Cracked, patched or worn-out parking area? We build a concrete lot on a packed base, with water sent where it should go.
Concrete parking lot building in Tiburon means digging out and preparing the ground, then forming, pouring and finishing a concrete slab across the whole lot, so you end up with a paved parking surface that stays put and sheds water where you want it.
Most of the lots I look at show the same signs: cracks running across the parking spaces, slabs that have sunk at the edges and puddles that sit for days after rain. Usually the cause is underneath. The base was raked level instead of dug out and packed, so it settled with the dirt, or nobody checked where the water would run.
The price moves with the lot's size in square feet, how much old pavement has to come out, how deep we dig for a solid base and how much drainage the site needs. The schedule turns on the permit and review, the weather on pour day and the curing wait before cars can come back. Your written estimate spells out what's included for your lot.
Three things decide whether a concrete lot stays flat and dry for years, and all three get settled before or during the pour, not after. Here's what I look at on every lot.
The subgrade, the soil the slab sits on, has to be firm, and the base on top of it has to be dug out and packed in layers. A lot that's just raked level settles unevenly under parked cars, and the concrete cracks and sinks right along with the dirt below it. That's why we start underneath.
Before we set any forms, I walk the lot and see where water runs now, then shape the surface so it carries water to drains and away from buildings. A slab that falls toward a building sends every storm against its wall, and water that pools on the lot wears the surface and finds every crack.
Concrete shrinks as it dries, so some cracking is normal. Control joints are shallow cuts we make in the fresh slab so it cracks along those straight lines instead of across a parking space. When joints are cut late or skipped, the cracks pick their own paths, which is usually what happened to the old lot.
Here's how a parking lot job goes with us, from your first call to the day you park on it again, and what you'll have in hand along the way.
Call (415) 429-4397 or send the form and tell us where the lot is and what's wrong with it now. A few details up front help me plan the visit and bring the right questions.
I come out, measure, look at the ground and the drainage, and ask how you use the lot day to day. Then I write up an estimate in plain words that spells out what's included.
Once you're ready, we sort out what your city or county asks for. Then our crew digs out and packs the base, sets forms and steel, pours, finishes the surface and cuts the joints.
When the pour is done, I walk the finished lot with you and go over how long to keep cars off while it cures, which is the slow hardening that gives concrete its strength.
I'll tell you the trade-off up front. Next to asphalt, concrete costs more to start and keeps the lot closed longer, and in return it lasts a long time with lighter upkeep. If that trade suits how you use the lot, we help you plan where people will park while it cures, whether that's the street, a neighbor's lot or one half of yours at a time.
We dig down to firm ground and pack the base in layers, then lay rebar, the steel bars that hold the slab together and keep cracks tight, and build it thicker where heavy trucks turn. We pour early in the day, because midday heat dries the top too fast and leaves it weak and dusty later. A broom finish, a light ridged texture, gives tires and shoes grip when it's wet.
Lots often come with other work around them. Light poles, carport posts and walls along the edge stand on concrete footings, which we can pour as part of the same job. If the building next to the lot has settled, foundation raising is a separate job I'd look at first, so the new pavement meets the building at the right height.
If the budget gets tight, the base is usually the first thing people want to cut, because nobody sees it on the day we pour. I'd rather keep the base and keep the finish plain. A fancy surface on a weak base cracks and sinks just the same, while a plain slab on packed ground stays flat for years.
Pouring the whole lot at once is usually simpler and leaves fewer seams. Pouring in phases adds some setup but keeps part of the lot open while the other part cures, which helps when tenants or customers still need to park.
Repaving the spaces where they are keeps the planning simple. Redrawing the lot can fix tight turns or a corner where water collects, though a new layout is something Tiburon looks at in its review, covered below.
We'll get back to you within one business day to set a time for me to come out and see the lot. The on-site estimate is free, and there's no pressure and no obligation to go ahead.
(415) 429-4397In the Town of Tiburon, paving, repaving, striping or restriping a parking lot takes design review and a building permit, so this job needs one here. Tiburon asks for more permits than many California cities, mainly because of the peninsula's geology, terrain and climate, along with concerns about views, privacy and looks. In a non-residential zone, changing a lot's layout or design also goes through design review.
Two more rules can shape the site plan. Grading or digging that moves more than 50 cubic yards of earth needs design review and a grading permit. Under the area's stormwater program, a project other than a single family home that creates or replaces 5,000 square feet or more of hard surface is a Regulated Project, and its runoff goes to bioretention or other facilities. Tiburon's Planning Division can tell you how that applies to your lot.
We find out what your city or county asks for on your job, help with the paperwork and wait until any permit is in hand before we start. We're based in Tiburon and work in cities across Marin and nearby, including San Rafael and Novato. Most lots we see are small ones behind shops, offices and apartment buildings, where the work has to fit around people who still need to get in.
I taught myself concrete on small jobs around my own place and learned the rest working next to people who'd been at it for years. I started this business in Tiburon in 2020. I still come out to look at each job myself and write the estimate, and I'm on site with our crew while the work gets done.
In California, anyone who builds or alters a parking facility has to be licensed by the Contractors State License Board when the project needs a building permit, and in Tiburon this one does. We're fully licensed and insured. Our work is backed by our satisfaction guarantee.
I'd rather answer a question twice before we pour than leave you wondering about it later, so bring your questions to the walk-through. Call (415) 429-4397 or send the estimate form, and I'll set a time to come see your lot.
If your lot needs light poles, a carport or a low wall along its edge, each one stands on a footing poured to carry its weight.
When a building beside the lot has sunk or tilted, lifting it back toward level first lets the new pavement meet its doorways and walls cleanly.
The cities below have their own page on our site, but they aren't the only places we work, so call if your lot is somewhere nearby that isn't listed.
Reinforced concrete slab work in the Bay Area usually costs about $9 to $16 per square foot. That figure is for slab work, not a whole parking lot, so tearing out old pavement, extra base work and drainage can change the total. The estimate for your lot will list what it covers.
Yes, paving or repaving a lot in Tiburon takes design review and a building permit, and larger grading or stormwater work can add more, as covered above. Work done without a required permit can bring substantial fines in Tiburon. The Planning Division or Building Division answers permit questions before work begins.
Concrete may need 7 to 28 days of curing before regular vehicle use, while asphalt can often open within 24 to 48 hours. That wait is why we plan other parking or a phased pour with you before we start, so the lot keeps working for the people who use it.
Concrete parking lots typically last 30 years or more, according to a national industry guide, so you can plan one as a long-term surface. Upkeep usually means sealing joints, fixing cracks and now and then replacing a single damaged slab. Repairs can cost more when they're needed, so it's worth setting a little aside.
Have the lot's rough size in square feet, the number of parking spaces and whether it's a new lot or a repave of an old one. It also helps to think about how the lot gets used each day and where people could park during the cure, since we'll plan that together.
We answer until 10 PM on weekdays and 11 PM on weekends, so you can call (415) 429-4397 after the lot clears out for the day.
