Sorry to see you go!

One local concrete contractor gets your details — one, not five. They usually call the same day to hear what you have in mind, then come out, measure the area and leave you with a written price. It costs nothing and you are not committing to anything.

Concrete is priced mostly by the square foot, so the size of the driveway or patio moves the number most. After that it is the finish: a plain broom finish is the lowest price, exposed aggregate and colored concrete sit in the middle, and stamped patterns cost the most. Breaking out and hauling away old concrete, digging and grading the base, and steps or curves all add to it.

Ask your contractor to list the tear-out, the base, the reinforcement and the finish line by line, so you can compare prices fairly and nothing gets added later.

A typical driveway or patio takes about two to four days of work: tear-out and base first, then forms and reinforcement, then the pour and the finish. You can usually walk on it after a day or two and drive on a new driveway after about a week. Rain can move the pour day. Your contractor gives you the schedule before anyone starts.

A broom finish is simple, grippy and the lowest price, and it is what most driveways get. Exposed aggregate shows the small stones in the mix and hides dirt well. Stamped concrete is pressed with a pattern and colored to look like stone, slate or brick, and is popular for patios. Ask to see photos of finished jobs in each, and pick the one that suits how you will use it.

All concrete can get small hairline cracks over time. What stops the big ones is the work you do not see: a dug-out, compacted base, the right thickness, reinforcement, and control joints cut so any cracking happens in a straight line where it is meant to. Ask your contractor how deep the base goes, what reinforcement they use and where the joints will be.

A good crew plans the route for the truck and the equipment, protects the lawn and the edges of the driveway where it can, and hauls away the old concrete and the dirt. Expect some disturbed soil right along the new edges. Ask how they get the concrete to a backyard patio and what the clean-up includes.

A well-built driveway or patio commonly lasts decades. How it is built matters more than anything: the base under it, the thickness, the reinforcement, the slope for drainage and the curing after the pour. Sealing it every few years keeps the surface looking good, especially where winters bring ice and salt.

In a lot of places, yes. Concrete can go in during cold months with the right mix, blankets and timing, and in warm climates it goes in all year. Your contractor will not pour on frozen ground. Ask what they do differently in the cold.

Many HOAs have rules on driveway width, color and finish, so get their sign-off before work is scheduled. Many towns need a permit for a new or wider driveway, especially where it meets the street, and a good contractor will pull it for you. Ask who handles it before you sign.

Yes. They measure the area, check the slope and the drainage and what is under the old concrete, talk through finishes and colors, and put a price in writing. No charge, and no obligation to go ahead with it.

Keep the shape simple, choose a broom finish or a simple stamp rather than an intricate pattern, and do the driveway and walkway in one pour rather than two visits. Ask which months are quiet for them and get more than one price.

One. You are matched with a single concrete contractor who covers your area. We do not sell your details on to everyone in the county — that is the part most people are dreading, and it is the part we do not do.