Concrete Contractor in Novato, CA - Driveways and Patios Built on a Solid Base
Allied Petaluma Concrete is a concrete contractor working in Novato, CA. We pour driveways, patios, walkways, steps, garage floors and foundations for Novato homeowners and property owners, and I come out to look at each job myself.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free on-site estimates.
- Replies within 1 business day.
Novato homes and the concrete around them
Novato sits between Petaluma and San Rafael, and as a concrete contractor based in Petaluma, CA, we're down here often. Like everywhere we work, most of the calls come from homeowners with a driveway, a back patio or a front walk that's done its time, along with some property owners and small businesses who need a slab, a wall or a foundation done right.
Most of the houses we work on are single-family homes, from older places whose driveways have carried cars for decades to newer homes on smaller lots, and plenty of yards slope at least a little. That's what shapes the job here, because a slab is only as good as the ground under it and every lot sheds water a little differently.
Concrete services we offer in Novato
Concrete driveway building
When an older Novato driveway has cracked through or sunk at the garage lip, we break it out, dig and pack a new base, and pour the slab.
Concrete patio construction
For a back patio that's settled or tips toward the house, we build a new slab that drains away from your walls and sits level for furniture.
Stamped concrete services
Stamped concrete gives a Novato patio or front walk the look of stone or brick, poured as one slab so there are no pavers to shift.
Concrete sidewalk building
We replace front walks and side paths where a heaved or broken section catches toes, and slope the new walk so rain runs off instead of pooling.
Garage floor concrete
A cracked, oil-stained or uneven garage floor can be broken out and repoured on a packed base, so the new slab is built to carry your cars.
Decorative concrete
Color, exposed stone and saw-cut patterns let a plain slab match your house, and we talk through which finishes suit a path, patio or entry.
Concrete retaining walls
Where a Novato yard slopes, a poured retaining wall holds back the soil so you get a flat spot for a patio, a garden or parking.
Concrete floor installation
For a workshop, shed or addition, we pour interior floors flat and finished smooth, with a packed base under them and joints where cracks should go.
Concrete pool decks
Around a backyard pool, we pour decks with a textured finish that grips under bare feet and a slope that carries splash water away from the edge.
Concrete steps construction
Crumbling front steps or a tall drop at the back door can be rebuilt in poured concrete with even step heights, so each step feels the same underfoot.
Slab foundation building
For a new shop, cottage or addition on a Novato lot, we pour slab foundations on dug-out, compacted ground that's checked before any concrete arrives.
Foundation installation
When a property owner is adding on or rebuilding, we form and pour foundations to the plans, and time the pour around the inspections the job needs.
Concrete parking lot building
Small businesses and multi-unit properties call us for parking areas poured thick enough for daily traffic, with the slope and joints laid out before we pour.
Concrete footings
Decks, fences, posts and garden walls need footings, the concrete pads or trenches they stand on, and we dig them to the depth the plans call for.
Foundation raising
If one corner of an older house has dropped and the doors have started sticking, we look at the foundation and talk through raising it before cracks spread.
Concrete cutting
We saw-cut openings, trenches for new pipe and clean edges where only part of a slab needs to come out, so the rest of your driveway stays put.
Get a free written estimate for your Novato concrete job
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set up a visit. I'll look at the site, ask how you'll use the space and send a written estimate of 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
What we know about working in Novato
In Novato, the city's Building Division issues building permits, reviews plans and inspects the work, so on a job that needs a permit our start date waits on the city's approval and the pour waits on its inspections. Doing business in Novato also takes the city's business license, so it's fair to ask any contractor here for that along with their state contractor license. We're licensed and fully insured, and when your job needs a permit, we help with the application and plan our start around the city's steps.
Novato is part of the same North Bay run we work from Petaluma, north to Rohnert Park and south into Marin, so getting our crew and a truck here is routine. What moves the price is the size and thickness of the slab, how much old concrete has to be broken out and hauled off, how much digging and base the ground needs, how close the truck can get, and the finish, since a plain broom finish, the light brushed texture that gives your shoes grip, costs less than stamping or color. The schedule turns on whether the city's steps apply and on curing, the days a new slab needs to harden slowly before it takes feet and then a car, and my written estimate lists what's included for your job.
Why driveways and patios here wear out
A lot of the worn driveways and settled patios we see in Novato weren't let down by the concrete so much as by what's under it. The subgrade, the ground the slab sits on, was often just raked level instead of dug out and packed, so the dirt kept settling and took the slab with it, and some were poured sloping toward the house, so water pools against the foundation. We dig out to firm ground, pack a proper base and check where the water runs before any forms go in. That base is hidden on day one and it's the first thing people want to trim from a budget, but I'd rather you spend less on the finish than less on the ground, because a fancy surface on a weak base cracks just the same.
The other thing we see is cracks wandering across a slab in no pattern at all, because the control joints, the straight grooves that tell concrete where to crack as it shrinks, were cut late or skipped. We cut them on time, and we pour early in the day so the top doesn't dry too fast and turn weak and dusty later.
How a concrete job runs when you call us in Novato
Here's how a Novato job goes from your first call to the finished slab, and who you'll deal with along the way.
Call or send the form
Call (707) 283-3110 or send the form with a few lines about the job, and we'll set a time for me to come out. It helps if you're home for the visit so we can walk the space together.
I visit and write it up
I look at the ground, the drainage and how close a truck can get, and we talk about what the slab needs to do for you. You get a written estimate that lists what's included, so you know what you're paying for before you agree to anything.
We sort permits, then pour
If the city's steps apply, we take care of our part and set the date around Novato's approval and inspections. Our own crew digs out, packs the base, forms, pours and finishes, so your job stays with our people from start to finish.
Walk the finished job together
Before we pack up, I walk the finished slab with you and show you where the joints are. I'll also tell you in writing when you can walk on it and when you can drive on it while it cures.
Questions about concrete work in Novato
Which projects can get an instant permit in Novato?
Novato issues instant online permits, once the city confirms the details, for some like-for-like residential jobs: water heater, HVAC and electrical panel replacements, reroofs, window and door replacements, and bathroom and kitchen remodels. Concrete driveways, patios and walls aren't on that list, so that quick path isn't one to count on for a slab.
Do I need a permit for a concrete driveway or patio in Novato?
The Building Division decides that for each project, and it's the office to ask, because the city's instant-permit list doesn't cover concrete work. Its forms page lists a guide to required and exempt work, and once you're ready to go ahead we sort out any city steps before we set a date.
How do I schedule a building inspection in Novato?
You request it through the city's Novato Permits portal, and only for a permit that's already been issued. The person asking has to be listed as a contact on that permit record, so it's worth settling who'll be listed before the permit goes out.
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Novato?
We don't post one price for Novato driveways, because the cost comes down to your driveway's size, the old concrete coming out, the base it needs, access and the finish, as covered above. The quickest way to a real number is the free visit, where I measure, look at the ground and send a written estimate listing what's included.
How long does it take to replace a concrete driveway in Novato?
The time you're without your driveway comes down to whether the city's permit and inspection steps apply and how long the new slab cures before it can take a car. You can usually walk on it well before you can drive on it, and I'll put the dates for both in writing for your job.
What is the best way to keep a new concrete slab from cracking?
The best way is a dug-out, packed base, control joints cut on time and a slow cure, because those decide whether a slab cracks where nobody chose. Concrete can still crack, and I'd rather say so plainly, but rebar, the steel set inside the slab, helps hold a crack tight while the joints give it a straight line to follow.
Petaluma, CA
Plan your Novato concrete project with us
Call (707) 283-3110 or send the form before you settle on a finish, so I can price the base and the surface together and you're comparing the whole job.