Concrete Contractor in Pleasant Hill, CA - Slabs Prepped for Clay Ground
Walnut Creek Concrete Works builds driveways, patios, steps, walls and foundations in Pleasant Hill, CA. I come out to every job myself, and my crew and I pour on a base dug and packed for the ground here.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- We reply within 1 business day.
Pleasant Hill homes and the concrete around them
Pleasant Hill sits between Walnut Creek and Concord, and as a concrete contractor in Walnut Creek, CA, we're over here a lot. Many of the calls come from single-family streets where the driveway, front walk and back patio went in when the house was built, and plenty of those slabs now show cracks, sunken corners and water that sits where it shouldn't.
There's commercial work along the freeway and around Diablo Valley College, but most of what we pour here is residential. On most of these jobs the first task is working out why the old slab failed, because new concrete on the same tired ground just repeats the problem.
Concrete work we do for Pleasant Hill homes
Concrete driveway building
Many older driveways here have settled or cracked across the middle, so we tear out the slab, rebuild the subgrade underneath and pour new.
Concrete patio construction
A backyard patio has to shed water away from your house, so we check where the yard drains before we set forms and pour.
Stamped concrete services
Stamped concrete gives a patio or walk the look of stone or brick, poured as one slab, so there are no loose pavers to shift.
Concrete sidewalk building
Front walks lifted by roots or sunk at the joints turn into trip hazards, so we replace the bad sections and match them to what's staying.
Garage floor concrete
Older garage floors here often crack and stain after years of cars and storage, and a new slab on a packed base gives you a flat, clean floor.
Decorative concrete
Color, exposed aggregate and borders help a driveway or patio suit the house, and the base work underneath stays the same whatever finish goes on top.
Concrete retaining walls
Sloped backyards often need a wall to hold soil back, and we build drainage in behind it so water gets out instead of building up.
Concrete floor installation
For a new room, workshop or shop floor, we pour a slab with steel in it over a base packed so it has solid support underneath.
Concrete pool decks
Pool decks take sun, splashing and bare feet, so we give them a finish that grips and slope them so water drains away from the pool.
Concrete steps construction
Front steps on older houses here have often cracked or pulled away from the porch, so we rebuild them with even risers and steel tied in.
Slab foundation building
For an addition, garage or backyard unit, we pour the slab foundation once plans and permits are in place, with the base dug and packed first.
Foundation installation
New foundations go in on ground that has to be dug out, checked and prepared first, and we build to the engineer's plans when there are any.
Concrete parking lot building
Small lots for offices, churches and shops near the freeway need heavier concrete and drainage that moves water off the surface and away from buildings.
Concrete footings
Footings carry posts, walls and additions down to firm ground, so we dig to the depth the plans call for and clean out the holes before pouring.
Foundation raising
When part of a house has sunk, I find out why before quoting, then we lift and support it where the ground and structure make it worth doing.
Concrete cutting
We saw-cut openings, trenches and damaged sections out of existing slabs, so a repair or new drain line goes in without breaking up the whole driveway.
Get a free written estimate for your Pleasant Hill concrete job
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day to set a time. I come out, look at the site and write up an estimate that's free and carries no obligation.
- Based in
- Walnut Creek, CA 94596
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 7 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 6 AM–10 PM
Permits and licenses for concrete work in Pleasant Hill
Permits for work here go through the City of Pleasant Hill, and its Building Division says any work that physically changes or adds a structure on your property needs one. If your job needs a permit, I tell you at the estimate and we handle the application, and we don't pour until it's in hand, so the permit can set the start date. The city also requires a business license from every contractor who works here, including ones based outside the city, so ask any contractor for that along with their state license, which the questions below cover. Price moves mostly with the size of the job, how much old concrete comes out, how much base work the ground needs and the finish you pick, and your written estimate lists each of those so you can see your own figure.
Pleasant Hill is a short run up I-680 from our base in Walnut Creek, which matters on pour day because concrete starts setting in the truck and can't sit in traffic. We work the same way down the freeway in Alamo and across the other cities around Walnut Creek, and I'm on site for every one of those jobs too.
Clay soil and aging slabs in Pleasant Hill
A city document from a few years back notes that clay soil is common throughout Pleasant Hill. Clay swells when it's wet and shrinks as it dries, so a slab poured on raked dirt moves with it and cracks. That's a citywide note, not a test of your lot, so I look at your soil when I come out. Then we dig out the soft material, bring in base rock and pack it in layers so the slab sits on something that moves far less.
A lot of driveways and patios here have been down for decades, and the usual trouble is water. Slabs tip toward the house or low spots hold puddles, so we check where the water goes before we set forms and give the new slab a fall toward the street or yard.
How a concrete job runs when you call us in Pleasant Hill
Here's what happens from your first call to the final walk-through, and what you'll have in hand before you decide anything.
Call or send the form
Call (925) 532-0140 or send a few lines about the job through the form. We call back to set a time for me to come out.
I look at the site
I walk the site, check the old slab, the soil and where water runs, and ask how you'll use it. You get a written estimate that breaks out 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. Nobody pours before the paperwork allows it.
We pour and walk it
My crew and I work inside the city's construction hours, 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends. When it's done we walk it with you and tell you how long to stay off it while it cures, the wait while the concrete gains its strength.
Questions about concrete work in Pleasant Hill
Do I need a permit to pour a slab for a shed in Pleasant Hill?
Yes, even a small shed needs at least a city planning permit. The city lets one-story detached sheds and playhouses of 120 square feet or less skip the building permit, but it still requires a Planning Zoning Permit for them, and any accessory structure with electricity needs a building permit. I'll tell you which one your shed falls under at the estimate.
How do I check that a concrete contractor is licensed in California?
Ask for their state license number and look it up with the Contractors State License Board, because the state requires a license on most concrete jobs. A license is needed when the project needs a building permit, uses any workers, or costs $1,000 or more in labor and materials together. That line used to be $500, and most driveway and patio jobs are well past $1,000.
Do I need a city permit if my new driveway meets the street in Pleasant Hill?
You might, because ground work that reaches onto city property like the street, curb or gutter can need an encroachment permit from the city's Engineering Division. Driveway aprons often tie into the curb, so I check that at the estimate and we handle the application if it's needed.
Do I need a flood permit for concrete work in Pleasant Hill?
You might if your home sits in a mapped flood zone, because the city says improvements in the floodplain may require a Floodplain Development Permit. FEMA has marked certain areas of the city as Special Flood Hazard Areas, and a city handout counts about 700 homes inside them. If you're unsure about any permit, the Building Division takes calls at (925) 671-5200.
How much does a concrete driveway cost in Pleasant Hill?
It depends mostly on the size and on what has to happen before the pour, so I give you a number after I've seen the site. Tearing out and hauling the old slab, digging out soft clay for base rock, thicker concrete with rebar, the steel that holds cracks tight, and a stamped or colored finish instead of a broom finish, the light brushed texture that keeps it from getting slick, all add to it. If the budget's tight, I'd spend it on the base and go simpler on the finish, because nobody sees the base on day one but it decides whether the driveway settles.
What causes new concrete to crack in Pleasant Hill?
Most cracks in new concrete come from ground that moves, water getting under the slab, or joints cut late or skipped. On the clay ground common here, a raked base lets the slab settle unevenly, so we dig out and pack the base and cut control joints, grooves that give the concrete a straight place to crack, soon after the pour. Concrete still cracks a little as it shrinks, and the joints keep those lines where we chose instead of across the middle.
Get your Pleasant Hill concrete job priced
Call (925) 532-0140 or send the form, and I'll come look and tell you straight if the job isn't worth doing.