Concrete Contractor in Larkspur, CA - Driveways, Patios and Walks on a Solid Base
Allied Petaluma Concrete is a concrete contractor based in Petaluma, CA, and we form, pour and finish driveways, patios, walks, steps, walls and foundations for homes and small businesses in Larkspur.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free on-site estimates.
- Replies within 1 business day.
Larkspur homes and what they ask of concrete
Most of the concrete calls we get from Larkspur are about houses that have been lived in a long time. Downtown has its Queen Anne Victorians and false-front stores, and on the residential streets we find narrow driveways, front steps and garden walks that have been patched more than once and have started to crack, tip or hold water. We come down from Petaluma for this work the same way we do in Corte Madera and Mill Valley. Most calls come from homeowners, and some come from property owners and small businesses, since the city has shops downtown and at Larkspur Landing as well as houses.
On older lots like these, the work starts well before the pour. The old slab was often set on dirt that was raked flat instead of dug out and packed, so we usually break it out, dig to firm subgrade, the soil the new slab will sit on, and pack a fresh base, because concrete only stays flat when the ground under it does.
Concrete services for Larkspur homes and businesses
Concrete driveway building
When an older driveway here has cracked, sunk or tipped toward the garage, we break it out, rebuild the base and pour a new slab for your cars.
Concrete patio construction
A patio that holds water after rain was usually poured flat or toward the house, so we set the new one to drain away from it.
Stamped concrete services
Stamped concrete, pressed with a stone or brick pattern before it sets, gives an older house the look of pavers on one solid slab with no loose pieces.
Concrete sidewalk building
Front walks lifted by settling or roots catch toes, so we replace the uneven sections with a level walk and a broom finish, a light texture for grip.
Garage floor concrete
An old garage floor that's cracked, stained or chipping can be broken out and repoured on a packed base that's made to carry your cars.
Decorative concrete
Colored or textured concrete lets a new walk or patio sit well beside an older house instead of reading as a plain gray add-on.
Concrete retaining walls
Where a yard steps up or down, a concrete wall holds the soil back, and we build drainage behind it so water pressure doesn't push it over.
Concrete floor installation
For a workshop, a studio or a room off the garage, we pour an interior slab that's flat, smooth-finished and ready for whatever goes on it.
Concrete pool decks
Around a pool, the deck needs a surface that isn't slick when wet and a slope that sends splash water away from the pool and the house.
Concrete steps construction
Front and garden steps on older homes often settle unevenly, so we form new ones with even rises on footings, buried concrete pads that stop them sinking.
Slab foundation building
For a garage, addition or backyard building, we pour the slab on packed ground with rebar, steel bars that hold the concrete together, set inside it.
Foundation installation
When you're adding on or rebuilding, we form and pour the foundation your plans call for, and I check the forms before any concrete arrives.
Concrete parking lot building
Shops and multi-unit properties with a worn lot or a short parking area get a slab built for daily traffic and sloped so rain clears off it.
Concrete footings
Decks, posts, fences and additions sit on concrete footings, and we dig each one down to firm soil so the structure above doesn't lean or sink.
Foundation raising
When part of an older house has dropped and doors start sticking, I look at what's settled and tell you plainly whether lifting it makes sense.
Concrete cutting
We saw-cut clean openings in existing slabs for drains, doorways and repairs, so you replace only the damaged part and keep the rest.
Get a free written estimate for your Larkspur job
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day. I'll come out, look at the site and send a free written estimate listing what's included, with no pressure to book.
- support@petalumaconcretecontractor.com
- Based in
- Petaluma, CA 94952
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 8 AM–10 PM, Sat–Sun: 6 AM–9 PM
Working in Larkspur: permits, licenses and what moves the price
In Larkspur, permits come from the city's Building Department, which issues them for work to build, alter, repair, move or remove a structure, and whether your job needs one is the department's call. When it does, we help with the application and plan our start around the city's approval and inspections, so the review usually sets the earliest date we can pour. Before you hire anyone here, it's worth checking two things: a state contractor license and a current Larkspur business license, which the city expects of every contractor and subcontractor working in Larkspur and incorporated Greenbrae, because the permit won't issue until that license is current.
Access is the other thing I look at closely here. Around downtown, where shops and restaurants line Magnolia Avenue, and on the tighter residential streets, I plan where the concrete truck can park and where the forms and gravel can sit before I write a number down. What moves your price is mostly the size of the job, how much old concrete comes out, the base work and the finish, and what moves the schedule is the city's review and the weather, all of which I spell out in the written estimate. It's the same planning we do as a concrete contractor in Petaluma, CA, and in nearby cities like San Rafael and Novato.
Cracked and sunken concrete on Larkspur properties
On flatwork, the driveways, patios and walks that lie on the ground, a soft base is only part of the story. A slab that falls toward the house sends rain at the foundation and leaves puddles by the door, and one without control joints, the grooves cut in so it cracks along a line we chose, cracks wherever it wants. We set the slope before we pour, cut the joints on time and pour early in the day, because midday heat can leave a weak, dusty top that chips later.
The ground here also shakes. City findings put structures in Larkspur in seismic design categories D through F, with F the strictest, and say the risk is higher than in most of the country, so we build footings, foundations and retaining walls to the plans and the city's inspections, with the steel set where the plans show it.
How a concrete job runs when you call us from Larkspur
Here's how a job runs from your side, from the first call to the final walk-through, and who you'll see at each step.
Call us or send the form
You call (707) 283-3110 or send the form, and we get back to you to set a time for me to come out. A short note on what you have in mind and where it is gets us started.
I visit and write the estimate
I come out myself, look at the old concrete, the ground and where the water runs, and ask how you'll use the space. You get a written estimate that lists what's included, so you can see what you're paying for before you decide anything.
We sort out permits and dates
If the job needs a city permit, we help with the application and set the start around the city's approval and inspections. For the simple permits on the city's list, such as a reroof, the city says it can generally issue them within 2 to 3 working days once it finds a submission complete, and I'll tell you whether your job is one of those.
We pour, then walk it together
Our own crew forms, pours and finishes the concrete, and you don't need to be home while we work as long as we can reach the site. Before we pack up, I walk the finished job with you and go over when it's ready for feet and when it's ready for cars.
Questions about concrete work in Larkspur
How do I know if I need a permit for a concrete driveway in Larkspur?
You may need one, because Larkspur requires a grading permit for grading or earthwork other than hand-dug excavations under 25 cubic yards, and an encroachment permit for any work in the public right-of-way. The part of a driveway that meets the street can sit in the right-of-way, and the city doesn't allow equipment or materials to be staged or stored there, so we plan deliveries to stay on your property. I'll go over which permits fit your job at the estimate, and the city's permit checklist shows what goes in with an application.
Who handles permits for a Greenbrae address?
Permits for a Greenbrae address go through either the City of Larkspur or the County of Marin, depending on the property. I confirm which one covers your address before we plan a start date, since that decides where the application goes, and the city's permit questions page is a good place to start if you'd like to look into it yourself.
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Larkspur?
The biggest cost factors here are usually the old concrete that has to come out, the base work underneath and how easily we can reach the spot, more than the new slab itself. The size, the thickness and the finish matter too, and a stamped or colored surface costs more than a plain broom finish. You'll see every part of it in a written estimate that lists what's included.
How long does a new concrete driveway take before I can drive on it?
You can usually walk on new concrete well before you can drive on it, because curing, the slow hardening that gives concrete its strength, keeps going for days after the pour. I'll give you the dates for your slab in writing, based on the mix and the weather that week. Plan to be without the driveway for the breakout and base work too, and if the job needs a city permit, that review comes before any of it.
Will my new concrete patio crack like the old one?
A new slab can still get fine cracks, since all concrete shrinks as it cures, but a packed base and joints cut on time keep it from sinking and steer those cracks into the joint lines. Most of what failed on the old slab is under it, so if the budget's tight, I'd rather keep the base work and go with a plain broom finish than cut the base to pay for a fancier surface. You can redo a finish later, but fixing a bad base means tearing the slab out.
When does a concrete contractor in Larkspur need a state license?
A contractor needs a license from the California Contractors State License Board when the project requires a building permit, uses any additional workers, or when the total cost, labor and materials, of one or more contracts on the project is $1,000 or more. Ask any contractor you're considering to show it, along with the current city business license covered above. We're licensed and fully insured.
Petaluma, CA
Plan your Larkspur concrete job with us
Call (707) 283-3110 or send the form while you're still deciding, so you can plan around a written number instead of a guess.