Concrete Contractor in San Ramon - Slabs Built for Clay Soil and Slopes
King Concord Concrete Works is a concrete contractor based in Concord, CA. In San Ramon we build and replace driveways, patios, walkways, steps, retaining walls and foundations, with the owner working on site alongside the crew.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- Expect a reply within 1 business day.
San Ramon homes, hills and the concrete they need
San Ramon is mostly homes, and on our jobs here that means driveways, back patios, front walks and garage floors. The houses range from older single-story places on the valley floor to newer two-story homes up in the hills, like the planned neighborhoods of Dougherty Valley. It's a little farther down 680 than Alamo, and the calls we get here look a lot like the ones from there, just with more slope.
Many of the newer streets sit on ground graded out of the hillsides, with cul-de-sacs, sloped back yards and driveways that pitch toward the street. So before we talk about finishes, we look at where your water runs and what the slab will sit on.
Concrete work we do for San Ramon homes
Concrete driveway building
A cracked or sunken driveway on a sloped San Ramon lot usually traces back to a thin base, so we dig out, pack and grade before we pour.
Concrete patio construction
For back yards that pond after rain, we set the new patio to fall away from the house so water runs off instead of toward your foundation.
Stamped concrete services
Stamped concrete gives a patio or entry the look of stone or brick in one pour, and we'll explain how the color and sealer wear.
Concrete sidewalk building
When a walkway has heaved at a joint and catches toes, we replace the bad sections with a properly packed base and joints placed where cracks should go.
Garage floor concrete
A garage floor that's cracked, stained or pitted from years of cars can be broken out and repoured level, with a smooth finish that sweeps clean.
Decorative concrete
Colored, textured or patterned concrete suits the front walks and entries on many San Ramon homes, and we'll show samples before you choose.
Concrete retaining walls
Sloped back yards here often need a wall to hold the hill, and we build the footing and drainage behind it so water doesn't push it over.
Concrete floor installation
For a new shop, workroom or room addition, we pour interior concrete floors flat and level, with the base and vapor barrier set before the pour.
Concrete pool decks
A pool deck takes sun, water and bare feet all summer, so we go over finishes with grip and slope the deck so splash water drains off.
Concrete steps construction
Front steps on sloped San Ramon lots take a lot of foot traffic, and we form them with even heights so each step feels the same underfoot.
Slab foundation building
A slab foundation for an addition, studio or garage depends on what's under it, so we start with the subgrade, the packed ground it sits on.
Foundation installation
Additions on San Ramon homes need a solid foundation, so we set forms and rebar, the steel that holds concrete together, and check both before the truck arrives.
Concrete parking lot building
Small property owners with a lot at a shop or office get the same base work as a driveway, built heavier and graded so rain reaches the drains.
Concrete footings
Footings carry the weight of a wall, deck post or addition, and on ground that moves they need to be sized and set right the first time.
Foundation raising
When part of a house has dropped and doors stick or walls crack, we look at what moved and explain the ways to lift it.
Concrete cutting
We saw-cut openings, trenches and damaged sections out of existing slabs, so a sewer line, a door or a repair can go in without breaking up the rest.
Get a written concrete estimate for your San Ramon home
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set up a visit. I come out, look at the job with you and give you a free written estimate, with no obligation.
(925) 536-0945- Based in
- Concord, CA 94519
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 6 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 8 AM–9 PM
Working in San Ramon: permits, licenses and getting the truck in
When a concrete job in San Ramon needs a building permit, it comes from the city's Building & Safety office, and we don't pour until it's issued, so the permit often sets the start date. We check with the city about your address, handle the paperwork when a permit is needed and build that wait into the plan. Whoever you hire should hold a California contractor license, and we're licensed and insured. Your price comes down to the size of the slab, how much old concrete has to come out, how much digging and packing the base needs, the finish you pick and how easily we can get a truck or pump to the spot. The schedule turns on the permit, the weather and how long the new slab needs to cure, or harden, before you use it. I'll go through each of those at your house and put the estimate in writing.
Most of our San Ramon jobs start with a morning drive down 680 from Concord, past Contra Costa Centre, where we do the same work. On the cul-de-sacs and narrow side yards in the newer neighborhoods, I plan ahead where the concrete truck parks and whether we pump or wheel the concrete to the back, because a truck that can't reach the forms means a rushed pour.
Why slabs crack and sink in San Ramon
San Ramon's building code calls out expansive soil across the city, clay that swells when it's wet and shrinks as it dries, and that back-and-forth is what lifts, sinks and cracks a slab poured on a thin layer of raked dirt. That's a finding about the city as a whole, not a test of your lot, so I look at your ground when I come out. We dig out the soft soil, pack the base in layers and cut control joints, shallow grooves that give the concrete a place to crack in a straight line instead of wherever it wants. No slab is crack-proof, but one built this way moves less and usually cracks in the joints we cut.
The other thing we watch here is summer heat, because concrete poured on a hot afternoon dries on top before it sets underneath and turns weak and dusty later. On warm days we pour early in the morning and keep the slab damp while it cures.
What hiring us for concrete in San Ramon looks like
Here's how a job runs from your first call to the last walk-through, and when you'll want to be home for it.
Call or send us the form
Tell us what you're thinking about and where in San Ramon the house is, and we'll set a time for me to come out. Photos of the old slab or the slope help if you have them.
Walk the site with me
I come out myself, look at the slope, the drainage and the old concrete with you, and explain your choices in plain terms. You'll get the estimate in writing, with what each choice does to the price, so it helps if you can be home for this one.
Permit first, then the pour
If your job needs a permit, we handle the paperwork with the city and set the pour date once it's issued. Then I'm on site with our form setters and finishers from the dig-out to the final finish.
Walk the finished job together
When the work is done, we walk it with you and go over when you can use it and how to look after it. Satisfaction guaranteed on every job.
Questions about concrete work in San Ramon
How do I find out if my driveway or patio needs a permit in San Ramon?
The surest way is to check with the city before work starts, which we do for you, because San Ramon's list of home projects that need no permit doesn't name driveways or patios, so it doesn't settle the question either way. The city also says an exemption doesn't let any work skip the building code or other local rules. If your job does need a permit, we handle the paperwork.
Does my retaining wall need a permit in San Ramon?
Under the city's rules, a retaining wall no more than 4 feet tall, measured from the bottom of its foundation to the top of the wall, needs no permit. That changes if the wall holds back extra weight, like the soil above a cut into a hillside, or if your home is in an engineered grading development such as Dougherty Valley. Both are common on sloped lots here, so I check this before we plan the wall.
Do I need a permit to pour a slab for a shed in San Ramon?
The city requires a building permit for a shed or other accessory building over 120 square feet, and not for one 120 square feet or smaller as long as no electrical or plumbing work is planned. That rule is about the building, so before we pour the slab under it, we confirm with the city what your size and plans call for.
When does a concrete contractor need a state license in California?
The Contractors State License Board's license applies when a project needs a building permit, uses any additional workers, or costs $1,000 or more in labor and materials combined. The board lists a job as possibly exempt only when there's no permit, no employee labor and a combined value under $1,000, so ask any contractor for their license before you sign.
How long does a new concrete driveway need before I can drive on it?
You can walk on a new driveway well before you can drive on it, because concrete keeps gaining strength long after it looks dry and needs time before it can carry a car. The exact wait depends on the weather and the mix, so I'll tell you ahead of the pour how long the car stays on the street and give you both dates at the walk-through.
What affects the cost of a concrete driveway in San Ramon?
The size, the old concrete that has to come out, the base work and the finish set most of the price, and sloped San Ramon lots often add grading, taller forms or a pump to reach the spot. If the budget's tight, I'd trim the decorative finish before the base, because the base is buried on day one and it's the part that decides whether the slab cracks and sinks. You'll get the numbers in writing after I see your site.
Concord, CA
Ask about your San Ramon concrete job
Even if you're only comparing options, I'll explain what each one means for cracks and upkeep over the years, so you can decide without guessing.