Concrete contractor in Bellevue, WA - slabs that drain and sit flat
Kirkland Concrete Company is a concrete contractor working in Bellevue, WA. We build driveways, patios, walks, steps, retaining walls and slabs for Bellevue homes, with the base dug out, packed and graded so water runs away from the house.
Bellevue homes and the concrete around them
Bellevue has a busy downtown, but most of our calls here come from the neighborhoods around it, where single-family houses sit on every kind of lot, from flat streets to hillsides. Plenty of those houses still have their first driveway or patio, and by now the slab has cracked, dropped at the garage or started holding puddles after a wet week. We see a lot of the same in Redmond, though every lot gets its own look.
On a lot like that, the ground and the slope usually decide how a new slab holds up more than the finish does, so that's where I start.
Permits, licenses and pricing on Bellevue jobs
Permits in Bellevue go through the city's Development Services department, which reviews plans and inspects the work, so that's who decides whether your job needs one. City code requires a permit before anyone builds, alters or repairs a structure, but the city's list of common projects names things like decks and retaining walls, not driveways or patios, so I don't assume either way. When a job needs a permit, I tell you at the estimate and we take care of the application with the city or walk you through it, and the review gets built into the schedule. The city also asks to see the contractor's Washington State contractor license and Bellevue business license before it issues a construction permit, so ask any contractor for both. We're licensed and fully insured.
Most of the price sits in work you won't see once the concrete is down, like breaking out and hauling the old slab, digging out soft dirt and building the base back up, which goes deeper on a lot that has settled or slopes. Size and finish come next, and a stamped or colored surface costs more than a broom finish, the plain dragged texture that gives feet and tires some grip. The schedule turns on any permit review, the prep and the curing, and at the estimate you get the plan and a figure for your own job. We work the same way on jobs over on Mercer Island.
Why Bellevue driveways and patios crack, sink and hold water
Most of the cracked and sunken slabs we look at here failed from underneath. When a crew rakes the dirt level instead of digging it out and packing it, the subgrade, the soil and gravel the slab sits on, keeps settling, and the concrete goes down with it. We dig to firm ground, pack the base rock in layers and set rebar, the steel that holds the slab together, where the job calls for it. If the budget gets tight, that's the last place I'd cut, because a nice finish on a soft base cracks just the same.
On sloped lots the trouble is usually water, since a slab that falls toward the house sends every puddle at your foundation. We check where the water runs before we set a form and pitch the slab away from the house, whether it's a driveway or a concrete patio out back.
Get a free on-site estimate for your Bellevue concrete job
Send us a note about your Bellevue project and we'll get back to you within one business day. I'll come out myself to look over the site and walk you through the plan and a free estimate, with no pressure to book.
(425) 285-8643How a concrete job goes when you call us in Bellevue
Tell us about your project
Call (425) 285-8643 or use the form and tell us what's going on, like a sunken driveway or a new patio. A few photos of the cracks or puddles help me see it before I come out.
I look over your site
I come out myself to check the old slab, the slope and where the water runs, and to hear what you have in mind. Then I walk you through the plan and the estimate.
Sort out any permit
If the city requires a permit, its review has to wrap up before we can start, so we set the pour date around it. We'll keep you posted so you know where it stands.
Dig out and set forms
Our crew digs out, packs the base and has the forms and steel ready well ahead of the concrete truck. Move cars and anything stored on the old slab before we arrive.
Pour, finish and cure
I run the crew on site through the pour, the finish and the cleanup. Curing is the wait while the concrete hardens and gains strength, and I'll tell you when it's ready to walk on.
Concrete driveways, patios and walls
Questions about concrete work in Bellevue
Do I need a permit for a concrete driveway or patio in Bellevue?
The city's permit guidance doesn't list concrete driveways or patios by name, so the answer for your job comes from the city, not from a guess. Its list of work that requires a permit does say landscaping needs one when total digging or fill passes 50 cubic yards or disturbed ground passes 1,000 square feet, so bigger projects are worth asking about. I check your plans against that at the estimate.
How do I know if my concrete retaining wall needs a permit in Bellevue?
City guidance says a retaining wall needs a permit if it's over four feet tall, measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall, or if it holds up a surcharge load, extra weight such as a driveway or a slope above it. The same guidance says a lot with steep slopes, wetlands or streams needs a permit for landscaping work, so tell me at the estimate if your yard has any of those.
Does a concrete contractor need a Bellevue business license?
A contractor needs a Bellevue business license if it has a place of business in the city or brings in $4,000 or more a year in gross income there, and it needs a Washington State business license first. It's the same license the city asks to see before it issues a permit, so it's a fair thing to ask for.
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Bellevue?
There's no set price, because on a Bellevue driveway the slope, the ground underneath and the access usually move the cost more than the size does. A steep drive can need extra grading, a step or a short wall to hold the soil, and a tight spot means more hand work to get concrete where it goes. I'll go through each of those with you on site and give you a free estimate for your job.
Will my new concrete driveway in Bellevue crack like the old one?
It may crack a little, because concrete shrinks as it hardens, but a slab on a packed base shouldn't crack and sink the way one on raked dirt does. We cut control joints, shallow grooves that give the slab a planned place to crack, while it's still fresh, and we time the pour to avoid midday heat that can leave a weak, dusty top. What nobody honest can promise is a slab with no cracks at all.
How long does it take before I can drive on a new concrete driveway?
Driving on it takes a longer wait than walking on it, because the slab has to cure further before it can carry a car's weight without damage. I'll give you both dates for your slab before the pour, so you can plan where to park in the meantime.
Talk through your Bellevue concrete job
Call (425) 285-8643 or send us a note, because sorting out the base, the drainage and any permit before the truck is booked is what keeps pour day on track.