Piedmont Advanced ConcretePiedmont Advanced Concrete

Concrete contractor in Walnut Creek, CA - driveways and patios on a packed base

Piedmont Advanced Concrete is a concrete contractor that pours driveways, patios, pool decks and steps in Walnut Creek, and builds the retaining walls, slabs and footings that hillside lots and additions here call for.

Request a quote(510) 738-1848
A smooth concrete driveway runs between stucco houses toward a block wall, with gravel strips along its edges.
  • Licensed and insured.
  • Free in-person estimates.
  • Expect a reply within 1 business day.

About Walnut Creek, CA

Walnut Creek sits over the hills from our base in Piedmont, and the calls we get here run a little differently from the ones closer to home. Downtown has its shops, condos and townhomes, but most of our work is on the single-family streets around it, where houses sit on larger lots with long driveways, back patios and, often, a pool. Many of those slabs went in when the houses were built and have been carrying cars and tree roots ever since.

On the streets that climb toward Shell Ridge and the hills, the job is as much about the slope as the slab, much like what we see in Orinda. A driveway or patio on a grade needs a firm, packed base and a plan for where the water goes before anyone talks about the finish.

Services in Walnut Creek, CA

  • Concrete driveway building

    Driveways here often run long and climb from the street. We set the grade so water drains toward the street instead of the garage, and break out old panels cleanly.

  • Concrete patio construction

    Back patios on larger lots here get a lot of use, and many older ones have settled and tipped. We rebuild them sloped away from the house, with the finish you choose.

  • Concrete pool decks

    Many yards here have a pool, and the deck takes splashing and bare feet. We pour decks with a textured finish that helps feet grip and slope them so water runs off.

  • Concrete retaining walls

    Sloped yards here often need a wall to hold a level patio or a driveway edge. We build them on solid footings with drainage behind, so water can't push on the wall.

  • Slab foundation building

    Additions and garages on Walnut Creek lots often start with a new slab. For slab foundation building, we dig out and pack the base, set the steel the plans call for and pour level.

  • Concrete steps construction

    Hillside homes here often have front steps that have cracked or pulled away from the walk. We form new steps with even rises and tie them firmly into the walk.

Working in Walnut Creek: what the city asks and what moves the price

Permits for work in Walnut Creek come from the city's Community Development Department, and the city requires a building permit when you add a structure to your property or physically change it. The part of a concrete job people tend to miss is at the street, because replacing the driveway approach, the apron where your driveway meets the road, or the sidewalk in front of your house takes an encroachment permit, and that adds a city step before we can break out the old concrete.

We're licensed and insured, and when your job needs a permit or a city review, we handle the application and the paperwork and tell you up front which office it goes through. If it isn't clear, I check with the city before we start. The price here mostly turns on the size of the slab, how much old concrete we break out and haul away, how far the truck has to reach on a sloped or tight lot, and the finish you pick, while the schedule turns on any city steps and on curing, the wait while new concrete hardens enough to take weight. I measure all of that on the visit and send you a written estimate, the same way we do for homeowners in Ashland and the other cities we work in.

Walnut Creek, CA properties and local conditions

Most driveways and walks we look at in Walnut Creek are original or close to it, and they show it with cracks, a sunken corner or a panel a tree root has lifted. The cause is usually underneath, where the subgrade, the ground the slab sits on, was raked level instead of dug out and packed, so it settled and the concrete went with it. We dig down to firm ground, pack the base in layers and set rebar, steel bars that hold the slab together, before we pour. If a budget has to give somewhere, I'll suggest a plainer finish before a thinner base, because in a kitchen no garnish saves a bad stock, and no stamped pattern saves a slab poured on loose dirt.

Patios and walks that fall toward the house send rain right back at the foundation, so we check where the water runs before we set forms and slope the slab away from the house. I'll also be plain that concrete cracks, so we cut control joints, shallow grooves that give it a chosen place to crack, on the day of the pour, and we pour early so the top doesn't dry out before we finish it.

A free written estimate for your Walnut Creek concrete job

We reply to every call and message within one business day to set a time to come out to your Walnut Creek property. I come myself to measure and look at access, then send you a written estimate, free and with no obligation.

What happens after you call us about a Walnut Creek job

  1. Call us or send the form

    Thank you for thinking of us. Call (510) 738-1848 or send the contact form with a few lines about the job, and we'll get back to you to set up a visit.

  2. I visit and measure the site

    I come out myself to look at the slab, the slope and how a truck will reach it, and to hear what you have in mind, so it helps if you're home. You get a written estimate afterward, so you know the figure before you decide anything.

  3. We file any city steps

    When the job needs a permit or a city review, we prepare and file it and tell you which office it's with, and street work waits until the city signs off. We set pour days on weekdays where we can, because the city limits Saturday and holiday work.

  4. We pour, finish and walk it

    Our crew preps the base, forms, pours and finishes, and I work on site with them through the job. After cleanup we walk the finished work with you and go over how long to stay off it while it cures.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Walnut Creek?

The cost of a driveway in Walnut Creek comes down to its size and thickness, how much old concrete has to come out, and the finish you choose. The same square footage costs more on a steep lot with a long reach for the truck than on a flat one at the street, a plain broom finish costs less than stamped or colored concrete, and an apron at the street adds a city permit step. I measure on site and put every piece of that in your written estimate.

How do I apply for a permit for concrete work in Walnut Creek?

Walnut Creek takes every permit application through its online permit portal, and it no longer accepts paper or emailed applications. To issue the permit, the city needs the signature of the legal property owner or a California licensed contractor. When your job needs one, we prepare and file the application for you and keep you posted.

Can a concrete crew pour on a Saturday in Walnut Creek?

Only with an after-hours permit, because the city requires one for construction on Saturdays and city holidays. No construction is allowed at all on national holidays such as Independence Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's, so we plan pour days around them.

When does a retaining wall need a permit in Walnut Creek?

A retaining wall in Walnut Creek needs a building permit when it's taller than 4 feet, measured from the bottom of the footing, holds back more than 3 feet of soil, or carries a surcharge, extra weight above it such as a driveway or a slope. The details are on the city's building permit FAQs, and for a wall near those limits, we check with the city before we design it.

What is the best way to fix a driveway lifted by tree roots in Walnut Creek?

Usually the best fix is to break out the lifted panels and repour on a packed base that works around the roots, but check the tree first, because Walnut Creek protects every tree, dead or alive, that measures 9 inches or more at 54 inches above the ground. The City Arborist may approve removing certain trees through a Tree Removal Permit, so if the tree is protected, we plan the new slab around it.

What does Walnut Creek's proposed flood rule mean for a new slab foundation?

Walnut Creek has proposed a local code change that would set the lowest floor of new buildings in flood hazard areas at or above the base flood elevation plus 2 feet, or the design flood elevation, whichever is higher. It would also reach existing buildings under substantial improvement or repair of substantial damage, so it could matter for a new house or a large remodel. Before we set the height of a slab, we check with the city whether your lot falls under it.

Service areas

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Piedmont, CA

Tell us about your Walnut Creek project

Describe the slab and what's bothering you when you call (510) 738-1848 or send the form, and ask your permit questions too, so I arrive with answers instead of guesses.

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