Apr 6, 2025 4 min read

The value of hard physical work was instilled in Chris Bury from a young age, as he watched his father work on various contracting jobs, primarily asphalt maintenance and repair. Bury admits that even though he knew he wanted to work with his hands and to do some type of contracting work, he hated the maintenance and repair work that he grew up around.

As an adult, Bury was working in a factory fifty hours a week when he started doing concrete work on the side to supplement his income. A coworker and friend of his had worked at a concrete company previously, so they combined their skills and knowledge and started doing concrete jobs together. Bury’s cousin happened to own a landscaping business, so he started doing work with him as well.

By 2010, Bury was working the equivalent of two full-time jobs plus overtime. He had small children and wanted to spend time with them and be involved in their activities, but there weren’t enough hours in the day. His late wife asked him to make the choice between staying at the factory or taking a risk and trying to make his side job into a full-time cement contracting business. He took the leap and quit his factory job, devoting his time to growing his small business.

Fifteen years later, Bury hasn’t looked back. Like most companies, particularly contracting, he has seen the ups and downs in the market affecting his work. But he has learned, like any good business owner, to put funds aside for when the market is down and capitalize on opportunities when people are spending more money. He has grown his business to include excavation, cement flatwork, custom work, and landscaping services. Doing cement work in a climate like that of Western, PA has its challenges and Bury has to plan his work around the weather, doing as much indoors as he can when the weather is cold, and capitalizing on good weather by getting as much done as he can when the climate cooperates.

Bury Cement Contracting specializes in flat work, which includes driveways, patios, floors, sidewalks and excavation. Their custom work projects range from exposed aggregate (a decorative finish where the top layer of cement is removed, revealing the underlying aggregate to create a textured aesthetic), to stamped and colored designs. They have also crafted concrete countertops for outdoor kitchens and bars, as well as retaining walls. They also offer landscaping services, so that you can finish off your new patio or sidewalk with expertly designed landscaping.

In a business-like cement contracting, every job is a custom job.

“If you break it down anything in the concrete construction field we basically would do,” says Bury. His team is expert at excavating jobs, and can seamlessly prepare the site by clearing, leveling, and grading the land to allow for the perfect cement application. Where there’s a will, there’s a way to make his customers’ dream projects a reality.

Bury Cement‘s client base is primarily residential, though they occasionally take smaller jobs for commercial clients. Bury’s focus is on the craftsmanship and customization of residential jobs, rather than getting into larger commercial and industrial projects that would require heavier equipment and more technology. He prefers to work with his hands, the way he was taught.

As a business owner, Bury values honesty above all else. He is always upfront with his customers, making sure both parties understand the scope of the project, and what can and cannot be done.

“Customers are spending a lot of hard-earned money to get a product and they don’t want to have to do it twice,” he says. If a customer shows him a photo of a patio or driveway they saw online, and the finished product may differ because of materials being used, budget, and other variables, he will be honest about what to expect. His ability to customize jobs means that he can work with customers to get as close to their vision as possible.

Today, Bury runs his company with the help of his wife Dana, an elementary school teacher at Trinity Intermediate School, who handles the administrative side of the business. Around 90% of their customers are in Washington County; they will travel into Allegheny County, Greene County, and even West Virginia on occasion. Most of their new customers come via word-of-mouth recommendations from past satisfied clients. Check out burycement.com for photos of the company’s past jobs and to contact them about starting your dream project.

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