Most businesses can’t close for a week while the concrete out front gets replaced. Phasing solves that. Commercial flatwork, meaning the sidewalks, aprons, drive lanes, curbs and pads around a building, can be split into sections and poured in stages so part of the property always stays open. This guide explains how a phased plan comes together and what to settle with your contractor before the first slab comes out. For the service itself, see our commercial concrete page.
A phased job splits the site into zones. One zone is torn out, prepped, poured and left to cure while the rest stays in use. Then traffic shifts and the next zone starts. On a storefront walk that might mean doing half the entrance at a time. On a parking area or drive lane it might mean closing a few stalls, or one lane, while the rest carries traffic.
Phasing usually takes longer overall than doing everything at once, and the crew may have to come back several times. The trade is that customers can still reach the door.
Before anyone draws zones, map how the property works on a normal day:
Each of those needs a working route in every phase. The order of the phases usually falls out of that list.
Bring the right people to the site walk. The owner or property manager knows the business, but whoever handles deliveries or opens the store each morning often spots problems nobody else would, like the truck that always arrives at 6am or the side door staff actually use.
Concrete gains strength over weeks, not hours, so each phase has to sit before traffic returns to it. As general guidance, new flatwork can usually take foot traffic within a day or two and passenger cars after about a week. Box trucks and garbage trucks generally need longer. The exact timing depends on the mix, the thickness and the weather, so build it into the schedule instead of deciding on site.
That cure window often decides the phasing. A walkway that only sees foot traffic can reopen quickly. A dumpster pad or truck apron may need its own phase, with a temporary spot for the trucks while it cures.
Leave room for weather. Rain on pour day pushes a phase back, and hot, windy afternoons can dry a surface too fast. A phased schedule with a little slack keeps one wet morning from throwing off every phase after it.
A phased job only works if people know where to go. Solid barricades around open work, signs pointing to the temporary entrance and taped-off fresh concrete keep customers safe and keep footprints out of the finish. Tell staff, tenants and regular vendors about each phase ahead of time. A notice on the door and a quick post online save a lot of confused phone calls.
We pour concrete March through November. Planning over the winter gives you time to set the phases, line up any permits and book a spot before the season starts. Talk through your slow days and busy stretches at the estimate. A retailer may want the work done well before the holidays, while a business next to a school might prefer summer.
Golden Paw applies for any necessary permits, and we accept payment by invoice, which suits most commercial accounts.
A phased job has more moving parts than a single pour, so the plan belongs in the estimate. Each phase should name the area, what gets removed and poured, and what stays open. A clear written scope of work makes it easy to share the plan with owners, tenants and staff, and Golden Paw provides a written, itemized scope with every estimate.
Property managers juggling several tenants can find more on our property management page. Owners of retail, office and restaurant sites can see how we work with businesses.
Golden Paw Concrete can plan your flatwork around the way your property runs, from the first site walk to the final walkthrough. Call or text (317) 672-0966 or request a free estimate for your Indianapolis business.
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