Concrete contractor in Noblesville, Indiana

Two Noblesvilles: the old town and the new subdivisions

Noblesville was laid out in 1823 by William Conner and Josiah Polk, and the Second Empire courthouse on the square went up in 1879. The streets around it, including the Catherine Street, Conner Street and South 9th Street historic districts, hold the oldest houses in town. About six percent of Noblesville's homes date to before 1940.

Most of the city is much newer. Census figures put the median Noblesville home at 2002, with close to three in ten built in the 2000s and another fifth in the 2010s. That splits the concrete work in two. In the older core, walks and steps have had decades of winters to heave, and plenty of houses never got a real patio. In the newer neighborhoods, the usual complaints are builder-grade patios that are too small for a table and chairs, and driveways that settle where the fill under them wasn't compacted.

What's under a Noblesville yard

Hamilton County sits on glacial till. The federal soil survey maps Crosby, Brookston and Miami soils across most of the county. Crosby is somewhat poorly drained, with a perched water table as little as six inches down in winter and spring, and Brookston is poorly drained outright. Put a slab on that without a compacted stone base and a way for water to get out, and the freeze and thaw will lift it. Indiana's building code rates Hamilton County "severe" for weathering and sets the frost depth at 30 inches, which is how deep footings for sitting walls and steps go.

Noblesville permits worth knowing

• Driveways into the street. A new residential driveway, or replacing an existing one, where it meets the city right-of-way needs an encroachment permit from the Street Department. The city's review takes about five working days, and work started before approval brings a $500 penalty and a stop-work order. Cutting into stamped concrete or brick sidewalks in the right-of-way is treated as a special case.
• Patios and flatwork. Sidewalks, driveways and curbs are exempt from a building permit under the city's development ordinance. Accessory structures, a category that names patios and outdoor fireplaces, are exempt up to 200 square feet.
• Retaining walls. Walls 48 inches and taller have to be set back from the property line by their own height, can't exceed eight feet, and may need engineering. Walls 47 inches or shorter are exempt from the setback.
• Pools. Permanent pools need a fence at least four feet tall or an approved safety cover.

We go over these with you at the estimate, so the paperwork is part of the plan.

What we pour in Noblesville

• Stamped patiosSlate and stone looks for the backyard
• DrivewaysReplaced or widened, apron included
• Fire pitsBuilt to the 25-foot burn rule
• Pool decksTear-out and new pours
• Walks and stepsOld-town walks that have heaved
• Retaining wallsSloped lots near the reservoir

Fire pits in Noblesville

Noblesville requires an open burn permit from the fire department for recreational fires, and the fire has to be at least 25 feet from any structure or combustible material, burn wood only, and be attended. The city offers an annual permit for people who burn often, and that one requires a permanent burn site inspected by the fire department, which is what a built-in fire pit is. Full details for every town are on our fire pit rules page.

Around town

Morse Reservoir, on the north side, has been there since 1956, when Cicero Creek was dammed. The Nickel Plate Trail now runs 2.7 miles through Noblesville, from 146th Street to Pleasant Street, on the old rail line. Wherever you are in town, from Gray Road to the square, you're close to our shop.