Concrete contractor in Kirkland, WA - driveways and patios that drain and sit flat
Kirkland Concrete Company is a concrete contractor based in Kirkland, WA. We pour driveways, patios, walkways, steps and garage floors and build retaining walls and foundations for homes inside city limits and in the county areas just outside.
Kirkland as we see it from the job site
Kirkland is where we're based, and most of our calls come from homeowners here, from the streets near downtown and the lake up through Juanita and out toward Totem Lake. On one block you'll see older houses still on their first driveway next to newer homes and townhouses on tighter lots, and plenty of streets climb steeply up from Lake Washington. We do the same work in Redmond, Kenmore and the other cities around Kirkland.
That mix shapes the job before we order any concrete. An old driveway on a sloped lot usually means more digging and a harder look at where the water goes than a new slab on a flat street, and that's where most of the work on a Kirkland job ends up.
Permits, licenses and price on a Kirkland job
Inside city limits, the permit question belongs to the City of Kirkland. Its Planning & Building department reviews building permits and Public Works handles work that touches the street, like a driveway replacement, so when your job needs a permit the schedule waits until it's issued and nothing gets poured before then. Before you hire anyone, check that they're registered with the state Department of Labor & Industries, which Washington requires of every construction contractor, and that they hold a City of Kirkland business license, which the city requires for work at a job site here. We're licensed and fully insured, and when a job needs a permit I tell you at the estimate and we either take care of the application or walk you through it, so you know where it stands.
Price and schedule both turn mostly on things you can't see on day one, like how much old concrete has to come out, how far down we dig before we hit firm ground, and how close the truck can get on a narrow street near downtown or a steep one running down to the lake. The finish moves the price too, and a broom finish, the light brushed texture that gives your shoes grip, costs less than stamped work. If something has to give on a new concrete driveway, I'd give on the finish and keep the base, because nobody sees the base once the slab is down but it decides whether the slab stays flat. That's the same advice I give on jobs over in Bellevue, and your own figure comes from the estimate after I've seen the site.
What Kirkland lots and older slabs do to concrete
A lot of our Kirkland calls start with an older driveway or patio that's cracked, sunk on one side or holding a puddle by the garage door. Usually it was poured on dirt that was raked level instead of dug out and packed, so the slab settled as the dirt did, or it was pitched toward the house so the water had nowhere else to go. We dig past the soft soil, pack a firm subgrade, the ground the slab sits on, and set the new slab to fall away from your house. I won't tell you new concrete can't crack, because it can, but control joints, the grooves we cut on time so the slab cracks along a line we picked, keep most of those cracks where you'll never notice them.
The hills and lakefront lots bring their own work. A sloped yard usually means more digging, a heavier base or a retaining wall to hold the grade, and the city treats steep slopes and shoreline as critical areas where its usual permit exemptions don't apply, so I check for that before we plan the job.
Get a free on-site concrete estimate for your Kirkland home
We reply to every call and message within one business day, and there's no obligation to book. I come out to your Kirkland property myself, look over the site, hear what you have in mind and walk you through the plan and a free estimate.
(425) 285-8643How a concrete job runs when you call us in Kirkland
Call or send the form
Tell us what you'd like poured and the property address, because the address tells us whose permit rules apply. Photos of the old slab or the spot you have in mind help too.
I walk the site with you
I come out myself to look at the slope, where the water runs now, the old concrete and how close the truck can get. You tell me how you use the space, and I ask the questions that shape the plan.
Go over the plan and estimate
I walk you through the base, the thickness and the finish, and give you the estimate. If the job needs a permit, I tell you then, and digging doesn't start until the city or county issues it.
Dig out, pack and form
Our crew digs down to firm ground, packs the base and sets the forms, and all of it is ready well ahead of the concrete truck. Move your cars and anything stored near the work area before we start.
Pour, finish and let it cure
I run the crew on site through the pour, the finish and the control joints. Then the slab needs to cure, a wait while the concrete gains strength, so keep feet and cars off until I tell you it's ready.
Concrete driveways, patios and steps
Kirkland concrete questions we hear most
How do I get a permit to replace my driveway in Kirkland?
Driveway replacement in Kirkland needs a permit from the city's Public Works Department, which you can reach at 425-587-3800. The same department handles any other work in the public right of way, including a dumpster parked on the street while the old slab comes out. The city's Do you need a permit? page lists what needs one, and we sort out the application with you at the estimate.
Do I need a permit for a concrete retaining wall in Kirkland?
You do once the wall is over four feet tall, because the city lists retaining walls and rockeries of that height as permit work. Removing or bringing in more than 50 cubic yards of soil, or grading that changes where the drainage runs, needs a permit as well. I'll measure what your wall and grading actually involve when I come out.
How do I find out if my Kirkland lot is in a critical area?
Look up your address in the city's Property Search Tool, which makes a Parcel Report showing whether flood hazard, wetland, steep slope, shoreline or other critical areas apply. That matters because the city's usual permit exemptions don't apply in those areas or their required buffers, so work that's exempt on one street can need a permit on the next. Send us the address when you reach out and we'll look it up too.
Is every address with a Kirkland mailing address inside Kirkland city limits?
No, some Kirkland postal addresses sit outside the city limits. That changes whose rules apply, since the city's permits and business license cover work inside city limits, and outside them the permit question goes to the county instead. We work on both sides of the line, and I'll confirm which side your house is on at the estimate.
Does a concrete contractor from outside Kirkland need a Kirkland business license?
Usually yes, because the city requires a business license for contractors working at a job site inside city limits, including businesses based somewhere else. The city does exempt an outside business that doesn't earn $4,000 a year in gross receipts in Kirkland. We're based here, but it's a fair question to ask anyone bidding on your job.
What affects the cost of a new concrete driveway in Kirkland?
The biggest pieces are the driveway's size and thickness, how much old concrete and soft dirt has to be hauled away, and how steep the lot is. Rebar, the steel inside the slab that holds the pieces together if it cracks, adds to the cost but earns its keep under cars, and the Public Works permit for the street end of the driveway is part of the job too. I'll price your driveway after I've seen it.
Call about your Kirkland concrete job today
We pick up at (425) 285-8643 until 10 PM on weekdays and 9 PM on weekends, so you can call after work, or send the request form whenever it suits you.