Piedmont Advanced ConcretePiedmont Advanced Concrete

Concrete contractor in Alameda, CA - slabs that drain right on flat, low lots

Piedmont Advanced Concrete is a concrete contractor based in Piedmont, CA, and we pour driveways, patios, walks, steps and floors for homeowners in Alameda, with the base dug out and packed before any concrete goes down.

Request a quote(510) 738-1848
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  • Licensed and insured.
  • Free in-person estimates.
  • Expect a reply within 1 business day.

About Alameda, CA

Alameda sits right beside Oakland, a short drive from us in Piedmont, but it builds differently from the hill cities. The streets are flat and close to the water, and much of the housing is older, with many buildings on the city's historic building study list and plenty of bungalows and Victorians on narrow lots. Most of our calls here are for flatwork, the driveways, patios, walks and steps that sit on the ground, plus floors and foundation work on houses that have had a long time to settle.

That shapes the job before we pour anything. With houses close together, we plan how a truck or pump reaches the back of the lot, and old steps and walks tied into a porch come out carefully so the house isn't disturbed.

Services in Alameda, CA

  • Concrete driveway building

    Older Alameda driveways are often narrow strips squeezed between houses, cracked and uneven after years of settling. We break out the old slab, haul it off and pour a new one.

  • Concrete patio construction

    Backyards on low, flat lots tend to hold water after a rain, and a patio poured dead level makes it worse. We set the slope so water runs away from your house.

  • Concrete sidewalk building

    Front walks by older houses often heave or sink in places and catch a toe. We replace the bad sections and cut control joints, grooves that tell cracks where to go.

  • Concrete steps construction

    Front steps on older houses here often pull away from the porch as the ground under them moves. We form new steps on a proper footing, with every riser the same height.

  • Concrete floor installation

    Older garages and back rooms often have thin, patched floors that crumble. We break out what's failing, pack a new base and pour a new concrete floor that sits flat.

  • Foundation raising

    Some older houses here have settled unevenly, so doors stick and floors slope. We find out what the foundation is doing before we raise and support the low side.

What to know about permits and pricing in Alameda

In Alameda, permits run through the city's Permit Center, and city guidance has the owner or an authorized agent file with the Community Development Department and get the required permit before the work starts. The city's list is written around buildings and their systems and doesn't settle every driveway or patio, so I check with the city before we start, and when a job needs a permit or review, we handle the application and tell you up front which office it goes through. That review can set your start date, so we plan the pour around it. You can look up any contractor's state license, and the city requires every contractor working here to hold a current City of Alameda business license, so it's fair to ask any contractor you're considering for it.

What moves the price here is mostly the size of the slab, how much old concrete has to come out, how much base work the ground needs, how easy the spot is to reach, and the finish you choose. The schedule turns on the city's review, the weather and the curing wait before you can use the slab. When I come out, I measure, look at access and send you a written estimate with your own figure. We do this same work in San Leandro and other cities around the East Bay.

Alameda, CA properties and local conditions

Low ground is the condition we plan around most here. The city reports that FEMA has placed many Alameda properties in Special Flood Hazard Areas, the 100-year floodplain, and owners there may have to carry flood insurance and take steps to reduce flood risk. On ground like that, water has fewer places to go, so before we set a form we look at where the water runs on your lot today and pitch the new slab away from the house.

The old concrete we break out here often sat on dirt that was raked level rather than dug out and packed, and it sank and cracked as that dirt moved. We dig down to firm subgrade, the ground the slab sits on, and pack a real base, because a slab is like a plate in a kitchen, only as good as the setup behind it.

Get a free written estimate for your Alameda concrete job

Thank you for considering us. We reply to every message within one business day to set up a visit to your Alameda home, and I come out myself to measure, check access and send you a written estimate. The estimate is free, and there's no obligation to go ahead.

How a concrete job in Alameda runs once you call

  1. Call us or send the form

    Call (510) 738-1848 or send the form, and we'll get back to you to set a time for me to come out. It helps to tell us what you have in mind and whether old concrete is coming out.

  2. I walk the site and measure

    I come out myself, measure, look at how a truck or pump will reach the spot, and listen to what you want. You get a written estimate that spells out the base work, the finish and the cleanup, so you know what you're paying for before you decide.

  3. We line up permits and prep

    If the city needs to review the job, the paperwork goes in first and the pour waits on it, then we dig out, pack the base and set forms and rebar, the steel inside that holds the slab together. The city allows permitted construction from 7 AM to 7 PM on weekdays and 8 AM to 5 PM on Saturdays, so permitted work on your job runs inside those hours.

  4. We pour, finish and walk it

    We pour early in the day so the top doesn't dry out too fast, give it a broom finish, a light brushed texture for grip, and cut the control joints before the slab can crack on its own. Then we clean up, walk the job with you and tell you when you can walk on it and when you can drive on it, because the slab needs that curing wait to harden.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a permit to pour a concrete driveway or patio in Alameda?

Some concrete jobs in Alameda can need a permit, and the city's guidance doesn't settle every driveway or patio, so we ask the city about yours before anything is scheduled. The city's permit guidance is written around building, altering or repairing buildings and their systems, and its published list of exempt work names small detached sheds and fences, not flatwork. If your job needs a permit, it goes in before we pour.

Does a concrete contractor need a California state license?

Yes, in most cases. The Contractors State License Board says a license applies when a project needs a building permit, uses any additional workers, or when the labor and materials on its contracts total $1,000 or more. You can look up a contractor's license with the board before you sign, and we're licensed and insured.

How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Alameda?

The cost depends on the driveway's size, how much old concrete comes out, how much base work the ground needs, how easy it is to reach and the finish, so I give you a written figure after I measure on site. Breaking out and hauling an old slab costs more than pouring on open ground, and a plain broom finish costs less than stamped or decorative work. If you need to save, I'd rather you go plain on the finish than thin on the base, because the base is hidden on day one but decides whether the driveway holds up.

What causes a concrete driveway or patio to crack and sink?

Most cracking and sinking starts with a base that was raked level instead of dug out and packed, so the slab settles as the dirt underneath does. Joints cut late or skipped let cracks run wherever they like, and a pour in midday heat can leave a weak, dusty top. Concrete can still crack a little, and I'll tell you that plainly, so we pack the base and cut the joints on time to keep any cracks in the lines we chose.

How do I keep water from pooling on my patio in Alameda?

Water stops pooling when the patio slopes away from the house toward a spot where the water can go, so a slab that sits flat or tips toward the house usually has to be replaced in those sections rather than patched. On flat Alameda lots there's little natural fall, so the slope has to be built into the new slab. I'll look at where your water goes today and tell you on site which sections need to come out.

Do new front steps on an older Alameda house need design review?

They can, because the city says work that changes a building's exterior needs both a permit and a Planning Design Review approval. Steps and landings that tie into the front of the house are the kind of job we ask the city about first. If review applies, it adds a step before the pour, and we plan the schedule around it.

Service areas

Explore the services

Piedmont, CA

Ask about your Alameda concrete project

The city's review can set your start date, so a call to (510) 738-1848 now gets your job looked at and that step moving sooner.

Request a quote(510) 738-1848
(510) 738-1848Request a quote