Concrete Contractor in Union City - Driveways and Slabs Built on Packed Ground
P&J Castro Valley Concrete Company is a concrete contractor working in Union City, CA. We build driveways, patios, walkways, steps and foundations there, and we dig out and pack the ground under every slab before we pour.
Union City: flat lots west, hills east
Union City is mostly neighborhoods of single-family houses with a driveway out front and a yard out back, plus townhomes and shopping along the main boulevards. Most of the calls we get here are about older driveways, patios and walkways that have cracked, sunk or gone uneven, and about new slabs for additions and backyard projects. It borders Hayward to the north, and we see the same kinds of streets and slabs on both sides of the line.
The ground changes as you cross the city. The west side runs mostly flat, so a slab there has little natural fall and the job turns on getting water to drain away from the house, while the east side climbs toward the hills, where steps, retaining walls and a well-packed base carry more of the load.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free on-site estimates.
- We respond within 1 business day.
Concrete work we do in Union City
Concrete driveway building
Many driveways here crack because the base was raked flat, not dug out and packed. We remove the old slab, rebuild the base and pour fresh.
Concrete patio construction
Flat west-side backyards often leave old patios pooling water by the back door. We set the new slab to fall away from your house.
Concrete sidewalk building
Roots lift walkway panels in older yards until an edge catches someone's foot. We cut out the raised sections and pour new panels that sit level.
Concrete retaining walls
Hillside lots push soil downhill until an old yard wall leans. We build concrete walls with drainage behind them so water doesn't build up there.
Concrete steps construction
Front steps settle and pull away from the porch as the ground under them moves. We dig a proper footing and pour new steps of even height.
Foundation installation
Additions and backyard units here need a foundation suited to the ground under them. For foundation installation we dig to firm, packed ground before the pour.
What we know about working in Union City
In Union City, permits go through the city's Building Division, which handles over-the-counter permits and plan submittals at its counter, so whether your concrete job needs one is the city's call, and when it does, the pour date waits on that review. We check with the division early, before anything is scheduled, and if a permit is needed we handle the application and set up the inspections. You can check two things on any contractor, a California state license and a Union City business license, and the questions below say when each one applies. We're licensed and insured.
Our crew comes down from Castro Valley, where we're based. The Building Division's design information marks general soils hazard zones east of Mission Boulevard and west of Union City Boulevard, and the division notes those are broad areas that don't describe any one lot, so I look at your ground when I walk the job and our crew digs out soft soil and packs the base before we pour. The price turns mostly on how much old concrete comes out, how much base work your ground needs and the size and finish of the slab. The schedule turns on any permit review and on curing, the days new concrete needs to harden, and you'll walk on it well before you can drive on it. The estimate I write after the walk says what's included.
Get a free on-site estimate for your Union City concrete job
Send the form or call (510) 264-7164, and we'll reply within one business day to set a time. I come out to Union City, walk the job with you and write an estimate that says what's included, with no obligation to book.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free on-site estimates.
- We respond within 1 business day.
Concrete ideas for Union City homes
Union City concrete questions
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Union City?
A driveway's cost comes down to its size, how much old concrete has to come out, how deep the base needs to go and the finish you pick, so I give you a figure after I've walked the job. A plain broom finish, the light texture swept in for grip, costs less than stamped or colored concrete. If the budget is tight, cut back on the finish before the base, because the base is what keeps the slab from settling and cracking, even though nobody sees it on day one.
Does my concrete contractor need a Union City business license?
Yes, the city says its code calls for a business license for all businesses and trades operating in Union City, and its list names contractors and out-of-town businesses working inside city limits. That covers a contractor coming in from a nearby city, so it's fair to ask about it before work starts. The application comes from the city's Finance Department.
How do I know if a concrete contractor needs a California state license?
The Contractors State License Board says a license is required when a project needs a building permit, uses any other workers, or totals $1,000 or more in labor and materials across one or more contracts. The board's small-job exemption only applies when no permit is needed, no employees do the work and the total stays under $1,000, so a crew pouring your driveway falls outside it. You can check any contractor's license with the board before you sign.
How much of a down payment can a concrete contractor ask for in California?
The state licensing board says a contractor can't ask for or take a down payment of more than $1,000 or a set share of the total contract price, whichever is less, on a home improvement job. On a smaller contract that means the limit sits below $1,000. If someone wants more up front, that's a reason to stop and check them with the board.
What causes concrete driveways to crack in Union City?
Most cracks start below the slab, where the ground was raked level instead of dug out and packed, so the concrete settles as the dirt under it moves. A slab that drains toward the house, a pour in midday heat that leaves a weak, dusty top, and control joints, the shallow cuts that give the slab a straight place to crack, cut late or skipped all add to it. We pack the base, set the fall away from the house, pour in the cooler part of the day, cut joints on time and lay rebar, the steel inside the slab that holds it together, so any crack that does show up usually runs along a joint.
What building codes does Union City follow for concrete work?
The Building Division lists the California Building Code and the California Residential Code among the standards it works from, along with the state's Green Building Standards and other codes. When a job needs a permit, we plan it to those standards from the start, so the inspections we set up aren't a surprise.