stretch between the curb and your property line, usually crossing the public sidewalk, follows thicker village specs than the driveway and has to be formed concrete, never pavers. Our driveway aprons page covers that section in detail, including when it makes sense to replace the apron on its own.

Addresses in unincorporated Will County go through the Will County Land Use Department instead of the village. If your subdivision has a homeowners association, check its rules on driveway width and finish too. We sort out which rules apply during the estimate, and the permit goes in before the tear-out is scheduled.

Concrete or Asphalt Driveway in Plainfield?

Asphalt costs less up front. It also softens in July heat, needs sealcoating every couple of years, and typically lasts 15 to 20 years. A concrete driveway costs more on day one, needs little beyond an occasional sealer, and commonly lasts 25 to 30 years or more when the base is right. For most homeowners staying in the house, concrete is the better long-term buy.

Switching from asphalt to concrete is one of the most common jobs we do. The asphalt and its base come out, the subgrade is checked and rebuilt where it is soft, and new stone goes down before the pour. If the old asphalt sat on a thin or muddy base, which is common, that is the part that most needs fixing.

Driveway Widening, Parking Pads and Turnarounds

Adding a lane for a third car, a pad beside the garage for a trailer, or a turnaround so nobody backs into traffic are all common requests in Plainfield, partly because village code does not allow parking on the front lawn: in the front yard, vehicles belong on the driveway. A gravel pad is not an option either. Driveways and parking areas in the village have to be paved with concrete or asphalt.

Three village rules shape a widening. The driveway has to stay at least 5 feet from the side property line, with a narrow exception for side-loaded garages. It can be no wider than 20 feet where it meets the street, so the extra width flares out on your side of the sidewalk. And most lots get one driveway: a second curb cut is only allowed on lots with more than 90 feet of street frontage, and only if it leads to a garage, which rules out most circle drives. New concrete tied into an old driveway also needs a clean saw-cut and a planned joint so the two slabs move without breaking each other.

If the existing driveway is near the end of its life, widening it is often the moment to replace the whole thing. Matching new concrete to a 20-year-old slab never looks seamless, and the old part will need replacing soon anyway.

Concrete Driveway Finishes

A broom finish is the standard for a reason: it is the least expensive, gives tires and boots good grip on ice, and wears evenly. Exposed aggregate shows the stone in the mix for a textured, higher-end look and hides tire marks well. Stamped concrete on a full driveway looks striking but asks for more upkeep under salt and plows, so many homeowners put the stamping on a border and keep the driving lanes broom-finished. The public walk crossing stays plain formed concrete either way. Colored concrete can tie the driveway to brick or stone on the house.