Concrete patio construction in Hayward CA - a slab that drains away from your house
Cracked, sinking slab out back or puddles against the house? We build a new patio on packed ground, sloped so water runs away.
Concrete patio construction in Hayward usually starts because the old slab out back has sunk, cracked across or started holding water by the house, or because there's just dirt where you want a table. A patio is a slab poured over a dug-out, packed base, then finished and left alone to cure and gain strength. Most of a good one happens before the truck shows up.
The price moves with the size, how much old concrete or soft dirt has to come out, how far we carry concrete from the street to your yard and whether you want steel in it. The schedule turns on the permit side and the weather. If you'd like a pattern pressed into the surface, that's our stamped concrete work. Your own figure comes from the estimate, written up after I've walked the yard.
How we build a concrete patio
- Base dug out and packed. We dig down to firm subgrade, the soil the slab rests on, and pack base rock over it. It's hidden on day one, so people want to trim it, and it's the last thing I'd cut.
- Fall away from the house. We set the forms so the patio falls gently away from your walls and toward a lawn or planting bed, which is where the city's stormwater checklist wants patio runoff to go.
- Joints you see before the pour. Control joints are cuts that give the slab a straight place to crack as it shrinks, so I mark where they'll land and you see the layout first.
- Our own crew, me on site. I started this business in Hayward in 2013. Our own crew forms, pours and finishes your patio, and I'm there running the work.
- Insured crew, permits checked early. We're licensed and fully insured. We look into the permit side early and file the paperwork, or walk you through it, when your job needs one.
Why old patios fail
| Problem | What it looks like | Usual fix |
|---|---|---|
| Sunken or tilted slab | What it looks like: One corner sits low and the patio tips toward the house | Usual fix: Break out, dig to firm ground, pack a new base |
| Water against the house | What it looks like: Puddles along the wall after rain and damp marks at the foundation | Usual fix: Rebuild with the fall running away from the house |
| Random cracks | What it looks like: Cracks wandering across the slab in places nobody picked | Usual fix: New slab with control joints cut on time |
| Dusty, flaking top | What it looks like: Surface turns powdery or chips off in flakes underfoot | Usual fix: Replace, pouring out of the midday heat |
New, replace or add on
- New patio. This suits a yard with lawn or bare dirt where you want to sit, because we can dig out, pack the base and set the fall from the start.
- Tear out and replace. When the old slab has sunk, tipped toward the house or cracked across, patching won't fix the ground under it, so we break it out and rebuild the base.
- Add on or connect. If your slab is still sound, we can pour beside it or run a concrete sidewalk out to the gate or driveway.
From first visit to walk-through
- Call or send the form. Call (510) 264-7026 or send the form with the patio's rough size and how far it sits from the house, and we'll set a time to come out.
- I walk your yard. I come out, walk the site, ask what will sit on the patio and how you want it to look, and check where water runs now.
- A written estimate. You get an estimate that spells out the prep, the steel and the joints, so you can see what each line is paying for.
- Forming and the pour. Our crew forms and pours inside the city's construction hours, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays and holidays.
- Walk-through together. I walk the finished patio with you, point out the joints and the fall, and go over how to keep it protected while it cures.
Keeping your patio sound after the pour
What keeps a patio sound in Hayward is the ground under it. A good share of Alameda County soil is clay that swells when wet and shrinks as it dries, so we dig out the soft dirt and old fill. Where it can't all come out, the slab can still settle or crack some, and I'll tell you that up front.
We work for homeowners, landlords and small businesses across Hayward and many of the cities around it, on both sides of the bay, including Castro Valley and San Leandro. If you have a patio in mind, ask us for an estimate and I'll come take a look.
Tell us about your patio
Send the patio's rough size and how far it sits from the house, and we'll get back to you within one business day to set a visit.
(510) 264-7026- Free on-site estimate
- No obligation to go ahead
- Prep, steel and joints in writing
Patio questions we hear in Hayward
How much does a concrete patio cost per square foot near Hayward?
Across the bay in San Francisco, a concrete patio usually runs about $6 to $15 per square foot. Where yours lands depends on how much digging, base and steel your yard needs and how hard it is to get concrete back there. Your own figure comes from the written estimate after I walk the site.
Will my new concrete patio crack like the old one did?
It may get a few cracks, because concrete shrinks as it dries and moves as temperatures change. Industry guidance says steel in the slab, like rebar, the bars set inside it, won't prevent cracking, so the joints are what decide where cracks show up. That's why I lay out the joint plan with you before the pour.
Why is there a puddle on my concrete patio after it rains?
A few shallow puddles are normal, even on a slab with proper fall. People call them birdbaths, and they come from small construction tolerances and normal surface changes over time. Water sitting against your house is a different story, and it usually means the slab falls the wrong way.
How long before I can use my new concrete patio?
Plan on keeping it protected for about a week. A trade guide written for another region says curing should start right after finishing and continue at least 7 days for outdoor slabs. At the walk-through, I'll go over what to keep off it while it cures.
Do I need a permit for a concrete patio in Hayward?
Don't assume either way, because it depends on your job and whether the city or the county handles your address. The city's Permit Center takes the forms for building projects and answers questions at (510) 583-4005. We check this early and handle the paperwork or walk you through it.