Most questions lists stop at "are you insured?" and could be written about any town. The answers that separate one driveway bid from another in Easley are more specific than that: which office has your address, what sits under the slab, and what the mix ticket says.
Here are the nine we would ask if we were on your side of the estimate. Hold us to them too. Our page for a concrete contractor in Easley covers the work we do there, and our concrete driveway page covers tear-outs and new pours.
1. Which South Carolina licence do you hold, and what is the number?
South Carolina sorts this by the size of the job. Title 40, Chapter 59 of the state code calls someone a residential builder when the cost of the undertaking is over $5,000, and a residential specialty contractor when it is over $500. Builders are licensed and specialty contractors are registered, and a specialty contractor can't work outside the scope of that registration.
So ask which one they hold and how it covers your job, then look the number up yourself through SC LLR. Ours is residential builder licence RBS.65343.
2. Which office handles a permit at my street address?
Easley spans two counties, though barely: Wikipedia's Easley entry counts 22,888 of its 22,921 residents in Pickens County and 33 in Anderson County. An address near town can also sit outside the city limits.
Inside the limits, the City of Easley Building Department reviews plans, issues building permits and runs inspections. Outside them, the county your address sits in is the place to ask. A good answer names the office, says whether your particular driveway needs a permit, and says who pulls it. "We'll take care of it" leaves all three open.
3. Where does the driveway meet the road, and does that spot work?
Two rules can come into play here. Sec. 7.5.1.E.5 of the Easley Unified Development Ordinance says private driveways shall not meet a public street within 40 feet of an intersection, measured from the street right-of-way. On a corner lot, have the contractor put a tape on that before anyone draws a layout. If you are adding or moving an entrance, ask the Building Department how the rule applies to your lot.
The second is about who owns the road. Work inside a right-of-way that SCDOT maintains needs an SCDOT encroachment permit. SCDOT charges no fee for it and the application goes in online. Ask whether your road is a state road and whose name goes on the application.
4. What goes under the slab, and how will it be compacted?
Improper subgrade preparation is on NRMCA's list of why concrete cracks. Its prevention list starts with getting all topsoil and soft spots out, then compacting the soil or granular fill by rolling, vibrating or tamping, and sloping the subgrade for drainage.
Listen for the steps in that order. "We'll level it off" describes the part you can see. A better answer tells you what comes out, what goes back and what machine compacts it. On a replacement, also ask whether the old slab's tear-out and haul-off are in the price.
5. What mix are you ordering?
You are allowed to ask, and the answer should come with numbers. For exterior slabs that stay moist, see freezing weather and get deicing chemicals, NRMCA's scaling sheet says to order a specified strength of 4000 psi, dropping to 3500 psi where the concrete won't stay continuously moist or no deicers will be used. It also says the concrete should be air-entrained, with about 6 percent total air for 3/4-inch or 1-inch stone.
Those tiny air bubbles give freezing water somewhere to go. Ask what the order will specify, and whether anyone adds water at the truck. The same sheet warns that water added to raise the slump can leave a weak mortar layer on top.
6. Can you sketch the joints before the pour?
NRMCA's joint sheet calls joints pre-planned cracks. Spacing should run 24 to 36 times the slab thickness, about 10 feet on a 4-inch slab, with 15 feet as the recommended limit. Panels should be square or close to it, no more than 1.5 times as long as they are wide, and L-shapes are on its avoid list.
A driveway with a curve or a flare at the street is where layouts get lazy. A quick sketch shows you whether they have thought about it. Ask about timing as well, since conventional saw cuts belong 4 to 12 hours after finishing.
7. How will you cure it, and for how long?
Curing is the step that happens after the crew has mostly left, so it's the one most likely to get skipped. NRMCA's curing sheet says it starts right after finishing and typically runs 3 to 7 days, and that concrete in a dry environment can lose as much as 50 percent of its potential strength compared with moist-cured concrete.
Ask what they will use and who does it. The cracking sheet names a liquid curing compound sprayed on the surface, or damp burlap kept moist for at least 3 days. If the pour falls in cold weather, also ask how they will keep it from freezing, because fresh concrete needs protection until it reaches 500 psi, about two days after placement.
8. Who calls SC811, and what about my private lines?
SC811 is free and wants a request at least three business days before digging, not counting the day you file, weekends or holidays. Get the name of whoever is filing, since a tear-out and a new base both mean digging.
The catch is that utilities only mark their own lines. SC811's private lines page lists sprinklers, gas lines to pools or grills, wiring to a detached garage or shed, and septic or irrigation lines as yours to find, usually with a hired locator. Tell the contractor about anything you know is buried along the driveway, and ask who pays if a line gets hit.
9. What will the written estimate spell out?
Everything above should end up on paper: tear-out and haul-off, base, thickness, steel, finish, joint layout, curing, and the payment schedule. A single number with "concrete driveway" beside it gives you nothing to compare and nothing to point at later. While you are at it, ask for a certificate of insurance.
Read the prices closely too, since two bids often cover different work. Our guide to what moves a driveway quote shows where the differences tend to come from.
Taking this list to an estimate
Print it and ask all nine at the site visit. If you have sidewalk or curb work in the same job, our guide to Easley's code for sidewalks and curbs covers that side.
We will answer all nine for your Easley driveway at no charge. Call 864-214-5271 or send the address through the estimate form below.
Sources: NRMCA, CIP 2 Scaling Concrete Surfaces; NRMCA, CIP 4 Cracking Concrete Surfaces; NRMCA, CIP 6 Joints in Concrete Slabs on Grade; NRMCA, CIP 11 Curing In-Place Concrete; NRMCA, CIP 27 Cold Weather Concreting; SC Code of Laws, Title 40, Chapter 59; City of Easley Unified Development Ordinance; City of Easley Building Department; SCDOT Encroachment Permits; SC811 Homeowners; SC811 Private Lines; Wikipedia, Easley, South Carolina. All read November 4, 2026.
