Concrete Contractor in Union City, CA - Driveways and Patios Built on Solid Ground
Complete San Leandro Concrete pours driveways, patios, walkways, steps and slabs for homes in Union City, CA. We're a concrete contractor based in San Leandro, and we dig out and pack the ground under a slab before we pour.
Union City: bay flats and hillside lots
Union City runs from flat ground near the bay up to hillside lots east of Mission Boulevard, and the concrete work changes as you go. On the flats it's mostly older ranch homes and newer townhomes, and the calls are about driveways that sank at the garage, patios that crack or hold water, and front walks that lifted. Up the hill, the questions turn to steps, retaining walls and sloped driveways. It's the same mix we see next door in Hayward, and I drive down from San Leandro to look at each job myself.
Most of what goes wrong here starts under the slab, not on top of it. A slab poured over dirt that was only raked level settles right along with that dirt, so I start with the subgrade, the ground your concrete sits on, and with where the water on your lot wants to run.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- We respond within 1 business day.
Concrete work for Union City homes
Concrete driveway building
Older Union City driveways often sink at the garage or crack across the middle as the dirt settles. We break them out and rebuild the base before pouring.
Concrete patio construction
On the flat ground west of Union City Boulevard, water has nowhere to run unless the patio gives it one. We slope it away from the house.
Concrete sidewalk building
Front walks on older lots crack and lift until someone trips. We tear out the bad sections, rebuild the base and pour them even with the rest.
Concrete steps construction
Hillside homes east of Mission Boulevard often need steps between the street, the door and the yard. We form and pour them with every step the same height.
Concrete retaining walls
Sloped yards up the hill shed soil and water toward patios and driveways. We build walls with drainage behind them so water doesn't push them over.
Slab foundation building
Additions and backyard units here start with a slab that has to sit level. We pour each slab foundation over packed ground with rebar to tie it together.
What to know before a concrete job in Union City
Permits for work in Union City go through the city's Building Division, so that's the office I check first for your address. If your job needs a permit, the application and the city's inspections set the pace more than the pour does, and we handle the application and set up the inspections with you so they fit around the pour date. After the pour, the curing wait decides when you get your driveway or patio back. Before you hire anyone, ask to see their California contractor license and their Union City business license, and the questions below cover when each one applies. We're fully licensed and insured.
Getting a mixer to the job matters as much as the ground. Older houses off Mission Boulevard and Alvarado-Niles Road often have narrow side yards a truck can't reach, so we pump or wheel the concrete back, and that labor shows up in the price along with the size of the job, tearing out an old slab, the base work your ground needs and the finish you pick. The written estimate I leave after measuring spells out each of those choices and what it means for you. Up the hill east of Mission, sloped driveways and steps take more forming, much like the hillside work we do over in San Ramon.
Get a written concrete estimate for your Union City home
Send the form or call (510) 766-7334, and we'll get back to you within one business day to set a time. I come out to your Union City property myself, measure, ask how you'll use the space and leave you a written estimate with your options, free and with no obligation. If you go ahead, our crew does the work and I'm on site running it with them.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- We respond within 1 business day.
Concrete ideas for Union City homes
Concrete questions from Union City homeowners
How do I find out if my concrete project in Union City needs a permit?
Ask the city's Building Division, whose counter handles over-the-counter permits and plan submittals for Union City. The counter is open Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and every other Friday from 9 a.m. to noon. I check this early for your address, so you don't have to take a morning off to find out.
Does a concrete contractor need a business license in Union City?
Yes, Union City requires a business license for every business and trade working in the city, and its list names contractors and out-of-town businesses working inside city limits. That means a crew coming in from a nearby city needs one too, so it's a fair question to ask anyone you're comparing, us included.
When does a contractor need a California state license for concrete work?
A contractor needs a license from the California Contractors State License Board when the job needs a building permit, uses any workers besides the contractor, or adds up to $1,000 or more in labor and materials. A job can go without one only when it needs no permit, uses no employees and comes in under $1,000 all in. Ask for the license before you sign, so you know who you're dealing with.
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Union City?
The size of the driveway, tearing out the old one and the ground underneath set most of the price, and those change from lot to lot, so your written estimate shows the price of each option. You can save on the finish, since a plain broom finish, the light texture that keeps it from getting slick, costs less than stamped or colored concrete. I'd tell you not to save on the base, because it's the part nobody sees on day one and the part that decides whether the slab settles.
What causes concrete driveways and patios to crack in Union City?
Cracking usually comes from the ground and water under the slab moving, and from joints that were cut late or skipped, so the slab picks its own crack. The city's Building Division marks general soils hazard zones east of Mission Boulevard and west of Union City Boulevard, but those are broad areas that say nothing about your lot, so I look at your ground in person. Concrete cracks, so we cut control joints, shallow grooves that tell it where to crack, and slope the slab so water runs away from your house.
How long does a new concrete driveway take to cure before I can drive on it?
You can walk on new concrete well before you can park on it, and I'll give you both dates for your pour, because the slab keeps curing, slowly gaining strength, long after it looks dry. Driving on it too soon is the quickest way to crack a good driveway, so plan on parking on the street for a while. If you can't spare the whole driveway at once, ask about pouring it in two halves so one side stays usable.