Concrete cutting in Fort Dodge IA - clean, straight cuts right where you need them
Need a new drain line through the basement floor or a doorway in a wall? We cut it straight, clean and where it belongs.
Who cuts concrete slabs and walls in Fort Dodge?
Concrete cutting in Fort Dodge means sawing straight lines through a slab or wall, or drilling round holes, so a drain, a pipe, a doorway or a new section of driveway can go where old concrete stands. Fort Dodge Concrete does that cutting, and on most jobs the cut is the start of the work, not the end of it.
You might have a plumber waiting on a trench through the basement floor, a cracked panel of driveway that has to come out, or a patio that needs trimming back before an addition. The price moves with how thick the concrete is, how much steel is in it, how many feet we cut, whether we're working indoors or out, and whether the pieces have to be broken up and hauled away. The schedule mostly turns on whether a scan comes first and what the city needs before we start, and the estimate we write up after seeing the spot shows what's included.
How we handle concrete cutting, start to finish
I start by looking at where the cut goes and what sits near it, then we mark the lines so you and I agree on exactly where the saw runs. Where steel or cables could be inside a slab, we arrange a scan first and still cut with care, since a scan can miss things. Most cuts run wet, so the water keeps the blade cool and turns the dust into a muddy slurry that we contain and vacuum up instead of letting it run across your yard. Your estimate says plainly whether breaking up and hauling the pieces is part of the price, and when it is, we break them out, haul them off and leave the spot clean.
Most cutting leads into new concrete. When a cracked or sunken section comes out of a drive, a saw line gives concrete driveway building a straight, solid edge to tie into, and cutting back an old slab is often the first day of concrete patio construction when you want the patio bigger or a different shape. Sawing costs more than knocking a section loose with a breaker, but a broken edge is ragged and can crack back into the slab you're keeping, so the saw is the side I come down on.
Floors, driveways and patios
A flat saw rides on top of the slab and cuts long, straight lines, so it suits trenches in basement floors, sections coming out of a drive and trimmed patio edges. Where there's no room for it, a hand saw reaches tight corners and small openings.
Walls and pipe holes
A wall saw runs on a track fastened to the wall, so it suits doorways and window openings in a foundation wall, while a core drill bores the round holes that pipes, drains and conduit pass through. Very thick or heavily reinforced sections can call for a wire saw instead.
Concrete cutting in Fort Dodge, from the permit check to the first cut
Before any cut, we sort out the permit question with the city, because nobody wants work stopped halfway through a slab. Fort Dodge's Inspections Department answers permit questions, and the city's permit page says concrete inside your property line doesn't need one while it sends driveways to Engineering, so a cut that touches your drive may land on a different desk. That page doesn't settle every cutting job, so we work out with the city which office handles yours, and if a permit is needed we take care of the application or help you with yours. Once a permit is pulled, the city also inspects the work while it's underway.
We're based in Fort Dodge and work in Webster City and the cities around it, and the calls look alike in both. Most are basement floors opened for new drain lines, driveway sections cut out ahead of a new pour, and garage or patio slabs trimmed back for an addition.
Saw cuts and core holes
Why call us for concrete cutting
The owner writes your estimate
I come out to your property around Fort Dodge, look at where the cut goes and write the estimate myself, then I work the job with our crew. The person who measured your cut is on site when it happens.
Licensed and insured before we cut
We're licensed and insured. Iowa rules require a contractor to be registered with the state before doing any construction work here, so ask anyone you're thinking of hiring about that before the saw comes out.
On our own since 2023
We've been in business since 2023, and before that I spent years as the right hand to another concrete contractor here, setting forms, running pours and fixing jobs other people rushed. That last part is why I don't rush the prep before a cut.
On a cut, what counts most is knowing what's inside the concrete and what the price covers before the saw starts. Send us the details and we'll set a time for me to come take a look.
(515) 417-2702Get a written estimate for your concrete cut
We'll reply within one business day to set a time, then I come out, look at where the cut goes and write up a free estimate so you can see what's included. There's no obligation to go ahead.
Concrete cutting questions from Fort Dodge
How much does concrete cutting cost per foot in Fort Dodge?
Professional concrete saw cutting across the US usually runs about $3 to $10 per linear foot, and that covers the sawing itself. Reinforced or thicker slabs cost more per foot than thin ones that are easy to reach. Your estimate gives the figure for your cut and shows what's included.
Why does a short concrete cut cost so much per foot?
Because the crew still has to load the equipment, drive out, set up water or power, protect the area and clean up, no matter how short the cut is. Spread over a few feet, that work raises the price per foot. If you have more than one cut in mind, it usually pays to do them on the same visit.
How do I know if there's rebar or cable in my slab before cutting?
A scan finds it, locating rebar, the steel that strengthens a slab, along with cables, pipes and conduit. Structural slabs and post-tensioned slabs, where steel cables are pulled tight inside the concrete, may need one, so plan for it before the first cut. Dense steel, a weak signal or spots the scanner can't reach still leave unknowns, and a scan that finds nothing doesn't mean nothing is there.
Does the price of concrete cutting include hauling the pieces away?
Not always, because sawing and removal are separate jobs and some cutters make the lines and leave the pieces where they lie. Breaking, hauling and disposal can add more than the sawing itself, so ask before you compare quotes. Our estimate spells it out either way.
How do I cut concrete safely inside a basement?
Keep gasoline-powered saws out of it, because they give off carbon monoxide that a basement traps. Workers have died from carbon monoxide poisoning running a gas-powered wet saw in a basement. We plan the saw and the fresh air for an indoor cut before anything goes down the stairs.
Who do I call about a permit for concrete work in Fort Dodge?
Call the city's Inspections Department at 515-576-4551 x1251, since it answers permit questions and you can reach it before work begins. If you'd rather not make that call, we check with the city on your job before we start.
Plan your concrete cut and the pour that follows
Call (515) 417-2702 or send the form with where the cut sits, slab or wall, rough length and hauling, so I bring the right saw.
