Concrete Contractor in Berkeley - Driveways and Steps Built for the Hills
Complete San Leandro Concrete pours driveways, patios, steps, walks and retaining walls for homes in Berkeley, CA, from the flats to the hills, with the ground dug out, packed and drained before any concrete goes down.
Berkeley: older houses on steep, tight lots
Most of Berkeley was built a long time ago, so the houses we meet are older bungalows, shingle and craftsman homes and small apartment buildings, set close together on narrow lots with a strip of driveway down one side. Down in the flats toward the bay the ground is fairly level, and the calls are mostly flatwork, the driveways, front walks and patios that lie on the ground, worn out after decades of use. Up in the Berkeley Hills the streets wind and climb, houses sit above or below the road, and a lot of the work is steps, landings and walls that hold a yard in place. Much of it feels like the older streets of Oakland next door.
The ground shapes the job more than anything. On a slope, water runs downhill into whatever we build, so I plan where it goes before we talk about finishes. Berkeley also sits close to major earthquake faults, which is one more reason we don't skimp on footings or on rebar, the steel bars inside a slab or wall that hold it together.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- We respond within 1 business day.
Concrete services for Berkeley homes
Concrete driveway building
Steep Berkeley driveways shed water downhill and carry braking cars. We dig out soft ground, pack a solid base, add rebar and slope the slab to drain.
Concrete steps construction
Many hill houses sit above the street on old, crumbling steps. We rebuild them with even risers, solid footings and a broom finish, a brushed texture for grip.
Concrete retaining walls
Sloped Berkeley yards often need a wall to hold the ground back. We build them on proper footings with drainage behind, so water pressure doesn't build up against them.
Garage floor concrete
Older detached garages here often have thin, cracked floors sinking at the edges. We break out the old slab and pour a new garage floor on a packed base.
Concrete patio construction
Small backyards in the flats leave little room for water to go. We slope patios away from the house and cut control joints, grooves that steer cracks.
Concrete cutting
Tight lots and old slabs butting the house mean careful removal. We saw-cut clean edges to remove only the damaged section and leave the rest.
Working in Berkeley: permits, licenses and price
Building permits in Berkeley come from the city's Permit Service Center, which issues them for all construction work and most repairs unless the work is specifically exempt, so on every Berkeley estimate I check early whether your job needs one. That answer shapes your schedule more than the pour does, because a permitted job waits on the application and its inspections, and when a permit is needed we handle the application and set up the inspections with you. Before you hire anyone here, ask for two things, a state contractor license and a Berkeley business license, which the city requires of contractors applying for building permits. We're fully licensed and insured.
Hill streets in Berkeley are narrow and winding, with cars parked on both sides, so getting a concrete truck close is often the real puzzle, and sometimes the concrete has to be pumped or wheeled in. Jobs in the flats go more like the ones we do in Ashland and back home in San Leandro. Access is one of the things that moves your price, along with the size of the area, how much old concrete comes out, how much digging and base the ground needs, the steel and the finish. I come out myself, measure, and give you a written estimate that lays out your options and what each one means.
Get a free on-site concrete estimate in Berkeley
Tell us about your Berkeley project and ask anything you like about permits, and we'll reply within one business day. I come out to your property, measure, ask how you'll use the space, and give you a written estimate with your options laid out. It's free, and there's no obligation.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- We respond within 1 business day.
Concrete ideas for Berkeley homes
Concrete questions from Berkeley homeowners
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Berkeley?
A Berkeley driveway usually costs more than the same size slab on flat, open ground, because hill access, tear-out and base work add labor. Hauling out the old slab, digging out and packing the subgrade, which is the dirt and gravel the slab sits on, and adding rebar all move the number, and so does a decorative finish over a plain broom finish. If the budget is tight, cut the finish, not the base, because nobody sees the base on day one but it's what keeps the slab from sinking.
Do I need a permit for a concrete retaining wall in Berkeley?
In Berkeley, a retaining wall 4 feet tall or less, measured from the bottom of its footing to the top of the wall, is exempt from a building permit, unless it holds back a surcharge, like a driveway or a slope pressing down from above. A wall in a required setback, the minimum distance a structure has to keep from your property line, needs a zoning permit, and exempt work has to follow the state building code and city law anyway. You can read the city's list of work exempt from building permits, and for a driveway or patio I ask the city early rather than guess.
Does a concrete contractor in Berkeley need a state license?
Yes, on most jobs, because a state license applies whenever a project needs a building permit, uses any extra workers, or costs $1,000 or more in labor and materials. The Contractors State License Board licenses anyone who builds or alters a structure in California, and contractors have to be licensed before they hand you a bid, so ask any contractor about their license along with the estimate.
How much can a contractor ask for up front on a home project in California?
On a California home improvement contract, the state board says a contractor can't ask for or accept a down payment of more than $1,000 or 10 percent of the total contract price, whichever is less. On smaller jobs that usually means the 10 percent is the limit that applies.
How long does a new concrete driveway take to cure before I can drive on it?
Usually you can walk on new concrete after a day or two and park a car on it after about a week, and it keeps gaining strength for weeks after that. Curing is the slow hardening concrete does while it holds onto its water, so cool weather can stretch the wait, and I'll tell you when yours is ready for the car. If your job needs a permit, the inspections come before the pour, so that time comes first.
What causes concrete driveways to crack and sink in Berkeley?
Most cracking and sinking starts under the slab, when the dirt was raked level instead of dug out and packed, or when water gets underneath, which happens fast on a hillside lot. Concrete will still crack some, I won't pretend otherwise, so we cut control joints early to give those cracks a place to go and slope the slab away from the house.