Piedmont Advanced ConcretePiedmont Advanced Concrete

Concrete Contractor in Richmond, CA - Driveways and Patios Built on a Solid Base

Piedmont Advanced Concrete pours and finishes driveways, patios, walks, steps and garage floors for homeowners in Richmond, CA, and builds the footings, walls and foundation work that older houses here often need.

Request a quote(510) 738-1848
A reddish-brown stamped-concrete patio with a brick-like pattern curves around the steps of a house.
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  • Free in-person estimates.
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About Richmond, CA

Richmond holds a lot of different ground, from the flat streets near the waterfront to the hillside blocks above them, and the houses run from older bungalows and postwar homes to newer builds near the marina. Most of what we do here is flatwork, meaning the driveways, patios, walks and steps that sit right on the ground, and it's the same work our crew does nearby in Emeryville and Berkeley, though the lots here vary more from one street to the next.

With that much variety, I don't assume one Richmond lot is like the next, so I plan each slab around the house it serves and the ground under it.

Services in Richmond, CA

  • Concrete driveway building

    Older Richmond driveways often sink at the garage end where the base gave way. We break out the old slab, dig to firm ground and pack a new base first.

  • Garage floor concrete

    Garage floors in older houses here are often thin and cracked. Our garage floor concrete work replaces them with a new slab reinforced with rebar, steel that keeps cracks from opening.

  • Concrete patio construction

    Many Richmond backyards have a patched patio that tips water toward the back door. We pour the new one to slope away from the house so water drains to the yard.

  • Concrete sidewalk building

    Front walks on older Richmond blocks lift where roots and settling push slabs out of line. We replace the broken sections on a packed base so the walk sits flat again.

  • Concrete steps construction

    Houses set above the street in Richmond need front steps that are even from top to bottom. We form every step to the same height on a solid footing.

  • Concrete retaining walls

    Sloped yards on Richmond's hillside streets often lean on old walls that have started to tip. We build new walls on footings with drainage behind, so water drains instead of building up.

Working in Richmond: permits, paperwork and what sets the price

In Richmond, building permits come from the city's Building Division, and the city requires one before anyone builds, alters or repairs a building or structure, so the permit question gets settled before we set a start date. You can check your contractor through that process too, because the city asks licensed contractors to show a Contractor's State License Card, a workers' compensation insurance certificate and a current City of Richmond business license when they register for a permit. We're licensed and insured, we handle the application and paperwork when a job needs a permit, and I'll tell you up front which office it goes through. If it isn't clear whether your job needs one, we check with the city before we start.

The price mostly moves with the size of the slab, what has to come out before we pour and the finish you choose, while the schedule moves with the permit and the curing time before you can use the slab again. The written estimate I send after my visit puts your own figures on both. As a concrete contractor based in Piedmont, CA, our crew works across the East Bay, from the flat streets near Richmond's shoreline to hillside lots in Orinda, so the drive in is routine for us.

Richmond, CA properties and local conditions

The most common thing we see on older Richmond properties is a slab that has sunk or tipped, because it was poured on dirt that was raked level instead of dug out and packed. Water then sits in the low spots or runs back toward the foundation. We dig down to firm subgrade, the ground the slab actually rests on, pack a base over it and set the slab to fall away from the house. If a budget has to be trimmed, I'd much rather simplify the finish than the base. In a kitchen, a plate is only as good as the prep behind it, and with concrete the prep is buried on the first day, where nobody can fix it later.

Many lots here have tight side yards, garages tucked behind the house or a steep drive up from the street, so getting concrete from the truck to the forms is part of the plan from the start. I look at that on the first visit, and we schedule pours for the cooler part of the day, because concrete that sets too fast in the heat can leave a weak, dusty top.

Get a written estimate for your Richmond concrete job

Thank you for reaching out. We reply within one business day to set a time, and I come out to your Richmond property myself to measure and look at access before I send you a written estimate. The estimate is free, and there's no obligation.

How a concrete job in Richmond goes, from your call to the walkthrough

  1. Call or send the form

    Tell us what you have in mind and where the house is, and we'll get back to you to set up a visit. A rough idea of the size and any photos of the old slab help me prepare.

  2. I come out and measure

    I look at the site and how we'll get concrete to it, listen to what you want, and then send a written estimate. You'll see what goes into the price before you decide anything, and it helps if you can be home for the visit.

  3. We handle permits, then prep

    When the job needs a permit, we file with the city, which says most single-trade permits and remodels that need no drawings are issued once it has received and checked the application documents, with timing depending on the scope. Once that's settled, we dig out, pack the base and set the forms.

  4. We pour, finish and clean up

    Our crew pours and finishes with me on site, then we clean up and walk the finished job with you. I'll tell you how long the slab needs for curing, the time it spends gaining strength, before you walk or drive on it.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a building permit to replace a concrete driveway or patio in Richmond, CA?

You might, because Richmond's list of work exempt from permits says a permit is likely required for any project it doesn't name. Don't assume a driveway or patio is exempt until it's been checked against that list. On our jobs, we check with the city before we start whenever it isn't clear.

How do I get a building permit for concrete work in Richmond?

You apply to the city as the property owner, through an authorized agent or through a licensed contractor, because those are the only people Richmond issues permits to. Applications go in electronically, and if you can't apply online, the city takes them in person by appointment, as its page on obtaining permits explains. When we do the job, we file the application for you.

Do I need a permit for a fence with concrete post footings in Richmond?

Plan on a Planning Division permit, because the city requires one for any fence built there, even though fences up to 7 feet high are on its building permit exempt list. We can pour the post footings once the fence has been cleared, so the posts sit in solid concrete set to the right depth.

Can I pour a slab for a shed in Richmond without a permit?

The shed itself may be exempt, since the city's handout lists one-story detached sheds and playhouses as long as the floor area stays within 120 square feet. Any electrical or plumbing run to the shed still needs its own permit unless that work is also exempted, and we check the slab with the city before we pour.

What does it cost to replace a concrete driveway in Richmond?

The cost comes down to the size of the driveway, what has to be removed, how much base work the ground needs, how easily a truck can reach it and the finish you choose, and I give you a written figure after I've seen the site. Breaking out and hauling away an old slab adds labor and disposal, soft ground adds digging and gravel, and a long carry from the street adds time. A plain broom finish, the light ridged texture that gives shoes and tires some grip, costs less than stamped or colored work.

What is the best way to keep a new concrete driveway from cracking?

Build it on a dug-out, packed base, reinforce it, and cut control joints on time, because concrete does crack and the goal is to decide where. Control joints are shallow cuts that give the slab a planned line to crack along, so a crack follows a straight seam instead of wandering across the middle. I won't tell you a slab will never crack, but I'll explain what we do to keep cracks small and where you'll see them.

Service areas

Explore the services

Piedmont, CA

Tell us about your Richmond concrete project

Describe the slab and how we'd reach it when you call (510) 738-1848 or send the form, and I'll come to the first visit with the right questions already in hand.

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