Concrete Contractor in San Lorenzo, CA - Slabs Built on a Firm, Packed Base
Frontier Fremont Concrete Company pours driveways, patios, steps, sidewalks and slabs for homes in San Lorenzo, CA. We're a concrete contractor based in Fremont, and we tear out cracked, sinking concrete and build it back on solid ground.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free on-site estimates.
- We reply within 1 business day.
San Lorenzo homes and the concrete around them
San Lorenzo is mostly streets of single-family houses on flat lots, and most of the calls we get here are about the concrete that's been around those houses the longest. We see driveways that have dropped at the garage, front walks that tip toward the lawn and back patios with a crack running clear across. Many owners are fixing up a house they've lived in for years, or one they just bought, and want the driveway and walks to catch up with the rest of the work. We pour the same kinds of jobs in nearby Hayward, so these houses and lots are familiar ground for our crew.
Flat lots sound easy, but they give rainwater nowhere to go on its own, and a slab that leans even a little toward the house sends that water straight to the foundation. Before the forms go in, I check where your water runs and set the slope to carry it away.
Concrete services for San Lorenzo homes and lots
Concrete driveway building
When an older driveway has sunk at the garage or broken into pieces, we tear it out, rebuild the base and pour one that drains to the street.
Concrete patio construction
A new patio for a flat backyard, set with enough slope to keep rainwater moving off the slab and away from the back of the house.
Stamped concrete services
Stamped concrete gives a patio or front walk the look of stone or brick in one pour, a good fit when you're updating an older house's yard.
Concrete sidewalk building
We replace front walks and side paths that have tipped, lifted or cracked, so the way to your door is even again.
Garage floor concrete
A cracked, stained or uneven garage slab can be broken out and repoured on a packed base, so the floor sits flat for parking and storage.
Decorative concrete
Color, exposed stone and custom finishes for entries and patios, when you want new concrete to look like part of the house rather than an add-on.
Concrete retaining walls
Even flat lots here have spots where the yard steps down at a fence line or driveway edge, and a concrete wall holds that soil in place.
Concrete floor installation
Interior slabs for additions, workshops and converted spaces, poured level over a prepared base so the flooring that goes down later lies flat.
Concrete pool decks
A pool deck has to shed splash water and stay comfortable underfoot, so we slope it away from the pool and give it a finish with grip.
Concrete steps construction
Front and back steps on older houses often settle or crumble at the edges, and we rebuild them with even step heights and solid support underneath.
Slab foundation building
Slab foundations for additions, garages and new structures, with the ground under them dug out and packed first, because a slab is only as steady as its base.
Foundation installation
Foundations for additions, backyard units and outbuildings, built to the plans and checked before we pour, so the framing that follows starts level.
Concrete parking lot building
Concrete lots for small businesses, churches and apartment buildings, graded so rainwater drains off and built to handle cars coming and going every day.
Concrete footings
Footings, the concrete base under a post or wall, for fences, decks, patio covers and garden walls, dug deep enough that the structure on top stays put.
Foundation raising
When a corner of the house or a slab has settled, raising it back toward level can close gaps in walls and ease doors that have started sticking.
Concrete cutting
Clean saw cuts for new openings, plumbing trenches, or taking out just the damaged section of a driveway instead of tearing out the whole thing.
Get a free on-site estimate for concrete work in San Lorenzo
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set a time. I'll come out, look at the site and write up a free estimate that spells out what's included, with no obligation.
- Based in
- Fremont, CA 94536
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 6 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 7 AM–11 PM
What working in San Lorenzo means for your concrete job
San Lorenzo isn't inside any city's limits, so permits here come from Alameda County, not a city hall. When your job needs one, the county's review and inspections decide when we can start more than our own calendar does, so I settle the permit question at the estimate and we plan around it. Before you hire anyone, check two things: a California contractor's license from the state licensing board, and the county business license that any business working in the unincorporated area has to have. The questions further down explain when each one applies.
Most driveways here run from the garage out to an approach at the street, and once a job reaches that approach or the public sidewalk, it's work in the county's right-of-way, which is on the county's permit list too. If your job needs a permit, we pull it, set up the inspections and meet the inspector on site, and we leave your street and sidewalk the way we found them. The price moves with the size of the slab, how much old concrete comes out, how much base has to be dug out and rebuilt, whether it needs rebar, the steel bars set inside that hold the slab together if it cracks, and the finish you pick. The schedule turns on the permit, the weather and curing, the days new concrete needs to harden before it takes weight. It's the same work we do next door in Cherryland, and either way your written estimate spells out what's included for your job.
Why concrete in San Lorenzo cracks and settles
The flatlands San Lorenzo Creek crosses on its way to the bay are built up from layers of sand, gravel, silt and clay, and every lot has its own mix. A slab poured over a raked-flat top on that kind of ground settles as the softer layers compress and take on water, which is how a driveway ends up dropped on one side or split down the middle. So we dig down to the subgrade, the soil the slab rests on, see what we're working with, and build and pack the base until it's firm.
If the budget gets tight, most people want to cut the base and keep the fancy finish, and I'd do it the other way around. Nobody sees the base after the first day, but it decides how the slab holds up for years, while a plain broom finish, the light brushed texture that gives shoes and tires grip, still looks clean and wears well.
What to expect when you hire us in San Lorenzo
Here's how a job runs from your first call to the final walk-through, and what you get from us along the way.
Call us or send a note
We call you back and set a time for me to come out and look. It helps if you're home for the visit, so we can walk the driveway or yard together and you can show me what's bothering you.
Walk the site with me
I look at the cracks, the slope and where your water goes, listen to what you want and write up an estimate that spells out what's included. You'll know what you're paying for before you decide anything, and no question is too small to ask me.
We handle permits and pour
Once you say go, we line up any permits and inspections first, since a county review can set the start date, and then our crew digs out and packs the base, sets the forms and pours, with me on site running it. We cut control joints, straight lines that give the slab a planned place to crack, while the concrete is still fresh, and then leave it alone to cure.
Walk the finished job together
We walk the finished job with you, and I tell you when it's ready for foot traffic and when you can drive or park on it. We haul off the old concrete and leave the site clean.
Questions about hiring a concrete contractor in San Lorenzo
How do I find out if my concrete job in San Lorenzo needs a permit?
Ask Alameda County, which takes building permit applications for San Lorenzo through its permit portal, where owners also submit plans, schedule inspections and check a permit's status. Whether your driveway, patio or slab needs one depends on the job, so I check with the county for your address before work starts and tell you what I find.
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 additional workers, or totals $1,000 or more in labor and materials across one or more contracts. That covers most driveway, patio and slab work, so ask any contractor for their state license before you sign. We're licensed and insured, and you're welcome to ask me about it when I come out.
Does a contractor from Fremont need a county business license to work in San Lorenzo?
Yes, the county requires a business license for any business activity in its unincorporated area, even when the business is based somewhere else or already holds another city's license. It's an annual tax paid each calendar year, and the county says the license only shows the tax has been paid, so it's the state license that tells you a contractor is qualified.
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in San Lorenzo?
Your cost comes from the driveway's size, the tear-out and the base, and your written estimate puts a figure on each part. Breaking out and hauling off the old slab adds to it, and so do soft spots that have to be dug out and rebuilt with packed base, an approach at the street that needs a county permit, or a stamped or colored finish in place of a broom finish. I'd rather you spend on the base than the surface, and I'll show you on the estimate where the money goes.
What causes concrete driveways and patios in San Lorenzo to crack and sink?
Most cracking and sinking starts below the slab, with a base that was raked level instead of dug out and packed, so it settles along with the dirt underneath. Water running toward the house, joints cut late or skipped, and concrete poured in the midday heat that ends up with a weak, dusty top all add to it. We dig out the base, set the slope, cut the joints on time and pour early in the day, so the cracks that do show up land where we chose.
How long will I be without my driveway when it's replaced?
You're without it from the day we break out the old concrete until the new slab has cured enough to drive on, and you can walk on it well before you can park on it. If the job needs a county permit, we get it in hand before the tear-out, so you're not left with a torn-up driveway waiting on paperwork. Before we start, I'll tell you which days to park on the street.
Ask about your San Lorenzo concrete project
Call (341) 201-0945 or send the form, because cracks that let water under a slab usually spread, and a look now can keep a repair from turning into a full tear-out.