INDIANAPOLIS CONCRETE INC

we really enjoyed our experience with indianapolis concrete. right from the beginning they seemed to understand our needs and were willing to work with our tight budget, often anticipating our needs in advance. everyone we had contact with, either on the phone or in person, was professional. the company was also structured and managed very professionally. i have never seen a quote so well detailed. it was a pleasure, because it enabled us to really see where our monies were going, enabling us to customize the work to our budget. some things on our wish list had to go (i.e. an extended patio area and new steps), some could be modified (including a short sidewalk between the slab and garage apron). the slab in question was located between the house and a stand-alone garage, filling the entire void between, which was approx. 10' wide. neither structure was designed to have gutters and when the slab developed cracks and failed, improper water shedding became an issue. we also had a ultility conduit running underneath the slab which had also failed, dumping mud and water into the downstairs portion of our bermed home during heavy rains. indianapolis concrete removed the old concrete and, for a modest additional fee, even excavated down and around the utility conduit, prepping it for the plumbing contractors. after the plumbing phase was finished, indianapolis concrete came back to pour the new slab. the crew was highly skilled, professional in demeanor, and took great effort to clean up afterwards. having watched them work, i now find concrete work less intimidating, but am glad we did not attempt to do it ourselves, hiring out instead. not only is it back-breaking work, but the pouring and finishing takes a skilled hand. only an experienced diy'er could handle this kind of work. having sung these praises, there was 1 caveat that needs mentioning. the pouring crew were so wonderful (i even took a group photo of them at the end :) ), but i soon discovered that they had not been made aware of some of the finer points discussed during the initial and final consultations. normally i stay out of the way when folks are working, but this time i wanted to photo document the process, since my husband was out of town for work, and could not be there. it's good that i did, or new concrete might have had to be torn out and redone. however, i was able to alert the crew myself to these issues, before they became problems, so no harm, no foul. but, my concern is that i shouldn't have had to be the one to do that. what if i had not been outside and had not caught those miscommunications in time? it could have become a messy nightmare. for example..... the crew was not aware that we wanted the new slab at the original slab height, alongside the house foundation (before it had failed and settled). this had been discussed during the initial and final consultations. but, they were matching the new slab height to the top of old existing stairs, which we could not afford to replace. had they proceeded without my intervention, the slab would have had a whopping 3" grade variance from one end to the other. they were also not aware that we had specifically discussed grading the slab into a center valley for proper water shedding, and would have graded it level, instead. additionally, they were not aware of how the garage apron, which started 12" inside the garage, was to plateau to the outside, and only then slope down to meet the adjoining sidewalk. i did not catch that until after they finished and the cement truck had left, but thankfully there was just enough spare concrete to redo the job. and finally, they did not know that we only requested a broom finish without the additional smooth band-edging along the edges, which they did before i caught it, but i decided to let that one go. that was strictly a cosmetic issue, and since they were working so hard and diligently to please, i just didn't have the heart to say anything. besides, now, in hindsight, that may have worked out for the best as we've decided we like the look. i believe the foreman overseeing the crew stopped by once early in the day (i missed him), but was not on site for the duration of the job, though he did keep in phone contact with the crew leader. i did try to make him aware of some of these glitches during one of my phone contacts with him that day, but we were apparently cut-off, and he never called back. and since we were so pleased with the job, once it was done, we did not mention it again. in summary, we were very pleased with indianapolis concrete on the whole. be aware that communications between foremen and crews may require some additional assurances. the only reason our overall rating was a 'B' was due to this one area needing improvement. otherwise an 'A' would have been gladly given. caveat aside, based on how professional and positive the rest of our experience was, we think indianapolis concrete would go out of their way to right any mishaps and work with their customers. we would definitely consider hiring them again, should the need arise. UPDATE: 2/25/2015 well here is the follow-up. we have learned so much more about concrete. wish we had known these things BEFORE contracting the work out. Indianapolis concrete was wonderful during our initial dealings with them. not so professional or glad to work with us afterwards. by spring of 2014 we already had cracks. we had to be much more persistent in getting this corrected than we needed to be for the initial job. it was like pulling teeth. the 'gentleman' who came out to inspect the cracks, whether from nervousness or condescension, continually chuckled and smirked as i tried to explain my concern and displeasure at seeing cracks so soon after the job was completed. while the size of the cracks did not meet contractural descriptions to qualify us for replacement or repair, i was upset that there were any at all, especially since these cracks developed in areas where the previous 48 year old slab never had any. we believe that the appearance of cracks so soon after the completion of the project are due to two factors. first, no expansion material was placed between the slab and the two building structures it was sandwiched between, despite the fact that we asked for these and were assured of having them. so, with no expansion materials, it's no wonder cracks developed so soon within the expansion joints. so, why are we not fighting this issue?.....because as thorough as the contract seemed to us, this was not listed in the contract, and we missed it. shame on us. also, the substrate was never properly tamped down, which was indianapolis concrete's contracted responsibility. all i witnessed was a modest hand tamping. not the vibration machine they assured us would be used. the contract did list this item, but not the method and machinery to be used. apparently, as consumers, it's not enough to have to go over point-by-point about what needs to be done. now we must be sure the contracts include HOW it must be done too. if i knew all that, i could have just gone out and done it myself. but, i gave them the benefit of the doubt, as THEY were supposed to be the professionals. the result was uneven settling and a crack running across one of the sections (not in an expansion joint). they refused to repair anything but the section with the crack that was not in the expansion joint. they did a poor repair. they weakened the edge of an adjoining piece, which has resulted in it's edge chipping. and the repaired piece is now heaving, causing a tripping hazard. and now, other non-adjacent sections are beginning to heave because of the cracks that developed due to no expansion materials used between the slab and the structures. to say that we are unhappy with the end result is an understatement. we are fuming. we will have to have the slab releveled and then repaired come spring (by someone else!)....and at an additional expense that should never have been incurred. we totally understand the nature of concrete is that it does not flex. but that is why there are protocols in place in the industry to minimize and forestall degradation as long as reasonably possible. unfortunately, as consumers, we did not anticipate enough to avoid the level of shoddy work we received. indianapolis concrete was not professional or conscientious in applying those protocols. very disappointing, given their high rating on angie's list. just goes to show that even a good rating on angie's list is no guarantee. we have even considered giving up our subscription, this situation has been that frustrating. but, after calming down some, we recognize that we have benefited from the services angie's ist has provided, so we still think they are a valuable asset worth holding onto. indianapolis concrete....not so much.

They did an excellent job. They fit us into their schedule in a timely manner and the work was completed very well. The crew cleaned up well, and we were very satisfied all-around.

It all went smoothly, knowledgable 3 man crew. Discovered that there was a water problem from the sump pump draining pipe. Repaired that and now I have a level walkway.

Prior to job being started the coordinating foreman was not displaying good customer service skills adhereing to my requests. Feedback was a challenge and follow up calls to him personally. My calls were not returned when requesting status on completion of job, or keeping me informed of when their schedules change that affects the job they needed to complete for me.

Tim was always on time for pre-construction, construction and post-construction. He reviewed thoroughly all the steps/process. After the construction, he explained the care of the new patio. Excellent!

Canceled two times with the second time minutes prior to expected arrival. Said they would send me an email and come do the quote without me being present. These guys are a waste of time, don't bother with them.

Indianapolis Concrete was very thorough & was very concerned that we were happy every step of the way.

It couldn't have gone better. The pre and post construction meetings added a real professional touch and allowed good communication. This company really wants to be sure the job is done well and correctly. The cement workers really know their trade and work hard. They really want to please the customer and the final product was the best cement work I have ever seen. It is obvious from the managers to the cement workers that this is a quality managed company. Thanks for a great job!

We decided to wait until next year to go through with the project.

Completed patio in one day. Excellent job! I am very pleased with the results! I would use them again for any work that I would need in the future.

Bill came out and surveyed the area. He suggested a few ideas. My wife and I went with one of them. We were originally thinking a non-finished look (i.e. broomed) but the he mentioned aggregate and considering it was a matching stone and color to our area, so we went with it (for a pretty reasonable up charge). We also wanted the steps to be designed so you wouldn't tumble straight down during a misstep. Bill marked a rough outline and the next day his guys were onsite. There were a variety of guys working on digging, forming the patio, building steps, etc. The day of the concrete pour, there were about 8 guys, but just depended on what was going on. It was a good distance from the street to the spot of the patio/steps, so a bunch of guys were needed to move the concrete and level/shape after pour. I'd say it took the better part of a few weeks until it was all said and done (with a few heavy rain days) . Bill's crew came back to lay seed and straw covering over the area that were re-groomed for the patio/steps. All the guys were really considerate and would explain anything asked. Areas were always picked up after and cleaned as best they could considering what was being done. Bill gave me the post-work review. I didn't have anything major that I saw. I am extremely satisfied and would use again. This is the first time I've contracted any kind of work like this. Indianapolis Concrete was a suggestion of my neighbors (a few have used him in the past to do different patio styles).

Bid the project out to 6 companies, selected Indianapolis Concrete. Their price was competitive, but the determining factor was the approach Hank took to study the space, have consideration for the need to have the new driveway co-exist with our large, over-bearing sugar maple and his attention to detail. Work was completed in 2-3 days and we are thrilled with the outcome.

Chris was very professional and made every effort to give me options that were realistic and cost conscious, he responded promptly to inquires. The work itself was excellent. I have received many compliments on the quality.

Chris did a fine job telling what the job entailed and helping choose the finish on the concrete. The crew was on time, made a lovely patio and cleaned up. Very pleased with the job and the company.

They went to work immediately when they arrived. They were quiet and did a great job. However when they were almost finished after the second day they didn't tell me they would not be back to finish the next day and they came back few days later.

Chris scheduled time for estimate and arrived on time. I was given step by step on what process would take place. Workers arrived on time and did a wonderful job. Even though this was a small job I was treated with importance.

The sales guy Chris was awesome! The first day was a little slow and a little confused but the second day Chris was there and it went perfect.

To sum up my experience with Indianapolis Concrete in a word? Excellent! This company was professional, courteous and attentive throughout the entire process. My experience began with getting an estimate in late fall of 2012. Chris came measured my garage, discussed possible alternatives as to how best to repair/replace my crumbling floor. He described in detail from start to finish all processes involved in completing the job, and patiently answered my barrage of questions. His overall knowledge and professionalism was apparent. I decided to wait until spring to start the job, gave the company my deposit and made my pre -construction appointment. Chris met with me in the spring on the appointed date; we reviewed and finalized all details of the project, and set the date for construction to begin. Construction began and was completed on schedule. The crew was courteous, answering any questions I had along the way ? I kept them to a bare minimum since they were quite efficient. The tear out and finish crew did an excellent job! No destruction to any existing structures ? walls, garage door functionality, driveway or nearby shrubbery. Chris stopped periodically throughout the entire project to ensure the job was proceeding as planned. A few days after the job was completed Chris and I met for a final construction inspection, explanation regarding maintenance of garage floor sealer, and provided my warranty. Not only is my garage floor beautiful, but was effortless from my perspective. This company made sure they were responsive to all my picky issues. Great job Indianapolis Concrete, I will definitely hire your company again!

We had Indianapolis Concrete pour a new patio at our home. They did a beautiful job! My next project will be to replace my driveway and put in a new walk back to the patio. Without a doubt Indianapolis Concrete will be here doing it! Couldn't be happier! I always look for people to work on my home to treat it as if it were their own. Indianapolis Concrete has by far exceeded my expectations!

They were very prompt, courteous, professional and did good job. They did exactly what I wanted them to do and have no complaints.

Job took 2 days approx. 6 hours the removal & later patch took a day. It is so good no one would tell it is a patch stain on concrete very nice & job clean.

Bill was on time for the estimate appointment and spent time explaining the job and gave us a written estimate that day. On the day of the job, Chris handled everything in a professional way. He was excellent! The crew was great. We are very happy with the results!

The driveway itself was about 15 yards long. Their staff was very professional. They had perfect follow-up. Their work was outstanding and I'm just very pleased all around.

They did really well, and they were very hard working. The quality was excellent.

He seemed like a really nice guy. They both were nice people and appreciated their input. But they were a whole lot higher in price. Their price was almost a $1,000 higher than the one we chose. I think we would have been comfortable with either one but it was so far off from the other.