Concrete Contractor in North Fair Oaks, CA - New Slabs for Older Homes
Premier Atherton Concrete builds driveways, patios, walkways, steps and foundations in North Fair Oaks. We also repair or replace the cracked, settled slabs that come with the area's older houses.
Concrete work in North Fair Oaks
North Fair Oaks sits between Redwood City, Atherton and Menlo Park, and plenty of people here get their mail with a Redwood City or Menlo Park address. It isn't part of any of those cities, though. It's unincorporated, so the County of San Mateo sets the rules and reviews and inspects work that needs a building permit. The County's Public Works department handles permits for driveway and sidewalk work on County sidewalks and roads. When a job here needs a permit, it goes through the County, not the city on your envelope.
Much of the neighborhood was built in two waves, one after the 1906 earthquake and another just before World War II. That's why the driveways and walks we replace here are often old, patched and lifted by trees that have had decades to grow. The price depends on how much old concrete comes out, how much work the ground needs before it can carry new concrete, and how big the new work is and what finish you choose. The schedule turns on the permit, when there is one, and on curing, the days fresh concrete needs to harden before you walk or drive on it. I walk the job first and put your figure in a written estimate. On these older lots, what's under the old slab usually decides more of the job than the slab itself.
What we build in North Fair Oaks
Concrete driveway building
Older driveways here have often cracked and sunk, so we dig out the soft ground and pack a firm base before your new one goes in.
Concrete patio construction
Backyards behind the older houses here often hold a worn patio or bare dirt. We build new patios sloped so water runs away from the house.
Stamped concrete services
Stamped concrete gives a patio or front walk the look of stone or brick, which suits a lot of the older house styles in the neighborhood.
Concrete sidewalk building
We replace the cracked, lifted front walks that tree roots leave behind, and we plan the new path around those roots so it stays flat longer.
Garage floor concrete
Detached garages behind older homes here often have thin, broken floors. We pour a new slab with rebar, steel bars that hold it together, so it carries the weight.
Decorative concrete
If you're fixing up an older house, colored or textured concrete can suit the front of it better than plain gray, and we'll bring samples to compare.
Concrete retaining walls
Where a yard steps down or an old timber wall is giving way, we build concrete retaining walls with drainage behind them to take the water pressure.
Concrete floor installation
Additions, workshops and converted garages need a floor with a moisture barrier under it, and we check the ground is level before pouring so it finishes flat.
Concrete pool decks
When the deck around an older pool has cracked or heaved, we replace it with a textured finish that grips wet feet and slopes water away from the pool.
Concrete steps construction
Front steps on older houses here are often uneven or crumbling at the edges. We rebuild them with even step heights so nobody catches a toe.
Slab foundation building
For a new garage, addition or backyard unit, we pour the slab foundation on ground we've dug out and compacted, not on loose fill.
Foundation installation
Older houses here sometimes need new foundation sections, so we form and pour them to the engineer's plans while working carefully around the house that's standing.
Concrete parking lot building
Small apartment buildings and businesses around the neighborhood need parking areas, so we build them on a thicker base that carries daily traffic without breaking up.
Concrete footings
Decks, fences, sheds and additions all start with footings, the concrete under the posts or walls. We size them for the load they'll carry.
Foundation raising
When an older house has settled and the floors slope or doors stick, we find out what caused it before raising the foundation back toward level.
Concrete cutting
We saw-cut old slabs, new driveway openings and pipe trenches with clean edges, so only what has to go comes out and the rest stays put.
What signs mean your North Fair Oaks concrete needs work?
A lot of the concrete around these older houses has been down for decades, so small problems have had years to grow. These are the ones worth a look.
- Cracks that keep getting wider
- Slab sinking next to the house
- Water pooling after it rains
- Edges chipping or crumbling away
- Tree roots lifting the walk
- Steps pulling away from the house
If you see one of these, call or send the form. I'll come take a look and tell you plainly what I think is going on.
Should you repair your concrete or replace it?
On an older slab here, the choice usually comes down to the subgrade, the packed ground the concrete sits on, because new concrete can't fix ground that's still moving.
When a repair is enough
If the cracks are narrow, the slab is still level and water runs off the way it should, the ground underneath is probably doing its job. Then we can fill cracks, replace one bad section or reset a step instead of tearing everything out.
When it's time to replace
If the slab has sunk, tilts toward the house or has broken into loose pieces, the base under it has usually given out. We'd take it out, rebuild the base and pour new concrete with control joints, which are cut lines that give the slab a planned place to crack.
What older North Fair Oaks homes ask of concrete
I started this business in 2021, and I still answer the phone and walk each job myself. Our own crew does the work, backed by our satisfaction guarantee.
The base comes first
If the budget's tight, I'd rather cut the fancy finish than the base, because the base decides whether the slab settles.
Permits handled with the County
We look into permits before we quote, then handle the application and meet the inspector on site when a job needs one.
Licensed and insured in California
California requires a licensed contractor once labor and materials reach $1,000, and we're fully licensed and insured.
Straight talk about cracks
Concrete can still crack, so we cut joints where we want cracks to form and tell you what to expect before we pour.
Planned around trees and drainage
We check where the water runs and where the roots are before we build forms, so the slab slopes away from your house.
Call about your North Fair Oaks concrete
We answer (650) 516-3703 from 6 AM to 11 PM every day, so call when you're home and can look at the slab while we talk.
Other cities we work in
Pick another city below, or call (650) 516-3703 if yours isn't listed, since we work across the Peninsula and into the South Bay.