Concrete Contractor in San Lorenzo, CA - Driveways and Patios Built on Solid Ground
Good Form Hayward Concrete is a concrete contractor building driveways, patios, steps, garage slabs and footings for homeowners in San Lorenzo, CA, with our own crew doing the forming, pouring and finishing.
Concrete work in unincorporated San Lorenzo
San Lorenzo is unincorporated, which means it isn't inside any city's limits, so Alameda County is the government your project answers to here. That changes who handles the permit and the business license, and it's the first thing I sort out when someone in San Lorenzo calls about a driveway, a patio or a new slab.
I started this business in Hayward in 2013, and in San Lorenzo we take on the same range of work, from flatwork, which covers driveways, patios and walkways, to garage slabs, footings and cutting out concrete that has to go. I come out to look at each job myself, and I'm on site to run the pour.
Checking the ground before we pour
The flatlands San Lorenzo Creek crosses on its way to the bay are layered sand, gravel, silt and clay, and one lot can be quite different from the next. So we look at what's under your slab before we price it, because the subgrade, the soil the concrete rests on, has more to do with cracking than anything we do on top.
- Soft base. Where an old slab was laid on dirt that was raked flat and never packed, it settles with the ground, and the cracks and sinking follow.
- Water toward the house. If a driveway or patio falls toward the house, rain pools against the wall, so we check where the water runs before the forms go in.
- Late or missing joints. When control joints, the grooves that give a slab a planned place to crack, are cut late or skipped, cracks show up wherever they like.
What we pour for San Lorenzo homeowners
When a driveway or patio has cracked, sunk or started holding water, the ground under it usually moved, so patching the top won't hold. We break it out, dig to firm soil, pack a new base and set rebar, the steel that keeps cracks from spreading apart, before we pour. If the budget's tight, cut the fancy finish, not the base, because nobody sees the base on day one but it decides how the slab ages.
Other jobs are new additions, like a wider driveway, a patio off the back door or concrete steps where an old set has pulled away from the porch. Steps take careful forming because every rise has to match, and that's the kind of fiddly job I enjoy running.
Getting us out to San Lorenzo
We cover San Lorenzo from our base in Hayward, the same way we cover Union City. Price turns on size, how much old concrete comes out and what the base needs, and the schedule on any county permit and the weather. Call (510) 264-7026 or use the form, and I'll come look and put your number in writing.
Tell us about your San Lorenzo job
Tell us what you want poured and what's there now, and we'll reply within one business day to set a time for me to come walk the job.
(510) 264-7026- Free, on-site estimate
- Every line explained in writing
- No obligation to hire us
San Lorenzo concrete questions
Who issues building permits for concrete work in San Lorenzo?
The county issues them, since San Lorenzo isn't part of any city. You apply, submit plans, schedule inspections and check status on the county permit portal, and work in a county sidewalk or road is listed separately on the county's permits page. We check early whether your job needs one, then file it or walk you through it.
Does a concrete contractor in San Lorenzo need a California state license?
Yes, on just about any driveway, patio or slab job. The California Contractors State License Board requires a license when the work needs a building permit, uses any hired help, or costs $1,000 or more in labor and materials across one or more contracts. We're licensed and fully insured.
Does a contractor from another city need a county business license in San Lorenzo?
Yes, the county requires a business license for any business activity in San Lorenzo and its other unincorporated areas, even from a business based in another city or holding that city's license. The county treats it as an annual tax and says the license only shows the tax was paid, so it's no measure of anyone's skill.
Will my new concrete driveway crack like the old one did?
It can still crack, because concrete shrinks as it hardens, but a well-built base keeps it from breaking up the way a slab on loose dirt does. We cut the control joints on time so any crack stays thin and runs along a joint instead of across the middle.
How long before I can drive on a new concrete driveway?
You'll walk on it well before you drive on it, because concrete keeps gaining strength for days after the pour, which we call curing, and I give you both dates on pour day. We plan around the forecast and stay out of the midday heat, which can leave a weak, dusty top.