Need a cracked section of driveway taken out or a slab opened up? We cut it straight and clean and keep the dust down.
Concrete cutting in Tiburon is saw cutting or coring through an existing slab, often with a walk-behind saw. It lets a cracked or sunken section come out, a pipe go through, or a driveway or patio change shape without breaking up the rest.
Most calls start with something you can see. A section of driveway has dropped, a patio crack keeps spreading, or water pools against the house. Sometimes you need a drain line or a wider path through a slab that's already there. A clean saw cut lets us take out just that part and leave a straight edge for the new pour to meet.
The price moves with how long the cut runs, how thick the slab is, how many core holes you need and how much concrete gets hauled away. It also depends on whether there's rebar to cut through, which is the steel that holds a slab together. The schedule mostly turns on whether the slab needs a scan first. If the cut is part of a bigger job, we find out what the city asks for and wait for any permit before we start. Our written estimate spells out what's included.
Two cuts that look the same on the surface can be very different jobs. These are the things I look at first, because they shape the work, the time and the cost.
A slab can hold rebar, wire mesh or, in some cases, tensioned cables, and each one changes how we cut. Steel slows the blade and wears it down. A slab full of steel takes longer and costs more than plain concrete of the same size.
We usually like to cut along a control joint, the groove cut into a slab so it cracks there and not somewhere random. That way the new section meets the old one at a line that was already there, and the repair reads as part of the slab and not a patch.
Once a sunken section is out, we look at the subgrade, the dirt and gravel the slab sits on. If it was only raked level and never dug out and packed, that's usually why it dropped. Pouring new concrete over the same soft base just starts the clock again.
Here's how a cutting job runs with us, from the first call to the walk-through at the end, so you know who you'll be talking to at each point.
Call or use the form and tell us the address, what needs cutting and whether the slab might be post-tensioned. If you're not sure about that last one, just say so and we'll work it out together.
I come out myself to look at the slab and measure it. I'll ask how you plan to use the space afterward, then write an estimate in plain words that spells out what's included.
Once you're ready, we sort out what the city or county asks for and wait for any permit. On cutting day our crew sets up and makes the cuts. If new concrete is part of the job, we prep the ground and pour.
When we're done, we clean up the cut area and walk the finished job with you. If a new section went in, I'll tell you how long to stay off it before you walk or drive on it.
Before anything else, I ask whether there might be cables in the slab, so it can be scanned before any cut. A tensioned cable nobody knew about is the hazard I least want to meet with a blade. Looking first costs far less than finding out the hard way.
We keep the dust down with water at the blade, because dry cutting throws fine concrete dust into the air you and your neighbors breathe. That water turns the dust into a gray slurry. So before we start, we block the nearest storm drain to keep it from running down the street toward the Bay.
A lot of our cutting clears the way for new work. It might be a replacement stretch of driveway, which we pour as part of our concrete driveway building work. It might be an old slab trimmed back to make room for concrete patio construction. Either way, the part I care most about is what you won't see once it's poured, the ground underneath and where the water goes.
If the budget gets tight, a fancier finish is the first thing I'd give up, not the base. A broom finish, the light texture that gives shoes and tires some grip, looks fine on almost any slab. A new section on a soft base will sink right next to the old one, and no finish fixes that.
If one area has dropped or cracked and the rest is sound, cutting out just that piece saves money. If cracks run across most of the slab, I'll usually tell you a full replacement makes more sense than a string of patches.
Cutting along an existing control joint hides the seam best. Sometimes the damage sits in the middle of a panel. Then we pick a new line and cut a fresh joint, so the seam looks planned.
We reply to every call and message within one business day, and there's no obligation. Send the job address, what needs cutting and whether the slab is post-tensioned. Then I'll set a time to come out, measure and write up your free on-site estimate.
(415) 429-4397The Town of Tiburon asks for some permits other California cities may not, mainly because of the ground, the slopes and the weather on the peninsula. Tiburon requires a building permit for concrete patios, sidewalks and other hardscape. Its list doesn't name cutting on its own, so whether your cut needs a permit isn't settled until you ask. We find out what your job needs and help with the paperwork.
Any project that creates, widens or expands a driveway in Tiburon needs design review and a building permit. A debris box set in a public street needs an encroachment permit from Public Works. When a cut is the first step of one of those jobs, we wait for every permit to be in hand before the saw comes out.
We're based in Tiburon and work in cities across Marin and nearby, from Novato down to Sausalito and over to Richmond. Around here we see a lot of hillside lots and steep driveways. On those, a sunken slab often turns out to be water running downhill under it, so we check the slope and the drainage before we decide where to cut.
I started this business in Tiburon in 2020, and six years on I still come out to look at each job myself and write the estimate. While the work gets done, I'm on site with our crew. The person who answered your questions is the one watching the cut.
We're fully licensed and insured, and our work is backed by our satisfaction guarantee. We're best known for explaining what we're doing and why before anything gets cut or poured. I'd rather answer a question twice than leave you wondering. Call (415) 429-4397 or send us a message to set up a visit.
When a cut takes out a cracked or sunken stretch of driveway, the new section needs a packed base and a slope that sends water away from the garage.
If you're trimming an old slab to make room for a bigger outdoor space, a new patio can be planned around the clean edge the cut leaves behind.
Besides Tiburon, we cut and pour concrete in plenty of cities nearby. Below are some of the places with their own page. If yours isn't listed, call and ask.
Yes. Cal/OSHA calls respirable crystalline silica, the dust fine enough to breathe in, a known cause of cancer. It can cause silicosis, an incurable lung disease, and lung cancer. California's worker safety rules set out walk-behind saws with a built-in system that feeds water to the blade continuously. Ask every crew you're comparing whether their saw does.
Professional concrete cutting across the US usually costs about $3 to $10 per linear foot of cut. That's a national range, not our price. Where your job lands depends on slab thickness, the steel inside, any core holes, access and hauling. I'll put your figure in a written estimate after I've seen the slab.
Tiburon's permit list doesn't name cutting on its own, so call the Building Division at (415)435-7380 or the Planning Division at (415)435-7390 and ask before work begins. It's worth the call, because Tiburon says work done without a required permit is subject to substantial monetary penalties. If the cut is part of a driveway or patio job, the rules above apply too.
Plan for a scan before any cut. One national cutting company says a post-tensioned slab, one with tensioned steel cables inside, needs a ground penetrating radar scan first to find the cables. Cutting a cable releases stored energy that can shatter concrete and hurt someone. A cut cable can also weaken how much load the slab carries.
Move cars, planters and furniture away from the slab. Tell us about anything that might run under it, like sprinkler lines or a drain. If you have old plans for the house, dig them out, because they can help show what's inside the slab before anyone scans or cuts.
If we're only cutting, you usually get the driveway back once the slurry is cleaned up. If a section comes out and gets replaced, you'll wait through the base prep, the pour and curing. Curing is the time new concrete needs to gain strength before you drive on it, and I'll walk you through that schedule in your estimate.
Call (415) 429-4397 or send a message, and I'll tell you what's likely inside your slab and what the cut involves before you commit to anything.
