Garage floor concrete in Piedmont CA - a solid floor, fixed at the cause
Cracks spreading across your garage floor, or one side sitting higher? We find out why, then repair it or pour a new slab.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- Expect a reply within 1 business day.
Does a cracked garage floor need a repair or a whole new slab?
Garage floor concrete work in Piedmont, CA means either repairing cracks and minor damage in the floor you have, or forming, pouring and finishing a new slab. The cause of the cracking decides which one you'll pay for.
Most calls start with a crack. Hairline cracks are usually cosmetic, but a crack wider than 1/8 inch, one that keeps growing, or one where one side sits higher than the other deserves a professional look, because those signs can point to a problem under the slab. If the floor needs replacing, the price turns mostly on its size, its thickness, whether it's reinforced and how much old concrete has to come out first. A reinforced slab costs more per square foot than a plain pad, and when the old floor has to come out in pieces, we handle that with concrete cutting. The schedule turns on any city review and on the days the new floor needs before you can use it, and the written estimate I send after my visit gives you the figure for your own garage.
How we handle garage floor concrete
I start with the cracks themselves, how wide they are, whether they're growing and whether one side has lifted, because I'd rather find out why the floor cracked than sell you a patch over a deeper problem. If a repair will hold, we fill or resurface the cracks. If the floor needs replacing, we break out and haul away the old slab, then dig out and pack the subgrade, which is the ground the slab sits on, so the new floor doesn't settle with loose dirt. Nobody sees the base once it's covered, and it's usually the first thing people want to trim from a budget, but I won't trim it. In a kitchen a plate is only as good as the prep behind it, and concrete is the same, because once it's poured there's no taking it back. We set forms and rebar, the steel that holds the slab together, pour in the cooler part of the day so the top doesn't come out weak and dusty, then finish it and cut control joints. Those are shallow grooves that let the slab move with temperature changes and drying, and I'll show you where they'll go on your floor. If you plan to coat the floor, we talk about that before we pour, since it changes what goes under the slab.
Garage work often sits next to other concrete. If you'd like color or texture on the floor or the approach, we do decorative concrete, and if a wall along the garage or driveway is failing, we build concrete retaining walls as well, so both jobs can be planned together.
Crack repair or resurfacing
This suits a floor with hairline or small cracks over a sound base, where filling or resurfacing brings the surface back for far less than a new slab. It won't fix a slab that's settling or lifting, so we only suggest it once we know the cause.
Full slab replacement
This suits a floor with wide, growing or uneven cracks, or one broken up badly enough that patches won't last. It's the bigger job, but you get a new packed base, new steel and joints placed where they belong.
Garage floor concrete permits and rules in Piedmont
The City of Piedmont issues building permits and says most construction projects and repairs need one, so we plan on a permit for garage floor work and check with the city before we start if it isn't clear for your job. We handle the application and the paperwork, and we tell you up front which office it goes through. The city also requires everyone who does business in Piedmont to hold a valid city business license, so whoever pours your floor should have one, and it's a fair question to ask any contractor you're comparing.
Many of the garages we work on here belong to older homes with tight driveways, so access often decides how we get the old concrete out and the new concrete in. We're based in Piedmont and see the same kind of garages on jobs in Oakland and Berkeley.
Why Piedmont homeowners call Piedmont Advanced Concrete for garage floors
The owner looks at every job
I come out myself to see the floor and give the estimate, then I work on site with our crew, who handle the forming, pouring and finishing. The person who judged the cracks is there when the concrete goes in.
Licensed and insured in California
We're licensed and insured. In California, forming, pouring and finishing flat concrete falls under the state's concrete contractor license, and you can look up any contractor with the Contractors State License Board before you hire.
Learned on an East Bay crew
I learned the trade on a finishing crew here in the East Bay and started this business in Piedmont in 2020. Flatwork and the repairs older homes need are most of what we do.
On a garage floor, the most useful thing I can do first is find out why the old one cracked. Send us a message or call (510) 738-1848, and I'll set up a time to come take a look.
Request a quoteGet a written estimate for your garage floor
We reply within one business day to set up a visit. The estimate is free, done on site and comes with no obligation. I measure, look at access and the cracks, then send you the estimate in writing.
What happens after you call about your garage floor?
Call or send the form
Thank you for reaching out. We get back to you to set up a visit at a time that works for you.
I come out and measure
I look at the cracks, the floor and how we'll get equipment in, and I listen to what you have in mind. The written estimate tells you whether it's a repair or a new slab and what the price covers, so there are no surprises.
We line up city review
Once you're ready, we take care of any permit. The city says applicants hear back within 2 to 8 weeks depending on the project, and small, uncomplicated permits take about 2 to 4 weeks, so we plan the pour date around it.
We pour, finish and walk it
Our crew preps the base, pours and finishes the floor, then cleans up. I walk the finished floor with you and go over when you can start using it.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a new concrete garage floor cost in Piedmont?
A concrete slab or pad in the Bay Area usually costs about $8 to $16 per square foot, and that's the general market range, not our price. Where your floor falls depends on the size, thickness, reinforcement and how much old concrete comes out, and your written estimate gives you the figure for your garage.
What is the best way to fix a cracked garage floor?
Small cracks can often be fixed with a crack filler or a resurfacing product, but larger cracks from a structural problem usually need a new slab. That's why we look for the cause first, before suggesting either one.
How long does a new garage floor take to cure before I can park on it?
A new slab should be walkable within 48 hours, but concrete takes a month to fully cure, so plan to keep your car and other heavy loads off it for a week to be safe. Curing is the slow hardening that keeps going after the surface looks dry.
Who can get a building permit for garage floor work in Piedmont?
In California, a permit goes only to a properly licensed California contractor or to a property owner acting legally as an owner-builder. When we do your floor, we apply as your contractor and handle the paperwork.
Should I put a vapor barrier under a garage floor I plan to coat?
It's a trade-off to settle before the pour. A vapor barrier under the slab has been linked to cracking, but it also cuts down on failures of coatings, adhesives and moisture-sensitive flooring, so if you plan to coat the floor we go through it with you before anything is poured.
How thick should a new garage floor slab be?
Garage slabs sit at the thicker end of the usual range for home floors in the Bay Area, because they carry cars. When you compare quotes, ask what thickness each one assumes, since a thinner slab can look cheaper on paper.
Other work that often comes with a garage floor
Decorative concrete
If you'd like the new garage floor or the driveway leading to it to look like more than plain gray, decorative finishes and colors can be planned in before the pour.
Concrete retaining walls
When the old wall beside your garage or driveway is leaning, bulging or cracked, a new concrete retaining wall can often be built in the same project as your floor.
Piedmont, CA
Send photos of your garage floor cracks
Photos of the cracks and the floor's size in square feet help me plan the visit, since slabs are priced by the square foot.