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Serving Merrillville, IN and surrounding areas. (219) 500-9510
Merrillville Concrete is a concrete contractor serving Hobart, IN, building driveways, patios, sidewalks, and foundations for homeowners throughout this Lake County residential city. We have been working in northwest Indiana since 2017 and understand what Hobart properties are up against - post-war housing stock with aging concrete, glacial clay soils that shift with every rain and dry spell, and low-lying lots near Lake George and Deep River that drain slowly and demand careful drainage planning on every pour.
A lot of Hobart's driveways were first poured in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s alongside the homes they serve. After 50 or 60 years of freeze-thaw cycles and clay soil movement, those surfaces are past the point where patching makes sense. A full replacement on a properly excavated and compacted gravel base gives Hobart homeowners a driveway built to handle another generation of northwest Indiana winters. Learn more about our concrete driveway building service.
Hobart's single-family neighborhoods have real backyards, and a concrete patio is the most durable surface for outdoor living in this climate. Flat lots near Lake George and Deep River drain slowly, so every patio we build carries a deliberate slope that pushes water away from the home's foundation - not toward it. That drainage detail is not optional in Hobart; it is built into the slab from the start.
Hobart homeowners adding detached garages or accessory structures need a slab foundation that holds up on glacial clay. We excavate to a stable depth, lay a compacted gravel sub-base, set steel reinforcement, and pour at the right thickness for the intended load. A slab built this way on Hobart's soils stays flat and level through the seasonal moisture changes that move the ground underneath.
In Hobart's older neighborhoods - particularly those within a few blocks of downtown - sidewalk panels lifted by freeze-thaw pressure or tree root intrusion are a common trip hazard. Lifted sections can also cause liability exposure for the property owner. We remove the damaged panels, address the cause where possible, and replace with reinforced concrete on a compacted base that stays in place through the next round of Lake County winters.
Low-lying lots near Lake George and Deep River can see significant water runoff against foundations during spring snowmelt and summer thunderstorms. A concrete retaining wall holds the grade, redirects that water away from the structure, and handles the frost pressure Lake County winters apply each season. On sloped lot edges and driveway transitions, a well-built retaining wall solves drainage problems before they reach the foundation.
Entry steps on Hobart's mid-century brick homes accumulate freeze-thaw damage over the decades - spalling treads, crumbling risers, and landings that have settled and no longer drain flat. Steps that shift or flex underfoot are a daily safety concern. We replace deteriorated steps with reinforced concrete footed below the frost line, matched to the correct riser height for safe use through northwest Indiana winters.
Hobart is a predominantly owner-occupied residential city, and most of its housing stock was built between the 1940s and the 1980s. That means a large share of driveways, sidewalks, and patios in Hobart were originally poured 40 to 70 years ago - well past the point where concrete on a marginal base starts showing its age seriously. The freeze-thaw cycles that northwest Indiana delivers each winter have been working on those surfaces for decades, and the glacial clay soils underneath never stop moving. Any concrete that has lasted this long is either well-built or due for replacement, and telling the difference requires knowing what to look for beneath the surface cracks.
The drainage situation in Hobart adds another layer of complexity that a contractor unfamiliar with the area might not anticipate. Much of Hobart sits on the flat lake plain left by retreating glaciers, and the terrain near Lake George and Deep River is particularly low. Flat lots with heavy clay soil drain slowly after heavy rain or snowmelt, and the spring season in northwest Indiana brings both at the same time. Water that pools against a foundation or sits beneath a driveway sub-base accelerates freeze-thaw damage and undermines the gravel layer that keeps a slab stable. Building concrete in Hobart without accounting for drainage is how you end up with a cracked driveway three winters after it was poured.
Our crew works throughout Hobart regularly, and we coordinate permits through the City of Hobart for the concrete projects we do here. Hobart has its own permitting process that is separate from neighboring Merrillville and Portage, and we pull the right approvals before work starts on every job. That detail matters for property owners - permitted concrete work is inspected, on record, and protects you when it comes time to sell.
Hobart sits near the intersection of U.S. Route 30 and Interstate 65, two of the busiest roads in northwest Indiana. U.S. 30 runs east-west through the city and lines up with a heavy commercial corridor near the Southlake Mall area. The residential neighborhoods that most of our Hobart work happens in branch off the streets north and west of that corridor, centered around Lake George and the older blocks closer to downtown. Homes near Deep River and the areas that drain into it sit on the lowest ground in the city and get the worst of the spring water table - we plan drainage into those pours accordingly.
We also serve Portage, IN to the northeast and Crown Point, IN to the south, so if you have neighbors in those communities who need concrete work, we cover the whole region.
Call us or submit the contact form with a short description of your project - what you need done and where on the property. We reply within 1 business day to confirm details and schedule a time to visit your Hobart home. No measurements or drawings needed before the first call.
We visit your property, measure the area, and assess the existing surface, soil conditions, and any drainage factors - including proximity to Lake George or low-lying ground near Deep River. You receive a written quote itemizing excavation depth, gravel sub-base, concrete mix, and control joint placement. We go through cost and any concerns at this step before any commitment is made.
We pull the required City of Hobart permit before any work starts. The crew removes the old surface, excavates to stable ground, compacts the gravel base, sets reinforcement, and pours. Most residential driveways and patios in Hobart are completed in one to two days of active work on site. Slab foundations for additions or garages typically run two days before the curing period begins.
After the pour, we keep vehicles off the new concrete for at least seven days. Full strength arrives at about 28 days. We walk the finished work with you to confirm it meets the agreed scope and answer questions about sealing and ongoing maintenance - particularly important before the first hard freeze hits Hobart each November.
We serve Hobart and all of Lake County. Call us or fill out the form and we will get back to you within 1 business day.
(219) 500-9510Hobart is a residential city in Lake County, Indiana, with a population of around 30,000, sitting roughly 30 miles southeast of downtown Chicago. The city was platted in 1849 and grew steadily through the 20th century as Chicago-area workers moved to Indiana suburbs. Lake George, a lake formed when a dam was built on Deep River in the 1800s, sits near the center of the city and is one of its defining features. The city of Hobart is known locally for its high school teams - the Brickies - a name that comes from the brickyards that once operated on the city's north side and left behind the brick construction that is still visible throughout Hobart's older neighborhoods and commercial buildings today.
The core of Hobart is single-family residential, with most homes built between the 1940s and the 1980s. The housing stock near downtown includes older brick homes and early post-war construction, while neighborhoods further out reflect the ranch-house and split-level styles built through the 1970s. The commercial corridor along U.S. Route 30 near the Southlake Mall area is a dense retail zone that was annexed into the city in 1993. Hobart is bordered by Crown Point to the south and Portage to the northeast, and we serve concrete work across all three communities.
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Learn MoreCall us or get a free estimate online. We know Hobart's neighborhoods, soil conditions, and drainage challenges - and we build concrete work that holds up here.