Thames Centre service area
Concrete Contractor in Dorchester, Ontario
Concrete Surface Solutions is a licensed, WSIB-covered concrete contractor pouring pool decks, detached shop slabs, long driveways and backyard patios for property owners in Dorchester and across Thames Centre. Our yard in south London sits about 15 minutes away by the 401, which makes Dorchester one of the closest towns we serve.
Across 20+ years and 950+ jobs, we have learned that acreage work is its own trade. The pours are bigger, the pump reach is longer, and there is usually a well, a septic bed or a roadside ditch to plan around before the first truck arrives.
We build for families in the newer streets near the Mill Pond, for owners of country properties out toward Thorndale and Putnam, and for the hobby farms and small shops in between.
- 20+ years experience
- 950+ jobs completed
- Licensed & insured
- WSIB covered
Overview
Concrete Services Across Dorchester and Thames Centre
We handle the full range of outdoor flatwork in Dorchester, plus the footings and slabs under garages, shops and additions. Every exterior pour is specified to CSA A23.1 Class C-2: 32 MPa, 5 to 8% air entrainment, maximum 0.45 water-to-cementing-materials ratio, the exposure class written for freeze-thaw and salt.
Thames Centre was formed in 2001 from the former townships of North Dorchester and West Nissouri, so a "Dorchester" address can mean a village lot off Hamilton Road or several acres on a concession road. The biggest share of our work here is concrete pool decks and patios, followed by garage floors and shop pads and long concrete driveway installation from the road to the house.
Homeowners who want a non-slip, textured surface around the water often choose an exposed aggregate concrete finish. When the project is a garage, a shop or an addition, our concrete foundations and footings crew builds the structure below grade to the 2024 Ontario Building Code.
Concrete Patios and Pool Decks
Wide pool surrounds and full-width patios sloped away from the house and the water.
Garage Floors and Concrete Pads
Shop and detached garage slabs with anchor bolts, plus hot tub and generator pads.
Concrete Driveway Installation
Long country driveways sized for pickups, trailers and the occasional RV.
Slip-resistant stone finish for pool decks and the front walk.
Concrete Foundations and Footings
Frost-depth footings and walls for garages, shops and additions.
The map below shows the area we cover from Dorchester: the village core along Hamilton Road, The Boardwalk at Mill Pond subdivision off Mill Road and Harvest Lane, and the rural roads that run north to Thorndale and east toward Putnam.
Pools and patios
Pool Decks and Backyard Living on Larger Lots
Larger Dorchester lots leave room for pool decks of 800 to 1,500 sq ft, and we pour them as one planned layout with the patio, the hot tub pad and the walk to the house. Planning it together means one set of grades, one joint pattern and one finish that matches from end to end.
Every pool deck slopes away from the coping at about 2 percent, roughly 1/4 in. per foot, so splash water runs to the lawn instead of back into the pool or toward the foundation. Control joints are saw-cut to one quarter of the slab depth so cracks form in straight lines where we choose.
| Backyard surface | Typical price | Why Dorchester owners pick it |
|---|---|---|
| Broom-finished patio | $11 to $15 per sq ft | Big entertaining areas at the lowest cost per square foot |
| Pool deck (broom, exposed or stamped) | $14 to $24 per sq ft | Textured, slip-resistant surface around the water |
| Hot tub or shed pad | $1,500 to $3,500 for a typical shed or hot tub pad | Level, reinforced base poured with the deck |
| Coloured or exposed border | $2 to $5 per sq ft extra | Frames the pool and breaks up a large grey field |
| Concrete pump | $450 to $900 per pour when a pump is needed | Backyards set far from the lane or behind a fenced pool |
Prices are typical 2026 ranges for the London area. Your written quote follows a site visit.
Thames Centre's building department fields questions on pools, decks and garden suites, so we sort out with your pool installer who applies for what before the excavator shows up. New concrete should cure at least 7 days before heavy furniture goes down, and new decks carry our 3-year written warranty.
Shops and driveways
Detached Garages, Shops and Driveways
A detached garage or shop in Dorchester needs a building permit from Thames Centre before the slab is poured, and we build that slab to the stamped permit drawings. Under the Ontario Building Code, accessory buildings larger than 15 m² (about 161 sq ft) need a permit, which covers almost every shop we pour.
Depending on the building's size and design, a shop sits on frost-protected footings at 1.2 m (4 ft) or on a thickened-edge slab where the code and the designer allow it. Garage and shop floors are poured at 32 MPa or better, with anchor bolts set along the perimeter for the sill plate before the concrete stiffens.
Before forms go up, we confirm these points with you and the permit set:
- Slab thickness for the heaviest load, from a lawn tractor to a loaded trailer
- Anchor bolt spacing and door openings from the framing plan
- Floor slope toward the overhead door or a trench drain
- Clearances to the well, septic tank and leaching bed
- Truck and pump access across the yard without crossing the septic bed
Country lanes around Dorchester can run several hundred feet from the road to the garage, so the price per square foot matters more than on a city lot. A broom-finished driveway typically runs $12 to $16 per sq ft, or $16 to $21 per sq ft with an exposed aggregate surface. Slab thickness is 100 mm (4 in.) for cars, 125 to 150 mm (5 to 6 in.) for heavy trucks, trailers and RVs, always placed on 150 to 200 mm (6 to 8 in.) of compacted Granular A.
Where the lane meets the road, a new or widened entrance usually involves a culvert under the ditch. Thames Centre has its own entrance permit application, and we check whether the road is municipal or county before we quote the apron.
Rural drainage
Drainage and Grading on Rural Lots
On a rural Dorchester lot, the swale beside the driveway and the fall of the yard protect the concrete more than anything we put in the mix. Many country roads here have open ditches instead of storm sewers, so runoff from a new slab has to be steered to a swale or ditch, not left to pond against it.
Water around Dorchester drains to Dorchester Swamp Creek and other tributaries of the South Thames River, and the Mill Pond off Catherine Street sits where two creeks meet behind an earthen dam. Lots near those watercourses can fall inside an area regulated by the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority, which may require a UTRCA Section 28 permit before any grading.
The village is also changing underground. The Hamilton Road and Oakwood Drive sanitary trunk sewer was substantially completed in 2023, and when an owner connects to municipal sewer the old septic tank must be decommissioned before we pour anything over it.
- Read the fall
We shoot grades from the house to the road or rear lot line and mark where water leaves the property today.
- Mark what's buried
Free Ontario One Call locates, plus your well, septic tank and leaching bed.
- Shape the swale
We cut or rebuild the swale, set the culvert if needed, and compact the base in lifts.
- Pour with slope
Slabs fall 1 to 2 percent away from buildings and toward the swale, never toward the well cap.
Typical scopes
Dorchester Project Gallery: Typical Job Scopes
These cards describe the typical scope of the three jobs we quote most often around Dorchester, not specific completed projects. Sizes, finishes and timelines are realistic ranges to help you plan; see our concrete project portfolio for photos from across the region.
Acreage pool surround
A deck wrapping an inground pool on a country lot, with a hot tub pad poured the same day and a pump to reach past the fence.
Detached shop slab
A permitted shop or garage slab with thickened edges or footings, anchor bolts and a slight fall to the big door.
Country driveway replacement
Tear-out of an old gravel or asphalt lane, new Granular A base, a rebuilt swale and culvert end, and a broom finish.
Not sure which town page fits your address? Our list of communities we serve around London shows every area we cover.
FAQ
Dorchester Concrete FAQs
These are the questions Thames Centre homeowners ask most often when we walk their lots. If yours is not here, call and ask the crew lead directly.
Do you serve Thorndale and Putnam as well?
Yes. Thorndale in the north end of Thames Centre, Putnam to the east and the concession roads between them are all part of our regular Dorchester coverage, along with Crumlin and Nilestown between Dorchester and London.
Thorndale lots are often larger and farther from the road, so we check pump access during the site visit rather than guessing from an aerial photo.
Who issues building permits in Dorchester?
The Municipality of Thames Centre Building Services division issues them from the municipal office at 4305 Hamilton Road in Dorchester. Applications go in online through Thames Centre's Cloudpermit portal, and septic system permits run through the same office.
A detached garage, a shop or a deck high enough to need one should have its permit issued before we set forms.
Can you pour a driveway or pad near my septic bed or well?
Near it, yes; over it, no. We never pour on a leaching bed or over a tank lid, and we keep a well cap accessible with the grade sloping away from it.
Part 8 of the Ontario Building Code sets the clearances, so we mark the bed, tank and well on site before we lay out a single form board.
How long does a pool deck take on an acreage lot?
Most Dorchester pool decks take 3 to 5 working days: one or two for excavation and base, one to pour, and one to cut joints and clean up. Plan on at least 7 days of curing before heavy furniture goes down, and keep de-icers off the deck the first winter.
Free Thames Centre estimate
Get a Dorchester Quote
Tell us what you are planning, whether that is a pool deck, a shop slab or a longer driveway, and roughly where the lot sits in Dorchester, Thorndale or Putnam. We reply within one business day to book a site visit.
Ask us for our certificate of insurance and our WSIB clearance certificate before you sign anything.
- Call or text (226) 243-3585
- Email info@concretesurfacesolutions.ca (attach photos or drawings here)
- Monday to Saturday: 7:00am - 9:00pm
Sunday: 9:00am - 6:00pm
Directions, office hours and what happens after you reach out are on our free concrete estimate page.
Call (226) 243-3585