Concrete contractor in San Lorenzo, CA - slabs that drain right and stay put
Ironset Fremont Concrete is a concrete contractor based in Fremont that pours driveways, patios, walks, steps and slabs for homeowners in San Lorenzo, CA, starting with a dug-out, packed base so the new concrete stays put.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- We reply within 1 business day.
San Lorenzo homes and the concrete around them
San Lorenzo is mostly neighborhoods of single-family homes on flat, regular lots, each with a driveway to the street, a walk to the front door and a patio out back. A lot of that concrete has been there about as long as the house, so the calls we get here are usually about a driveway that's cracked across, a walk that's lifted at a seam, or a patio that holds water after it rains. It's the same work we do next door in Cherryland.
On older houses the job almost always starts with breaking out the old slab. What we find under it tells us how much base work the new one needs.
Concrete work we do in San Lorenzo
Concrete driveway building
When an older driveway has cracked, sunk at the garage or tipped water back toward the house, we break it out, rebuild the base and pour new.
Concrete patio construction
A backyard patio on a flat San Lorenzo lot has to fall away from the house, so we set the slope before we pour, not after.
Stamped concrete services
Stamped concrete gives a patio or walk the look of stone or brick, and we put the same base and joints under it as a plain slab.
Concrete sidewalk building
We replace front walks and side paths that have heaved or split into trip edges, and we pour them with a slight fall so rain runs off.
Garage floor concrete
Garage slabs on older homes often crack and stain over the years. We break out the old floor, pack a firm base and pour a smooth, level slab.
Decorative concrete
We do colored, exposed-aggregate and stained finishes for a walk, patio or entry when you want more than plain gray, with the same base work underneath.
Concrete retaining walls
Where a yard here steps down or a raised bed holds back soil, a concrete wall with drainage behind it keeps the dirt from pushing over.
Concrete floor installation
For a workshop, a converted garage or a new room, we pour interior floors flat and level so whatever goes on top sits right.
Concrete pool decks
A pool deck has to shed splash and rain away from the pool and house, so we slope it and use a finish with grip when wet.
Concrete steps construction
Front and back steps on older houses tend to settle and pull away from the porch, so we rebuild them with even risers and steel tied in.
Slab foundation building
For a new addition, garage or backyard building, we build the slab foundation on a dug-out, packed base that suits the soil we find on your lot.
Foundation installation
We form and pour foundations for additions and outbuildings to the plans for your project, with the steel set exactly where those plans put it.
Concrete parking lot building
For a shop, church or apartment lot, we pour concrete paving with a base built for steady car traffic and a surface that drains off.
Concrete footings
Footings carry the weight of a porch, wall, deck or addition, so we dig them to the size the job needs and set the steel before the pour.
Foundation raising
When part of a slab or a house corner has sunk on soft ground, we look at why it moved first, then lift and support it.
Concrete cutting
We saw-cut slabs for a clean edge, a utility trench or a new doorway, so the concrete you're keeping doesn't get cracked or chipped along the way.
Get a free written estimate for your San Lorenzo job
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, with no pressure and no obligation.
- hello@fremontcaconcrete.com
- Based in
- Fremont, CA 94538
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 8 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 6 AM–10 PM
Working in San Lorenzo means working with Alameda County
San Lorenzo isn't inside any city's limits, so building permits here come from Alameda County, not a city hall. When your job needs one, we handle the paperwork and inspections with the county, and its approval and inspection dates usually set the schedule more than the pour does. Before you hire anyone, make sure they hold a California contractor license from the state licensing board and an Alameda County business license, because the county wants one even from a contractor based in another city.
Most of what we pour here is flatwork, the driveways, walks, patios and garage floors that lie flat on the ground, the same work we do next door in Hayward. The price moves with the size of the slab, how much old concrete we break out and haul off, how much base your ground needs, the steel and the finish, and how close the concrete truck can park on your street. Weather moves the schedule too, since concrete shouldn't go down in the rain, and your estimate puts your own price in writing.
Why driveways and patios here crack and sink
The flat land San Lorenzo Creek crosses on its way to the bay sits on layers of sand, gravel, silt and clay, and it changes from one lot to the next. Those layers don't all carry a slab the same way, so a driveway poured on raked dirt settles unevenly and cracks. We dig down to firm ground and pack in a new base, because the subgrade, the ground the slab sits on, decides whether your concrete stays put.
A lot of the old slabs we break out here were poured with few joints or none, so they cracked wherever they wanted. We cut control joints, shallow grooves that give the slab a straight place to crack, on time, and we put rebar, steel rods that hold the concrete together, in driveways that carry cars. On hot days we pour early, because concrete that bakes in midday sun ends up with a weak, dusty top.
How a concrete job runs when you call us from San Lorenzo
Here's what happens from your first call to the day you get your driveway or patio back, and who you'll deal with along the way.
Call or send the form
You reach us by phone or the form, and we set a time for me to come out to your house. It helps if you're home, so you can show me what's bothering you about the old slab.
I measure and write it up
I measure, check where the water runs and ask what you need the slab to do. You get a written estimate that spells out the base, steel and joints, so you know what you're paying for before anything starts.
We handle permits, then pour
If the job needs a county permit, we sort it out before we dig, and the county's review sets the start date. Our crew does the prep, forms, pour and finishing, and I'm on site for the work.
Cleanup and the waiting time
We clean up before we leave and tell you when you can walk on the new concrete and when you can drive on it. Satisfaction guaranteed on every job.
Questions about concrete work in San Lorenzo
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in San Lorenzo?
You get a written price after I've seen the job, because the cost here turns mostly on the tear-out and the base, not the finish. The base is the first thing people want to cut since nobody sees it on day one, and it's the last thing I'd cut. A plain broom finish, a light brushed texture that gives tires and shoes grip, costs less than stamped or colored, and that's a better place to save.
How do I get a building permit for concrete work in San Lorenzo?
You apply through the Alameda County Permit Portal, which handles building permits for San Lorenzo and the county's other unincorporated areas, including plans, inspection requests and status checks. Work in a county road, sidewalk or the public right-of-way, such as where a driveway meets the street, has its own county permit. When your job needs a permit, we handle the paperwork and inspections for you.
Does my concrete contractor in San Lorenzo need a California license?
Yes, if the job needs a building permit, uses any workers besides the contractor, or adds up to $1,000 or more in labor and materials across one contract or several. That covers nearly every driveway or patio. We're licensed and fully insured.
Does a contractor from Fremont need an Alameda County 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 based in another city and holds that city's license. It's an annual tax paid each calendar year, and the county says it only shows the tax was paid, so the state contractor license is what shows a contractor can do the work.
How do I keep water from pooling on my patio in San Lorenzo?
The fix is a slab with a steady fall away from the house, because on lots this flat the water goes wherever the concrete sends it. Before we set forms, I check where the water runs now and where it can go, the yard, a drain or the street. A patio that already holds water usually has to come out and be poured again with the right slope.
How long does it take before I can drive on a new concrete driveway?
You can usually walk on new concrete well before you can drive on it, and I give you both dates when we finish, based on the mix and that week's weather. Curing, the slow hardening that gives concrete its strength, keeps going after the top looks dry. Park on it too soon and you can crack or mark a slab you just paid for.
Fremont, CA
Talk through your San Lorenzo concrete job
Call (510) 574-8512 or send the form, and I'll walk you through your job and its county permit steps before you plan around a start date.