Most basement renovations need concrete work nobody talks about until the demo opens up the floor, a pour-back where a wall came out, a slab patch where plumbing was rerouted. Portland Concrete handles the concrete side, working with your renovator so the slab is closed up flat and right. Every project starts with a free written estimate.
Basement renovations almost always touch the slab somewhere. A new bathroom needs the floor cut, the drain set, the slab patched back. A new layout takes out a load-bearing wall section and the existing footing footprint needs to be filled. Old plumbing gets rerouted and the trenches need to be cleanly closed. Demo finds rotted slab around a long-leaking joint that has to be cut out and re-poured. Renos touch every kind of residential concrete.
Renovators are great at framing and finishing; the slab work is what slows the timeline down when it is not handled by someone who does it every week. We come in for that part, often for a few days, sometimes for a week, and leave the slab closed, level and ready for the rest of the work above.
We coordinate timing tightly with the renovator, including any sequencing with the basement floor if part of the slab is being re-poured fully, and any waterproofing upgrade the reno is the right moment to add.
Recent work
How it works
How We Handle Concrete on a Basement Reno
Walk the reno with the trades
We walk the project with the renovator and any plumbing or electrical trades, mark every slab cut needed, confirm depth and finish elevations, and lock the sequence so the concrete work fits the reno timeline.
Saw-cut and excavate cleanly
Slab cuts are made with a saw so the edges are straight and the existing slab is not damaged, the trench is excavated to the depth needed for the new run, and the area is cleaned out before forming.
Run the new work in
Plumbing, electrical or whatever the reno is adding is run inside the trench, inspected where required, and the base is prepped with stone or backfill before the slab is poured back.
Pour back and match finish
Concrete is poured into the trench or patch, finished to match the existing slab elevation and texture, and the area is left ready for the rest of the renovation to keep moving above it.
Working with your renovator
Coordination Is What Keeps the Reno Moving
Renos go sideways when one trade waits on another. The concrete work in a basement renovation is usually a 2-to-5-day job inside a 6-to-12-week reno, but only if the timing is right. We schedule with the renovator, hold the date, show up with the saw and the mix already lined up.
Most of our reno work is for general contractors and renovators who call us back; some is direct with homeowners running their own reno. Either way, we coordinate to the rest of the schedule, including any tie-in to a fresh basement slab or a walkout upgrade that may be part of the same project.
Saw-cut slabs, bath drains, pour-backs, schedules and coordinating with your renovator.
Both. Many of our basement renovation calls come from renovators who use us repeatedly for the slab piece, but we also work directly with homeowners running their own project. We coordinate the same way either path.
Yes. We use a concrete saw to make straight, clean cuts at the required depth, which keeps the existing slab intact and gives us a square edge to pour back to. Hammer-and-chisel demolition of a slab edge is what causes the spalling people remember; we do not work that way.
Most concrete reno work runs a few days, sometimes a week if multiple pour-backs are involved. We schedule it as a contiguous block so the slab is open for the shortest time the trades need, then closed cleanly.
Yes. We pour to the same elevation and finish texture, so the patched area blends with the surrounding slab. If the finish above it is going to be tile or plank, exact match is not critical because the finish covers it; for exposed or polished slabs we put more effort into matching.
Not if it is sequenced correctly. The most common timeline slip is when concrete work is brought in late and trades have to wait on a cure. Brought in at the right point and the slab cure is happening while other work continues; the reno keeps moving.
Homeowner reviews
What Portland Homeowners Say About Their Basement Renovation Concrete
Mid-reno, our renovator brought in Portland Concrete for the bath drain pour-back. In, out, perfect match to the existing slab. Renovator booked them on his next project the same week.
V. N.
Portland
★★★★★
Took out a load-bearing partition and the existing footing footprint had to go. They cut, removed and poured back over two days. Renovation never paused. Worth the coordination cost.
U. D.
Vancouver
★★★★★
They walked the whole reno with our contractor day one, identified two slab cuts we had not planned for, and the rest of the project never had a slab surprise. Anticipation is worth real money.
W. Q.
Gresham
★★★★★
Found old rotted slab around a long-leaking joint during demo. They told us straight, cut it out, fixed the cause, poured it back. Honest assessment, clean work, no upsell.
Z. O.
Hillsboro
From the blog
Concrete Guides & Articles
Practical reading on planning, finishes and caring for concrete in Portland.
Tell us what the basement reno involves, what is being moved, added or cut, and we will quote the concrete portion in writing after a free walk-through with you or your renovator.
