Concrete driveway building
When a driveway has cracked through or sunk, we dig out the old base, pack new gravel and pour a slab sloped to send water toward the street.
Concrete Contractor in Novato, CA - Driveways and Patios on a Solid Base
Sterling Stone Tiburon Concrete builds driveways, patios, walkways, steps, retaining walls and foundations for homes in Novato, CA. We dig out and pack the ground underneath, plan where the water runs, and pour slabs built to stay put.
Sterling Stone Tiburon Concrete pours driveways, patios, walkways, steps, retaining walls, garage floors and foundations for homeowners in Novato. We're based in Tiburon and work across Marin, so Novato is a regular drive for our crew, and I come up to look at each job myself before anything gets priced.
Concrete work for Novato homes and yards
Most Novato calls start with something you can see. A driveway has cracked across the middle, a patio has sunk at one corner, or water sits in a low spot and runs back toward the house. Those signs usually trace back to the subgrade, the dirt and gravel the concrete sits on, so that's where I look first.
Lots here run from flat yards to sloped ones, and that changes the job more than the finish does. A sloped yard can mean steps or a short wall before a patio makes sense, and a flat one still needs a slight fall so water leaves. We do the same work in San Rafael, so our questions come from what we see on these jobs.
- Based in
- Belvedere Tiburon, CA 94920
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 7 AM–10 PM, Sat–Sun: 6 AM–11 PM
Concrete services we offer in Novato
Concrete patio construction
For a backyard patio, we set the height and slope against your house first so rain drains away, then pour and finish it for the way you'll use it.
Stamped concrete services
Stamped concrete gives a patio or walk the look of stone or brick. It takes more hands on pour day, so we plan the crew around it.
Concrete sidewalk building
We replace front walks and side paths that have lifted into trip edges, and give them a broom finish, a light brushed texture, for grip when wet.
Garage floor concrete
A garage floor takes car weight and oil drips every day. We break out cracked or uneven slabs and pour a new one with a smooth, easy-to-sweep finish.
Decorative concrete
Colored concrete, exposed aggregate and borders suit an entry or patio that's always in view. We go over samples on site so you see the finish before we pour.
Concrete retaining walls
On a sloped yard, a concrete retaining wall holds back soil so you get usable level ground. We plan the footing and the drainage behind it before we build.
Concrete floor installation
For a shop, studio or addition, we pour an interior concrete floor that's flat, kept apart from ground moisture and ready for whatever covering you want on it.
Concrete pool decks
Around a pool, the deck needs a surface that isn't slick and a slope that sends splash water away from the pool and the house. We plan for both.
Concrete steps construction
Front or garden steps that have cracked or settled out of line get rebuilt with even risers, so every step feels the same under your feet.
Slab foundation building
For an addition, garage or backyard building, we pour the slab foundation on dug-out, packed ground with rebar, the steel inside that holds the concrete together.
Foundation installation
When a structure needs a new foundation, we lay it out, form it and pour it to the approved plans, so the framing starts on a true, level base.
Concrete parking lot building
For a shared lot, a church or a small business, we pour concrete parking areas sized for the traffic they carry, with drainage planned across the whole surface.
Concrete footings
Decks, fences, posts and small walls need footings, the concrete pads that carry weight down into firm ground. We dig them deep enough and pour them square.
Foundation raising
If part of your house or slab has settled, we look at why it sank before lifting it, because raising it without fixing the cause rarely lasts.
Concrete cutting
We saw-cut concrete for new openings, utility trenches, joints and clean removal, so the slab you're keeping isn't cracked by hammering out the rest.
Your free written estimate for concrete in Novato
Send us a few details about your Novato project and we'll reply within one business day. I'll set a time to come out myself, walk the job, measure and give you a written estimate that spells out what's included. It's free, done on site, and comes with no pressure and no obligation.
(415) 429-4397Permits, licenses and pricing for Novato concrete work
The City of Novato Building Division issues building permits here, and it also reviews plans and inspects the work in the field. I check with the city on what your job needs and help you with the paperwork. We don't start until any permit is in hand, so the city's timing can set the start date more than ours does.
Before you hire anyone, check two things. California licenses contractors through its state licensing board, and new applicants have to pass the board's exam unless one of the state's exceptions applies. Anyone doing business in Novato also needs the city's business license. We're fully licensed and insured, and you're welcome to ask us about it before you sign anything.
Price comes down to the size of the job, how much old concrete comes out, how deep we dig and pack the base, whether the truck can reach the pour, and the finish, with a broom finish costing less than stamping or color. Your written estimate lists each one. Novato is part of our regular work, along with Strawberry and Tiburon closer to home.
How we handle the parts you can't see
I'm a concrete contractor in Tiburon, CA, and I started this business there in 2020. I still come out to every estimate and stay on site with our crew while the work gets done, so the person who answered your questions on day one is there on pour day, when the slope, the joints and the timing actually get decided.
The trade-off I'll steer you away from is trimming the base to pay for a fancier surface. Nobody sees the dug-out, packed gravel once the concrete is down, but it's what keeps a slab from sinking. We're fully licensed and insured, and backed by our satisfaction guarantee. Call (415) 429-4397 or use the estimate form to set up a visit.
What shapes a concrete job on a Novato lot
These are the things that most often change the plan, the schedule or the price on a Novato driveway, patio or wall, and how we deal with each one before the pour.
Where the water goes
Before we set a single form, I look at how water moves across your lot, from the downspouts to the street. A slab should fall away from the house, so rain runs off instead of soaking the ground along its edge. If a low spot already holds water, we fix the grade or add a drain first, because concrete poured over soft, wet ground follows it down.
Taking out the old slab
Many calls here are replacements, not first pours. Breaking out an old driveway or patio takes time and hauling, and it shows us the base underneath, which is usually why the old slab failed. Where the old concrete sat on raked dirt, we dig down to firm ground and pack new gravel in layers, so the new slab isn't settling the same way.
Getting concrete to the pour
Ready-mix concrete arrives on a truck and has to be placed and finished before it sets. A driveway open to the street is the easy case. A backyard patio behind the house may need a pump or wheelbarrows through a side yard, which adds crew and cost, so I check the access at the estimate and plan it well before pour day.
Joints, finish and timing
Control joints are grooves we cut so that when concrete shrinks and cracks, as it usually does, the crack runs along a line we chose. We cut them on time, not days later. We also avoid pouring in the heat of the day, because a top that dries too fast turns weak and dusty, and we broom-finish outdoor slabs for grip.
Questions Novato homeowners ask about concrete
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Novato?
Your driveway's cost is set once I've measured it, and the base underneath is often the part that surprises people. If the old slab sat on raked dirt, digging down and packing new gravel takes real time and material, and it's the last place I'd cut to save money. The free written estimate shows that work as its own line.
Which projects can get an instant building permit in Novato?
The city's instant online permit covers like-for-like home projects, such as water heater, HVAC and electrical panel replacement, reroofs, window and door replacement, and bathroom or kitchen remodels, and it's issued once you confirm the details. Concrete work isn't on that list, so for a driveway, patio or wall I check with the city on what your job needs.
How do I schedule a building inspection in Novato?
You request it through the city's Novato Permits portal, and only after the permit has been issued. Whoever asks for the inspection has to be listed as a contact on that permit record, so if you'd like us to call for inspections on your job, we'll make sure we're on it when the paperwork goes in.
How long will I be without my driveway after a concrete pour?
You'll stay off a new driveway with your car longer than you'd stay off a patio on foot, because concrete keeps gaining strength while it cures, the slow hardening that happens as it holds its moisture. Driving on it early can crack the edges. I'll tell you on pour day when it's ready for feet and when it's ready for your car.
Will my new concrete driveway crack like the old one did?
Most concrete cracks a little as it shrinks, but a well-built slab cracks along its joints instead of sinking or splitting across the middle. That comes from a dug-out, packed base, rebar where the slab needs it and joints cut on time. Old driveways usually fail because one of those was skipped.
How should I get ready for a concrete pour at my Novato home?
Clear cars, pots and furniture off the area and the path the truck or pump will use, and let your neighbors know if the truck will sit on the street for a while. Keep pets and kids off the fresh slab, since a print in wet concrete stays there. I'll go over the plan for your property at the estimate.
Plan your Novato concrete project with us
Call (415) 429-4397 or send the estimate form early, so we have time to check what the city asks for on your job before you settle on a start date.