Concrete Contractor in Redwood City, CA - Driveways and Slabs Built on Solid Ground
Professional Union City Concrete is a concrete contractor based in Union City that pours driveways, patios, steps and slabs for Redwood City homes, starting with the ground the slab sits on.
Homes and compact lots across Redwood City
Redwood City sits on the Peninsula, up the road from Palo Alto and down from San Mateo. Our work here runs from older single-family houses on established streets to townhomes and small commercial buildings nearer downtown. Many of those houses still have the driveway, front walk and back patio they were built with, poured decades ago and patched more than once since.
That means most jobs here start with tearing out old concrete before anything new goes in, often on a compact lot where one driveway is the only way in for our crew and equipment.
What working in Redwood City involves
Concrete work in Redwood City that needs a permit goes through the city's Building Division, which handles permit applications and inspections, so its review usually sets the earliest date we can pour. We take care of that application and the inspections for you and keep you posted, and we plan the job to the state building code with the city's local changes. Every contractor also needs a Redwood City business license before working in the city, which you can confirm with Revenue Services, the city office that handles those licenses.
What moves the price here is mostly what's already on the lot: how much old concrete comes out, how deep we dig to reach firm ground and how big the new slab is. The schedule turns on the permit if your job needs one, and on curing, the days a fresh slab needs to harden before it carries weight. Your estimate lists what's included and what isn't, so you can see where the money goes. We come over the Dumbarton Bridge from Union City for these jobs, and we do the same driveway and patio work across the bay in Milpitas.
Services in Redwood City, CA
Concrete driveway building
Older driveways here often crack and sink where the base gave way. We break them out, dig to firm ground, pack a new base and pour.
Concrete patio construction
Small backyards here make a patio the main outdoor room, so drainage matters. We set the patio to fall away from the house so water runs off.
Concrete steps construction
Front steps on older homes often settle and pull away from the porch. We tear them out and form new ones on proper footings, finished for grip.
Concrete floor installation
Additions and garage conversions here need a flat, solid floor. Our concrete floor installation starts with a packed base and rebar, the steel that holds a slab together.
Concrete retaining walls
Some Redwood City lots slope enough to need a wall holding back soil. We build concrete walls with drainage so water doesn't build up and push them out.
Concrete cutting
Tight side yards here often leave no room for heavy equipment. We saw-cut old slabs into sections our crew can haul out by hand.
What Redwood City lots ask of new concrete
Many of the old driveways and walks we break out here were poured on whatever dirt was there, raked flat instead of dug out and packed, so they've settled unevenly and cracked along the low spots. We dig past that loose fill to firm soil, pack a new base and check where your water runs, so the new slab drains away from the house instead of toward it.
Tight lots shape the staging, too, because the city doesn't allow dumpsters or bins on the street at any time, so anything that can't roll away sits on site, usually in the driveway or yard. We plan where the bin and the broken concrete go before demo day, and the city's permit page points to engineering permits for encroachments and bins.
Get a written estimate for your Redwood City project
We reply within one business day to set a time for me to come out to your Redwood City property and look at the job myself. The estimate is free and done on site, written out so you can see what's included and what isn't. There's no pressure to book.
How a Redwood City job goes
Call and set a visit
Call (510) 319-6825 or send the form, and we'll set a time for me to come out to your property. It helps if you're there, so I can hear what you have in mind.
Walk the site together
I look at the old concrete, the ground under it and where your water runs, then write an estimate that lists what's included and what isn't. We talk through the choices before you decide anything, so you know exactly what you'd be paying for.
Prepare, pour and finish
We handle any permit steps, then our crew of finishers and laborers digs out, packs the base, pours and finishes, with me checking in on site. The city allows contractor work from 7 AM to 8 PM on weekdays, and weekend work only with written approval requested 30 days ahead, so we plan Redwood City pours for weekdays.
Walk the finished job
When the work is done, I walk it with you and explain how to care for it. That includes how long to keep feet and cars off while the slab cures.
Redwood City concrete questions answered
Do I need a permit to replace a concrete driveway or patio in Redwood City?
It may need one, because the city's Building FAQ says a building permit is required for all work that isn't on the exempt list in section 105.2 of the California Building Code. The FAQ connects that list to things like fences 7 feet tall and under, painting and flooring, not to driveways or patios by name, so I check your project against it before we set a pour date.
How long does a building permit stay valid in Redwood City?
A Redwood City permit stays valid for 365 days from the day it's issued. Each passed field inspection adds another 365 days from that inspection date, so a job that keeps moving through its inspections doesn't run out of time.
How do I find out if my old patio or driveway was permitted in Redwood City?
You can ask the city, which keeps each property's permit history on site in microfiche and digital records. Work done without a permit needs a permit to make it legal, with plans sent in for review, so it's worth checking before you build onto or around an old slab.
How do I handle concrete debris from a project in Redwood City?
The city requires at least 65% of all construction debris to be recycled, with proof sent in within 90 days of the permit's final inspection. Broken concrete is heavy but recycles well, so we plan the haul-off with that in mind and keep the paperwork that shows it.
What does a new concrete driveway cost in Redwood City?
Your price comes from the written estimate I prepare after seeing the site, because no two Redwood City driveways start from the same ground. Beyond tear-out and digging, the cost moves with the slab's thickness, whether it gets rebar and the finish you pick, since a broom finish, a lightly brushed texture that gives tires and shoes grip, costs less than stamped or colored concrete. If the budget is tight, I'd rather simplify the finish than skimp on the base, because nobody sees the base on day one but it's what keeps the slab from settling.
What causes concrete driveways in Redwood City to crack and sink?
Most cracking and sinking we see comes from what's under the slab, either a base that was never packed or water running underneath it. Concrete also shrinks as it cures, so we cut control joints, shallow grooves that give a crack a straight place to form, and we cut them on time. A new slab can still get hairline cracks, but with a packed base and the water steered away, they usually stay in the joints instead of running across the middle.
Book your free Redwood City estimate visit
We're licensed and fully insured, so call (510) 319-6825 or send us the form and I'll come see what's under your old concrete before anyone talks about the finish.
