Concrete Contractors in Berrien Springs, MI

Berrien Springs is a village on the St. Joseph River in Berrien County, Michigan, and homeowners here look to concrete contractors for driveways, walks, steps, patios and slabs on homes both old and new. The first permanent settlers, John Pike and his family, arrived in 1829, and the village of Berrien was platted in 1831. At the 2020 census it had 1,910 residents and 855 housing units on about one square mile.

An old county seat

Berrien Springs served as the Berrien County seat from 1837 until 1894. Its courthouse, designed by local architect Gilbert B. Avery and finished in 1839, is described as the oldest courthouse in the state. A village with that much history has a core of older homes, and the concrete around them often shows its age:

• Walks broken into tilted slabs
• Steps that have settled and pulled away from porches
• Narrow, patched driveways
• Back stoops and basement entries with crumbling edges

Living with the river

The St. Joseph River runs right past the village, and the Berrien Springs Dam, built in 1908, stands 36 feet tall. Low ground near the river can stay damp, and damp soil under a slab freezes and moves more in winter. On those lots, we dig out soft material, add a thick compacted gravel base and grade the slab so water runs off and away from the house. The village sits at about 673 feet, lower than South Bend's 719 feet.

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Students, renters and owners

Andrews University sits just outside the village in Oronoko Charter Township and uses the Berrien Springs post office. If you own a rental near campus, you likely want something different from an owner-occupant. Landlords tend to ask for durable, plain concrete that needs little care. Owner-occupants are more likely to want a stamped patio or a decorative walk. The groundwork is the same for both: a solid base, proper slope and good joints.

Our services in Berrien Springs

Concrete driveways. Replacement, widening and new aprons.

Sidewalks and steps. Front walks and new steps set on a footing with even risers.

Concrete patios. Broom-finish or with a smooth border.

Stamped concrete. Stone, slate or brick patterns with color, sealed after curing.

Garage and shed slabs. With thickened edges, anchor bolts and a slight pitch to the door.

Repair and replacement. Saw-cutting and replacing failed sections when the rest is sound.

Steps for older porches

Older homes in the village often have tall porches, and the steps leading to them sink over the years until there is a gap at the top. Patching that gap with mortar rarely lasts through a Michigan winter. The lasting fix is new steps on a proper footing, with even risers, a landing deep enough to stand on and sleeves set for a handrail if you want one.

The oldest settlement in Oronoko

Wikipedia describes the village as the site of the earliest European-American settlement in Oronoko Township. Housing has held steady: 837 units in 2010 and 855 in 2020. A village that has changed this little keeps its older homes in use, and many of them still have their first front walks and stoops. Replacing them together, in one pour, keeps the grades and joints lined up from the street to the door.

Michigan winters

Every exterior slab we pour here is air-entrained, jointed on a plan and properly cured, and we recommend sealing once the slab is ready and skipping deicers in its first winter.

We check with the Village of Berrien Springs about permits before we schedule. Call (574) 475-3419 for a free estimate.