Concrete Contractor in Kentfield, CA - Flatwork for Canyon and Creekside Lots
Premier San Rafael Concrete Company builds driveways, patios, steps, walls and foundations in Kentfield, CA. We're a concrete contractor based in San Rafael, and I come out to every job myself while our own crew does the work.
- Concrete driveway building
- Concrete patio construction
- Stamped concrete services
- Concrete sidewalk building
- Garage floor concrete
- Decorative concrete
- Concrete retaining walls
- Concrete floor installation
- Concrete pool decks
- Concrete steps construction
- Slab foundation building
- Foundation installation
- Concrete parking lot building
- Concrete footings
- Foundation raising
- Concrete cutting
- Licensed and insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- We respond within 1 business day.
Kentfield concrete work, from canyon lots to the creek
Kentfield is mostly homes, many of them older, on lots that run from steep, wooded streets up the canyons to flatter ground near Corte Madera Creek. Most of the calls we get here are about driveways that have cracked or dropped, patios that hold water and steps that have shifted, plus footings and foundations when someone adds on. It's the same kind of work we do next door in San Anselmo and Fairfax, so the ground and the houses aren't new to us.
That spread of lots means no two Kentfield jobs look much alike. Up the hill, a driveway is often as much a grading job as a concrete job, and down near the creek, the work starts with figuring out where the water will go on ground that's nearly flat.
Kentfield properties and what they ask of concrete
- Older slabs here were often poured on dirt that was raked level instead of dug out and packed, so they've settled and cracked as the ground moved under them.
- A lot of the cracked driveways we see here never had control joints, the cut grooves that give a slab a straight place to crack, so the cracks wander.
- Big trees on wooded lots push roots under old driveways and walks and lift them, and I'd rather plan around a root with you than pour over it and hope.
- Narrow, steep driveways make it harder to get the truck or a pump close, so how we reach the spot shapes how we plan the pour.
Concrete services we offer in Kentfield
Concrete driveway building
When an old driveway has sunk, cracked across or pools water by the garage, we tear it out, dig to firm ground, pack a new base and pour.
Concrete patio construction
For a backyard patio on a sloped or shaded lot, we set the grade so water runs off toward the yard and away from your house.
Stamped concrete services
Stamped concrete gives a patio or walk the look of stone or brick, and we put the same work into the base underneath as any plain slab.
Concrete sidewalk building
Front walks lifted by tree roots become a trip hazard, so we cut out the bad sections, deal with the root where we can and pour new.
Garage floor concrete
An older garage floor that's cracked, uneven or chipping can be broken out and repoured flat, which matters if you plan to finish the space or store anything heavy.
Decorative concrete
Colored and textured finishes suit entries and outdoor living areas here, and we'll tell you plainly which ones hold up and which need more upkeep.
Concrete retaining walls
On canyon lots, a concrete wall can hold a cut slope or make room for a flat yard, and taller walls usually need an engineer's design first.
Concrete floor installation
For a new room, studio or basement floor, we pour a slab that comes out flat and level, the kind I always wanted to lay tile on.
Concrete pool decks
Around a pool, the deck has to shed water toward the drains, not back into the pool, and the surface needs enough grip for wet feet.
Concrete steps construction
Hillside homes here often have long runs of steps from the street, and we rebuild them so every step is the same height and the treads shed water.
Slab foundation building
For an addition, garage or accessory unit on flat enough ground, we form and pour the slab foundation to the engineer's or builder's plan.
Foundation installation
On a sloped lot, a new foundation usually steps down the hill, and we build it to the drawings instead of guessing at what the ground will do.
Concrete parking lot building
For a shared drive, a small lot at a church or office, or a multi-unit property, we pour slabs thick enough for the traffic they'll carry.
Concrete footings
Decks, additions and retaining walls all sit on footings, the concrete under the load, and we dig them to firm soil and set the steel as drawn.
Foundation raising
When an older house has settled and doors stick or floors slope, we raise and support the foundation, and I'll say so if it needs an engineer first.
Concrete cutting
We saw-cut openings, trenches and clean edges in existing slabs, so you can run a drain line or remove one bad section without breaking up the whole driveway.
- Request an estimate
Get a free on-site estimate for your Kentfield project
Call or send the form, and we'll get back to you within one business day to set a time. I'll come out to your Kentfield property myself, look at the slab, the slope and where the water goes, and check whether the job needs a permit. The estimate is free, and there's no obligation to book.
(628) 234-2042Kentfield concrete questions homeowners ask us
How long does it take to get a permit for concrete work in Kentfield?
Simpler county permits are issued on demand, while more complex ones involve inspections and often approved plans and can take many weeks or months after the application. Whether your job needs a permit, and which kind, depends on the work, so I check with the office that covers your address before we schedule anything. When it does need one, we handle the application and the inspections, and a job that needs drawings, like a foundation, is where I'd plan for the longer wait.
Does a concrete contractor in Kentfield need a California license?
Yes, in most cases, because the California Contractors State License Board requires a license when a project needs a building permit, uses employee labor, or totals $1,000 or more in labor and materials. The contractor needs that license before bidding, and a bigger job can't be split into pieces under $1,000 to get around it. We're licensed and insured, and I'd ask any contractor you're considering about their license before you take their bid.
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Kentfield?
I can't give you an honest number until I've seen your driveway, because the price here turns on the site as much as the size. It moves with the slab's size and thickness, whether there's an old one to break out, how much soft base has to be dug out and replaced with packed rock, the slope, how close we can get the truck, and the finish, where a plain broom finish, a light texture that gives tires and shoes grip, costs less than stamped. The schedule turns on whether a permit is needed, the tear-out and curing, the wait while the concrete gains strength before you drive on it. If the budget is tight, I'll suggest a simpler finish before I'll cut the base, because you see the finish on day one and you find out about the base years later.
What causes concrete driveways in Kentfield to crack and sink?
Usually it's what's under the slab, not the concrete itself. The failed driveways we tear out tend to have a base that was raked level instead of dug out and packed, water running under them or toward the house, or control joints cut late or skipped, so the cracks landed wherever they wanted. We dig down to firm subgrade, the soil the slab sits on, pack a rock base, slope the surface away from the house and cut the joints on time, and while no slab is crack-proof, that's how you get cracks in the joints instead of across the middle.
How much of Kentfield is in a fire or flood hazard zone?
By one hazard data site's figures from CAL FIRE maps, 51% of Kentfield's land is in a High fire hazard zone, 7% is Moderate and less than 1% is Very High. The same site puts 7% of the land in FEMA's 1% annual chance flood area and 14% in the 0.2% annual chance area, often called the 500-year area. Those are shares of land, not a ruling on your lot, so check the CAL FIRE and FEMA maps for your own address and tell me what you find when I come out.
What building code does Marin County use for concrete work?
Marin County enforces the California building codes with its own local changes, and the Marin County Community Development Agency is the office that enforces those changes. The county has also proposed moving its changes onto the newer state code update, so I check which version applies when we pull a permit for your job.
Call about your Kentfield concrete job
Call (628) 234-2042 any day of the week, early mornings included, or send us the form and tell us what your slab is doing.