Concrete Contractor in Richmond, CA - Driveways and Patios That Hold Up
Precision Vallejo Concrete is a concrete contractor based in Vallejo. In Richmond, CA, we break out tired driveways, patios, walkways and steps and pour new ones on a dug-out, packed base so they hold up.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- We respond within 1 business day.
Older homes and yards across Richmond
Richmond is a big city that runs from the bay waterfront, where the Bay Trail follows the shore, back into long blocks of single-family houses, with shops, warehouses and apartment buildings mixed in. A lot of our calls here come from homeowners whose driveway, front walk or back patio has been in place for decades and has started to crack, sink or hold water. We also hear from property owners planning retaining walls, small lots and foundations.
We come over from Vallejo, the same way we do for San Pablo and Pinole close by and Fairfield farther out. The price here mostly turns on the size of the slab, how much old concrete comes out, how close a truck can get and the finish you pick, while the schedule turns on whether your job needs a permit and how long the concrete has to cure. I'll put your own figure in a written estimate. On an older lot, though, it's what sits under the old slab that decides how much digging the new one needs.
Our services in Richmond, CA
- Concrete driveway building
Plenty of Richmond driveways have cracked, sunk or tipped toward the garage over the years. We break out the old slab, pack a new base and pour it fresh.
- Concrete patio construction
Older back patios here often hold water by the back door. We pour a new concrete patio sloped away from the house so the water drains off.
- Concrete sidewalk building
Older front walks often lift or sink by sections and catch a toe. We replace the broken run on a packed base and cut joints to steer cracks.
- Concrete steps construction
Houses set above the street often have front steps that have cracked or pulled away from the porch. We form and pour new steps with even risers.
- Concrete retaining walls
Yards that step up or down from the house sometimes have an old wall that's leaning. We build concrete retaining walls on footings with drainage behind them.
- Garage floor concrete
Older garage floors here are often cracked, uneven or dusty on top. We pour a new slab with rebar, steel that keeps cracks from opening up.
What older Richmond yards ask of new concrete
When I look at a sunken or cracked slab on an older Richmond lot, the cause is usually underneath it. The subgrade, the ground the slab sits on, was often just raked level instead of dug out and packed, so the dirt settled and took the concrete down with it. We dig to firm ground, pack the base and check where your water runs before we set the forms, so the new slab falls away from the house instead of toward it. That base is the part you'll never see once we pour, and it's the first thing people want to cut from a budget. I'd rather put the money there than into a fancy finish, because a nice surface on a soft base cracks just the same.
A lot of lots here are tight, with a driveway squeezed between houses or a patio behind a narrow side yard. We work out how the concrete gets from the truck to the forms before pour day, because a slow pour on a warm afternoon makes for a weak top, and that access is part of what I look at when I come out.
Get a free on-site concrete estimate in Richmond
Tell us about your Richmond driveway, patio, walk or wall, and we'll reply within one business day to set a time. I'll come out myself, walk the job with you, explain what I see and put the estimate in writing, with no pressure and no obligation.
Concrete driveways, patios and steps
Richmond concrete questions answered
Do I need a permit to pour a concrete driveway or patio in Richmond, CA?
It may need one, and the city is the one that decides. Richmond requires a building permit before you build, alter, repair or replace any building or structure, and its handout says a permit is likely required for every project it doesn't list as exempt. The Building Division issues those permits, and you can read the list of work exempt from permits yourself. We check with the city before we start, and when your job needs a permit, we can take care of the paperwork and plan our work around the inspections.
Who can get a building permit in Richmond, CA?
The city issues building permits only to property owners, their authorized agents and licensed contractors. A contractor has to show a Contractor's State License Card, a workers' compensation insurance certificate and a current City of Richmond business license when registering for the permit, which is worth knowing when you compare contractors. We're licensed and insured, and we can handle the permit paperwork when your job needs it.
How long does it take to get a building permit in Richmond?
Simple permits can move quickly, since the city says most single-trade permits and residential remodels that need no drawings are issued once it receives and checks the required application documents. Anything larger depends on the scope of the work. Applications go in online through the city's permits page, or in person by appointment if you can't submit electronically, and we set our start date around the permit.
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Richmond?
Your price comes from your own driveway, and I'll give it to you in writing after I've seen it. Breaking out and hauling off the old slab, how much digging and packing the base needs, how thick the slab is and whether it gets rebar all move the number. A stamped or colored finish costs more than a plain broom finish, the light texture that gives shoes and tires some grip, and the base is the last place I'd trim.
How long does a new concrete driveway take before I can drive on it?
You can walk on new concrete well before you can drive on it, because the slab keeps gaining strength for a while after the pour. That wait is called curing, and cutting it short is how a good slab gets marked up or cracked early. I'll give you the dates for your slab before we pour, so you can plan where to park.
What causes a concrete driveway to crack, and will my new one crack like the old one?
All concrete cracks some, but on a well-built slab the cracks land where we chose and stay tight instead of wandering across the middle. We cut control joints, shallow grooves that give the slab a straight line to crack along, while the concrete is still fresh, and we pour early in the day so the top doesn't dry too fast and turn dusty. The rest comes back to the packed base and drainage I talked about above.