Piedmont Advanced ConcretePiedmont Advanced Concrete

Concrete Contractor in Berkeley, CA - Driveways and Walls Set Right on Hillside Lots

Piedmont Advanced Concrete is a concrete contractor based in Piedmont that builds driveways, patios, walks, steps and retaining walls for Berkeley homeowners, from the flats near the bay to the steep streets of the Berkeley Hills.

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Stamped concrete walkway with a stone-like pattern runs through a flower-filled courtyard with benches and patio seating.
  • Licensed and insured.
  • Free in-person estimates.
  • Expect a reply within 1 business day.

About Berkeley, CA

Berkeley runs from the flats near the bay up into the Berkeley Hills, and the concrete calls we get change with the elevation. Down low, toward the lines with Oakland and Emeryville, it's mostly older houses on narrow lots, with short driveways, front walks and small backyard patios set close to the neighbors.

Up the hill the streets get steep and tight, houses sit well above or below the road, and a lot of the old concrete is holding up a slope as much as it's carrying people. In both parts of the city the homes we see are mostly older, so a job here usually starts with what's already there, meaning worn slabs, tired steps and settled foundations, and how much of it has to come out before we build anything new.

Services in Berkeley, CA

  • Concrete driveway building

    Hillside driveways here often crack where a thin old base washed out. We dig to firm ground, pack a new base and slope the slab so water runs to the street.

  • Concrete retaining walls

    Hillside yards often rest on old walls that have started to lean. We build concrete walls on proper footings, with drainage behind them so water can't pile up and push.

  • Concrete steps construction

    Many houses here sit above the street behind old steps that have shifted. We rebuild them with even rises and rebar, the steel inside that holds concrete together if it cracks.

  • Concrete sidewalk building

    Walks on older lots often sink or tip water toward the house. We pour new ones on a packed base with control joints, grooves we cut so cracks fall where we choose.

  • Foundation installation

    Older houses here often sit on foundations poured long before today's methods, and some have started to crumble. We replace failing sections or the whole foundation with new steel and concrete.

  • Stamped concrete services

    Small yards in the flats often hold one patio that has to look good. Our stamped concrete work gives it the look of stone or brick over a properly packed base.

How a concrete job gets done in Berkeley

Building permits in Berkeley come from the city's Permit Service Center, and when your job needs one, the city's review comes before any digging, so it usually sets the start date more than our calendar does. When a job needs a permit or a city review, we handle the application and the paperwork and tell you up front that it goes through that office, and if it isn't clear whether your job needs one, we check with the city before we start. Before you hire anyone, you can check two things, a state license with the Contractors State License Board and a Berkeley business license, which the city requires of every business working here, contractors applying for building permits included. We're licensed and insured, and I'm glad for you to check.

What moves the price here is mostly access and what's underneath. A steep or narrow street can mean pumping concrete up from the truck or wheeling it in by hand, and old slabs to break out, soft ground or a base that needs deeper digging all add time and material. The schedule turns on the permit review, the weather around pour day and the wait while the concrete cures, and I'll lay all of it out in a written estimate once I've seen your site. We plan jobs the same careful way in Hayward and the other cities around the East Bay, but Berkeley's hillside streets usually ask more of the access plan.

Berkeley, CA properties and local conditions

On the hillside lots, the trouble we see most is water. Rain runs down the slope, gets under a driveway or walk and carries the base away until the slab sinks, cracks or tips toward the house. Most of that goes back to a base that was raked level instead of dug out and packed, and the base is the first thing people want to cut, since nobody sees it once the concrete is down. I spent years in restaurant kitchens, and a plate is only as good as the prep behind it, so we put the money into the base and into where the water goes, and I'd rather keep the finish simple than skimp underneath.

The city points to Berkeley's closeness to major earthquake faults when it sets its building codes, and you can see years of movement in the cracked foundations and shifted steps we're called to. When we pour footings, foundations or walls here, we set rebar and build down to firm ground, and I'll tell you plainly at the estimate if what you have needs more than a patch.

Get a free written estimate for your Berkeley concrete job

Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set up a visit, with no obligation. I come out to your Berkeley property myself, measure, look at how we'll reach the work and then send you a written estimate.

What happens after you call us about a Berkeley job

  1. Call us or send the form

    Thank you for reaching out. We get back to you to set a time for me to see the site, and you don't need measurements ready.

  2. I visit and measure

    I come out myself, measure, check how our crew and the truck will reach the work and listen to what you have in mind, so it helps if you're home. Afterward I send a written estimate that spells out what the price covers, base work included.

  3. We prep, pour and finish

    We take care of any city steps first, then dig out, pack the base, set forms and pour, with me on site alongside the crew. The slab then needs to cure, the wait while concrete hardens before it takes feet or tires, and we'll tell you how long to stay off it.

  4. Clean up and walk through

    We haul off the old concrete and clean up, then walk the finished job with you and answer anything you'd like to ask. Satisfaction guaranteed.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Berkeley?

Your price comes in a written estimate after I've seen the driveway, and beyond access and tear-out, the biggest swings come from your choices. A plain broom finish, the light brushed texture that keeps shoes and tires from slipping, costs less than stamped or colored concrete, and a thicker slab with rebar costs more than a thin one. If the budget is tight, I'd keep the base and the thickness and save on the finish.

How do I know if my concrete project in Berkeley needs a building permit?

Check it against the city's list of work exempt from building permits, because Berkeley requires a permit for construction work and most repairs unless the work is on that list. Even exempt work still has to meet the state building code and Berkeley's own rules, and it may still need a zoning permit, the city's approval for how land is used. We go over your job against that list at the estimate and ask the city when it isn't clear.

Does a concrete retaining wall need a permit in Berkeley?

A wall 4 feet tall or less, measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall, is on the city's exempt list, unless it carries a surcharge, extra weight such as a slope or a driveway pressing down from above. A wall inside a required setback, the open strip the city keeps along property lines, still needs a zoning permit. Hillside walls often hold up a slope or a driveway, so we check with the city before we start.

Does my concrete contractor need a California state license?

Yes, in most cases, because the state board requires a license when a project needs a building permit, uses any additional workers or costs $1,000 or more in labor and materials, and most driveways, patios and walls cross at least one of those lines. A contractor should be licensed before giving you a bid, so ask for the license number at the estimate and look it up with the board.

How much can a contractor ask for as a down payment in California?

On a home improvement contract, the state board says a contractor can't ask for or accept a down payment of more than $1,000 or 10 percent of the contract price, whichever is less. If someone wants more than that up front, slow down and check their license before you sign anything.

What causes concrete driveways to crack in the Berkeley Hills?

Besides the washed-out base and runoff covered above, most cracks come from control joints cut late or skipped, or from a pour done in midday heat that leaves a weak, dusty top. We cut the joints on time and plan pours for the cooler part of the day. I'll be straight with you that a new slab can still get a hairline crack, but it should run along the joint where we put it.

Service areas

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Piedmont, CA

Tell us about your Berkeley concrete job

We pick up evenings and weekends too, so call (510) 738-1848 while you're standing in front of the problem, or describe it on the form.

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