Concrete Contractor in Concord, CA - Slabs Built From the Base Up
Walnut Creek Concrete Works is a concrete contractor based in Walnut Creek, and we build driveways, patios, steps, retaining walls and foundations for homeowners in Concord, with the base dug out and packed before anything gets poured.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- We reply within 1 business day.
Concord homes and the concrete that came with them
Concord is right next door to us, and a lot of our calls from there are about the concrete that came with the house: a driveway cracked at the corners, a back patio that has sunk at one end, front steps pulling away from the porch. Most streets are single-family homes with a driveway, a garage slab and a backyard, with apartments and shops along the bigger roads, so the work runs from one front walk to a whole parking lot.
It's the same work we do in Walnut Creek and Pleasant Hill, and the cause is usually the same too. When an older slab fails, the base under it was often raked level instead of dug out and packed, so a job here starts below the surface, with what the new concrete will sit on.
Concrete work we do in Concord
Concrete driveway building
When a Concord driveway has sunk or cracked across the middle, we tear it out, dig to firm ground and pack a new base before pouring.
Concrete patio construction
A backyard patio that holds water against the house gets rebuilt with a slope away from the walls, so rain runs to the yard instead of your foundation.
Stamped concrete services
Stamped concrete gives a Concord backyard the look of stone or brick, poured over the same packed base as plain work so the pattern stays level.
Concrete sidewalk building
Front walks heaved by roots or settled at the edges become trip hazards, so we replace them with a packed base and joints cut where cracks should land.
Garage floor concrete
Garage floors in older Concord homes are often cracked, stained and sloped the wrong way, and we break out and repour them so water runs to the door.
Decorative concrete
Colored and textured finishes suit front entries and patios on Concord homes where plain gray feels flat, and we talk through how each one wears before you choose.
Concrete retaining walls
Where a backyard slope pushes soil onto a patio or path, a concrete wall holds it back, drained so water doesn't build up behind it.
Concrete floor installation
New concrete floors for additions, workshops and converted spaces start with a level, packed base, because a floor is only as flat as what's under it.
Concrete pool decks
Decks around Concord pools take bare feet, chlorine and splashing, so we finish them for grip and slope them so water drains off instead of sitting.
Concrete steps construction
Front steps that have pulled away from the porch or rocked loose get rebuilt with even rises, so nobody misjudges a step coming home in the dark.
Slab foundation building
For an addition, a garage or an accessory unit on a Concord lot, we pour the slab foundation once the plans and any engineer's details are set.
Foundation installation
When a new structure on a Concord lot needs a raised foundation instead of a slab, we form and pour it to the plans, checking levels before any concrete arrives.
Concrete parking lot building
Small lots for Concord shops, churches and apartment buildings carry heavier, constant traffic, so we build them thicker over a deeper base than a home driveway.
Concrete footings
Footings carry the weight of decks, walls, patio covers and additions, so we dig them to the depth the plans call for and set them on firm ground.
Foundation raising
If part of your house has settled and doors stick or floors slope, we look at whether raising the foundation makes sense, and tell you when it doesn't.
Concrete cutting
We saw-cut openings for new doors, trenches for drain or utility lines and clean edges where an old Concord slab meets new concrete.
Get a free written estimate for your Concord concrete job
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day to set a time. I come out to your Concord address, look at the site and give you a written estimate with no obligation.
- Based in
- Walnut Creek, CA 94596
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 7 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 6 AM–10 PM
Permits, licenses and pricing for Concord concrete jobs
Permits in Concord go through the city's Permit Center, and if your job needs one, I tell you at the estimate and we handle the application. We don't schedule a pour until the permit is issued, so on a permitted job the city's turnaround usually sets the start date. Before you sign with anyone, ask to see two things: the contractor's state license and their Concord business license. We're fully licensed and insured, and the questions further down explain when each license applies.
What moves the price here is mostly what's under and around the slab: how much old concrete has to come out, how deep we dig to reach firm ground, how much the yard slopes and how close the truck can get. At a lot of Concord houses the backyard is only reachable through a narrow side yard, so a patio can mean a pump or a lot of wheelbarrow trips, and your written estimate lists that and every other part of the job so you can see where the money goes. We bring the same crew and the same prep to jobs from Antioch to Oakland, so the way we work in Concord doesn't change from city to city.
Why Concord slabs crack, sink and hold water
Most cracked or sinking slabs I look at in Concord failed from underneath. When the subgrade, the soil and gravel the slab sits on, was raked flat instead of dug out and packed, it keeps settling, and the concrete settles and cracks with it. That's why the base is the last place I'll cut when a budget gets tight. A fancy finish is what you see on day one, but the base is what decides how the slab holds up, so if something has to give, I'd rather drop the stamp pattern than skimp underneath.
Water is the other thing. Plenty of older patios and walks here were poured flat or tipped toward the house, so rain pools against the wall or under the door. Before we form anything, we check where water runs on your lot and slope the new slab away from the house, and we cut control joints, shallow grooves that give the concrete a straight line to crack along, while the slab is still fresh, so any cracks land where we chose.
How a concrete job runs when you call us in Concord
From your first call to the final walk-through, here's what happens and who you'll deal with along the way.
Call or send the form
You call (925) 532-0140 or fill out the form, and I'm the one who gets back to you. We set a time for me to come see the job.
I come out and look
I check the old slab, the slope and where your water runs, and ask how you'll use the space, so it helps if you're home. You get a written estimate with each part of the job listed, so you know what the money covers before you decide.
Paperwork first, then the pour
If a permit, an engineer or a designer is part of the job, we get that lined up before we put you on the calendar. Then my crew and I dig out, pack the base, form, pour and finish, and I'm on site for all of it.
Walk the finished job together
When it's done, we walk it with you and tell you when you can walk on it and when you can drive on it. Concrete needs time to cure, the wait while it gains strength, before it takes weight, and rushing that is how good slabs get damaged.
Questions about hiring a concrete contractor in Concord
How do I find out if my concrete driveway or patio needs a permit in Concord?
Ask the city's Permit Center or ask me at the estimate, because the city's published list doesn't answer it for flatwork like driveways, patios and walks. That list, an older bulletin for single-family and duplex homes, names jobs such as re-roofs, water heaters, windows and air conditioning, and it isn't a complete list. The Permit Center can tell you which permits a project needs, which is worth doing before you collect bids.
Do I need a separate permit to replace the sidewalk or driveway apron in front of my Concord house?
Yes, if the work reaches into the public right-of-way, the strip along the street, the city says you need a separate encroachment permit from its Engineering Division. The same goes for a grading permit when a job moves soil, which can come up with a retaining wall or a regraded yard. These come on top of any building permit, so we sort them out early, before a start date is set.
Does a concrete contractor from outside Concord need a Concord business license?
Yes. The city requires a business license to do business in Concord, and that includes state-licensed contractors and contractors whose office is outside the city. We're based in Walnut Creek, so the rule applies to us too, and it's a fair thing to ask any contractor you're comparing.
When does a concrete contractor need a California state license?
A contractor needs a license from the Contractors State License Board when the job needs a building permit, uses any additional workers, or the labor and materials add up to $1,000 or more. Most driveway, patio and wall jobs pass that $1,000 mark, so a contractor without a state license shouldn't be pouring them.
How do I check if my Concord property is in an earthquake hazard zone?
Type your address into EQ Zapp, the California Geological Survey's statewide map tool, and it shows whether the property falls inside any of its mapped earthquake hazard zones. It's worth a look before a foundation, slab or tall retaining wall goes in, and if it shows a zone, tell me at the estimate so we know before the plans are drawn.
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Concord?
I can't give you an honest number until I've seen the driveway, and the written estimate after my visit is where you get it. The biggest swings come from tearing out and hauling off the old slab, how deep we dig for a packed base and whether the driveway takes rebar, the steel inside that keeps cracked pieces from separating. The finish matters too, from a plain broom finish, the light texture that gives tires and shoes grip, up to stamped or colored work.
Tell us about your Concord concrete job
Call (925) 532-0140 or use the form to describe the work and ask which permits apply, so you know what the paperwork looks like before you compare bids.