Concrete Contractor in San Lorenzo, CA - Driveways and Patios on Well-Packed Ground
Complete San Leandro Concrete is a concrete contractor working in San Lorenzo, CA. We build and replace driveways, patios, walkways, steps and garage floors for the homes here, starting with ground that's packed to hold.
San Lorenzo: flat lots over layered soil
San Lorenzo sits between San Leandro and Hayward, right beside Cherryland and Ashland. It's mostly houses on flat, settled streets, with shops along the main roads. A lot of the homes have been here a long while, and so have their driveways, walks and patios. When we come out, the calls sound alike. The driveway has dropped near the garage, the front walk has a lip you catch your toe on, or the patio holds a puddle for a day after it rains. Sound familiar?
The flatlands along San Lorenzo Creek sit on layers of sand, gravel, silt and clay, and no two lots are quite the same. That's why I look at the subgrade, the dirt your slab actually sits on, on every job here, and why we dig out the soft stuff and pack a real base before we build any forms.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- We respond within 1 business day.
Concrete work we do in San Lorenzo
Concrete driveway building
Older driveways here often sink where the base was only raked level. We dig to firm ground, pack a new base and slope the slab away from the garage.
Concrete patio construction
Many backyards here are small, so the patio is most of the yard. We ask how you'll use it, then size and finish it to match.
Concrete sidewalk building
Front walks lift and crack as the ground moves, leaving edges people trip on. We pack a firm base and cut control joints, grooves that decide where cracks go.
Concrete steps construction
Front steps often pull away from the house as the soil shifts. We rebuild them on a packed base with rebar, steel that holds the concrete together.
Garage floor concrete
Older garage floors often drop near the door, where rain gets under them. We pack a new base and slope the new slab out the door.
Concrete retaining walls
Clay in the soil here holds water and pushes on a wall. We set our concrete retaining walls on footings with a drain behind them.
Working in San Lorenzo, where the county issues permits
San Lorenzo is unincorporated, so building permits here come from Alameda County, not a city hall. When a job needs one, we handle the application and set up the inspections with you, and you can follow its status on the county permit portal. The county's review and inspection dates usually set the start date, so I check which office covers your address before I write your estimate. Two things are worth checking on any contractor here. One is a state contractor's license. The other is a county business license, which the county requires for work in the unincorporated area even from a business based in another city, like us. We're fully licensed and insured.
We're a concrete contractor based in San Leandro, a short drive north, and we also work next door in Hayward, so the ground and the houses here are familiar. The price here turns mostly on what we find under the old concrete, how much has to come out and how deep we dig to reach firm ground. After that it's the size, the finish you pick and how we get concrete into a back yard through one narrow side gate. Weather and curing set the rest of the schedule. Curing is the stretch while new concrete hardens before you use it. Your written estimate spells out each option and what it means for cost and time.
Get a free on-site concrete estimate in San Lorenzo
Tell us about your driveway, patio or steps, and we'll reply within one business day. I'll come out to your San Lorenzo property myself, measure, ask how you'll use the space and give you a written estimate that lays out your options and what each one means. It's free, and there's no obligation.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- We respond within 1 business day.
Driveway and patio ideas for San Lorenzo
Concrete questions from San Lorenzo homeowners
Do I need a permit to replace my driveway in San Lorenzo?
Any part of the job that touches the public sidewalk or the street, like the apron where your driveway meets the curb, falls under the county's permits for work in county roads, sidewalks and public rights-of-way. For the rest of the driveway, I confirm the permit question for your address during the estimate. The county is also weighing an updated set of building codes for its unincorporated areas, so we confirm which edition applies when we file.
Does a concrete contractor need a California license to pour a driveway?
Yes, for nearly any driveway or patio, because the state requires a license when a job needs a building permit, uses hired workers or costs $1,000 or more in labor and materials. The only exception is a small job under $1,000 with no permit and no hired help, done by someone who doesn't advertise as licensed, and that rules out almost any slab worth pouring. Ask to see a contractor's license before you sign.
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in San Lorenzo?
The cost comes down to the size, how much old concrete comes out, how deep we dig to reach firm ground and the finish you pick, so I give you a real number only after I've measured at your place. The base is the part people want to cut first because nobody sees it, and it's the part I'd keep, since a nice finish over soft ground still sinks. A plain broom finish costs less than stamped work. That's the light brushed texture that keeps shoes and tires from slipping.
What causes concrete driveways to crack and sink in San Lorenzo?
Usually it's a base that was raked level instead of dug out and packed, so the slab settles unevenly into the layered soil under these lots. Cracks that wander across the middle usually mean the control joints were cut late or skipped. Will a new slab crack like the old one? Concrete shrinks as it dries, so I won't pretend it never cracks. We give it a solid base and joints so the cracks run where we planned them.
How long does a new concrete driveway take before I can drive on it?
You can walk on it well before you can drive on it, because concrete keeps gaining strength as it cures. We tape it off and tell you when it's ready for feet and when it's ready for the car, so plan on parking on the street for a while.
What is the best way to keep water from pooling on a patio in San Lorenzo?
Build the slope in from the start, so the patio falls gently away from the house toward the yard or a drain, because on lots this flat the water has nowhere else to go. Before we set the forms, I walk the yard with you to see where the rain runs now. A slab that tips toward the house sends water against your foundation.