Concrete Contractor in Mill Valley, CA - Flat, Well-Drained Slabs on Hillside Lots
Premier San Rafael Concrete Company is a concrete contractor building driveways, patios, steps, retaining walls and foundations in Mill Valley, CA, with the owner on every site and our own crew doing 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.
Mill Valley jobs start with the slope and the street
Most of what we pour in Mill Valley sits on a slope. There are driveways that climb from a narrow street, entry steps up to houses set above the road, and patios on ground that was cut or filled to make it flat. We're a concrete contractor based in San Rafael, CA, a short drive north. I come out to look at every job myself, the same as I do next door in Strawberry and Corte Madera or up in Novato.
On ground like this, the price and the schedule turn on things I can only judge in person, so your own figure comes from the estimate. The big ones are how much old concrete comes out, how deep the base has to be dug and packed, whether a truck can reach the forms or we pump the concrete up, and whether a permit is involved. The slope also decides where the water runs, and that sets the shape of the slab before anything else does.
Hillside lots here put more on the base
- On cut-and-fill lots the subgrade, the soil under the slab, can be firm on one side and loose on the other, so we dig it out and pack it.
- A driveway or patio that runs downhill toward a house sends water against the foundation, so we check where it goes before the forms go in.
- Narrow, winding streets limit where a concrete truck can park, so on many jobs we pump the concrete up to the forms, and that's part of the estimate.
Concrete work we do on Mill Valley homes
Concrete driveway building
For steep driveways we pack the base, set rebar, the steel that holds the slab together, and leave a broom finish, a light ridged texture, for grip.
Concrete patio construction
A backyard patio on a hillside lot often needs fill packed in layers and a slight fall away from the house so water doesn't pool by the door.
Stamped concrete services
Stamped concrete gives a patio or walk the look of stone or brick, and on a sloped site it still needs the same base and joints underneath.
Concrete sidewalk building
We replace front walks and side paths that have heaved or chipped, so the walk from the street to your door is even and sheds water.
Garage floor concrete
Older garage floors often crack or slope the wrong way, so we break out the slab, rebuild the base and pour a floor that drains out the door.
Decorative concrete
Color, exposed aggregate or a sealed finish can dress up an entry or patio, and we'll tell you which ones hold up where cars turn on a slope.
Concrete retaining walls
Hillside yards here often need walls to hold back a cut slope, and I'll tell you when a wall's height or the load behind it calls for an engineer.
Concrete floor installation
Interior slabs that will get tile, wood or polish need to come out flat and dry, which matters to me after years of setting tile over bad ones.
Concrete pool decks
On a terraced lot, a pool deck has to shed splash water away from the pool and the house, with a textured finish that stays grippy under bare feet.
Concrete steps construction
Houses that sit above the street need entry steps that are even top to bottom, because one tall step in a run is the one people trip on.
Slab foundation building
On sloped lots, a slab for an addition or garage starts with getting the grade right, and we pour it to plan with the base and rebar the drawings call for.
Foundation installation
Builders and owners call us for perimeter foundations and stem walls built to the engineer's plan, which on hillside lots often means stepped footings.
Concrete parking lot building
Small lots behind shops, offices and multi-unit buildings need heavier slabs and a clear drain path, because delivery trucks and standing water break thin concrete fast.
Concrete footings
Decks, additions and retaining walls on a slope rest on footings, the concrete pads below ground, so we dig and pour them to the depth on the plan.
Foundation raising
On hillside houses where a corner has settled, we find out why before lifting anything, and I'll say plainly if it needs an engineer first.
Concrete cutting
We saw-cut old slabs for tear-outs, new drain lines or a wider driveway, which leaves a clean edge where the rest of the concrete stays.
- Request an estimate
Get a free on-site estimate for your Mill Valley project
We reply to every call and message within one business day to set a time, and I come out to your Mill Valley address myself to look at the slope, the access and the old concrete. The estimate is free, and there's no pressure to book.
(628) 234-2042Mill Valley concrete questions we hear most
Who issues permits for concrete work in Mill Valley?
Inside city limits, the City of Mill Valley's Building Division issues permits, reviews plans and does the field inspections. Its list of minor permits covers things like water heaters, re-roofs and window replacements, not driveways or patios, so I check with the office that covers your address whether your job needs one. When it does, we handle the application and the inspections.
How do I find out if my Mill Valley address is inside city limits?
Check whether you're in Strawberry, Tam Valley, Homestead, Almonte or Alto, because those Mill Valley addresses sit in unincorporated Marin County, outside the city's jurisdiction. That changes which office you deal with for a permit, so I confirm it for your address before we plan the job.
Do I need a permit for a concrete retaining wall in Mill Valley?
Under the city's permit handout, a retaining wall no more than 4 feet tall, measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall, doesn't need a building permit unless it holds up a surcharge, extra weight behind it such as a driveway or a slope rising above it. Taller walls, or short ones carrying that kind of load, fall outside that exemption, and the Planning Department or Public Works can still set conditions on a wall that's exempt. On a hillside the buried footing counts toward those 4 feet, which catches people off guard.
Does a contractor need a business license to work in Mill Valley?
Yes, the City of Mill Valley requires a business license for any business activity inside city limits, and it has to be applied for and approved before the work starts. Once that license is paid for the current fiscal year, a contractor can apply for permits through the city's online system. It's fair to ask any contractor you're considering whether theirs is current.
How much does a concrete driveway cost in Mill Valley?
It depends mostly on the site, so I give you a figure after I've walked it, not over the phone. Past the tear-out, base and access, the choices that move it are the size, the thickness, the rebar and the finish, since a plain broom finish costs less than stamped or colored concrete. If the work needs a permit, the city may also want a construction management plan covering parking, truck routes and material storage, approved before the permit is issued, and that can move the schedule.
What causes a new concrete driveway to crack?
Most cracks in new concrete come from what's under it and how the joints were handled, not from the surface. A base that's raked flat instead of dug out and packed settles with the dirt, and control joints, grooves cut across the slab so it cracks along a line we chose, don't help if they're cut late or skipped. Pouring in midday heat and rushing the curing, the wait while the slab gains strength before you use it, leave a weak, dusty top, and if a budget has to give I'd cut the finish before the base, because the base is the part that decides how the slab holds up.
Send us your Mill Valley address and project
We pick up seven days a week, early morning into the evening, so call (628) 234-2042 or send the details through our estimate form.