Planning a new home, an addition or a cracked foundation that has to come out? We plan the ground and water first, then pour.
Foundation installation in Tiburon means building the footings and foundation your home sits on, and sometimes a concrete slab, for a new house, an addition or a replacement, so the walls above have firm, dry ground to carry them.
Most calls start with a set of plans, or with an old foundation that's cracked, sinking or uneven. Either way, the part I care about most is the part you won't see once it's poured. That's the subgrade, the soil the concrete sits on, and where the water goes around it.
The price moves with the size of the footprint, how much dirt and old concrete have to come out, how hard the lot is to reach and how much steel and concrete the plans call for. The schedule depends on the permit, any design review and the inspections that have to pass before each part gets covered. Your written estimate spells out what's included for your lot.
A foundation only does its job if the ground, the water and the pour are right. These are the three things we watch most closely on every foundation we build.
A foundation settles with whatever it sits on, so loose fill or soft topsoil left under a footing is a common reason a house moves later. We dig out until we reach firm ground and pack any base material well, because raking it level only hides the problem until the first wet winter.
Water that collects against a foundation softens the soil under it and finds its way into crawl spaces and slabs. Before we set forms, we look at where rain runs across your lot and how the finished ground will slope, so water heads away from the house instead of toward it.
Rebar, the steel bars tied inside the concrete, holds it together when the ground shifts or the house bears down on it, so it has to sit where the plans put it before anyone pours. We also pour in the cooler part of the day, because concrete that dries too fast in midday heat ends up weaker.
Here's how a foundation job usually runs with us, from your first call to the walk-through, including the points where the work waits on Tiburon's inspector.
Call (415) 429-4397, email info@tiburonconcrete.com or use the form on this page. We'll get back to you and set a time for me to come see the property.
I come out myself, look at the ground, the slope and how water moves across the lot, and ask how you plan to use the space. Then I write up an estimate in plain words that spells out what's included.
We handle what the city or county asks for, prep the ground, set forms and steel, and pour. Each Tiburon inspection must pass before that work gets covered, and construction runs on set weekday and Saturday hours, with heavy equipment starting later on weekdays and no Sunday work.
Once the concrete has cured, which is the wait while it hardens and gains strength before it carries a load, we walk the finished foundation with you. Bring any question you still have, and I'll answer it there.
We start with what your plans and the city ask for, whether it's a new home, an addition or a replacement, because those decide what every footing has to be. I go over them with you before we dig, so you know what's going into the ground under your house and why it's there.
We also plan how the old concrete and dirt leave your site before the first load goes, so as much as possible gets recycled. If the project needs room for several cars, we do concrete parking lot building too. If you only need footings for a deck, posts or an outbuilding, our concrete footings work covers that smaller job.
When a budget gets tight, the base is the first place people want to cut, because nobody sees it on day one. I'd trim the surface work before the digging and packing, since a foundation is only as good as the ground under it.
On a replacement, broken concrete can sometimes be crushed and reused, or it can go to a recycler. Which makes sense depends on your lot and your plans, and we'll talk it through at the estimate.
We respond within 1 business day. After you send the form, we'll get back to you and set a time for me to walk the property and write you a free on-site estimate. There's no pressure and no obligation.
(415) 429-4397The Town of Tiburon requires a building permit before any demolition or construction, and grading, excavation or fill over 50 cubic yards also needs design review and a grading permit. Tiburon asks for some permits other California cities may not, because of the peninsula's ground, slopes and climate. We find out what your job needs, help with the paperwork and start once the permit is in hand.
Permit applicants in Tiburon also have to track and divert at least 90% of a job's discards through recycling or reuse, which is why we sort out where old concrete and soil go early. Lots here often sit on slopes, so getting forms and concrete in and dirt out takes planning. We do the same work in nearby cities such as Mill Valley and Sausalito.
I started this business in Tiburon in 2020, and in the six years since, I've kept coming out to look at each job myself. I write the estimate, and I'm on site with our crew while the work gets done, so the person who explained the plan is there for the pour. I'd rather answer a question twice before we pour than leave you wondering later.
California's contractor license board describes a concrete contractor as one who forms, pours, places, finishes and installs concrete work, and that's the whole of a foundation job. We're fully licensed and insured. Our work is backed by our satisfaction guarantee. When you're ready, call (415) 429-4397 or send us your project details.
A new home or a bigger property often means more cars, and a lot built on a well-packed base holds up to daily parking without breaking apart.
Decks, posts, sheds and small additions still need footings sized for their load, poured with the same attention to the ground underneath.
We're based in Tiburon and work in cities across Marin and nearby, from Novato down to Sausalito and over to Richmond. Here are some of the cities we cover.
Yes. A foundation is construction, and Tiburon requires a building permit before it starts. If it's part of a new home, an addition, an exterior remodel or an accessory structure, Tiburon's Planning Division generally requires Design Review too, which adds a step to the plan. We'll help you sort out which applies to your job.
Depending on the project, Tiburon's inspections may include a footing and foundation inspection and a concrete slab and under-floor inspection. Each has to be requested and passed before the work is covered, so the schedule includes pauses for the inspector. Tiburon may also require a preliminary inspection before the permit is issued, so expect an early site visit.
If your lot sits inside one of California's earthquake hazard zones, a geologic and engineering investigation comes before construction. That study can find and reduce ground failure hazards before work begins, and it helps the house hold up better in shaking. If your lot is in a zone, we plan the foundation work around that study.
Foundation installation in the San Francisco area usually costs about $10,000 to $35,000 per project. That's an area-wide figure, not a price for your lot. For that, I come out, measure and give you a written estimate that spells out what's included.
Tiburon building permits are valid for 18 months and can be extended another six months at no cost. That leaves room for a longer foundation job with design review and inspection pauses. The project counts as complete only after it passes final inspection, which comes at the end and before the permit expires.
Have the property address and the kind of project ready, whether it's a new home, an addition or a replacement, plus any plans you already have. That way I can find out what Tiburon will ask for and come out ready to talk about your lot. Reach us by phone, email or our form.
Call (415) 429-4397 or use the form, because an early site visit gives us time to sort out permits and any design review before the ground work needs to start.
