Willy's Custom Concrete

Back assessing my latest project--a long awaited driveway. My garage was built about 10 years ago and was sorely lacking an apron, let alone a formal driveway, so I decided to go for it and got estimates and went with Willy's Custom Concrete a local here in Knox County. It's a small operation; kind of a small operation where the boss does a lot of the work himself and oversees just about every job personally with a small crew. They poured my drive in three stages at my request because I wanted to pay for the work done as I had the money vs. seeking a home improvement loan. They were willing to approach it this way. First stage was an apron about 16' x 22' by 6" thick. Then a few weeks later the remaining stretch to the edge of my road and then a while later the "turn around" portion which was another slab about the size of the apron. The last two stages were a more usual 4' thick as six inches is not common for residential driveways but I wanted a little more "umph" where the drive would get the most use and abuse. The final part of the work was removing the remainder of the old half-circle gravel drive which involved excavating and removing about 6" of packed limestone and filler/base material and filling with topsoil, grading it so it was ready for seed. Concrete and grading all looked great when done! On the plus side, they work quickly and are good at coordinating different jobs so they didn't leave things hanging for days or weeks wandering in and out when they had time between bigger jobs. The owner was great about calling back, giving instructions for how to care for the concrete, and dos and don't s. We consulted about how to lay things out ahead of time, etc. Not uncommon in my area is the fact that he works on a hand shake and his reputation (which is very good) in our area precedes him--even his competitors say he does good work. If you aren't comfortable with that arrangement then that can be a minus. It depends on how you feel and your level of trust but each stage of my project was a separate transaction and each one went smoothly. Also, he didn't accept payment until the work was completed vs. asking for a deposit up front. You have to go with your gut on some of these situations and mine said "ok" but trust your own and research. He said he doesn't do stamped concrete or some of the fancier techniques. He sticks mainly to the basics but for me basic was fine and I was happy with my outcome. Time was a factor in selecting Willy's Custom Concrete. His prices were roughly the same as for other companies but for work I needed done he was available and it just worked out. For the driveway I requested a "broomed" finish with a smooth bordered edge around the perimeter. They sawed the necessary expansion joints and sealed it as he said he would. His crew was attentive to detail although the younger assistant, who wasn't too long out of high school, was still learning the ropes and his coworkers explained things to him as they went. I enjoyed seeing this mentoring happening during my job. Willy's Custom Concrete may fill the bill for you if you are comfortable with his style. I have received numerous compliments from my neighbors and the completed drive does improve the appearance of my home immensely. Overall experience was very good.

We were left high and dry by another contractor in the area to pour our patio. The guy took our money and left. Believe me, we were very discouraged at this point with contractors. So, we called Willy's Custom Concrete to get a quote. Willy was prompt in coming out and giving us a quote. We had a large patio poured in the back and Willy's price was very reasonable. He came on the same day that he said he would and did the work on time. The patio turned out beautiful and Willy went above and beyond on meeting our expectations. We will definitely go to Willy again if we need anything else in terms of concrete. The bottom line is that Willy takes pride in his work and it truly shows in the end result. Thanks Willy! Keep up the great work!

WILLY DID A GREAT JOB. AND HE DIDN'T MIND MY 3 YEAR OLD SON WANTING TO WATCH EVEN THOUGH HE KEPT GETTING IN THE WAY.