Concrete Contractor in San Mateo - Driveways and Patios Built From the Base Up
Good Form Hayward Concrete is a concrete contractor building driveways, patios, sidewalks, steps and foundations for homeowners in San Mateo. Our own crew forms, pours and finishes the work, and I'm on site running it.
Concrete work in San Mateo, across the bay
San Mateo is one of the cities we work in on the other side of the bay from Hayward, where we're based. When a driveway has cracked, a patio has sunk or a slab has to come out for something new, I come out myself, walk it with you and write the estimate. Then our own crew does the forming, pouring and finishing.
I started out quoting ready mix at a supply yard and asking contractors too many questions about their jobs, and I still ask plenty. We've been pouring concrete since 2013. On a San Mateo job I look into the permit side early, so before anything starts you know whether the job needs one and whether we're filing it or walking you through it.
What I check under a slab
The city's adopted codes page caps how much weight building plans can assume the ground will carry, and past that it asks for a soils report. That's a design number for plans, not a reading of your yard, so I look at the subgrade, the dirt the slab will sit on, and at where your roof water lands and how the yard drains.
- Raked, not packed base. Where the last crew raked the dirt level instead of digging it out and packing it, the slab settles along with the dirt and cracks.
- Slab falling toward the house. If a slab slopes back toward the house, rain ends up against the foundation, so we check where the water runs before any forms go in.
- Joints cut late. When control joints, the grooves that give a crack a place to go, are skipped or cut late, cracks show up wherever they like.
Concrete jobs we take on for San Mateo homes
A lot of concrete work starts with a driveway or patio that's cracked, sunk or holding water. When a slab has settled, the cause is usually underneath, so we tear out the old concrete, fix the ground and pour on a packed base with rebar, the steel that holds the pieces together if it cracks. If the budget has to give, I'd rather cut a fancy finish than the base, because nobody gets back under a slab once it's poured.
Then there's the walk to the front door. We build concrete sidewalks, steps and small slabs, and I like the jobs with a catch that other crews pass on, such as a tight side yard, a steep approach or a slab that has to be cut around something.
Getting us out to San Mateo
We cover San Mateo from Hayward the same way we cover Oakland. Price turns on size, thickness, steel, access and how much old concrete comes out, and the schedule turns on permits and curing, the wait while the concrete hardens. Call or use the form, and I'll come look and put your numbers in writing.
Tell me about your concrete job
Send what's there now and what you want built, or call and tell me. We reply within one business day to set a time for me to come look.
(510) 264-7026- Free, done on site
- No obligation
- Every line in writing
San Mateo concrete questions
Do I need a building permit for a concrete job in San Mateo?
Work that builds, enlarges, alters, removes, demolishes or repairs a structure needs a building permit from the City of San Mateo, houses and garages included. The city's no-permit list names things like painting and short fences, not driveways or patios, so I check your job early and file or walk you through the paperwork when it needs one.
Who do I call in San Mateo with a question about my permit?
Call a permit technician at the city at (650) 522-7172 with questions about your particular project. The city says simple alteration projects can often be approved while you wait. If you'd rather not sort it out yourself, ask me at the estimate and I'll look into it before we schedule anything.
Does a concrete contractor need a California state license?
Yes, the Contractors State License Board requires a license when the project needs a building permit, uses any extra workers, or totals $1,000 or more in labor and materials across one or more contracts. We're licensed and fully insured, and it's fair to ask any contractor the same.
Does a contractor need a San Mateo business license to work there?
Yes, the city requires every person or business doing business in San Mateo to pay an annual business tax, which some call a business license, before they start. It's separate from building permits and from a contractor's state license, so one doesn't stand in for the other.
Will my new concrete driveway crack like the old one?
It can, because concrete shrinks as it hardens, but a packed base and control joints cut on time steer cracks to lines we picked. Old slabs usually break where the base settled or the joints went in late, and those are the two things I watch hardest.