Concrete Contractor in Richmond, CA - Driveways and Patios That Drain Right
El Cerrito Concrete is a concrete contractor based in El Cerrito that pours driveways, patios, walks, steps and foundations for homeowners in Richmond, with the base dug out, the slope set and the joints cut where they belong.
Request an estimate
Richmond driveways, from the hills to the shore
Richmond sits right next to us. We're based in El Cerrito, so it's a short drive, and the work here runs from narrow driveways behind older houses to hillside lots and the newer streets out toward the Bay Trail. A lot of these houses have been through a few owners and a few rounds of patching, and you can usually tell by the driveway. We do the same kind of work next door in San Pablo.
That mix is why I don't price a Richmond job off a photo. Most of what we do here is flatwork, the driveways, walks and patios that lie on the ground, and an older lot often hides a thin slab on dirt nobody packed, while a hillside lot needs the slope worked out before anything gets formed.
What we deal with on Richmond jobs
Building permits in Richmond come from the city's Building Division, and the city requires one before anyone builds, alters, repairs or demolishes a building or structure, apart from the work on its exempt list. Whether your job needs one is the city's call, so when it does, we pull it under our license and book the inspections, and when it isn't clear, I check with the city before I price the work. Before you hire anyone, ask for a Contractor's State License Card, a workers' comp insurance certificate and a current City of Richmond Business License, because the city asks a licensed contractor for all three before it registers them for a permit.
The price here mostly comes from what you don't see, like how much old concrete has to come out, how deep we dig and pack the base, how the slope has to run to get water away from the house, and how close the truck can get to the forms. The schedule turns on the permit and on how long the slab has to cure before you use it, and I write your estimate on the spot so you see all of that in one number. It's the same story across the line in Berkeley, where we pour the same kind of work.
What do Richmond driveways and patios need most?
Most calls we get here are for driveways and walks that have cracked, sunk or lifted. On older streets the usual cause is a slab poured thin over dirt that was raked level instead of dug out and packed, so it settled with the dirt, and street tree roots finish the job from underneath. We cut out the bad section, dig down to firm ground, pack a real base and add rebar, the steel that holds a slab together once it cracks, wherever the concrete has to carry a car.
The other one is water. A slab that falls toward the house sends every rain at your foundation or garage door, and you'll see it as pooling and chipped edges, so we check where the water goes before we form anything and pitch the new slab away from the house.
- Call (510) 973-2452
- Mon–Fri: 6 AM–10 PM, Sat–Sun: 8 AM–10 PM
- El Cerrito, CA 94530
Concrete work we do in Richmond
Concrete driveway building
Older Richmond driveways often sink because the base was never packed. We dig to firm ground, pack a new base and pour with rebar.
Concrete patio construction
Plenty of back patios here pool water against the house. Our concrete patio construction starts with the slope, so the water runs to the yard.
Concrete sidewalk building
Street trees lift a lot of front walks on Richmond's older blocks. We cut out the lifted sections and repour them flat, with joints where cracks can go.
Concrete steps construction
Front steps on hillside and older homes crack and go uneven over the years. We form new ones with even risers and a broom finish for grip.
Concrete retaining walls
Sloped lots in the hills often need a wall to hold the yard. We pour concrete walls with drainage behind so water doesn't build up against them.
Concrete footings
Additions and garages going up on Richmond lots start with footings. I read the plans, and we dig, set the steel and pour them to match.
How it works when you call us in Richmond
Call us or send the form
Call (510) 973-2452 or use the form, and we'll get back to you to set a time to come out. Tell us what the concrete is for and roughly how big the job is.
I walk the site with you
I look at the old slab, where the water runs and what the concrete has to carry, then write your estimate on the spot so you know the number before anything gets torn up. It helps if you're home so we can walk it together.
We pull permits and book inspections
If the job needs a permit, we pull it under our license and set up the inspections. The city says most single-trade permits and residential remodels that need no drawings are issued once it receives and checks the application documents, so a job that needs drawings can take longer.
We prep, form, pour and clean up
Our crew digs out, packs the base, forms and pours, and I'm on site running it. We cut the control joints, the grooves that tell the slab where to crack, and leave the site clean.
Get a free on-site estimate for your Richmond concrete job
Send the form and we reply within one business day to set a time. I come out to your Richmond property, look at the job and give you a free estimate on the spot, with no pressure and no obligation.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Phone
- (510) 973-2452
- Location
- El Cerrito, CA 94530
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 6 AM–10 PM, Sat–Sun: 8 AM–10 PM
Questions about concrete work in Richmond
Do I need a building permit for a concrete driveway in Richmond?
Don't assume you don't, because the city's list of work exempt from permits says a permit is likely required for every project except the ones it lists. Once I've seen your job, we sort out with the city whether it needs one before you get a final price.
Who can pull a building permit in Richmond?
The city issues building permits only to property owners or their authorized agents and to licensed contractors, according to its permit page. That's why we pull the permit under our license and bring the papers mentioned above when we register, so you don't have to deal with it.
How do I apply for a building permit in Richmond, CA?
You apply electronically, and the city takes applications in person by appointment if you can't submit online. When we're doing your job, that part's on us.
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Richmond?
I can't give you a fair number without seeing it, and I write the estimate on the spot when I do. Size matters, but the bigger swings usually come from tear-out, base work and how close the truck can get, and a stamped or colored finish costs more than a plain broom finish. If something has to give, give on the finish, because the base is buried on day one and it's the part that decides how long the slab lasts.
How long before I can drive on a new concrete driveway?
Usually about a week, and you can walk on it after a day or two. That wait is curing, the stretch where the concrete hardens and picks up its strength, and a car on it early can crack or mark it, so we tell you the day we pour when it's safe to use.
What causes concrete driveways to crack in Richmond?
Most bad cracks come from a base that settled, a slab that holds water, or joints cut late or skipped, so cracks show up wherever they like. Concrete's going to crack eventually, and my job is to tell it where, so we pack the base, set the slope, cut the joints on time and pour early in the day so the top doesn't dry out weak and dusty.
Get your Richmond concrete job on the schedule
Satisfaction guaranteed on every job, so call (510) 973-2452 or send the form and tell us what the concrete has to carry.
Request an estimateCall (510) 973-2452