Concrete Contractor in Kenmore, WA - Driveways and Patios Built for Sloped Lots
Kirkland Concrete Company is a concrete contractor working across Kenmore, pouring driveways, patios, steps, retaining walls and foundations on hillside lots and lakeside streets, with the base dug out and packed before any concrete goes down.
Kenmore as we see it from the job site
Kenmore runs from the Lake Washington waterfront up into hills where a lot of houses sit above or below the street, so many of the driveways we see here climb or drop to the garage. Much of it is older single-family homes still on their original driveways and patios, mixed with newer townhouses closer to the main roads, and most of our calls are homeowners replacing slabs that have sunk, cracked or started holding water.
It's the same kind of ground we work on next door in Bothell and up in Bothell East, and it means a Kenmore job is usually settled by grade and drainage before anyone talks about the finish.
What we've learned pouring concrete in Kenmore
Kenmore's Development Services issues building permits, and its list covers work that builds, adds onto, alters, repairs, moves or tears down a building, so a foundation, footings or a slab for an addition goes through the city. The city's permit page doesn't name driveways, patios or walks, so I don't guess on those, and when a job may need a permit I tell you at the estimate and either take care of the application with the city or walk you through it, because a permit means the pour waits on the city's review. If you'd rather ask yourself, city hall is at 425-398-8900. Any contractor working inside city limits also needs a Kenmore business license, which the city issues as an endorsement on the State Master License through the Department of Revenue, and you can look that endorsement up on the department's business lookup before you hire anyone. The city's fee is $0 for a business grossing $12,000 a year or less and $10.00 above that, so there's no good reason for a contractor to be missing it, and we're licensed and fully insured.
We come up from Kirkland, and on a steep or narrow Kenmore drive the truck often can't back right up to the forms, so some pours get pumped or wheeled in. That access, along with the size and thickness of the slab, how much old concrete comes out and how much digging and base your ground needs, is most of what moves the price, and the schedule turns on any permit and on the curing time before you can use the slab. I go through both for your job at the estimate, the same way I do in Lake Forest Park and back home in Kirkland.
Why Kenmore driveways and patios fail, and what we do
On a sloped lot the water goes wherever the ground sends it, so a driveway that falls toward the garage or a patio that tips toward the house ends up putting that water against your foundation. We check where the water runs before we build a form, pitch the slab away from the house, and where the yard drops off hard we'll talk about concrete retaining walls to hold the ground the slab sits on.
Most of the older slabs we break out here sank because the subgrade, the dirt and gravel a slab sits on, was raked level instead of dug out and packed, so the concrete settled right along with the dirt. We dig to firm ground and pack the base, and if your budget is tight I'd rather the money go there than into a fancy surface, because you can redo a finish later but you can't fix what's under a slab without tearing it out.
Get a free on-site estimate for your Kenmore slab
Send a few lines about your Kenmore job and we'll reply within one business day to set a time. I come out myself, look over the site and walk you through the plan and a free estimate, with no pressure to book.
(425) 285-8643How a Kenmore concrete job goes once you call
Call or send us a note
Call (425) 285-8643 or use the form and tell us what you have in mind, whether it's a new driveway, a patio or a wall. Photos of the old slab help if you have them.
I walk the site with you
I come out myself to look at the slope, where the water goes and how a truck will reach the spot. Point out anywhere water sits or the old concrete has dropped.
Go over the plan together
I lay out how deep we'll dig, how thick the slab will be and what finish you're getting, then go over the estimate with you. If a permit is part of the job, this is where you'll hear it.
Dig, pack the base, set forms
Our crew digs out to firm ground, packs the base and builds the forms well ahead of the concrete truck. If the job has a permit, we don't pour until it's in place.
Pour, finish and cure the slab
I run the crew on pour day, through the finish and the joints. After that the slab needs its curing time, which I'll have laid out for you before we start.
Concrete driveways, patios and walls
Kenmore concrete questions we hear
What building codes does Kenmore use for a new slab or foundation?
Kenmore enforces the 2021 building codes with some changes of its own, and the city plans to move to the 2024 codes in 2027. We build footings and foundations to whatever the city has in place when your permit is issued.
How do I apply for a building permit in Kenmore?
You apply online at MyBuildingPermit.com, which is where Kenmore takes permit applications. If you need help or don't have a computer, the city's Community Development Department can help, and a contractor applying for you needs that Kenmore endorsement on their business license first.
Does pouring concrete near Lake Washington in Kenmore change the permit?
It can, because the city says work in shoreline areas, environmentally critical areas, native growth protection areas and their buffers may not be exempt from permits. If your lot is on the shoreline or backs onto a protected tract, the city asks you to email permittech@kenmorewa.gov before work starts, and I'd rather we sort that out before we dig than after.
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Kenmore?
There's no set price for a Kenmore driveway, because the size, the digging and how a truck reaches your lot, which I covered above, set most of it. The finish is the other big choice, and a plain broom finish, the light texture that gives shoes and tires some grip, costs less than stamped concrete with a pattern pressed in. I'll put a figure on your driveway once I've seen it.
What causes a new concrete patio to crack?
Most cracks in a new patio come from a base that wasn't packed, water getting under the slab, a pour in the midday heat or joints that were cut late or skipped. Concrete shrinks as it cures, so I won't tell you a slab can't crack, but we cut control joints, shallow grooves that give a crack a straight line to follow, so it shows up where we chose instead of across the middle.
How long do I have to stay off a new concrete driveway?
You can usually walk on a new driveway after a few days, but cars have to wait longer, and I'll tell you the days for your slab before we pour. Curing is the slow hardening concrete keeps doing after it's finished, and driving on it too soon can chip the edges or crack it before it's strong enough.
Tell us about your Kenmore concrete job
Booking the estimate early leaves time to sort out any permit and line up the truck before the day you want the slab, so call (425) 285-8643 or use the form.