Cement & Concrete
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Cement & Concrete
Nov 2010
We are wanting to finish off our basement and we are
thinking that concrete might be the best way to go. Does
anyone know of a good concrete contractor or contractor that
works with concrete for such a project? We want it to be
done so that it eventually could be used as livable space.
Thank you for any of your suggestions.
-Susan
We would like to refer Tim Smith as a Contractor for
Concrete. His company did the foundation for our home
addition in the spring. Later we had them come back and redo
our driveway and city sidewalk. Mr Smith has a lot of
experience with concrete (if I recall correctly more than 30
yrs). When we had an issue with Berkeley regarding the
sidewalk he worked out the problem with the Inspector. He
had references for both types of work which we checked
before deciding. Phone numbers (510) 654.7733 & 915.1088
Mara
May 2009
I most likely will need to replace concrete stairs and walkway and maybe
piece of
retaining wall. Looking for concrete flatworkers to do that.
Hopefully this person would also be able to find someone to draw plans, and
be
familiar with the permitting process because I fear once we start touching
this thing
we will have to bring it up to code and not just repair it.
Property is in Kensington if that matters.
Of course, contractor must walk on water and be reasonably priced.
Thank you in advance.
I had a great experience with Paradigm Concrete and Construction, Inc.
925-755-
4940. They did 2 small patios, a flight of outside stairs and some
walkways for an
addition to my house. The work was top notch, the guys were polite and
skillful. Price
was competitive, work was done exactly when they said it would be. I'm
always
impressed when companies clean up after they're done, and these guys
left the place
spotless. Concrete is all they do, so they're really good at it. I'm
not sure how cost
effective they would be for a small job, but they sure do nice work.
Karen
Steve Egloff of Bay Area Underpinning and his crew are an excellent
choice for
anything to do with concrete. They replaced part of my foundation on my
115 year
old house, along with taking out and replacing a concrete floor in a
large storage
area. They do excellent work, are always on time, have a great work
ethic, explain
what they are doing, and are a pleasure to have working around the
house. The
building inspector was very pleased with their work too. Steve gives
free estimates
and is very thorough in his inspection process. They have their own
engineer that
they work with for pretty cheap. I had already hired an engineer, so
didn't get to
take advantage of that feature.
Steve Egloff 707 310-0602.
Oakland homeowner
Feraru & Associates Building and Design just finished pouring a
foundation for us.We
could not be more happy with the work they have done for us.Everything
went smooth
without any issues. They know all about permitting process, have great
prices (we
believe it was worth the money), and they are professional.If you want
someone who is
able to do miracles you should call Sorin Feraru at 510-228-7366, or
check out his
website www.feraru.us
B.
I can highly recommend Peter Bluhon of Bluhon Design & Environment (formerly
Bluhon Planning Group). Tel is 510-649-9630. His firm is both a professional
landscape architecture and licensed landscape contracting firm, and they specialize
in concrete and masonry work. Before we signed on with Peter he drove us around
to show us his past projects. Apart from seeing his excellent work, his old clients
would come out of their homes to hug him and say hello!
Last fall Peter put in beautiful concrete driveway, concrete and bluestone path that
lead to bluestone steps up to our front porch. My husband is an architect and has a
critical eye for attention to details (translation - very hard to please) and he
loves
Peter's work.
We live in Piedmont and Peter worked well to negotiate the permitting process here,
which is extremely particular. He was also willing to work within a budget, finding
creative solutions.
We enjoyed working with Peter and plan to work with him again when we re-do our
backyard.
Walk on water? Well . . . . . he just might!
Nancy
I used Peter Bluhom of Bluhon Design & Environment three years ago for my entire
(major) backyard remodel (in Kensington) which included design and construction of
walkways, stairs, three levels of retaining walls (concrete and stone), patio,
drainage
and re-routing of drainage and I have used him since for two additional projects
involving drainage. Peter understands County regulations and code requirements, is
very familiar with Kensington and our special needs regarding drainage, the design
review and permitting process and was instrumental and involved in my interactions
with KMAC and County permitting personnel. Peter even intervened with one of the
County engineers who wanted to impose additional requirements on my retaining
walls; I am pleased to say that Peter's involvement resulted in my saving several
thousand dollars. Peter's crew are all very skilled, professional, pleasant and
friendly
without being intrusive; Peter himself is the same including being quite
accommodating and knowledgeable. I recommend him without reservation and will
use him again. Peter does walk on water, he is not inexpensive but his work is of the
highest quality and he is worth it. Peter's firm does landscape architecture and
licensed landscape construction work, specializing in concrete, stone work, and
retaining walls. Tel is 510-649-9630.
Signed: Phyllis
Jan 2009
I am looking for a licensed concrete contractor to perform some
flat work and pour a foundation for our small room addition. Can
you recommend someone with whom you have worked recently?
Ryan
We recently used a licensed family-owned general contracting
company, ''Ergowiz'' for some concrete work on our home and on a
rental property. They're very responsible and fair-priced.
They
can be reached at ergowiz@yahoo.com.
Alex in Oakland
I have previously posted recommendations for Francisco Sanchez,
FCO-S Concrete Construction Co.,(707) 310-9070 cell or (707)
642-0361 office, who did quite a bit of foundation/retaining
walls, driveway work for me in 2007 and 2008. He is reliable
and does excellent work at a very fair price. He has been
referred here by others, too.
ccfen
I, my neighbors, and local contractors have used Jim and Carlo
Rapella,
of C. Rapella
& Sons, Cement Contractors. 510-524-0131. Small, family-owned,
located in
Albany. Competitive prices (and I got numerous bids, have been
in
construction for
over 25 years). Friendly, courteous guys who do excellent flat
work.
They specialize
in sidewalks, patios, walkways floors. They poured and finished
1500SF
of floor for
me. Never a crack where a crack should not be.
Robert
I would like to recommend Peter Bluhon of Bluhon Planning group
to help you with your steps and concrete work. Peter is a
graduate of UC Berkeley College of Environmental Design and has
a wonderful team working for him- he is a perfectionist. At my
house they were able to enlarge my rear steps and also
landscape my rear yard so that it looks like it was built with
the original house (Circa 1926). His number at Bluhon Planning
Group is 510.841.3255. peter@bluhon.com
Chris
Tom Carrol of Carrol construction is your man. Excellent
concreate and foundation man. I looked at 3 to 4 of his
privious jobs and spoke to a few clients befor choosing him. It
was a great choice, so much in fact that I am taking the time
to place a referal for him.
Bill
We highly recommend you Sorin Feraru with Feraru & Associates
Building
and Design.
Trustworthy, terrific work, nice and smart. We have had Sorin
work on
many things in
our house. He redid floors, painted our entire place, and redid
stairs,
poured the
foundation of our addition room. He knows how to do everything
and has a
team of
amazing people who are very skilled. We would recommend him for
any job.
You can
reach him at 510 228 7366.
Miranda
March 2008
I'm looking for recommendations for a concrete contractor to pour a new driveway and
help with irrigation issues. I'm looking for a licensed professional with reasonable
prices. Thanks!
Kelly
A very, very good Concrete contractor is Francisco Sanchez who
has done a lot of work for me as part of a recent remodel. He is
reliable, does excellent work, his fees are reasonable, he is
straightforward and what he says you can take to the bank. I
think a lot of him and his work. He did a number of difficult
jobs including leveling of concrete floors, tearing out of an old
garage floor, driveway and walkways etc. etc. Some of this work
other contractors wouldn't touch or priced exorbitantly. I think
a lot of Francisco. His number is 707-310-9070 and he does a lot
of work in Oakland. Larry
larry
Tim Smith at Continental Pacific (510-654-7733). Made us a new
driveway and front stairs last year - good job, great guy.
Rebecca
Isidro Gonzalez does fantastic work with stone, brick walls and
driveways. He just
finished installing a stone retaining wall in my front yard to support
an elevated
driveway. His crew works on only one project at a time and is very
reliable. Working
with Isidro is a pleasure -- he is very honest, eager to please and
extremely flexible.
Our site presented a few unexpected bumps which Isidro was able to
handle
professionally and without fuss. If you are looking for someone to do
stone, brick,
fence or cement work, definitely consider him. Call him 510 776 4634
Steve
We are in the process of finishing a MAJOR redo of our 9000 sq.
ft. lot in the Berkeley Hills.
The scope of the concrete work is enormous; an engineered 100
ft.+ keyed driveway, 3 retaining walls, 1 front concrete fence
with pillars, travertine courtyard and terrace, many steps and
all the associated prepping.
About 6 years ago, we also undertook another MAJOR addition to
our home (1000+ sq. ft.) and engaged an architect, soil
engineer, structural engineer and a GREAT contractor, DAVE
PETERSON, Kensington, (510) 384-5588, who came well
recommended, as did all the other professionals. The concrete
contractor for the remodel was Tim Smith, who also did great
work for us.
We again contacted Dave spring of 2007 to see if he would
assist us with the managing of our hardscaping project and he
in turn suggested a different concrete contractor, Francisco
Sanchez, FCO-S Concrete Construction Co., (707) 310-9070, to do
our extensive work, as this contractor worked with stamped-
stained concrete, (which is what I thought I wanted to
install). My husband and I have been extremely pleased with
Francisco's and his crews' work. They have been punctual,
knowledgeable and consistent in their work. We would hire them
again in a heartbeat. You are welcome to drive by to see the
work; feel free to email me with further questions.
cc
I had my driveway re-done a few years ago by Francisco Sanchez,
owner of FCO-S Concrete Construction Co. His cell number is,
707-310-9070. He also built a new ''on-ramp'' (I don't recall the
technical term) onto the driveway from our street, since there is
a deep dip, and only our SUV could get over it. He knew exactly
what to do, worked with me to provide me with all the necessary
measurements and drawings for the city permit process (I did it
myself to keep my costs down), he brought enough men to get the
job done quickly, supervising the entire process. The were
professional, clean, I was very satisfied with the results and
his bid was very reasonable. He is also licensed. I highly
recommend him; you will get quality and a great price. Contact
me directly if you would like to know more.
Jana B
A reader had recommended David Peterson Construction out of
Kensington in Feb or Mar in response to a concrete contractor
needed and it would be wise not to hire him for any work.
Unless you want low quality craftsmanship, strangers in
and out of your house who are not part of his crew, low quality materials, extremely
high prices (this guy charges 15% on top
of the highest rates I've seen in the business which also
includes charges for travel and delivering materials),
inexperience, I would avoid this company and its owner.
Be careful as ''general
contractor'' does not mean that they have the knowledge or can
make the right decisions on how to approach a job. There are
many ways to do a job, but this company chose the absolute wrong
way to do just about everything on our project and left more
damage than before they arrived. It cost us tens of thousands
of dollars and a great deal of time. Check 5+ references thoroughly, check that all
sub-contractors are also licensed, check that the contractor you hire has done the
same type of work you're looking to do successfully, ensure proper contracts and
paperwork, and check the contractor's license board for
complaints and lawsuits. Goodluck.
bad contractor survivor
Feb 2008
We are looking for a very good concrete contractor to create
modern steps for our front patio.
Nicole
We just had Continental Pacific (510-654-7733) pour a new
driveway and make new front steps. They were great, very
professional, the owner Tim Smith is a really nice guy and they
did a wonderful job.
Rebecca
I would like to recommend Peter Bluhon of Bluhon Planning group
to help you with your steps and concrete work. Peter is a
graduate of UC Berkeley College of environmental design and has
a wonderful team working for him- he is a perfectionist. At my
house they were able to enlarge my rear steps and also landscape
my rear yard so that it looks like it was built with the original
house (Circa 1926). His number at Bluhon Planning Group is
510.841.3255.
chris
We are mostly finished with a MAJOR landscaping project in the
North Berkeley Hills, (Grizzly Peak and Euclid), and our
concrete contractor has been a pleasure to work with. He came
into the picture as a recommendation from our wonderful general
contractor, Dave Peterson, (510) 384-5588 cell, whom we worked
with about 5 years ago on a 1000+ sq. ft. addition. (Tim Smith
did the concrete work then and we were extremely pleased with
him, too.)
His name is Francisco Sanchez, FCO-S Concrete Construction Co.
(707) 310-9070 cell, (707) 642-0361 office.
Our project included a 100+ ft. long sloping driveway;
engineered, with 5 keys and ribbons of inlaid travertine; a
terrace, a courtyard in travertine; an upper patio, 3 retaining
walls, a front gate wall with columns, travertine bullnosed
steps plus all the necessary preparation. His workers have
been punctual, respectful and accommodating; his pricing very
fair. Feel free to drive by to see the magnitude or contact me
if you have questions.
Vivian
May 2007
Hi, I'm having a hard time figuring out what type of person to call for a new
concrete
path. This job would involve demolishing an old concrete path, regrading, and
pouring
new concrete. Possibly using flagstones or stamps or stained concrete. Since we
don't
have a clear idea of what we want, we need someone who can give us some ideas.
Is this a job for a landscape architect? or just a regular gardener or a
concrete
contractor? Any recommendations for actual people or companies who do this kind
of
thing would be very welcome.
Carrie
I would highly recommend Blue Jay Feldman of Blue Ridge
Landscape Co. for your concrete path work. Two years ago, we
needed our concrete patio replaced due to cracking and buckling
of the cement. Blue Jay did a fantastic job of installing
concrete pavers, in addition to two decks, a fence, and
drainage work. He has great ideas and is easy to work with,
always responding to our phone calls and e-mails in a timely
manner. He can be reached at 925-258-9233 (web site is:
http://www.blueridgelandscapecompany.com)
Diane
April 2007
We need to install a floor in our sunporch--it is the original porch and was
later
enclosed. We use this entryway room for our toddler to play and it doubles
as the
guestroom when we pull out the sofabed. the house is a 1924 bungalow with
oak
floors. We are interested in durable attractive floors that wont cost a
fortune to
instll on the bumpy, cracked old cement floor that is there now. Also, it
doesn't
make sense to spend an arm and a leg on the floor. ''Green'' options are best
(no
vinyl, etc).
I am particularly interested in hearing from anyone who has a floor they like
that
was installed over an old yucky concrete floor, what brand of materials you
used and
who you had install it.
floor seeker
You could acid stain the cement. It is expensive to hire someone
but neither expensive, nor very difficult to do it yourself. My
parents did a room in their house and the hardest part was the
preparation. You have to get a grinder and grind the surface of
the floor. That said, it wasn't so much the grinding as getting
the right equipment. They had to go back to the rental place and
get the heaviest one. Then it is just a matter of slowly moving
the machine across the floor while wearing a ventilator. After
you grind the floor and clean up the dust, you just spread a
layer of acid (wearing the ventilator, I think) which is very
quick and easy, and then a day or two later you have to seal it.
It cost them a total of $500 not including their labor, and it
looks absolutely fantastic. It looks like stone, and cracks in
the cement only make it look better. It is incredibly durable
and easy to clean. On the other hand it will be cold and hard on
your toddler's head should he fall.
We have laminate in our sun porch. If you get acoustic padding
underneath it will also cover a number of sins of unevenness, but
check with an installer. It has been great for us, but if you
have hardwood in your house I think you may like the look of the
acid stained floor better. By the way, my brother is a
mechanical engineer who owns a green consulting business and he
says that there are environmentally friendly acid stains. I
don't remember a specific recommendation, though.
susan
Nov 2006
Earlier this year we replaced the walkway to the front and side
of our house with a new stamped concrete walkway. Jacob
Concrete (510-635-9575) did the work. Jacob not only did a
great job with the concrete design and layout but he was also
very helpful in mixing colors to get the exact shades that we
wanted to match the rest of our exterior. The finished product
looks wonderful. Jacob also returned on two occasions to make
sure that the stamped concrete was properly sealed. Jacob also
does a variety of other landscaping work.
Hal -- Oakland Hills
May 2006
We want to borrow, rent or buy an electric cement mixer for a
household project. Deb
Try the City of Berkeley Tool Lending Library on MLK (near Ashby.) I
have one of their flyers, and it seems they have electric concrete
mixers and other finishing tools to lend for Berkeley residents.
Kim
Sept 2005
Unsolicited rec for Cement Supply
We just completed a DIY cement patio in our back yard.
Our search for an economical solution led us to Vallejo
Building Supply on Somona Blvd. Just over the Carquinez bridge, this outlet sells cubic yards of various grades of premixed cement. You bring a truck or van with a ball hitch
and for a mere 90.00 you have enough cement to cover an 8x8
area in a cement trailer with hydralic lift. The retailer was very nice considering we were such novices at this. Told us exactly what we needed to know. We got the pad poured in the 2 hour window that the cement remains plastic. We had the job bidded by a few companies, and saved ourselves 5 K by the DIY method.
Lindsey
Feb 2005
I recently had my porch and walkway resurfaced and it looks like new again. It had some cracks, was painted and very slippery. Ricky with DecoCrete Designs was able to treat the cracks, remove the paint and resurfaced the concrete with his overlay system. It's looks gorgeous and no longer is slippery. He also does driveways and patios. He has very reasonable rates especially compared to replacing with new concrete. I highly recommend him! Check out his excellent website with many photos and design options: http://www.DecoCreteDesigns.net He can be reached at (415) 225-0118.
randa
Feb 2005
Hello;
We are looking for a person/company, or more than one person/company (?), to construct a fence, pour a new driveway, and construct a patio (probably some concrete, some flagstone or other). Can anyone recommend a company (or person) that could do all 3 of these things? Or, does that seem impossible; would we be better off just having all 3 parts of the job done separately? Of course we are looking for someone reliable, trustworthy, reasonably priced, and friendly. Any leads? How would you proceed, all together as one job, or break it up? Any leads for all or part(s) will be very much appreciated. Thank you.
Need fence/driveway/patio in Berkeley
We had a similar array of projects done about two years ago and originally tried to find someone to do all of it --which in our case was driveway, sidewalks, fence, and deck remodel. We found that people seem to specialize either in the major concrete-work or the fence part, but not both. You may be able to find someone who does the concrete and flagstone aspects together and a separate person for the fences. Another option is a landscape contractor who will sub-contract some of the jobs to others. It is less expensive, but time-consuming and detail-oriented, to arrange things yourself with each contractor -- essentially you are acting as your own general contractor. We did it this way and it worked out fine, but we had to learn (as we were getting estimates) to have the exact same conversation with each company. For the concrete we used Larios and Sons 510-779-5240 and were very satisfied. I think our fence guy has since retired, but I have seen some good recommendations in the parents newsletter recently. Good luck.
Nancy
Oct 2004
I visit this site all the time and have recently used it to find a contractor to replace my entire sidewalk, driveway, add a drain at the end of the driveway and put in a french drain across the front of my house.
I highly recommend Tim Smith of Continental Pacific (510-654-7733)
He did fantastic work replacing my entire sidwalk & driveway as well as adding a french drain across the front of my house. I now have the best strech of sidewalk on my block. His attention to detail was fantastic. He was knowledgeable, pleasant and personally worked the trouble spots of the job. His bid was reasonable and he was open to working with the homeowner to find the best solutions to problems. His crews were great, leaving the job site cleaner than when they started.
November 2003
We were very happy with Francisco Sanchez of
FCO-S Concrete and Construction. He rebuilt part of our cement drainage/foundation during
a large remodel project. It involved tearing out about 10 feet of old crumbling gutter at the back of our
house and repouring it. We hired him because of a great review on the website and
because his estimate was extremely reasonable. While onsite, he also
offered to rebuild a small brick and morter column for a great price so we
hired him for that too - he did a nice job. I can highly recommend him.
Francisco Sanchez, FCO-S Concrete and Construction, PO Box 5249, Vallejo 707-642-0361
Ginger
June 2003
Re: Seeking licensed concrete contractor
I have an EXCELLENT concrete person for you. I cannot
speak more highly of him. He has now done all of our
concrete work for our home over the last 3 years. He
did our gutter drainage, poured over 1000 sq. ft of
walkways, poured a new driveway, built a custom
driveway extension and laid flagstones over the
walkways. He is clean, professional, knowledgeable,
licensed, courteous, and reasonably priced. He can even
do small carpentry jobs on the side.
His name is Francisco Sanchez. His cell phone is
707-310-9070. He provides free estimates and can give you
a local address in Oakland to see samples of his work.
You can also contact me directly if you have further
questions.
Jana
March 2003
we just did floors & countertops in kitchen & shower/tub
in bathroom. The range of prices & tech is all over the
board, some make molds at their shop & install large
pieces, but we wanted concrete for the seamless look
not a tiled look. We found one to pour in place for
decent price. This is our 1st remodel & our contract
didn't specify a finish date or discount. Contractor said
would take 2 wks to finish, & took over 14. More
unhappy with work ethic than actual job. Workmanship
was OK. I love floors, counters are ok, not the color I
picked, but job took so long I no longer cared, just
wanted it done. Keep in mind, that the finished product
is completely dependant on the workmanship,
supposed to be a bit rough & the coloring process is
COMPLETELY dependant on the contractors artistic
ability, his interpretation of what you want & the how
concrete takes stain. Look very closely contractors
whole portfolio for style themes. I have pics if you want
to see them, tough to see colors, but may give you an
idea. What contractors are you talking with?
Brandi
January 2003
We're currently renovating an old Victorian in Alameda and
would appreciate recommendations for a Cement contractor for a new driveway.
We did extensive outdoor work, including new cement patios
and a driveway. For our cement work, we used Counterforce,
who also did our earthquake retrofitting. 510-835-5400
We also did lots of fencing, and liked our fence builder,
William Earl Roberts, 510-841-8830
Karen
June 2002
Can anyone recommend someone to resurface a
small, flat driveway and rebuild our stairs, which are
currently stone and not built to code? I would like
creative and relatively inexpensive ideas for these two
projects. Concrete would be okay, but what other nice
alternatives are there? Thanks for any ideas you all may
have.
Hilary
I resurfaced my driveway with cobblestone pavers
made of concrete. The driveway took a long time but
was worth the effort. You will probably have to have
some soil removed from the driveway. (See Hauler
recommendation in this newsletter.) You then prepare
a base by spreading and shaping about six inches of
special fine ''blue'' gravel. It is good to have a slight
arch in the middle so that water falls to the sides. You
can rent a heavy compactor which you can use to
pound it solid. You then cover the base with an inch of
sand that you spread evenly with 1'' PVC pipe. You set
the pavers in the sand and fill the cracks with a fine
sand. I also built some matching steps by placing the
pavers in wet concrete set in two by four forms. The
steps were surprisingly easy to construct.
- Jenny
April 2002
Can anyone recommend an inexpensive but reliable person/company who can
help
us resurface our driveway in concrete? It will involve solving a drainage
issue too. Thank you! Hilary
If you are resurfacing your driveway to cover cracks I would recommend
against it. I'm not a contractor but I moved into a house two years ago in
which the driveway had been
resurfaced with about two inches of concrete just before we bought the
house. At this point there are numerous cracks in the new surface. The
problem is earth movement and
settling. If the original driveway did not have rebar (and enough of it)
then no amount of
resurfacing will last. You might want to ask other neighbors if there are
driveway-cracking
problems in the neighborhood.
Larry
August 2002
We are in need of a good/reliable concrete company/person
to redo and enlarge our patio. This would include
preparation as well. We live in Concord.
Thank you!
I recently had a new driveway poured by Paradigm Concrete &
Masonry. We were very satisfied with their work and have
received many compliments from neighbors. They have been
in the business for many years, are licensed, insured,
etc. You can reach them at (925) 755-4940. Or call me if
you'd like to know more. -Dara
I noticed in the last Household Digest that two people were
looking for recommendations - one for a concrete
person/stamper and one for a Contractor (Well I believe
this guy does both). The one that worked on my parents
house was great. He was a nice guy, did great work, was
reasonably priced and cleaned up after himself. My parents
originally found him from a recommendation and they weren't
disappointed. His name is Roger Bergin, the company is
Curragh Construction. You can contact him directly on 415-
640-7963 or 925-957-9047. He works both East Bay and San
Francisco. Good Luck!
Stephanie
May 2000
Cutting into a Sidewalk
The City of Oakland will give me a tree in front of my house -- they'll
even plant it.
However, since there's no grass verge between the sidewalk and street, I'm
responsible for finding, hiring and paying for the concrete cutter to make
room for
the tree. Can anyone recommend someone and give me a general sense of what
the cost might be?
Lorraine
Concrete Cutters - I used Rapella and Sons in Albany for a small concrete
removal job. Actually the job was so small that they gave the job to one
of their workers to do as side work. It will probably cost you $100-200.
That's the minimum that any concrete removal company will charge. The guys
who did it from Rapella were very nice and the work was done well. I also
had it done free by another group and they made a mess and cut into
concrete that didn't have to be removed.
Lisa
We used a guy named Hillary, with Hulk's Hauling, when we had a big concrete
removal job to do. At the same time, he cut spaces for trees for me and my
neighbors, then removed the concrete debris.
Our job was big, but I seem to remember that he charged by the hour, plus the
wear (in 1/8" increments) on his diamond-tipped saw blade. I think it would
have been about $50 to do just the two tree holes.
You might ask your neighbors if they want trees, too, because it would be
cheaper to share the costs around.
Vamail
The price was probably high because the contractor will use a diamond-edged
saw blade to cut through the concrete. Going after it with a jackhammer
without cutting first could cause cracks and breakage in the whole sidewalk
and will definitely look like hell.
I had the same situation and hired a guy named Hillary from Hulk's Hauling to
cut the holes, break up the concrete and haul it away. He was very reasonable
and even brought me a free load of topsoil from another job. This was maybe 5
years ago. Another tip: ask your neighbors if they want to do the same and
will split the cost with you.
August 1999
Sidewalk Repair
The sidewalk in front of our house in Berkeley is cracked and the Berkeley Cement
crews won't be passing through for at least a couple of months. One estimate we have
gotten is ridiculously high. Any recommendations would be welcome.
Phyllis
Can anyone recommend a reasonably priced person to redo
part of our sidewalk? The City of Berkeley has ordered us
to do this work within the next 60 days to coincide with
utility undergrounding. Thank you. -
Ask the City of Berkeley what contractor they're using for
the undergrounding, and ask that contractor to give you a
quote. They may give you a good deal because they're
already there and they don't have the additional setup costs
that another contractor would incur.
I have a concrete sidewalk next to my house where 2-4 inches of standing water accumulates
whenever it rains. Eric Burtt (recommended by this list) charges $250 just to come out to look
at the problem and tell me how to solve it--it seems like he wants to do a complete inventory of
my drainage system which I really don't need. Although I may wind up using him, I would
like other alternatives as well.
Any other current or recent expericnces with drainage and/or rebuilding a concrete walkway?
Thanks.
Kathy
I think that you should consider calling up a few small job type concrete contractors and
taking bids on having a thin new sidewalk poured over the top of the existing one. The new
one would be formed at the proper elevations and pitch to shed water away from the house.
There are methods and mix recipes that will accomplish this but whoever does it has to know
what they are doing because your average concrete mix has to be 4 or more inches thick. I
suggest this because for one, you will not have to break up and remove the existing
sidewalk,and two, the contractor would have a minimum of form work and only need a small
amount of material. Again, I caution you that this is a job for someone who knows what they
are doing, not because the work requires any special skills beyond that of ordinary concrete
work, but because it is essential to obtain a mix that is designed specifically for this purpose
and because good bond must be achieved between the old and the new ! ! material. You can
also ask for the cost of removal and installation of an entirely new sidewalk for comparison. I
may be missing the point here since I have not even seen the situation and my suggestion
could be wrong, but I think that you just might save a good deal of money if you can find a
contractor that will take this route. Unless water is getting into your house or lack of drainage
is causing foundation settlement, I would avoid calling in a drainage guy. The problem is the
pitch and elevation of the sidewalk.
-Frank
From: Cathy
To the person looking for a concrete contractor for a driveway replacement:
We used Continental Pacific (510-654-7733) for our driveway and sidewalk
replacement project and had a good experience. We worked with Tim Smith, who
was knowledgeable and pleasant. His bid was very reasonable, which may have
been because he was handling a bigger project in the neighborhood.
2001
We used Live Oak Structural to replace an old cement terrace and pour a new
pad for a hot tub and we were very happy with the work. Ginger
1998
From: Andrea
i can recommend Emilio Duenas
(707) 642-7668 as an good cement contractor.
He is knowledgable and reasonably priced.
He did a slab foundation for my garage/studio
and soon is redoing the foundation for my house.
He is used by many local general contractors.
From: David (9/98)
Regarding Concrete:
We used a company called Sonoma Marin Drilling and their sister company to
pour a new concrete foundation and driveway in our Berkeley Hills home.
They did an excellent job and were much less expensive than several other
bidders. I don't have their number handy but it is a 707 area code and
they are listed in the directory.
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