Concrete Contractor in Hayward, CA - Driveways and Slabs Built on a Packed Base
Complete San Carlos Concrete builds driveways, patios, sidewalks, steps, slabs and foundations in Hayward, CA, and replaces cracked, sunken or uneven concrete. We're based in San Carlos and cross the bay for Hayward jobs.
Hayward concrete work as we see it
Hayward is a bigger, busier city than most we work in, with older single-family streets, newer homes, apartment buildings and shops close together, so the calls run from a front driveway to a backyard patio to a broken-up lot behind a business. As a concrete contractor in San Carlos, CA, we drive farther to get here than we do to Belmont or Redwood City, but the prep doesn't change with the ZIP code.
On lower lots toward the bay and on any lot with a slope, where the water goes matters as much as the concrete. That's why the subgrade, the ground the slab sits on, gets dug, packed and graded before we set a single form.
What Hayward houses and lots ask of concrete
Most of the concrete trouble we see on Hayward properties started on the day the old slab was poured. Here's what we usually find when we look closely.
A lot of the driveways we replace were poured on raked dirt instead of a dug-out, packed base, so they settled with the ground.
Old slabs often crack every which way because nobody cut control joints, the grooves that tell concrete where to crack as it shrinks.
The city's Building Division points to Hayward sitting close to the Hayward fault, so we treat footings and foundations as structural work, built to code.
Driveways often drop where they meet the garage or sidewalk, leaving a lip that catches tires and toes and lets water run underneath.
Most of this only shows once I'm on your lot with a tape and a level, which is why I usually come out myself before we price anything.
Where we work, Hayward included
We're based in San Carlos and take jobs in Hayward and the cities around us, including San Mateo and Redwood City. The cities below have their own pages, but they're not the only places we work.
Concrete services we offer in Hayward
Concrete driveway building
When a Hayward driveway has sunk at the garage lip or cracked across the middle, we tear it out, dig to firm ground and pack a new base.
Concrete patio construction
A backyard patio that holds water after rain usually lacks slope. We set it to drain away from the house so you're not sweeping puddles off it.
Stamped concrete services
Stamped concrete gives a patio or walk the look of stone or brick in one pour, and it holds up only as well as the base under it.
Concrete sidewalk building
We replace front walks and side paths that have heaved or chipped into trip edges, pitching them slightly so rain runs off instead of pooling.
Garage floor concrete
A cracked, oil-stained or uneven garage floor can be broken out and repoured on a packed base, with a smooth finish that's easy to sweep.
Decorative concrete
Colored and textured concrete suits a front entry or courtyard where plain gray would look flat, and we talk through the finish before we pour.
Concrete retaining walls
Where a yard steps down or a bank is crumbling onto the driveway, a concrete retaining wall holds the soil back, built on footings with drainage behind it.
Concrete floor installation
For a shop, storage building or room addition, we pour interior concrete floors that come out level, so walls and flooring go on without shimming.
Concrete pool decks
A pool deck has to shed splash water away from the pool and the house and stay safe underfoot, so we slope it and give it grip.
Concrete steps construction
Front steps that have settled away from the porch or rock underfoot are a trip risk. We rebuild them so every step is the same height.
Slab foundation building
For a backyard cottage, addition or new building in Hayward, a slab foundation is structural work, so we form and pour it to the approved plans.
Foundation installation
When a house, garage or addition needs a new foundation, we form and pour it to the engineer's layout, checking measurements before the concrete arrives.
Concrete parking lot building
For a business or apartment lot that's broken up under daily traffic, we pour thicker concrete with rebar, steel bars that hold the slab together under load.
Concrete footings
Decks, patio covers, walls and additions all stand on footings, and we dig them to the depth and width the plans call for before pouring.
Foundation raising
If a corner of the house has dropped and doors stick or floors slope, we look at why it settled before talking about raising it back.
Concrete cutting
We saw-cut openings for new drain lines, remove a damaged section without breaking up the whole slab, or cut control joints into concrete that never got them.
Get a written concrete estimate for your Hayward job
Send us a few lines about your Hayward driveway, patio or slab and we'll get back to you within one business day to set a time. I usually come out myself to look at the site and take measurements. The estimate is free, done on site and written out with the work spelled out, with no pressure and no obligation.
- Call
- (650) 866-1977
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 8 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 7 AM–11 PM
Why hire us for concrete in Hayward
We've poured concrete since 2017, and the way we work comes down to three things: measurements, prep and straight answers. Satisfaction guaranteed. If that's how you want your job run, call (650) 866-1977.
I measure before we price
I usually come out myself to look at the job and take measurements, then check the work as our crew forms, pours and finishes, because concrete gives you one chance and mistakes set with it.
The base comes before the finish
Nobody sees the base on day one, so it's the first thing people want to cut. I'd rather you skip the stamped finish than skimp on digging and packing, because a pretty surface on loose dirt still sinks.
Licensed, insured, permits in writing
We're fully licensed and insured. When a job needs a permit, we settle with you who will pull it before work starts and write that into the contract, so nobody's guessing later.
Hayward concrete questions we hear most
Do I need a building permit for a new concrete driveway or patio in Hayward?
It can, so check with the city before any concrete goes in. An older city handout says building permits are required for almost all construction work, naming structural work and demolition, and its no-permit list covers things like fixing plumbing leaks and repairing equipment. Call the Permit Center at 510-583-4140 about your project, and we'll settle with you who pulls any permit before work starts.
How do I apply for a building permit in Hayward online?
You apply through Hayward's online permitting system, which you can reach from the city's Building Division page. It lets you submit the application, add your contractor to the project, pay fees and download the permit. You can also schedule inspections and see the results from home.
When does a concrete contractor need a California state license?
A contractor needs a license from the Contractors State License Board when the job needs a building permit, uses any helpers, or totals $1,000 or more in labor and materials across one or more contracts. Someone can work without one only when all of these hold together: they don't claim to be licensed, no permit is needed, no employees work on it and the whole job comes in under $1,000. Ask to see the license before anyone pours.
Does a concrete contractor from outside Hayward need a Hayward business license?
Yes, the City of Hayward requires every business working in the city to hold a city business license, and that includes one based outside city limits, like we are in San Carlos. It's separate from the state contractor license in the answer above.
What drives the cost of a concrete driveway in Hayward?
Size, tear-out, base work and finish drive the price, and I'd rather measure your driveway than guess at a number. Breaking out a sunken slab and hauling it off, then digging to firm ground and packing a new base, all add cost, while a broom finish, a light texture brushed in for grip, costs less than stamped or colored concrete. The schedule turns on whether a permit is needed and on curing, the wait while fresh concrete hardens before it can take a car.
What causes concrete driveways in Hayward to crack and sink?
Most of it comes from a base that was raked flat instead of dug out and packed, control joints cut late or skipped, and water running under the slab. A new slab on packed ground, with joints cut on time and rebar where the load calls for it, shouldn't fail the way the old one did. Concrete still shrinks a little, so a hairline crack along a joint is normal.
Call about your Hayward concrete job
We pick up until 11 PM every day, so call (650) 866-1977 after work or send us the form and tell us what you're seeing on your slab.
Mon–Fri: 8 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 7 AM–11 PM