Concrete Contractor in Walnut Creek, CA - Slabs Built From the Base Up
Walnut Creek Concrete Works is a concrete contractor based in Walnut Creek, CA. We build driveways, patios, steps, retaining walls and foundations for homes here, and I come out to every job myself.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- We reply within 1 business day.
Walnut Creek homes and the concrete around them
Walnut Creek is where I started this business in 2023, and it's still where most of our calls come from. In a usual week I'm looking at a cracked driveway on a flat street near downtown, a patio that's sunk away from the back door, or steps and a wall on a lot that climbs toward Shell Ridge. We do the same work in Lafayette and Pleasant Hill, but this is home.
Plenty of the driveways, walks and patios here went in decades ago, and the houses run from ranch homes on flat lots to newer places set into the hills. That mix decides the job, because a flat driveway is mostly about what goes under it, while a hillside lot adds steps, walls and real thought about getting a truck close.
Concrete services we build in Walnut Creek
Concrete driveway building
When your driveway has cracked, sunk at the garage or heaved at the street, we tear it out, rebuild the base and pour a slab made for cars.
Concrete patio construction
Backyard patios here often tip toward the house. We set yours to drain away from your walls, so rain runs to the yard instead of the foundation.
Stamped concrete services
Stamped concrete gives a patio the look of stone or brick. We prep under it like any slab, because a pattern won't hide a crack.
Concrete sidewalk building
Front walks and side-yard paths with a lifted edge get torn out and repoured flat, with joints cut so any crack lands in a straight line.
Garage floor concrete
Older garage floors around here are often cracked, stained and sloped the wrong way. We pour a new slab that falls toward the door so water runs out.
Decorative concrete
Colored and textured finishes suit the entries and courtyards here. We plan color and joint layout together, so the cuts look like part of the design.
Concrete retaining walls
Hillside yards often need a wall to hold the ground and make flat space. We build drainage behind it, because trapped water is what pushes walls over.
Concrete floor installation
For a workshop, an addition or a converted garage, we pour an interior slab on a packed base, with steel rebar inside to hold it together.
Concrete pool decks
Lots of backyards here have pools, and decks take bare feet and splashing. We give them a textured top for grip and slope them away from the house.
Concrete steps construction
Front steps on sloped lots get used every day and crumble at the edges first. We form each step the same height so nobody catches a toe.
Slab foundation building
For an addition, a backyard cottage or a garage, we pour the slab the building sits on, once the plans and any permit are set.
Foundation installation
Lots of houses here grow by an addition, and that needs its own foundation. We dig and pour it to the engineer's plan, because everything above depends on it.
Concrete parking lot building
Small lots for the offices and apartment buildings around the city take constant traffic. We pour them thicker than a driveway, with joints laid out around the stalls.
Concrete footings
Decks, pergolas, walls and posts all stand on footings, the concrete buried under them. We dig them to the depth the plan calls for, so nothing leans later.
Foundation raising
If floors slope or doors stick because part of the foundation dropped, I look at why before we lift anything, because the cause decides the fix.
Concrete cutting
For a new plumbing trench, a door opening or a bad section of driveway, we saw-cut clean lines so the concrete you're keeping stays intact.
Get a free estimate for your Walnut Creek concrete job
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day. I'll come out, look at the site 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
What working in Walnut Creek means for your job
Inside Walnut Creek city limits, permits come from the city's Community Development Department, and the city requires a building permit when you add a structure or physically change your property. Whether your concrete job falls under that isn't always obvious, so I'll tell you at the estimate if yours needs one, and we handle the application. A job that needs a permit can't start until the city issues it, so that's usually the biggest thing that moves your start date.
We're fully licensed and insured, and we work this city the same way we work next door in Concord. On the steeper streets toward the hills, the concrete truck often can't get near a back yard, so we pump the concrete in or wheel it, and that access, along with how much old concrete comes out and how deep we dig for the base, is most of what moves the price. Your written estimate lists each part, so you can see which one is driving yours.
Why concrete here cracks, sinks and holds water
A lot of the driveways and patios we replace here were poured over dirt that was raked flat instead of dug out and packed. That subgrade, the ground the slab sits on, settles over the years, and the concrete goes down with it in pieces. We dig down to firm ground and pack the base in layers before any concrete shows up. It's the first thing people want to cut from a budget, because nobody sees it on day one, and it's the last thing I'll cut, because it decides whether your slab is still flat years from now.
The other one we see all the time is a slab that slopes toward the house, so water pools against the wall or runs under the floor. Before we set the forms, we check where the water runs on your lot and pitch the new concrete away from the house, even if that means changing the old grade.
How a concrete job runs when you call us in Walnut Creek
Here's how a job goes with us, from the first call to the walk-through at the end.
Call or send the form
Call (925) 532-0140 or send the form and tell me what's going on with your concrete. I answer my own phone, and we set a time for me to come out.
I look at the site
I check the slab, the slope and where the water goes, and ask how you'll use the space. You get a written estimate with each part of the job listed, so you can see what you're paying for before you decide.
Permits first, then the pour
If the job needs a permit, an engineer or a designer, we get that lined up before we schedule. The city requires an after-hours permit to build on Saturdays and city holidays and allows no construction on national holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas, so we plan work days around that.
We build it and walk it
My crew and I do the work, with me on site, and when it's done I walk it with you. I'll tell you when it's ready for feet and when it's ready for cars, because curing, the slow hardening that gives concrete its strength, takes longer than it looks.
Questions about concrete work in Walnut Creek
How do I apply for a concrete permit in Walnut Creek?
You apply online through the city, because Walnut Creek no longer takes paper or emailed permit applications. The permit has to be signed by the legal property owner or a California licensed contractor. When your job needs one and we're building it, the application is part of our work.
Does a retaining wall need a permit in Walnut Creek?
It does once the wall is more than 4 feet tall measured from the bottom of the footing, holds back more than 3 feet of soil, or carries extra weight above it, like a driveway or parked cars. Even a short wall needs drainage behind it to stay standing. I'll look at the height and what sits above it at the estimate and tell you where yours lands.
Do I need a permit to replace my driveway apron in Walnut Creek?
Yes, the city requires an encroachment permit to replace the driveway approach, the apron where your driveway meets the street, or the sidewalk in front of your property. If your apron is cracked along with the rest of the driveway, we plan that permit in from the start so the worst part doesn't get left out.
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Walnut Creek?
The price comes down to the size of the slab, how much old concrete we haul away, how much digging and base the ground needs, and the finish you pick. Tight or steep access, rebar, the steel bars that keep a slab in one piece, and an apron that needs its own permit all add to it, while a plain broom finish, the light texture we drag across the top for grip, costs less than stamped or colored work. Your written estimate prices each of those out.
What causes cracks in a concrete driveway?
Most cracks come from a base that was never packed, water getting under the slab, joints cut late or skipped, or a pour done in the heat of the day that leaves a weak, dusty top. Concrete shrinks as it dries, so we cut control joints, shallow grooves that give the slab a place to crack in a straight line, the same day we pour, and we pour in the cooler part of the day. No slab is crack-proof, but done this way the cracks land in the joints instead of across the middle.
Can I remove a tree whose roots are lifting my driveway in Walnut Creek?
Not on your own if it's a big one, because the city protects every tree, dead or alive, that measures 9 inches or more at 54 inches above the ground. The City Arborist can approve removing certain protected trees through a Tree Removal Permit. If the tree stays, I'll talk with you about replacing only the lifted section and how to lay out the new slab around it.
Tell us about your Walnut Creek concrete job
A few lines about what's cracked, sinking or holding water, and whether it touches the front sidewalk or a wall, lets me come out ready to talk permits and access.