Concrete Contractor in Alamo, CA - Driveways and Patios Built on a Solid Base
King Concord Concrete Works is a concrete contractor based in Concord that builds driveways, patios, walkways, steps and retaining walls for homeowners in Alamo, with the base dug out, packed and sloped to drain before we pour.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- Expect a reply within 1 business day.
Alamo homes, lots and the concrete they need
Alamo is mostly single-family homes on bigger lots, a short drive from where we're based, and a lot of what we do here is flatwork, our word for driveways, patios and walks poured flat on the ground.
The houses run from older ranch homes with their original concrete to newer, larger builds, and the ground goes from fairly flat streets to lots that climb into the hills. We do the same kinds of jobs in Walnut Creek and San Ramon, but Alamo's yards tend to be bigger and less level. On a sloped lot, where the water wants to go decides the dig, the base and which way the slab falls, so that's the first thing I look at here.
Concrete work we do on Alamo properties
Concrete driveway building
Long Alamo driveways take a lot of weight over a lot of length, so we dig out the soft dirt and pack the base before the pour.
Concrete patio construction
Big back yards here leave room for a real patio, and we set the slope so rainwater runs toward the yard and away from your house.
Stamped concrete services
Stamped concrete gives a patio or front entry the look of stone or brick in one pour, which suits the older ranch homes here.
Concrete sidewalk building
On a big lot, the walk to the front door runs long, and one settled section becomes a trip edge. We replace it on a packed base.
Garage floor concrete
An older garage floor here is often cracked, stained or sloped the wrong way, and a new slab sheds water out the door instead of pooling.
Decorative concrete
Colored and textured finishes let a driveway or patio sit well with the house and the landscaping on a larger lot, instead of plain gray.
Concrete retaining walls
Sloped yards here often need a concrete wall to hold back the hill for a flat patio or lawn, with drainage built in behind it.
Concrete floor installation
For a workshop, pool house or other outbuilding on a bigger lot, we pour an interior floor on a packed base with steel inside to hold it together.
Concrete pool decks
Plenty of back yards here have a pool, and a cracked, lifting deck is a trip hazard. We pour it new with a finish that grips wet feet.
Concrete steps construction
Houses up a slope need front and back steps with every step the same height, and we form and pour them to match the walk.
Slab foundation building
For an addition, a garage or a backyard cottage on an Alamo lot, we pour the slab the walls sit on, starting with the ground under it.
Foundation installation
When a new building on a sloped lot here needs footings and walls instead of one flat slab, we set the forms and steel and pour the foundation.
Concrete parking lot building
Small property owners with a shared lot or commercial space here need parking that drains and takes daily traffic, so we build it on a thick, packed base.
Concrete footings
Decks, pergolas, sheds and garden walls on Alamo lots all need footings, the buried concrete that carries the weight, dug down to firm ground.
Foundation raising
When part of an older house has settled and you see sticking doors or new cracks, we look at what moved and lift the foundation back toward level.
Concrete cutting
Adding a drain or widening a driveway on an existing property often means cutting old concrete cleanly instead of breaking out more than you need.
A free written estimate for your Alamo concrete job
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day to set up a visit. The estimate is free, done at your place and written down, and you're under no obligation.
(925) 536-0945- Based in
- Concord, CA 94519
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 6 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 8 AM–9 PM
How the County side works on an Alamo concrete job
Alamo has no city government of its own, so Contra Costa County issues the building and grading permits here and does the inspections. The County says almost every project in its unincorporated area needs one or the other, and since its list doesn't name driveways or patios, we check with the County for your address and handle the paperwork when a permit is needed. When there is one, the County's review comes before the pour, so the schedule waits on them as well as on us. Before you hire anyone, check two things: a license from the Contractors State License Board, the state office that licenses contractors, and a County business license, which every contractor working in Alamo needs no matter where they're based. We're licensed and insured, and I'll answer any of this at the estimate.
We come down from Concord, and the roads into Alamo's hills matter more to a job than people expect, because a narrow street or a long, steep driveway decides whether the truck can pour straight in or we need a pump. That's one of the things that moves the price, along with the size and thickness of the slab, how much old concrete we tear out, how much digging and packing the base needs and the finish you pick, from a plain broom finish, the light texture that gives tires and shoes some grip, to stamped or colored work. The schedule turns on the County review when there's a permit and on the curing wait after the pour, and the estimate puts your own figure in writing.
Older concrete and sloped lots in Alamo
A lot of the driveways and patios here were poured when the house was built, and after that many years the trouble usually starts underneath. Tree roots lift slab edges, and where the subgrade, the dirt the slab sits on, was never packed well, sections sink and tip until water pools by the garage or runs back toward the foundation. We break out the old concrete, dig down to firm ground, pack a new base and set the slope so water heads away from your house.
Slopes are the other half of it. The County requires drainage plans for some projects, including a large new hard surface or building on steep ground, so on a hillside lot we work out where the runoff goes before anything else gets planned.
How a concrete job runs when you call us in Alamo
Here's how a job goes from your first call to the final walk-through, with me as the person you deal with the whole way.
Call or send a message
Phone (925) 536-0945 or use the form and tell me what you've got and what's bugging you about it. We get back to you and set a time for me to come out.
I walk the site with you
I look at the old concrete, the ground and where the water runs, explain the options and what each one does to the price, and put the estimate in writing. It's worth being there, because you'll see what each piece costs before you decide anything.
We handle the County side
Once you're set, we check with the County for your address and handle the permit paperwork if your job needs one. When there's a County review, the pour date waits on it.
We pour, finish and walk it
I'm on site with our small crew of form setters and finishers for the dig, the base and the pour, and we walk the finished job together. Then comes curing, the stretch where the concrete gains its strength, so I'll tell you when it's ready to walk on and when it's ready to drive on.
Questions about concrete work in Alamo
Who issues building permits for concrete work in Alamo, CA?
Contra Costa County does, because Alamo is unincorporated and the County provides its local services, permits included. The County will only issue a permit to a licensed contractor, the property owner or someone the owner authorizes, which is why we take care of the paperwork for you when your job needs one.
How do I find out if my concrete project in Alamo needs a permit?
Ask the County, since it handles permits for Alamo and asks owners to check with its staff, and we do that check for your address before we price the job. A few things are clearer than others, and a taller retaining wall needs a building permit. The County's CCMAP online map also lets you confirm which jurisdiction covers your address.
Does a concrete contractor need a Contra Costa County business license to work in Alamo?
Yes, the County requires a business license from anyone doing business in its unincorporated area, Alamo included, even if the contractor is based in another city or already holds that city's license. It's an annual tax of $100 plus $10 per employee, and a contractor applying for it hands over a copy of their current state contractor's license. A contractor based in a city like Concord needs both the city's license and the County's, so it's a fair thing to ask about at the estimate.
How much can a contractor ask for as a down payment in California?
The state licensing board caps a down payment at $1,000 or 10 percent of the contract price, whichever is less. The board says that applies to all home improvement work, so a driveway, patio or retaining wall in Alamo falls under it. If someone asks for more up front, that's a reason to slow down.
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Alamo?
Your price comes from the size and thickness of the slab, the tear-out of the old one, the base work, how easy the site is to reach and the finish, and I put that figure in writing after I've seen the site. When a budget is tight, the base is the first thing people want to trim because nobody sees it on day one, and it's the one place I won't cut, because a slab on loose dirt settles with the dirt. If money has to come out somewhere, I'd rather you go with a plain broom finish over stamping than skimp underneath.
What causes concrete driveways and patios to crack and sink in Alamo?
Most sinking and bad cracking comes from what's under and around the slab, not the concrete itself. A base that was raked level instead of dug out and packed settles over time, water running toward the house softens the ground, a pour in the midday heat leaves a weak, dusty top, and control joints, the grooves we cut so the slab cracks in a straight line where we choose, get cut late or skipped. Concrete still cracks a little as it ages, so we dig out, pack, slope, add rebar, steel bars that hold the pieces together, where the job calls for it and cut joints on time so any cracks land where they won't bother you.
Concord, CA
Tell us about your Alamo concrete project
Calling before you settle on a size or a finish lets me check the County side for your address first, so the plan fits what the County will ask for.