Concrete contractor in East Palo Alto, CA - slabs that drain right and stay put
Ironset Fremont Concrete is a concrete contractor based in Fremont, CA. We build driveways, patios, walks, steps and slabs for homes in East Palo Alto, and we dig out and pack the base before we pour.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- We reply within 1 business day.
East Palo Alto homes and the concrete around them
East Palo Alto sits on flat ground along the bay, right next to Palo Alto, and most calls here come from houses on small residential lots. A lot of them are older single-story homes with a driveway out front, a walk to the door and a patio or garage slab out back, much of it poured long ago and patched since. Apartment buildings, churches and small businesses are mixed in, and they have their own lots and walks to keep up.
The flat ground is what shapes the job. Water has no hill to run down, so a slab that's even a little off sends rain toward the house or leaves it sitting in a low spot, and we set the grade with that in mind.
Concrete work we do in East Palo Alto
Concrete driveway building
When an older driveway has sunk at the garage or cracked across the middle, we tear it out, dig to firm ground, pack a new base and pour.
Concrete patio construction
Backyard patios on these flat lots need a slope, so we set the slab to shed rain away from the house, not toward the back door.
Stamped concrete services
Stamped concrete gives a front walk or patio the look of stone or brick, and the pattern only lasts if the base under it doesn't move.
Concrete sidewalk building
Front walks and side-yard paths that have lifted or chipped into trip edges get torn out and repoured on a packed base, with a slope that drains.
Garage floor concrete
Older garage floors here are often cracked and out of level, so we break them out and pour a new slab you can park and work on.
Decorative concrete
Color, exposed aggregate or a scored pattern can dress up a plain front yard or entry, and we pick the finish with you before anything is poured.
Concrete retaining walls
On these flat lots, a low retaining wall holds a raised bed or a step in the yard, set on a footing so it stays put.
Concrete floor installation
For a converted garage, a workshop or a back room, we pour interior concrete floors flat and level so flooring or equipment sits right on top.
Concrete pool decks
On a backyard pool, the deck has to give bare feet grip and send splash water to a drain, not back toward the house or under the slab.
Concrete steps construction
Front steps on older houses are often cracked at the edges or pulling away from the porch, so we rebuild them with steel inside and every step the same height.
Slab foundation building
For a new garage, addition or backyard unit, we build the slab the building sits on, starting with the ground under it, because that's what carries the load.
Foundation installation
When a house is getting an addition or a new structure goes up on the lot, we form and pour the foundation to the approved plans.
Concrete parking lot building
Churches, small shops and apartment buildings need lots that drain and carry cars daily, so we build them thicker, with steel and a well-packed base.
Concrete footings
Fences, carports, decks and sheds all need footings, the concrete pads under posts and walls, dug to firm ground so the structure above doesn't lean or sink.
Foundation raising
When part of a house has settled and doors stick or floors slope, we find what let it drop, then raise and support that section.
Concrete cutting
We saw-cut clean openings in slabs for a drain line or a wider driveway, so the concrete you keep isn't cracked by a jackhammer.
Get a written concrete estimate in East Palo Alto
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set a time. I come out, look at the job and put the price and the work in writing, free and with no obligation.
- hello@fremontcaconcrete.com
- Based in
- Fremont, CA 94538
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 8 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 6 AM–10 PM
What to check before a concrete job in East Palo Alto
The city's Building Services Division issues building permits here, and when your job needs one, nobody digs until it's approved, so the permit sets the start date more than our calendar does. The city checks a contractor's license status with the state licensing board as part of the permit, and contractors working here apply for a city business license, so ask anyone you're weighing about both. If a contractor is on file with the state as having no workers but shows up with a crew, the city stops the job until they hand over a workers' comp certificate. We're licensed and fully insured, and when a permit is needed we work with the city and handle the paperwork and inspections.
Price here turns on the same things it does in San Lorenzo or Fremont. It depends on how much old concrete comes out, how much digging and packing the ground needs before it'll hold a slab, and how thick the slab is. It also depends on how much rebar goes in, the steel that holds the slab together if it cracks, and whether you want a broom finish, the light texture that keeps it from getting slick, or color and stamping. Narrow driveways and tight side yards can mean more hand work getting the old slab out and the new concrete in. The schedule rides mostly on the permit and then on the cure, the wait while the concrete hardens, and your estimate puts the price and the work in writing for your slab.
Why slabs here crack, sink and hold water
A lot of the older flatwork we see here was poured on dirt that was raked level instead of dug out and packed, and that dirt keeps settling, so the slab drops at one end and cracks where it bends. Many were also poured without control joints, the grooves cut in to give a slab a straight line to crack along, so the cracks wander wherever they want. We dig down to firm subgrade, the ground the slab sits on, pack a base on top of it and cut the joints early, so if a crack comes, it runs where we put the line.
The other problem is water. On flat lots a patio that falls toward the house even slightly puts water against the foundation every time it rains, so before we set forms we check where your water runs now and build the slope to carry it away.
How a concrete job runs when you call us in East Palo Alto
From the first call to the cleanup, here's what happens and who you'll see, so you know what's coming before anything gets torn out.
Call or send the form
You call or send the form, and I set a time to come out. It's best if you're home for the visit, because you know where water sits after a rain and what the slab has to carry.
Get a written estimate
I measure, look at the old slab and the ground, and ask what you need the concrete to do. The estimate spells out the base, steel and joints, so you can see what the price pays for and hold other bids up to it.
Sort out the permit first
When your job needs a permit, we send the application, and the city says staff get back with next steps within two business days. If it can't be issued over the counter, it goes through the city's 30-day review, with two-week rechecks if they ask for changes, and that's the wait before we dig.
Prep, pour and clean up
Our crew digs out, packs the base, sets forms and steel, pours and finishes with me on site, and we keep the job card and any approved plans there because the inspector won't sign off without them. We clean up before we leave and tell you when the slab is ready to walk on and when it can take a car.
Questions about concrete work in East Palo Alto
Do I need a permit for a concrete driveway or patio in East Palo Alto?
It depends on what you're building, so ask the city before you assume either way. The city's building office issues building, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, solar, re-roof and demolition permits, and its Permit Center on Tate Street handles new construction, open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. with a lunch closure from noon to 1. Once I've seen the job we check with the city for you, and the city's permits page shows which office handles what.
What happens if concrete work starts without a permit in East Palo Alto?
If the work needed a building permit, the city charges a penalty fee, and it says it also reports the contractor to the state license board for investigation. The city keeps going after unpermitted construction, so a skipped permit can catch up with you after the concrete is down. That's why we settle the permit question before anyone digs.
How much does it cost to replace a concrete driveway in East Palo Alto?
The price comes from the size of the driveway, how much old concrete comes out and how much work the ground needs before it'll hold a new slab, so I give you a figure in writing after I've seen it. If something has to give in the budget, cut the finish and not the base. You can live with a plain finish, but a slab on a bad base cracks, and the only fix for that is tearing it out.
How long does it take before I can drive on a new concrete driveway?
You'll be walking on it well before you're driving on it, and I give you both dates at the pour because they depend on the mix and the weather that week. That wait is the cure, the time the concrete needs to harden and gain strength, and a car on it too early is how a new driveway gets its first cracks. If your job needs a permit, the city's review from the steps above comes before any of this.
What causes a new concrete patio to turn dusty or chip on top?
Usually it's the pour, when the slab goes in during the hottest part of the day and the top dries out before it's finished, leaving a weak, dusty surface that chips later. We plan pours for the cooler part of the morning and keep the surface from drying out too fast while it cures.
Do I need city approval to widen my driveway at the street in East Palo Alto?
Ask the city's engineering side before anyone cuts into the street or the public sidewalk, because that office, not the building office, handles streets, sidewalks and encroachment and grading permits. Once I've seen where your driveway meets the street, we'll work out with the city what applies to your job.
Fremont, CA
Get your East Palo Alto concrete job priced
Call (510) 574-8512 or send the form, because a crack or a low spot is easier to fix before water gets under the slab and breaks it into more pieces.