Concrete Contractor in Ashland, CA - Driveways and Patios Built on a Solid Base
P&J Castro Valley Concrete Company is a concrete contractor based in Castro Valley that pours driveways, patios, sidewalks, steps and foundations for homeowners and property owners in Ashland, CA, with our own crew doing the work.
Older houses and tight lots in Ashland
Ashland sits between San Leandro and San Lorenzo, a short drive from us in Castro Valley. It's a dense, mostly residential place, with shops and apartments along East 14th Street and side streets of single-family houses on modest lots. Many of those houses are older, and so is the concrete around them, with driveways, front walks and steps that have settled, cracked or been patched more than once.
Close-set houses mean narrow side yards and short driveways that are often the only way into the backyard, so a tear-out and repour has to be planned around how you get in and out of your own house.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free on-site estimates.
- We respond within 1 business day.
Concrete work we do in Ashland
Concrete driveway building
Many Ashland driveways are short and cracked, often because the base under them was thin. We break out the old slab, pack a new base, then pour.
Concrete patio construction
Backyards here are often small, so a patio has to fit tight between the house and fence. We set the slope so rain runs away from your house.
Decorative concrete
When the front yard is small, the concrete is most of what people see. Our decorative concrete adds color and pattern to steps, walks and patios.
Concrete sidewalk building
Front walks here lift and crack where roots or settling dirt push them out of line. We remove the raised sections and pour new ones on packed base.
Concrete steps construction
Older front steps here chip and pull away from the house as the ground settles. We form and pour new steps with each step the same height.
Slab foundation building
Owners here adding a garage or backyard unit need a slab that sits level. We dig out, set the steel and pour to the approved plans.
Working in Ashland: county permits, tight streets
Ashland has no city government, so Alameda County issues the permits and does the inspections for private construction here. When a job needs a permit, the pour waits on the county's approval and its inspections, which is why we check with the county early, handle the application and set up the inspections ourselves. Before you hire anyone, check two things. The contractor should hold a California license from the Contractors State License Board, and the county requires its own annual business license for anyone doing business in its unincorporated areas, even a company based somewhere else that already holds another city's license.
On the side streets off East 14th Street, houses sit close and parking is tight, so before anyone shows up I plan where the concrete truck parks, how the old slab gets broken out and hauled, and whether we need a pump to reach a backyard. We work the same way next door in Cherryland. Access like that moves the price along with the slab's size and finish, and the schedule turns on any permit, the weather and curing, the days new concrete needs to harden before it can carry weight. Your estimate says what's included.
Get a free on-site concrete estimate for your Ashland project
Send the form or call (510) 264-7164 and we'll reply within one business day to set a time. I come out to your Ashland property myself, walk the job with you and tell you what we'll check with the county about permits. The estimate is free, says what's included and comes with no pressure to book.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free on-site estimates.
- We respond within 1 business day.
Concrete ideas for Ashland homes
Concrete questions from Ashland homeowners
How do I apply for a building permit for concrete work in Ashland?
You apply through the county's permit portal, where owners and contractors submit plans, schedule inspections and check a permit's status. When your job needs a permit, we handle the application and set up the inspections, so you don't have to work the portal yourself.
Do I need a separate permit to fix the sidewalk in front of my house in Ashland?
Work on the public sidewalk falls under its own county permit category, one that covers county roads, sidewalks and the public land along the street, apart from work on your own lot. If a tree's roots lifted the walk and the tree has to come out, the county lists tree removal as a separate permit category too, so we sort out what applies before we break anything out.
When does a concrete contractor need a state license in California?
A contractor needs a state license when the job requires a building permit, brings in any additional workers, or costs $1,000 or more in labor and materials. Only a job that needs no permit, uses no employee labor, costs less than $1,000 and isn't advertised as licensed can go without one, and we're licensed and insured.
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Ashland?
The price comes down to how much old concrete has to come out, how much base work the ground needs, how thick the slab is and how much steel goes in, and the finish you pick, so we price each driveway after seeing it. If the budget is tight, I'd keep the money in the base, the packed layer the slab sits on, and go simpler on the finish, because a nice surface over a thin base settles with the dirt under it. Call (510) 264-7164 and I'll come out to look at yours.
What causes concrete driveways in Ashland to crack and sink?
Usually it's the base, raked flat instead of dug out and packed, plus water running under the edges and control joints, the grooves cut so the slab cracks along a line we choose, that went in late or not at all. The county also notes earthquake fault zones and seismic hazard areas throughout the county, including heavily populated parts along the Hayward Fault, though that doesn't place any one Ashland lot in a zone. We dig to firm ground, slope the slab away from the house and cut the joints on time.
When is the best time of year to pour a driveway or patio in Ashland?
The dry months are easiest, because the county notes that virtually all of its rain falls from October through April, and wet ground or a storm on pour day pushes the schedule. In summer we start early so the concrete isn't finished in midday heat, which leaves a weak, dusty top. You can usually walk on new concrete well before you can drive on it, so plan on parking on the street for a while.