Concrete contractor in Richmond, CA - slabs that sit flat and shed water
Premier San Rafael Concrete Company is a concrete contractor working in Richmond, CA. We pour driveways, patios, garage floors, steps and sidewalks, and we build footings and foundations to plan for homeowners and builders.
- 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.
Our concrete work in Richmond and nearby cities
Our Richmond calls cover the whole range, from cracked driveways in front of older houses to garage floors, back patios and footings for builders putting up new homes. We're a concrete contractor in San Rafael, CA, and since 2017 we've taken jobs in cities from Petaluma down to Berkeley, so Richmond is part of our usual run, a short drive from San Rafael. I come out to look at every job myself, and our own crew does the work with me on site.
On an older lot, what's under the old slab tells me more than its cracks do, so I look at the edges and any broken pieces before I price the job. If we pour new concrete over the same loose base, it settles the same way the old slab did.
Why Richmond slabs crack, sink and hold water
- Most sunken driveways we break out were poured on dirt that was raked level instead of dug out and packed, so the slab settled right along with it.
- Patios and driveways that tip toward the house send rain against the foundation and into the garage, so I check where the water runs before we set a single form.
- A nice finish on a weak base looks good for about a year and then starts to sink, so when a budget is tight I'd cut the decorative finish before the base work.
Concrete work we do for Richmond homes and builders
Concrete driveway building
When a Richmond driveway has sunk, cracked across the middle or pools water by the garage, we break it out, rebuild the base and pour a new slab.
Concrete patio construction
For a back patio that has tipped toward the house or broken into pieces, we pour a new slab sloped to carry rain out to the yard.
Stamped concrete services
Stamped concrete gives a patio or walk the look of stone or brick, and we lay the same packed base under it that a plain slab gets.
Concrete sidewalk building
Walks with lifted or sunken sections turn into a trip hazard, so we replace them with even panels and joints cut where cracks can hide.
Garage floor concrete
A cracked, chipping or uneven garage floor gets broken out and repoured flat, with a slight fall toward the door so water doesn't sit inside.
Decorative concrete
Colored, exposed-aggregate or textured finishes suit an entry or front walk, and we match the finish to how much foot traffic and water it sees.
Concrete retaining walls
Where a yard drops off or soil is pushing on a driveway edge, we build retaining walls and tell you when the wall needs an engineer.
Concrete floor installation
Interior slabs for additions, workshops and basements go in level and flat enough for tile or flooring to sit on without grinding or filling first.
Concrete pool decks
Pool decks need a surface that grips wet feet and slopes water away from the pool, so we finish and pitch them with both in mind.
Concrete steps construction
Front steps that have cracked, pulled away from the porch or vary in height get rebuilt on proper footings, so every step rises the same amount.
Slab foundation building
For builders and owners putting up a new home, garage or addition, we build slab foundations to the plans, with the base and steel checked before the pour.
Foundation installation
When a house or addition needs perimeter foundation walls, we form and pour them to the engineer's drawings and set anchor bolts where the framer needs them.
Concrete parking lot building
Small lots for shops and apartment buildings take heavier traffic, so we pour them thicker, with rebar, the steel that ties a slab together, and drainage planned first.
Concrete footings
Decks, additions and posts sit on footings, the concrete that carries their weight, and we dig and pour them to the depth and width on the plans.
Foundation raising
When part of a house has settled and doors stick or floors slope, I find the cause first and say if an engineer should see it before lifting.
Concrete cutting
We saw-cut openings, trenches for drain or utility lines and clean edges where only part of a driveway or patio needs replacing, so the rest stays put.
- Request an estimate
Get a free on-site concrete estimate in Richmond
We reply to every call and message within one business day. I'll set a time to come out to your Richmond property, look at the slab and what's under it, and give you a free estimate on the spot, with no pressure to book.
(628) 234-2042Richmond concrete questions we hear most
Does a concrete driveway or patio need a permit in Richmond, CA?
It can, so it's worth checking before anything gets poured. The city's Building Division requires a permit to build, alter, repair or demolish any building or structure, and the city's list of work exempt from permits says a permit is likely needed for any project it doesn't name. I check your job with the city before we schedule it, and when it needs a permit we handle the application and the inspections.
Who can pull a building permit in Richmond, CA?
The city issues building permits only to property owners, their authorized agents and licensed contractors. A licensed contractor has to show a state contractor's license card, a workers' compensation insurance certificate and a current City of Richmond business license when registering for the permit, so ask anyone you're thinking of hiring whether they can bring all three. We're licensed and insured.
How long does a building permit take in Richmond?
It depends on the scope of the work. The city's permit page says most single-trade permits, and residential remodels that need no drawings, are issued once the required application documents are received and checked. Applications go in online, or in person by appointment if you can't submit electronically, and when we handle the permit I build that wait into the schedule before we set a pour date.
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Richmond, CA?
The cost depends on your driveway's size and condition, so I give you a number on site after I've looked at it. Breaking out and hauling away the old slab, how much base has to be dug out and replaced, the thickness, the rebar, how close a truck can get and the finish all move the price. A broom finish, the light texture that keeps shoes and tires from slipping, costs less than stamped or colored work.
How do I keep a new concrete driveway from cracking like the old one?
Get the base and the joints right, because together they decide where a slab cracks. Along with digging out and packing the base, we cut control joints, shallow grooves that give the concrete a straight line to crack along, and we pour early in the day instead of in midday heat that can leave a weak, dusty top. Concrete still shrinks as it hardens, so the goal is a crack that stays hidden in a joint instead of one wandering across the middle.
How long before I can drive on a new concrete driveway?
Usually you can walk on it after a day or two and drive on it after about a week. That wait is curing, the slab hardening and gaining strength well after the top looks dry, and parking on it early can break the edges. How long you're without the driveway overall also turns on breaking out the old slab, any permit and the weather, and I'll give you the dates when we set the pour.
Call about your Richmond concrete job today
We take calls seven days a week, early morning to late evening, so call (628) 234-2042 or fill out our estimate form while you're home looking at the slab.