Concrete Contractors in Ocean View, VA

Ocean View homeowners searching for concrete contractors live on a stretch of Norfolk that faces the Chesapeake Bay. Ocean View runs for several miles along the southern end of the bay, from Willoughby Spit in the west to the Little Creek channel at East Beach. It was laid out as Ocean View City in 1854 by William Mahone, governed by Norfolk County for more than 225 years, and annexed by Norfolk in 1923. We pour driveways, patios, walks, steps and slabs here, and we repair concrete worn down by salt, sand and storms.

From beach cottages to new construction

Ocean View grew as a resort, first served by a narrow-gauge steam railroad and then by electric streetcars, an amusement park and a boardwalk. The amusement park closed after Labor Day 1978 and was torn down soon after. Since then, Wikipedia notes, new upscale homes have replaced many of the old beach cottages and small motels along the resort strip.

That mix shows up in the concrete. Older cottages often have thin, narrow walks and small carport slabs that have cracked and settled into sandy soil. Newer homes need driveways, patios and walks that match a much larger house, and many sit higher off the ground, which means taller entry steps and bigger landings.

East Beach

At the east end, Norfolk began a redevelopment project in the 1990s. The city acquired and demolished more than 1,600 buildings across about 100 acres, and the new East Beach neighborhood now holds around 700 residences under a master plan by Duany Plater-Zyberk. A 2003 beach restoration added dunes and 10 offshore breakwaters. Homes in planned neighborhoods like this often have design guidelines for walks, drives and patios, so bring yours to the estimate.

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Sand, salt and the bay rules

Sandy soil drains fast but shifts and washes out from under a slab, especially near downspouts and along the edges. We compact a stone base, keep slab thickness consistent and direct water to the street or a drain. Salt air is hard on surfaces, so exterior work gets air-entrained concrete and a sealer.

Bayfront lots also fall under Norfolk's Chesapeake Bay Preservation Area rules. City guidance counts patios as impervious surface and keeps accessory structures out of the 100-foot buffer in Resource Protection Areas, and impervious encroachment in that buffer requires replanting. We check the city's map for your address before we design a patio or parking pad near the water.

What we build in Ocean View

• Driveways: replacements for cottage drives and new driveways for rebuilt homes
• Patios: backyard and side-yard slabs, designed around bay buffer limits
• Stamped concrete: decorative walks and patios with sealer suited to salt air
• Sidewalks and steps: front walks, tall entry steps and landings
• Garage and shed slabs: carports, detached garages and shed pads
• Repair and replacement: undermined sections, sunken panels and cracked steps

Storm season

Hurricane Isabel in September 2003 heavily damaged Harrison's Fishing Pier in Ocean View. Big storms are not yearly events, but nor'easters and high tides are. We watch the forecast, avoid pouring on saturated sand and give new slabs time to cure before a storm. Call (757) 520-4973 to set up a visit anywhere in Ocean View, from Willoughby Spit to East Beach.