Concrete Contractor in Newark, CA - Driveways and Slabs Built on Packed Ground
Professional Union City Concrete is a concrete contractor based in Union City, CA, and we pour driveways, patios, walkways, steps and slabs for homes across Newark, starting with the ground underneath so the surface has a solid base.
Older ranch homes and newer tracts in Newark
Newark sits between Fremont and the bay, a short drive from our base in Union City, and most of our calls here come from single-family homes. Much of the city was built out in the decades after the war, so we see plenty of single-story ranch houses still on their original driveways, walks and front steps, along with newer townhomes and the business parks closer to the water.
That age matters for the job. Original concrete on those lots has often settled, cracked or tipped toward the house, and the ground under it is flat and low, so on a new slab here I start by working out where the water will go.
What to know before hiring a concrete crew in Newark
Before anyone pours concrete at your house, it's fair to ask about two licenses. The City of Newark requires a business license from anyone doing business in the city, including contractors who come in from other cities like we do, and the California Contractors State License Board licenses anyone who builds or alters a building or other structure in the state, which covers most concrete work. We're licensed and fully insured, and you're welcome to ask me about both when I come out.
On a concrete job here, the price moves mostly with the size of the area, how much old concrete has to be broken out and hauled away, how much digging and packing the base needs, and the finish you choose, and your written estimate lists each of those so you can see what you're paying for. The schedule turns on dry weather for the pour and on curing, the wait while new concrete gains strength before you walk or drive on it. We plan Newark jobs the same way we plan them in San Lorenzo and the other cities around us, and on residential streets lined with parked cars we time the truck so it isn't in your neighbors' way any longer than it has to be.
Services in Newark, CA
Concrete driveway building
Many Newark driveways are original to the house and have settled or cracked. We break out the old slab, rebuild the base and pour again.
Concrete patio construction
Flat backyards here leave patio water with nowhere to go, so it pools against the house. We slope the slab away from your walls so rain runs off.
Concrete steps construction
Front steps on older ranch homes often settle and pull away from the porch. We build new concrete steps on a packed base, each step the same height.
Concrete sidewalk building
Walkways here crack and lift where roots or settling push them out of line. We remove the damaged run and pour a new one on a firm base.
Garage floor concrete
Garage floors in older homes here are often pitted or sunk near the door. We replace the worn slab with a new floor that drains toward the door.
Concrete cutting
Plenty of Newark households widen a driveway for another car, which means cutting into concrete that's still sound. We saw a clean, straight edge for the new pour.
What Newark's flat, low ground asks of concrete
Much of Newark is flat and sits low toward the bay, so rain doesn't run off a lot on its own the way it does on a hillside. On a slab, that shows up as pooling water, a patio that holds a puddle by the back door, or a driveway that sends runoff into the garage. Before we set any forms, I check where the water goes now and where it can go, and we shape the subgrade, the soil the slab sits on, and the slab itself to carry water away from the house.
Wet winters soak the ground and dry summers shrink it, so loose fill under an old slab keeps moving through the year. That's why we dig down to firm soil and pack the base before we pour, and add rebar, steel bars that hold the slab together if it does crack, where the job calls for it.
Get a written concrete estimate for your Newark home
We reply to every call and form within one business day to set a time for me to come out to your Newark property myself. The estimate is free, done on site and written out so you can see what's included, and there's no pressure to book once you have it. Thank you for considering us.
How a Newark job runs with us
Tell us about your project
Call or send the form, and we'll find a time for me to come out to your house. It helps if you're home for that visit so you can walk me through what you have in mind.
Walk the site and write it up
I look at the ground, the slope and the old concrete, then write a free estimate listing what's included and what isn't. We talk through the choices together before you decide anything, so you know what each one adds to the cost.
Prepare the ground and pour
Once you're ready, we handle any permit steps the job needs, dig out and pack the base, then pour and finish. Our crew of finishers and laborers does the work, and I check in on site while they do.
Walk the finished job together
When we're done, I walk the job with you and explain how to care for the new concrete while it cures. That includes when it's ready for foot traffic and when it's ready for a car.
Newark concrete questions, answered
Does a concrete contractor from outside Newark need a city business license?
Yes, every construction contractor based outside Newark needs a city business license, and the type depends on the project's value. On projects under $100,000, a contractor can buy a quarterly license that follows the calendar year, and projects over $100,000 call for an annual license. We're based in Union City, so this rule applies to us when we work in Newark.
When does a concrete contractor need a CSLB license in California?
A contractor needs a state license when the job needs a building permit, uses any additional workers, or totals $1,000 or more in labor and materials across one or more contracts. A job can be exempt only if it needs no permit, uses no employees and costs less than $1,000 in all, and a bigger project can't be broken into smaller pieces to get under that line. Most driveways, patios and slabs come in well above it, so ask to see the license before work starts.
How do I find out if my Newark address is in an earthquake hazard zone?
Type your address into the state's EQ Zapp map, which shows whether the property lies in a mapped earthquake hazard zone or in an area the state hasn't evaluated yet. Inside a zone, the state has found that weak soil or rock is likely under the property, and that ground can fail in an earthquake and damage structures unless proper precautions go into the grading and construction. If you're planning a slab, footing or foundation on a lot in a zone, tell me at the estimate so we plan the ground work with that in mind.
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Newark?
A Newark driveway's price is set mostly by its size and how much old concrete comes out, and I write your figure into a free estimate after seeing the site. Tight side access adds labor when the truck can't reach the forms and we have to pump or wheel the concrete in, and a stamped or colored surface costs more than a broom finish, the plain textured surface that gives shoes and tires grip. If the budget is tight, I'd rather keep the finish simple than thin out the base, because the base is buried on day one but it's what keeps the driveway from settling later.
How long does a new concrete driveway take before I can drive on it?
You'll stay off a new driveway through the curing period, the time concrete needs to gain strength before it carries weight, and you can walk on it well before you can drive on it. I give you both dates at the walkthrough, based on that week's weather. We also avoid pouring in midday heat, because concrete that dries too fast can end up with a weak, dusty top.
What causes concrete driveways and patios to crack and sink in Newark?
Most of the cracking and sinking we see in Newark comes from a base that was raked level instead of dug out and packed, water working under the slab, and joints that were cut late or skipped. Control joints are shallow cuts that give concrete a chosen place to crack as it shrinks, so without them the cracks wander across the slab wherever they like. On new work we pack the base, plan where the water leaves and cut joints on time, which is the best way I know to keep a new slab from going the way of the old one.
Tell us about your Newark concrete project
Call (510) 319-6825 or use our contact form to describe what you're planning, since a few details up front let me bring the right questions to your site visit.
