Concrete Patio in Shiloh, IL
Shiloh has grown into one of the more active residential areas in St. Clair County, with established neighborhoods that back up to open lots, subdivisions near Green Mount Road, and the kind of backyards where a solid patio makes a real difference in how you use the space. If you've been working off a cracked slab, a patch of gravel, or nothing at all, a properly poured concrete patio gives you a level, durable surface that holds up through Illinois seasons without shifting or breaking apart.
We're based in Freeburg and work throughout the Metro East, including Shiloh, on a regular basis. When you call us, you're talking to the people who will actually show up and do the work. No subcontractors, no handoffs.
What Shiloh Customers Should Know About Concrete Patios
The freeze-thaw cycle in this part of Illinois is hard on concrete. Water gets into any crack or poorly sealed joint, freezes, expands, and breaks the slab from the inside out. A patio that wasn't poured on a properly compacted, well-drained base will start showing problems within a few winters. That's the main thing we see with older concrete patios in the Shiloh area: the original work skipped steps on the base, and now the surface has cracked or started sinking toward one corner.
When we pour a patio, we prep the base first. That means grading for drainage, compacting the subgrade, and setting the right thickness for the size and use of the slab. A standard residential patio gets poured at four inches with control joints placed to direct any cracking where it won't matter. If you want a thicker slab, heavier reinforcement, or a stamped finish, we talk through that before the pour so you know exactly what you're getting.
You also have real choices on finish. A broom finish is the standard - functional, slip-resistant, and clean-looking. Stamped concrete is poured the same way but gets textured and colored before it sets, so it can look like stone, brick, or slate without the material cost of pavers. Both hold up well when poured right and sealed on a schedule.
Our Concrete Patio Process in Shiloh
Step 1 - Free On-Site Estimate We come to your Shiloh property, look at the space, and talk through what you want the patio to do. That includes size, shape, finish, and whether there's an existing slab that needs to come out first. For homes where the backyard grade runs toward the house, we pay close attention to how water will move off the finished surface so it doesn't work against your foundation.
Step 2 - Base Prep and Forming We grade and compact the area, then set the forms that determine the shape and edge of your patio. If we're removing an old slab first, we break it out, load it into our own trucks, and haul it away before forming up the new one. No waiting on a separate demolition crew.
Step 3 - Pour and Finish We pour the concrete, apply your chosen finish, cut the control joints, and let it cure. You can walk on it within a day or two. We ask that you wait about a week before moving heavy furniture onto it, and we'll give you specific guidance for your pour based on conditions at the time.
Common Issues with Concrete Patios in Shiloh
The most common complaint we hear from Shiloh homeowners is a patio that's sinking on one end and collecting water instead of draining away from the house. That usually means the original base wasn't graded correctly or the subgrade settled over time. It's not always visible until a heavy rain leaves a puddle sitting against the foundation wall.
The other issue is surface cracking that gets worse every spring. Small surface cracks are normal if control joints are placed right - cracks go into the joint, not across the slab. But when a patio has no joints, or they were cut too shallow, the slab cracks wherever the concrete decides to let go. That's when a replacement makes more sense than patching.
Some homeowners in Shiloh have also had work done by contractors who poured too thin. A two-inch slab looks fine when it goes in, but it won't survive a few seasons of foot traffic, furniture weight, and frost heave the way a four-inch slab will. If your patio feels hollow or flexes underfoot, thickness is likely the problem.
Cost Considerations
Concrete patio pricing depends on square footage, finish type, whether existing concrete needs removal, and how much base prep the site requires. A basic broom-finish patio and a stamped patio with color will come in at different numbers, and a flat open backyard will prep faster than one with drainage issues or old concrete to haul out.
We give free, on-site estimates with a written price before any work starts. There's no pressure and no obligation. If you're trying to figure out whether to repair what you have or replace it, we'll give you a straight answer on what we see when we look at it.
Call us at 618-514-2663 or request an estimate online to set up a time.
Other Services in Shiloh
If you're working on the exterior of your Shiloh property and need more than just a patio, we do that work too.
- Concrete driveways in Shiloh - full installations and tear-out and replacements, with our trucks handling the haul-away.
- Concrete sidewalks in Shiloh - walkways, front paths, and side entries poured level and to code.
We also work in neighboring communities. If you know someone in Swansea looking for concrete driveways in Swansea, we cover that area as well.
Get a Free Estimate
Ready to move forward on a concrete patio in Shiloh? Give us a call at 618-514-2663 or reach out by email at richie@customconcretesite.com. We'll come out, look at the space, and give you a written price before anything gets scheduled.
Custom Concrete & Truck Service is based in Freeburg, IL and has been working in St. Clair County for over 20 years.