Concrete Foundation
Contractors in Lacombe, AB
Foundation Repair & Concrete

Gilbert Concrete, owned and run by Cephas Gilbert, has served Lacombe and Lacombe County for over 10 years as licensed, insured, WCB-covered concrete foundation contractors. We pour new foundations, repair failing ones, and handle slabs, shed bases, driveways and patios. Every job comes with a written 2-year workmanship warranty and a free written quote before we start. Call (403) 391-9489.

It ranges enormously — a simple crack injection typically runs $400–$900 per crack, structural work with carbon fibre straps or wall anchors runs into the low thousands, and underpinning a settled footing can go far higher. The honest answer is that a $400 job and a $20,000 job both start as "a crack in my basement wall," which is exactly why our on-site assessment is free. You get a written quote before any work begins, and that number is what you pay.

It depends on the direction. Hairline vertical cracks are usually curing shrinkage — not structural, but still worth sealing because they let water in. Horizontal cracks are serious — they mean soil and frost pressure is pushing the wall inward. Stair-step cracks in block walls indicate settlement. If a crack is horizontal, growing, or leaking water, get it looked at now — in Lacombe's climate it will not improve on its own.

We do. Water coming through a foundation wall during spring melt means the crack already runs the full thickness of the wall. Depending on the cause we repair it with interior crack injection, exterior waterproofing with membrane and weeping tile, or drainage correction around the foundation. We identify the actual source rather than just sealing what you can see from the inside — because sealing the inside of a wall that is still taking on water from the outside is a temporary fix at best.

Yes. Cinder block and concrete block foundation repair is a regular part of our work in Lacombe — older homes and acreage properties in Lacombe County frequently have block foundations. Stair-step cracking through the mortar joints, bowing block walls, and crumbling or deteriorated block all get assessed on site. Repairs range from crack stitching and mortar repair to carbon fibre reinforcement or underpinning, depending on what is actually causing the movement.

Yes — a bowing or bulging wall means the foundation is carrying lateral load it was never designed for, usually from saturated clay soil freezing against it. Depending on how far it has moved, we stabilise it with carbon fibre straps or steel wall anchors, and we address the drainage that caused it. This is structural work. It is not something a caulk gun fixes, and any contractor who tells you otherwise is not doing you a favour.

We handle the concrete scope of a basement renovation — foundation repair, crack injection, waterproofing, basement slabs and floor leveling, underpinning and basement lowering. We are concrete foundation contractors, not a full-service renovation contractor: we do not frame, drywall or finish. What we do is make sure the concrete underneath your renovation is sound before you spend money on top of it, and we will connect you with the framing and finishing trades we work with regularly in Central Alberta.

Yes. Concrete shed bases, garage slabs, shop floors, RV pads and acreage equipment pads across Lacombe and Lacombe County. We spec thickness and reinforcement to the actual load — a garden shed and a 40-foot shop do not get the same pad. Typical range is $5–$10 per square foot depending on thickness, reinforcement and site prep.

Foundation fill is the engineered material placed and compacted under and around a foundation. It matters more in Central Alberta than almost anywhere, because a poorly compacted base is the root cause of most foundation settlement we get called out to repair. You need it on new builds, on lots with disturbed or unconsolidated soil (common in newer Lacombe subdivisions), and where erosion has undermined an existing footing.

Footings must sit below the frost line, which in Central Alberta means roughly 1.2 metres (about 4 feet) in exposed areas. A footing poured above that line will heave when the ground freezes — not might, will. This is the most common corner cut we see from out-of-area crews, and it is the most expensive one to undo.

Often, yes. If the slab itself is structurally sound and has simply settled, concrete leveling / slab lifting is usually far cheaper than replacement — typically $5–$12 per square foot. If the slab is badly cracked, spalled through, or the base beneath it has failed entirely, replacement is the honest recommendation. We will tell you which one you are looking at, even when replacement is the bigger job for us.

May through September is ideal in Central Alberta. Shoulder-season pours in May and September are entirely workable with curing blankets and mix adjustments — we do them regularly. Deep winter pours are possible with heating and hoarding, but they cost more and we will be upfront with you about whether waiting makes more sense. Book early: our summer schedule in Lacombe fills up.

A properly installed driveway — compacted gravel base, correct rebar placement, air-entrained mix, sealed every 2–3 years — should last 25 to 35 years in Lacombe. One poured on a thin base with no reinforcement is lucky to reach ten. The difference is entirely in what happens before the concrete truck arrives.

Structural work — new foundations, underpinning, basement lowering — generally requires a permit from the City of Lacombe or Lacombe County, depending on where your property sits. Flatwork like a driveway or patio replacement usually does not, but there are exceptions. We handle permit guidance as part of the job and will tell you exactly what your project needs before we start.

Yes — acreage foundations, shop slabs, equipment pads and rural driveways throughout Lacombe County. We also cover Blackfalds, Red Deer, Ponoka, Bentley, Clive, Alix, Penhold and Sylvan Lake. Most properties within about 45 minutes of Red Deer are inside our normal service area. Rural sites may carry a small travel surcharge depending on distance — we tell you that upfront, not on the invoice.

A crack injection can be done in a day. A driveway or patio typically takes 2–3 days from excavation to finished pour. A new foundation depends on size and site conditions. Concrete reaches walkable strength in about 24–48 hours, but full cure takes 7 to 28 days — stay off a new driveway with vehicles for at least 7 days.

Every foundation, slab, driveway and repair we complete carries a written 2-year workmanship warranty. If a defect in our work shows up in that window, we come back and fix it at no cost. A lot of contractors offer one year, or nothing in writing at all. You get ours on paper at the final walkthrough.

Yes — licensed for concrete and foundation work in Alberta, fully liability insured, and WCB Alberta covered for every worker on your site. That last one matters more than most homeowners realise: if an uninsured worker is injured on your property, the liability can land on you. Ask any contractor for proof of all three. We will hand ours over without being asked twice.