Concrete Contractor in Berkeley, CA - Driveways and Walls Built for Hillside Lots
Walnut Creek Concrete Works builds driveways, patios, steps, retaining walls and foundations for homeowners in Berkeley, CA, from the steep lots up in the hills to the flatter streets below, with the base dug out and packed under every pour.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
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Berkeley homes, from the hills to the flats
Berkeley gives us two kinds of jobs. Up in the Berkeley Hills and around Northbrae, the streets are steep and winding, driveways climb to the garage, and long runs of steps and retaining walls hold houses and yards in place. Down on the flatter blocks toward the bay, most houses are older and close together, with narrow driveways along the side, front walks meeting the city sidewalk, and small apartment buildings and shops mixed in. A lot of it looks like the older neighborhoods next door in Oakland, and we work in both.
That shapes the job before we pour anything. On a slope the work usually starts with water and support, and on an older lot it starts with breaking out the old concrete and working out how a truck reaches a tight backyard.
Concrete work we do on Berkeley properties
Concrete driveway building
On a steep Berkeley driveway we dig out and pack the base, then set the slope so water runs to the street and not into the garage.
Concrete patio construction
Berkeley backyards are often small or sloped, so we fit the patio to the space and pitch it away from the house so water stays off the foundation.
Stamped concrete services
Stamped concrete gives a front walk or patio the look of stone or brick, which suits the older houses on many Berkeley blocks, on the same packed base.
Concrete sidewalk building
We replace cracked, lifted front walks and side paths on narrow Berkeley lots, with a packed base and joints cut where we want any crack to go.
Garage floor concrete
Older Berkeley garages often have thin, broken floors. We break out the old slab, fix what's underneath and pour a floor that drains toward the door.
Decorative concrete
Color, exposed stone and borders let a new slab sit well beside an older Berkeley house, and the work underneath stays the same as plain concrete.
Concrete retaining walls
On hillside lots a wall often holds up the yard or the driveway, so we plan the footing and the drainage behind it before anything else.
Concrete floor installation
We pour interior floors for basements, workshops and additions, checking the ground and the moisture under the slab first so the floor sits flat.
Concrete pool decks
Around a Berkeley pool we slope the deck away from the water's edge and give it a textured top, so it drains and is less slick underfoot.
Concrete steps construction
Hillside homes here often have long runs of front steps. We form each step to an even height so they're easier to climb, wet or dry.
Slab foundation building
For an addition, a garage or a backyard unit, we prepare the ground, set the steel and pour a slab foundation to the plans your engineer draws.
Foundation installation
When an older Berkeley house needs new foundation work, we form and pour it to the engineer's plans, with the steel and footings the job calls for.
Concrete parking lot building
For small apartment buildings and shops in Berkeley, we build parking areas on a deep packed base with drainage that keeps water from standing in the spaces.
Concrete footings
Footings carry the weight of a wall, porch or addition down into firm ground, and on Berkeley's slopes we dig them to the depth the plans call for.
Foundation raising
When part of an older house has settled and doors stick or floors slope, we raise it back toward level and support it from below.
Concrete cutting
We saw-cut openings, trenches and damaged sections out of existing slabs, which helps on tight Berkeley lots where tearing out a whole slab doesn't make sense.
Get a free written estimate for your Berkeley concrete job
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day. I'll come out to your Berkeley property myself and give you a free written estimate, with no obligation to go ahead.
- Based in
- Walnut Creek, CA 94596
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 7 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 6 AM–10 PM
Working in Berkeley: permits, licenses and what moves the price
Building permits in Berkeley come from the city's Permit Service Center, and when your job needs one, I tell you at the estimate and we handle the application, so nothing gets dug until it's approved. Before you hire anyone for concrete here, check two things. The first is a state license from the California Contractors State License Board, which a contractor needs before bidding on work that needs a permit, uses other workers, or costs $1,000 or more in labor and materials. The second is a City of Berkeley business license, which the city requires of anyone doing business here, contractors pulling permits included. We're fully licensed and insured.
On narrow hill streets, getting the truck close is often the first problem we solve. Price here mostly comes down to a few things: how easy the site is to reach, how much old concrete comes out, how much digging and base the ground needs, whether the slope calls for a wall or steps, and the finish you pick. The schedule turns on the permit review, if there is one, and dry weather for the pour, and your estimate shows your own number. We're a concrete contractor in Walnut Creek, CA, and we do the same work across the East Bay, in Pleasant Hill, Lafayette and the cities around them.
Why Berkeley slabs crack, sink and need rebuilding
Berkeley sits close to major earthquake faults, so I don't cut corners on the parts that hold a house up. Footings and foundations get built to the engineer's plans, and rebar, the steel set inside the concrete, goes where the plans put it so the concrete holds together under strain.
The other thing we see over and over is slabs that sank or cracked because of what's under them. On older lots the base was often just dirt raked level instead of dug out and packed, and on a hillside, water runs under any slab that tilts back toward the house. We dig to firm ground, pack the subgrade, which is the layer the slab sits on, and set the slope so water heads for the street. If the budget's tight, I'd rather you spend it on the base and pick a plainer finish, because nobody sees the base on day one, but you'll see a bad one later.
How a concrete job runs when you call us in Berkeley
Here's what happens from your first call or message to the walk-through at the end, so you know who you'll talk to and what you'll get.
Call or send the form
Call (925) 532-0140 or send the form with a few lines about the job. I answer my own phone, and we'll set a time for me to come out.
I walk the site with you
I look at the slope, the access and the old concrete, and ask how you'll use the space. You get a written estimate that lists each part of the job, so you can see where the money goes.
We line up permits first
If the job needs a permit, an engineer or a designer, we get that lined up before we put you on the schedule. I'll keep you posted while the city reviews it.
We build it and walk it
My crew and I do the work with me on site, and we pour early in the day so midday heat doesn't dry the top too fast and leave it weak and dusty. When it's done, we walk the finished job with you and go over when it's ready to use.
Questions about concrete work in Berkeley
Do I need a building permit for a concrete driveway or patio in Berkeley?
It may need one, because the City of Berkeley requires a building permit for all construction work and most repairs unless the work is specifically exempted. The city's Permit Service Center issues them, and even exempt work can still need a zoning permit. Ask the center, or bring it up when I come out.
Does a concrete retaining wall need a permit in Berkeley?
In Berkeley, a retaining wall no more than 4 feet tall, measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall, is exempt from a building permit unless it holds up extra load above it, like a driveway or a slope, or holds back flammable liquids. A wall in a required setback still needs a zoning permit. On hillside lots the footing adds more height than people expect, so I measure it with you before we plan anything.
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Berkeley?
A Berkeley driveway's price comes down to the site more than the size, and I put each part in your written estimate after I see it. A steep driveway takes more forming and sometimes a pump to get concrete up the hill, an old thick slab costs more to break out and haul away, and stamped or colored concrete costs more than a broom finish, the brushed texture that gives tires and shoes grip.
Will my new concrete slab crack like the old one?
It can still crack, because all concrete shrinks as it dries, but a slab on a packed base with control joints cut on time usually keeps those cracks small and in the joints. Control joints are shallow grooves we cut so the slab cracks along a straight line we chose instead of across the middle. Most of the random cracks I see on old slabs come from joints cut late or skipped.
How long do I have to stay off a new concrete driveway in Berkeley?
You stay off it until it has cured, the slow hardening that gives concrete its strength, and driving waits longer than walking because a car puts far more weight on the slab. I'll give you the dates for your driveway on pour day, since they depend on the mix and the weather, and on a hill street we'll talk about where you'll park in the meantime.
What is the best way to pour concrete on a steep Berkeley lot?
The best way is to handle water and support before the surface, which on a steep lot usually means a retaining wall or deeper footings where the ground drops away and a slope that sends runoff toward the street. We also plan how the concrete gets up the hill before pour day, so the truck isn't sitting while we figure it out.
Tell us about your Berkeley concrete project
Call (925) 532-0140 or send the form, and ask about permits while you're at it, so we can sort out what your job needs well before pour day.