Concrete Contractor in San Lorenzo, CA - Driveways and Slabs on Well-Packed Ground
Professional Union City Concrete is a concrete contractor based in Union City that builds driveways, patios, sidewalks, garage floors and slab foundations for homes in San Lorenzo, starting with the ground under each slab.
Older single-family homes across San Lorenzo
San Lorenzo is mostly blocks of single-family homes on flat lots, with shops and businesses along the busier roads and streets that run right into Cherryland and San Leandro. Many of these houses have stood for decades, and so have their driveways, patios and front walks. That's why most of our calls here are for flatwork, the slabs that sit right on the ground, that has cracked, sunk at a corner or started holding water by the garage.
On a house this age, the way the old slab failed usually tells me a lot about the ground under it, so that's where I start before I price anything new.
How permits and licenses work in San Lorenzo
Because San Lorenzo is unincorporated and sits outside any city's limits, building permits here come from Alameda County, not a city hall. Applications, plans, inspection requests and status checks all go through the county's permit portal. When your job needs a permit, we take care of the application and inspections and keep you informed, and the county's review is usually what the start date waits on. Before you hire anyone here, it's worth checking that they hold a California contractor license from the Contractors State License Board and a county business license for working in the unincorporated area. We're licensed and fully insured.
We're a concrete contractor in Union City, CA, and we work the same kind of flat lots in Hayward and the cities around it, so the drive over is short and the houses are familiar. Here, the price moves with the size of the slab, whether old concrete has to be broken out and hauled away, and how much soft soil has to be dug out. It also depends on whether the slab needs rebar, steel bars set inside to hold it together if it cracks, and how far the concrete has to travel from the street to the work. The schedule turns on the county's review when there's a permit and on the weather around pour day. The written estimate I give you after seeing the site spells out each of those for your job.
Services in San Lorenzo, CA
Concrete driveway building
Older San Lorenzo driveways often crack or drop near the garage. We break out the old slab, dig and pack a fresh base, then pour new concrete.
Concrete patio construction
Backyard patios here are often old, thin slabs that have tipped toward the house. We pour a new patio sloped so rain runs out to the yard instead.
Concrete sidewalk building
Front walks lifted by tree roots catch toes and hold puddles. We cut out the raised sections, deal with the roots where we can, and pour level replacements.
Slab foundation building
Additions on these flat lots start with what's under them. For slab foundation building, we prepare the ground, set the rebar and pour to the approved plans.
Garage floor concrete
Garage floors in older homes here are often pitted or cracked. We remove the worn slab and pour a new floor that drains toward the door.
Concrete cutting
Widening a narrow older driveway or adding a drain often means opening the slab. We saw-cut clean, straight edges so the new concrete meets the old squarely.
What San Lorenzo ground asks of a slab
San Lorenzo sits on flat ground built from layers of sand, gravel, silt and clay, laid down by the creek on its way to the bay, and those layers vary from one lot to the next. That's why I don't assume anything about the subgrade, the soil the slab sits on, until I've seen it. We dig out soft or mixed soil and pack a new base rather than raking the old dirt level and pouring over it. If the budget gets tight, the base is the last place I'd cut. You can't see it on day one, but it decides whether the slab stays put. I'd rather pour a plain broom finish, a lightly brushed texture that gives shoes and tires some grip, over a good base than a fancy surface over a weak one.
Water is the other thing we watch here, because on flat lots it has nowhere obvious to go, and old slabs that have settled often send it toward the garage or the house. We check where the water runs before we set forms and give the new slab a gentle fall away from the house. Soon after the pour, we cut control joints, shallow grooves that tell the concrete where to crack, so any cracks follow a line we chose.
Get a written estimate for your San Lorenzo concrete job
We reply to every call and message within one business day and set a time for me to come out to your San Lorenzo property. The estimate is free and done on site. I write it out so you can see what's included and what isn't, and there's no pressure to book.
How a San Lorenzo job goes
Call us or send the form
We get back to you and set a time for me to come out. It helps if you can be there so you can show me what you have in mind.
Look at the site together
I check the old slab, the ground and where the water runs, and I listen to what you want. Then I write up an estimate that lists what's included and what isn't, and we talk through the choices before you decide anything.
Handle permits and prepare the ground
If the job needs a county permit, we file it and schedule the inspections, and the start date waits on the county's review. Our crew of finishers and laborers then digs out, packs the base and sets the forms, with me checking in on site.
Pour, finish and walk through
We pour, finish and cut the joints, then let the slab cure, keeping it damp and off-limits while it hardens to full strength. Once it's ready, I walk the job with you and explain how to care for it.
Questions we hear in San Lorenzo
Does my contractor need a California license to pour a driveway in San Lorenzo?
Almost always, yes. The Contractors State License Board requires a license when the work needs a building permit, uses any workers besides the contractor, or totals $1,000 or more in labor and materials across one or more contracts. The only exception is a small job that has no permit and no employees, isn't advertised as licensed work, and comes to less than $1,000 in all costs combined.
Does a contractor from another city need a business license to work in San Lorenzo?
Yes. The county requires a business license for any business activity in its unincorporated areas, even when the business is located elsewhere or already holds another city's license. The county treats it as an annual tax and says the license only shows the tax has been paid, so check it alongside the state contractor license, not instead of it.
Do I need a permit to replace my driveway apron or sidewalk in San Lorenzo?
You may. The county's permits page lists work in county roads, sidewalks and public rights-of-way, and a driveway apron often crosses that strip. I check this for your address before we schedule anything, and if a permit is needed, we handle it like any other.
How do I keep a new concrete driveway in San Lorenzo from cracking like the old one?
Start with the base and the joints, because most of the cracking we see traces back to soft ground or to joints that were cut late or skipped. We pack the base, add rebar where the job calls for it, plan pours for the cooler part of the day so the top doesn't dry weak and dusty, and cut the joints soon after. That gives the slab its best chance of staying level, with any cracks following the joints.
How long does a new driveway take before I can drive on it in San Lorenzo?
Driving has to wait longer than walking, because concrete keeps gaining strength for days after the pour, and a car needs more of that strength than your feet do. I give you both dates at the walk-through, based on the mix and that week's weather, and until then you'll want to park on the street.
How much does a concrete driveway cost in San Lorenzo?
Your figure comes from the written estimate, because the things that move the price, like the ground and the old slab, can only be measured on site. The choices you control matter most. A broom finish costs less than stamped or colored concrete, a simple shape costs less than curves, and keeping the same footprint costs less than widening. The base and the joints are the parts I'd keep even on a tight budget, for the reasons above.
Ask about your San Lorenzo concrete project
We take calls seven days a week until 9 PM, so call (510) 319-6825 or send the request form about your project and its permit steps whenever it suits you.
