Grading & Drainage in Buffalo, NY
Getting water to run away from your house instead of into it. Regrading, pitch correction, and the porch or step rebuild that usually goes with it.
Most Wet Basements Start Outside
A large share of the water calls we get are not foundation problems at all. They are grade problems. The soil beside the house has settled over the years and now slopes back toward it, or a porch and a set of blocks are funnelling every rain straight down against the wall. Fixing that from outside is cheaper and more permanent than almost anything you can do from inside. We regrade so the ground falls away from the building, we set our concrete with the transit so water runs off the crown and out to the street, and we rebuild the steps or porch that were causing it. What we do not do is interior waterproofing systems or repairs to the foundation wall itself, and we will tell you that before we come out.
- Regrading so the soil falls away from the foundation instead of toward it
- Shallow swales to carry surface runoff out to the street or to a low point
- Driveways and flatwork set with a transit so water sheds off the crown
- Porch, stoop, and step rebuilds that stop funnelling water at the wall
- Downspout discharge moved out away from the building
- Topsoil, seed, or sod to finish the regraded area back in
What We Build Into Every Residential Pour
Concrete that survives Buffalo winters comes down to the mix, the base, and the steel. These are not upgrades on our jobs. They are the baseline on every residential pour.
5,000 PSI Air-Entrained Driveway Mix
We pour driveways at 5,000 PSI air-entrained concrete. Most crews in this market use 3,500 to 4,000. The microscopic air bubbles give freeze-thaw water room to expand instead of cracking the slab, which is the single biggest reason a Buffalo pour lasts 30 years or spalls in five.
Steel Mesh and Fiber Mesh
We run both on the same pour. It costs us more per yard and we do it anyway: fiber mesh controls the fine shrinkage cracking as the slab cures, and steel mesh keeps any crack that does form from opening up and spreading.
5 to 6 Inch Driveway Thickness
We pour residential driveways at 5 to 6 inches and patios and walkways at 4 inches, with a thickened 6-inch edge wherever vehicles load the slab so the perimeter does not crack under wheel weight.
Sub-Base Below the 48-Inch Frost Line
Every pour sits on 4 to 8 inches of compacted crushed stone that drains water away from the slab. Buffalo frost reaches 48 inches, and a proper granular base is what keeps frost heave from lifting and cracking the concrete.
Control Joints Every 8 to 10 Feet
Concrete will crack; our job is deciding where. We saw-cut or tool control joints at the right spacing and depth, usually every 8 to 10 feet, so shrinkage cracks stay hidden inside the joints instead of wandering across the surface.
Penetrating Salt-Resistant Sealer
Erie and Niagara County roads are salted heavily all winter. We finish exterior flatwork with a penetrating sealer that blocks chloride from road salt and deicer, preventing the surface scaling and spalling that destroys unsealed concrete.
How We Work
Find Where It Comes From
We walk the property in the wet if we can, and work out whether it is grade, a downspout, a porch, or flatwork pitched the wrong way.
Regrade and Shape
Soil is cut and filled so the ground falls away from the building, with a swale where the runoff needs somewhere to go.
Fix the Concrete
Where flatwork or steps are pitching water back at the house, we rebuild them to shed the other way.
Finish It Back In
Topsoil and seed or sod so the regraded area is not left as bare dirt.
Recent Grading & Drainage Projects
Real work we have done for Buffalo-area homeowners.
Get a Written Quote for Your Project
No-pressure estimates, usually the same day. Tell us about your grading & drainage project and we will get back to you fast.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you do foundation repair or basement waterproofing?
No. We pour new concrete, so footings, slabs, floors and flatwork, and we grade to move water away from your foundation. Repairing or waterproofing existing foundation walls is a different trade, and we will tell you that on the phone rather than send someone out.
Water is getting into my basement. Can you help?
Often yes, if the cause is outside. Settled grade against the wall, a porch dumping runoff at the foundation, downspouts discharging right beside the house, or a driveway pitched back toward the garage are all things we fix. If the problem turns out to be the foundation wall itself or you need an interior drainage system, that is a different trade and we will point you rather than sell you something we do not do.
How much fall do you need away from a house?
As a rule of thumb the ground should drop roughly six inches over the first ten feet away from the building. A lot of Buffalo-area homes were graded that way originally and have simply settled flat or backward over thirty or forty years.
Do you do the landscaping to put it back afterward?
Yes. We came out of landscaping originally and still do it, so topsoil, seed, and sod to finish a regraded area back in is normal for us rather than something we have to sub out.
How fast can I get an estimate?
We guarantee 48 hours from your call to us being at your door, and it is usually quicker. We measure everything, walk the job with you, and you get the written PDF price before we pull out of your driveway. Then we call to make sure you could open it and answer anything you want to go over.
Why is there a minimum charge on a small concrete pad?
Ready-mix suppliers charge a short-load fee of $1,200 to $1,400 for anything under a full truck, and fuel costs made that standard across Western New York over the last two years. So an 8x8 shed pad is only about one yard of concrete, roughly $300 of material, but it still carries a $3,200 minimum. That is not markup. It is what it costs to get a truck to your curb, and we would rather you know before we come out.
Concrete Cracks in Buffalo. We Control Where.
Any contractor who promises you crack-free concrete in Western New York is selling you something. Freeze-thaw and ground movement guarantee it eventually. Two identical driveways poured the same day by the same crew: one is perfect for ten years, one cracks next spring.
So we engineer for it instead. We pour driveways at 5,000 PSI when most crews use 3,500 to 4,000. We use steel mesh and fiber mesh together, so when a crack forms it cannot widen. And we place enough relief joints that cracking happens down in the joints, where you will never notice it. The ready-mix supplier we buy from stands behind the material itself.
Other Services We Offer
CIT Concrete handles every concrete need in the Buffalo area under one roof.
Concrete Driveways
New driveways, replacements, and decorative upgrades. 5,000 PSI air-entrained mix, frost-depth base, and salt-resistant sealer.
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Stamped Concrete
Stone, slate, brick, and wood-plank patterns in integral color, poured on a freeze-thaw rated slab and sealed against road salt.
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Patio Installation
Custom concrete patios built to survive Buffalo winters. Freeze-thaw rated mix designs and proper joint placement, every pour.
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Concrete Sealing
Road salt is what pits Buffalo concrete. We seal roughly 500 driveways between September 10 and November 10 every year.
View service →Concrete Steps & Porches
Replacement steps, front porches, and stoops, rebuilt on proper footings and pitched to carry water away from your foundation.
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Garage Floors
New garage slabs and replacements, poured to handle vehicle weight, road salt drip, and freeze-thaw. Pourable through the winter.
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Basement Floors
New and replacement basement slabs, poured year-round because the work is indoors. Vapor barrier and proper base included.
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Pole Barn Slabs
Thickened-edge slabs for pole barns, shops, and outbuildings, sized to your equipment loads. Another one we pour in winter.
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Sidewalks & Walkways
City sidewalk replacement, front walks, and pathways, poured to municipal spec with correct pitch and jointing.
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Concrete for Contractors
Two of our four crews are reserved for GCs. Footings, garage pads, and addition slabs on your schedule.
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Footings & Structural Slabs
New footings below the 48-inch frost line, garage pads, and addition slabs. New pours only, not foundation repair.
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Demolition & Haul-Away
Garage teardowns, slab removal, and basement or garage cleanouts. We own the equipment and the dump trailers.
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Shed & Hot Tub Pads
Reinforced pads for sheds, hot tubs and generators. Ready-mix short-load fees mean small pads carry a $3,200 minimum.
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Pickleball Court Installation
Regulation backyard and community pickleball courts on a properly graded concrete base built for Western NY weather.
View service →Serving the Buffalo–Niagara Metro
Based in Buffalo, we pour across Erie and Niagara County. Tonawanda · Amherst · Cheektowaga · West Seneca · Lancaster · Orchard Park · Hamburg · Kenmore · All 19 Service Areas →