Concrete Contractor in Novato, CA - Slabs That Sit Flat and Shed Water
Premier San Rafael Concrete Company is a concrete contractor based in San Rafael. We pour driveways, patios, garage floors, footings and foundations in Novato, CA, and I look at every job myself.
- 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.
Novato homes, lots and the concrete they need
Novato sits between San Rafael and Petaluma, and a lot of our calls here come from homeowners who need a new driveway, patio or garage floor. Builders call too, when footings and foundations have to match a plan.
What changes the job here is usually the lot. Some houses sit on flat ground in the valleys, where water has nowhere obvious to go, so the slab has to be pitched to carry it off. Others are up on hillsides, where the driveway runs steep, the base takes more digging and packing, and a retaining wall sometimes comes into it. Those things, along with how much old concrete comes out and how close a truck can get, are what move the price and the schedule, and I'll give you your own figures once I've walked the site.
Why Novato slabs crack, sink and hold water
- Many cracked, sunken Novato driveways we look at sat on a subgrade, the dirt under the slab, that was raked level instead of dug out and packed.
- Before we form anything, I check where the water runs, because a patio or walk that falls toward the house sends rain straight at your foundation.
- Mature trees beside older driveways lift slabs from below, so we plan the layout and the joints around the roots instead of pouring over them and hoping.
Concrete work we do for Novato homes and builders
Concrete driveway building
We replace sunken or split Novato driveways from the dirt up, then keep cars off until curing, the time concrete needs to harden, has done its job.
Concrete patio construction
Patios are flatwork, the flat slabs around a house, and we set their height and fall so they meet your back door cleanly and send water to the yard.
Stamped concrete services
Stamped concrete gives a patio or walk the look of stone or brick, and if the budget is tight I'd spend it on the base, not the pattern.
Concrete sidewalk building
We pour front walks and side paths with a broom finish, a light brushed texture that gives your shoes some grip when the walk is wet.
Garage floor concrete
A garage floor has to be flat and dry underneath, because epoxy or tile laid over a wet or uneven slab won't hold up for long.
Decorative concrete
Colored and exposed-aggregate finishes dress up an entry or patio, but they only last when the slab under them is built right, so the base comes first.
Concrete retaining walls
On sloped Novato lots, a concrete retaining wall holds the hillside back from a driveway or yard, and some walls need an engineer's design before we build them.
Concrete floor installation
For basements, shops and additions, we pour interior floors flat enough to take tile, wood or carpet without grinding down high spots later.
Concrete pool decks
Around a pool, the deck has to drain away from the water and give bare feet some grip, so we plan the slope and the finish together.
Concrete steps construction
Cracked or uneven front steps catch toes, so we form new ones with even risers and a landing that drains, tied into the walk you already have.
Slab foundation building
For new homes, additions and ADUs, we build slab foundations to the engineer's plan, with the base packed and the slab level before framing starts.
Foundation installation
When a builder needs a foundation done to plan, we set the forms and rebar, the steel that keeps concrete from pulling apart, then pour.
Concrete parking lot building
For small business lots and multi-unit buildings, we pour parking areas thick enough for the traffic they get, with drainage planned so water doesn't sit.
Concrete footings
Footings are the buried concrete under decks, walls and additions, and we dig them to the depth and width your plans or the inspector call for.
Foundation raising
When part of a house or slab has settled, raising it can bring it back up, and I'll tell you on site if it needs an engineer first.
Concrete cutting
We saw-cut concrete for new doorways, plumbing trenches and clean edges where an old slab meets a new one, so the break goes exactly where it should.
- Request an estimate
A free on-site concrete estimate in Novato
Send the form or call (628) 234-2042, and we'll get back to you within one business day to set a time. I come out to your Novato property myself to look at the slab, the ground and the drainage, and the estimate is free with no obligation to book.
(628) 234-2042Concrete permit and planning questions in Novato
Who issues building permits for concrete work in Novato?
The City of Novato's Building Division issues building permits, reviews plans and sends inspectors out to the job. Whether your driveway or patio needs one depends on the work, and the division keeps a guide to required and exempt work that lays it out. I check with the division for your address, and when a permit is needed we handle the application and the inspections.
Can I get an instant permit in Novato for a concrete driveway or patio?
Concrete work isn't on Novato's instant permit list, which covers like-for-like home projects such as water heater, HVAC and electrical panel replacements, reroofs, window and door replacements, and kitchen or bath remodels. Even those are issued online only once the city confirms the project qualifies. For a driveway or patio, I ask the Building Division what your job needs before we put it on the schedule.
How do I schedule a building inspection in Novato?
Inspections are requested through the city's Novato Permits portal, and only for a permit that's already been issued. The person asking has to be listed as a contact on that permit, and applying online takes a Novato Permits account. When we handle your permit, we set up the inspections too, so they line up with the pour.
Does a concrete contractor need a license to work in Novato?
Yes, Novato requires a business license or permit to do business in the city, and a new California contractor license comes only after passing the state's exams. There are a few exceptions for people already qualified in the same trade or who passed the exams recently. We're licensed and insured, and you're welcome to ask me about it when I come out.
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Novato?
There's no single price, because it comes down to the slab's size and thickness, how much base work your lot needs and the finish you pick. A driveway is poured thicker than a walk because it carries cars, and rebar, stamping or color add to the cost, while a plain broom finish keeps it down. I give you your number after I've looked at the ground.
What causes concrete driveways to crack in Novato, and will a new one crack too?
Concrete shrinks as it cures, so some cracking is normal, and the goal is to make it crack where we choose. We cut control joints, shallow grooves that give the slab a straight line to crack along, while the concrete is still fresh, because joints cut late or skipped leave cracks running wherever they like. Add the packed base and the drainage check, and the cracks you do get usually stay in the joints instead of across the middle.
Plan your Novato concrete job with us
We pick up early mornings, evenings and weekends, so call (628) 234-2042 or send the form whenever you're free to talk it through.