Concrete contractor in Hayward - driveways and patios built on solid ground
Professional Union City Concrete is a concrete contractor based in Union City, CA. We pour driveways, patios, steps, retaining walls and slabs for homes and businesses across Hayward, and we prepare the ground before any concrete goes down.
Hayward houses, hillsides and storefront lots
Hayward is a big, mixed city, and our calls here cover a lot of ground. We work on single-story ranch houses on the flat streets west of Mission Boulevard, on homes set into slopes up in the hills, and on shops, small offices and apartment buildings that need parking and walkways. Many of the houses went up decades ago, so we often find the original driveway or patio still in place, settled, cracked or lifted where two slabs meet.
The city runs right into Cherryland and Castro Valley, where the houses look a lot like Hayward's and the work is much the same. On the flats a job usually starts with breaking out old concrete, and in the hills it starts with the slope and where the water runs, so I look at the ground before we talk about the finish.
What to know before a Hayward concrete job
In Hayward, the City of Hayward's Permit Center decides whether a concrete job needs a building permit, and structural work like foundations, footings and retaining walls falls under the city's building permit rules. When your job needs one, we take care of the application and the inspections and keep you posted. We can't pour until the permit is issued and the inspection is passed, so that's often what sets the start date. Before you hire anyone, us included, you can look up the contractor's license with the California Contractors State License Board. You can also ask for a Hayward business license, because the city requires one from every business that works here, even one based in another city the way we are.
Most of what moves the price and the schedule here is what I can't see in a photo. That includes how much old concrete has to come out, what shape the ground under it is in, how we get concrete to the back of a tight lot, and whether a permit and an inspection come first. Your written estimate lists each of those so you can see exactly what you're paying for. We work in Hayward the same way we do back home in Union City, and our trucks keep going across the bridge to jobs in San Mateo and other Peninsula cities, so Hayward sits in the middle of where we work most weeks.
Services in Hayward, CA
Concrete driveway building
Many older Hayward driveways have sunk or split over the years. We break out the old concrete, dig out and pack a new base, then pour fresh.
Stamped concrete services
Older patios here are often plain gray and worn. If you want something more, we pour stamped concrete with a stone or brick pattern pressed in while it's fresh.
Concrete patio construction
Backyards on Hayward's flat lots are often tight, with no room for a truck. We plan how the concrete gets back there, and we slope the patio away from the house.
Concrete retaining walls
Homes in the Hayward hills often sit on cut slopes that push on the yard below. We build concrete walls on footings, with drainage behind them so water doesn't build up.
Concrete steps construction
Sloped lots mean steps from the street to the door, and old ones often crack or pull away from the house. We form and pour new steps with even rises.
Concrete parking lot building
Shops and apartment buildings along Hayward's busier streets need parking that handles cars all day. We pour thicker slabs with steel inside and plan where the rain drains.
What Hayward's ground asks of a new slab
On many of the flatland streets we dig into heavy clay, which swells when it's wet and shrinks as it dries. A slab poured on clay with little preparation moves up and down with the ground until it cracks or tips. That's why we dig out below the old slab, bring in base rock and pack it down. The subgrade, the ground the slab sits on, matters more than anything you see on top. Up in the hills the bigger issue is usually water running downhill toward a house or a wall, so we check which way the yard drains before we set a single form.
The city's Building Division points to Hayward's closeness to the Hayward fault. That's why I take the structural pieces seriously, such as footings, foundations and retaining walls, and build them to the plans the job calls for, with inspections whenever a permit requires them. On driveways and slabs we usually add rebar, which is steel bar set inside the concrete. It holds the pieces together if a crack opens, so the crack stays thin instead of turning into a step.
Request a free on-site concrete estimate in Hayward
We reply to every call and form within one business day, and there's no obligation to book. I'll set a time to come out to your Hayward property, look at the ground and listen to what you have in mind. Then I'll write you a free estimate that lists what's included and what isn't.
How a Hayward job goes
Call or send the form
When you reach us, we set a time for me to come out to your property. It helps if you can be there to walk me through what you have in mind.
Look at the site together
I check the ground, the slope, the old concrete and how we'll get a truck in, then I write an estimate that lists what's included and what isn't. We talk through the choices before you decide anything, so nothing on the bill comes as a surprise.
Prepare the ground and pour
If the job needs a permit, we handle the application and inspections with the city, and the pour date follows the inspection. Our crew of finishers and laborers digs out, packs the base, forms, pours and finishes the concrete, and I check in on site.
Walk the finished job together
When it's done, I walk the job with you and explain how to care for the new concrete. You'll leave knowing when you can walk on it and when you can drive on it.
Hayward concrete questions, answered
Do I need a building permit for concrete work in Hayward?
Often, yes. The city's own permit guide says building permits are required for almost all construction work, including structural work and demolition, so ask before anything gets torn out or poured. If you're not sure about your job, call the Permit Center at 510-583-4140. If your job does need a permit, we handle that paperwork for you.
When does a contractor need a California state license?
A contractor in California needs a state license in any of three cases: the project needs a building permit, it uses any additional workers, or it comes to $1,000 or more in labor and materials across one or more contracts. Concrete work almost always uses a crew, so that condition alone usually settles it. You can look up any contractor's license with the state board before you sign. We're licensed and fully insured, and I'm glad to show you.
How do I apply for a building permit in Hayward online?
You can apply through the city's online permitting system, which lets you submit an application, add your contractor to the project, pay fees and download the permit. You can also schedule inspections and check the results from home. When we handle a permit for you, we use the same system and tell you when each inspection is booked.
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Hayward?
I price each driveway after I've seen it, because the cost depends on its size, how thick the slab needs to be and the finish you choose. A stamped or colored surface costs more than a broom finish, which is a lightly brushed texture that gives tires and shoes some grip. If the budget is tight, I'd rather keep the money in the base and go simpler on the surface. You can change a finish later, but you can't fix what's under the slab without tearing it out.
How long does a new concrete driveway need to cure before I can drive on it?
It needs longer before you drive on it than before you walk on it. I'll give you the exact days for your slab at the walkthrough, because the wait depends on the mix and the weather the week we pour. Curing is the time concrete needs to hold its moisture and gain strength, and driving on it too early is one of the easiest ways to crack a new driveway. We plan the pour around when you can manage without parking there.
What causes concrete driveways and patios to crack in Hayward?
Most cracks start under the slab, from a base that was never properly prepared or from water that collects underneath because nobody checked where it runs. Control joints, the shallow lines cut so the concrete has a planned place to crack, cause trouble when they're cut late or skipped. Pouring in the midday heat can also leave a weak, dusty top. We slope the slab away from the house, pour in the cooler part of the day and cut the joints on time, so any crack that does form usually follows a joint.
Tell us about your Hayward concrete project
We answer from early morning until 9 PM seven days a week, so call (510) 319-6825 or send us the form whenever you have a few minutes to describe the job.
