Concrete contractor in San Rafael, CA - slabs that drain where they should
El Cerrito Concrete is a concrete contractor working in San Rafael. We pour driveways, patios, walks, steps, retaining walls and foundations, and we spend most of our time on the base, slope and joints you never see.
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San Rafael's older houses and uneven lots
The city calls itself the economic heart of Marin County, and downtown shows it. Offices and shops sit beside parking lots that take traffic all day. A few blocks out it turns to houses, many of them older, with the driveways, walks and front steps that came with them. We're a concrete contractor in El Cerrito, CA, and we come across the bridge for this work the same way we head over to Richmond.
A lot of these lots aren't flat, and a lot of the old concrete on them has seen better decades. So most jobs here start with a look at the slope and at what's under the old slab, well before anybody talks about the pour.
What San Rafael's rules mean for your concrete job
Whether your job needs a permit is the city's call, made through its Building Safety Division. When a job needs one, the permit and its inspections decide when we can pour, so I settle that before we put anything on the calendar. The city also requires a business license from anyone doing business inside city limits, including contractors based outside them. The city says plainly that the license is a tax and not proof that anyone is qualified. Ask a contractor about it, then judge them on how they talk about the base and the drainage.
The price mostly moves with the size of the slab, how much old concrete comes out and how much base work the ground needs. The schedule turns on the permit, if there is one, and the cure. You'll see your own figure on the estimate. The work itself is the same work we do in Alameda and Berkeley. Getting a concrete truck into a tight side yard on a slope is just the San Rafael version.
What do San Rafael driveways and walks need most?
Most of the flatwork we see here, meaning the driveways, walks and patios, went down on whatever dirt was there. When that dirt settles, the slab goes with it, and that's your sinking driveway and the crack across the middle. We dig out to firm ground and pack the subgrade, the layer the slab sits on, before any concrete shows up. It's the part nobody sees after day one, and it's the first thing people want to cut from the budget. If something has to give, let it be the finish. A plain broom finish, the light texture that keeps shoes and tires from slipping, works fine on a good base, and no finish can save a bad one.
Then there's water. On a sloped lot, a slab that falls toward the house sends rain under the house instead of away from it, so I check where the water runs before we set a form. Concrete's going to crack anyway. Control joints are grooves we cut on purpose to tell it where, and we cut them on time so the slab doesn't get to pick.
- 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 San Rafael
Concrete driveway building
Older driveways here tend to sink at the edges and crack where the car sits. We tear out, dig to firm ground, pack the base and repour.
Concrete sidewalk building
Tree roots lift the walks in front of older houses until somebody trips. We cut out the bad panels and pour new ones level with the rest.
Concrete steps construction
Front steps on sloped lots settle away from the house over time. We pour new ones with even risers and treads that shed water.
Concrete retaining walls
Sloped yards need walls that hold the dirt back instead of leaning with it. We pour on a real footing with drainage behind the wall.
Concrete pool decks
Older pool decks crack and hold puddles right where people walk barefoot. We pour new concrete pool decks that slope water away with a finish feet can grip.
Concrete parking lot building
Downtown shops and offices have lots that take traffic all day, and the soft spots show first. We rebuild the base and pour slabs sized for the load.
How a San Rafael concrete job goes
Call or send the form
Call (510) 973-2452 or send the form with a line about the job. We get back to you and set a time for me to come out.
I walk the site
I look at the ground, where the water runs and what the concrete has to carry, then I give you the estimate before I leave. You know the price before anyone picks up a shovel.
We handle the permit and inspections
When the job needs a permit, we pull it under our license and book the inspections, which San Rafael now schedules through its online permit system. If it's not clear whether yours needs one, I check with the city before I price the work.
We prep, pour and clean up
Our crew digs out, packs the base, sets the forms and pours, and I'm on site running it. We leave the site clean, and the slab gets its curing time, the wait while it hardens enough to use, before anyone drives on it.
Get a free on-site estimate for your San Rafael concrete job
Send the form and we'll reply within 1 business day to set up a visit. I come out to your San Rafael property, look at the job and give you a free estimate on the spot. There's 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
San Rafael concrete questions, answered
Do I need a permit for a new concrete driveway in San Rafael?
We find out before we price it, because San Rafael's permit list covers work that builds, alters, repairs, moves or demolishes a building and doesn't spell out driveways. I check with the city's building office for your job. If it needs a permit, we pull it under our license and book the inspections.
How do I know if my retaining wall in San Rafael needs a permit?
The city's older permit handout exempts retaining walls up to 4 feet tall, measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall, unless the wall holds back extra load, like a driveway or slope above it, or flammable liquids. Even exempt work can get conditions from the city's planning, fire or public works offices, so I check your wall before we price it.
Does a small shed in San Rafael need a building permit?
The city's older handout exempts a one-story detached shed or playhouse up to 120 square feet with no plumbing, electrical or heating. That exemption is written for the shed, so I check with the city before we pour the slab under it. Other city offices can still set conditions on work that needs no building permit.
How long does a building permit stay valid in San Rafael?
Building permits the city issued after January 1, 2023 are good for 2 years, and minor permits, such as water heater or furnace permits, are good for 180 days. A permit that hasn't passed its final inspection by then needs a renewal fee, so we plan the pour and the final inspection around that date.
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in San Rafael?
Your price comes from the size of the driveway, how much old concrete comes out and how much base work the ground underneath needs. Thickness, how much rebar goes in, the finish and how close the truck can park move it too, and stamped or colored work costs more than a broom finish. I give you the number on site once I've seen it.
What causes concrete driveways in San Rafael to crack and sink?
Usually the base was raked level instead of dug out and packed, so the slab settled along with the dirt. Water running under it, and joints that were cut late or skipped, make it worse. We dig to firm ground, pack the base, slope the slab away from the house and cut the joints on time, so the cracks show up where we put them.
Call about your San Rafael concrete job
A slab that's starting to sink is easier to fix before water gets under it and breaks it up, so call (510) 973-2452 or send the form.
Request an estimateCall (510) 973-2452