Concrete contractor in Larkspur, CA - flatwork and walls built for quake country

Alliance Novato Concrete is a concrete contractor based in Novato that pours driveways, patios, walks, steps, retaining walls and foundations for homeowners in Larkspur, with the base, the steel and the drainage done right underneath.

Request an estimate (628) 209-1066

Decorative concrete patio with an irregular stone pattern, curved border, and a black wrought-iron chair.

Why Larkspur homeowners redo their driveways and patios

Most of our calls are about a driveway, patio, walk or set of steps that's worn out or was never right to begin with. You see it as cracks, sinking, chipping or water pooling by the door. You want to know if it can be saved or has to come out, and I'll tell you right there in the driveway.

The cause is usually underneath. A base that was raked level instead of dug out and packed settles with the dirt, and a slab that falls toward the house sends water right where you don't want it. So I plan our flatwork, which is driveways, patios and walks, starting with the subgrade the slab sits on and where the water will run.

When the budget gets tight, the base is the first thing people want to cut, because nobody sees it on day one. I'd cut the finish first. A plain broom finish, the light texture that keeps feet from slipping, on a solid base will outlast a fancy surface on raked dirt.

Concrete work we do in Larkspur

How a Larkspur job runs

Call or send a message
Call (628) 209-1066 or use the form and tell us what you're seeing, like cracks, sinking or water pooling, and we'll get back to you.
I come out and look
I come out myself, look over the slab and the ground around it, ask how you'll use it, and give you an estimate for the work.
We do the work
Once you say go, we handle the paperwork side, prep the ground, pour and clean up, and then I walk the finished job with you.

What shapes a concrete job in Larkspur

The city's own findings put Larkspur at higher seismic risk than most of the country, and that matters most for concrete that holds up weight or ground. On retaining walls, footings and foundations, we plan the rebar, the steel that holds the concrete together when it cracks or shifts, and I'll bring in an engineer before I'd guess.

If your driveway or walk reaches out into the public right of way at the street, the city requires an encroachment permit for that work and doesn't allow equipment or materials to be staged or stored there, so we plan where the truck, forms and base rock go before pour day. When a permit applies, I find out which office handles it, take care of the paperwork and put in writing who's pulling it.

Price turns on the size and thickness of the slab, how much old concrete comes out, how much digging and base the ground needs, the steel and the finish. The schedule turns on permits and curing, the wait while new concrete gains strength before you use it. We do the same work in Mill Valley, Corte Madera and Kentfield, so ask for an estimate and you'll get your own numbers.

Request an estimate

Tell us about your Larkspur project

Tell us what the slab is doing and how big it is, and we'll reply within one business day to set a time for a free on-site estimate, no obligation.

A stamped concrete patio with large stone-like patterns surrounds wicker seating beneath a covered porch.

What Larkspur homeowners ask us to build

Driveways replaced with the base dug out and packed
Patios sloped so water runs away from the house
Walks and steps rebuilt where they've sunk or cracked
New garage floor concrete that drains toward the door
Retaining walls with steel, and an engineer where needed
Control joints cut on time, so cracks land there

Other cities we work in

Why Larkspur homeowners call Alliance Novato Concrete

You deal with me from the first look to the final walk-through. I size up every job myself and I'm on site with our crew while the work gets done, so the person who told you about the base and the slope is the one watching them go in.

I'll tell you plainly what concrete can and can't fix, and when a job needs an engineer instead of more concrete. Our work is backed by our satisfaction guarantee. Call (628) 209-1066 when you're ready to talk it through.

Larkspur concrete questions

Do I need a permit to pour a driveway or patio in Larkspur?

Some concrete jobs need one, and the Larkspur Building Department is the office to ask, since it issues permits to build, alter, repair or remove a building or structure. The city also requires a grading permit for earthwork, except hand-dug excavation under 25 cubic yards. We check what your job needs before we schedule anything.

Does my concrete contractor need a Larkspur business license?

Yes, the city expects every building contractor and subcontractor working in Larkspur, including incorporated Greenbrae, to hold a current city business license. A permit application can go in before it's current, but the permit won't issue until it is, so ask any contractor you're weighing about theirs.

Who handles concrete permits for a Greenbrae address?

Either the City of Larkspur or the County of Marin, depending on the address. That's the first thing I check on a Greenbrae job, because it decides which office reviews the work and how we plan the start.

Does a concrete contractor in California need a state license?

Yes, the Contractors State License Board licenses anyone who builds or alters a building or structure in California. A license applies when the project needs a building permit, uses any additional workers, or when the total cost, labor and materials, of one or more contracts on the project is $1,000 or more. We're licensed and insured.

Will my new concrete patio crack like the old one?

Concrete shrinks as it cures, so some cracking is normal, and our job is to control where it goes. We dig out and pack the base so the slab doesn't settle with the dirt, and we cut control joints, grooves that give a crack a planned line to follow, before the slab picks its own.

How long will I be off my driveway after a new pour?

You'll walk on new concrete well before you drive on it, because it keeps gaining strength while it cures. I'll give you the wait for your slab at the estimate, since the thickness, the mix and the weather all change it.