Concrete Contractor in Lemon Hill, CA - Slabs Built on a Packed Base
Galt Concrete is a concrete contractor in Galt, CA that pours driveways, patios, walkways and slabs for homes in Lemon Hill, with the owner on site from the estimate to the final pour.
Lemon Hill: older slabs on settled ground
Lemon Hill sits just south of the city of Sacramento on unincorporated county land, and on our jobs there it's mostly single-family homes on modest lots, with driveways, patios and side walks that have had decades to move. It's a lot like nearby Florin, and the calls are much the same, a driveway sunk at one corner, a patio that holds water by the back door or a walk cracked clean through.
Most of what goes wrong here starts under the slab. Older concrete was often poured on dirt that was raked flat instead of dug out and packed, so it settled right along with the dirt. Much of the ground around Sacramento was farmed, too, and that left caustic, "hot" soil in many areas, the kind that corrodes bare metal pipe buried in it. So when we pour, we dig down to firm subgrade, the ground the slab rests on, pack a base over it and keep the rebar, the steel that holds a cracked slab together, up off the dirt and wrapped in concrete.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- We respond within 1 business day.
Concrete work we do in Lemon Hill
Concrete driveway building
Older driveways here often sink at the edges because the dirt under them was never packed. We dig it out, pack a base and pour over it.
Concrete patio construction
A backyard patio that tips toward the house sends rainwater to your foundation. We check where the water runs before we set forms, so it drains away.
Decorative concrete
On a front walk or patio, a colored or textured finish is what people see from the street. Our decorative concrete work still starts with the base underneath.
Concrete sidewalk building
Side walkways crack and lift where roots and settling get under them. We replace broken sections and cut control joints, grooves that tell cracks where to go.
Concrete steps construction
Front steps on older homes pull away from the porch as the ground shifts. We tear them out, set new footings and form them square.
Concrete cutting
When part of an old slab fails, a clean cut can save replacing all of it. We saw straight edges so the new pour meets the old.
Working in Lemon Hill under county rules
Lemon Hill is unincorporated, so permits here come from Sacramento County's Building Permits and Inspection Division, not a city. The county issues building permits for building, altering or repairing a structure, and whether your driveway or patio needs one is the county's call, so I check your address, ask the county what the job needs and we handle the paperwork when a permit's required. Before you hire anyone, ask for their state contractor's license, and if the crew is based out here in the county, its county General Business License too. We're licensed and insured.
Most Lemon Hill jobs sit on residential streets with a driveway apron at the curb and a side yard that's tight for a truck, the same as we work around in Parkway. Your price mostly follows the size and thickness of the slab, how much old concrete we break out and haul off, how much base the ground needs and the finish you pick, while the schedule turns on the permit if there is one, the weather and the days the concrete needs to cure, or harden, before you use it. I write all of that into the estimate so you can see what goes into the job. If the budget's tight, I'll steer you to a plain broom finish, the light texture that keeps it from getting slick, before I'll skimp on the base, because the base is buried on day one and it's what decides whether the slab stays put.
Get a free written estimate for your Lemon Hill concrete
Tell us what you have in mind, a new driveway, a patio or a slab that needs replacing, and we'll reply within one business day. I'll come out to your place in Lemon Hill, look at the ground and where the water runs, and write out a free estimate that shows what goes into the job. There's no obligation and no pressure to book.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- We respond within 1 business day.
Concrete ideas for Lemon Hill homes
Lemon Hill concrete questions
Can a contractor start my concrete job in Sacramento County before the permit is issued?
No, if the job needs a building permit, work can't start until the permit is issued. The county treats starting after you've applied but before it's issued as a violation of the state building code, and its inspectors issue a stop work order when they find that kind of work going on without one. We wait until the permit's in hand, so your job isn't halted with forms half set.
When does a concrete contractor need a California state license?
A contractor needs a license from the California Contractors State License Board when the job needs a building permit, uses hired workers or costs $1,000 or more in labor and materials, counting every contract on it. Home improvement contractors have to hold that license before they bid, so ask for it while you're collecting estimates.
How do I find out if my Lemon Hill property is in a flood zone?
Call the county's Flood Zone Hotline at (916) 874-7517, or look up your address or parcel number on the county's online map, which shows FEMA floodplain information. The county lists four ways in all on its flood zone information page. It's worth knowing before a new patio or driveway goes in, and either way I'll walk the lot with you to see where the water runs and slope the slab away from the house.
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Lemon Hill?
I can't give you a fair number until I've seen the driveway, because the biggest costs here are usually the tear-out and the base work, and neither shows from the street. Breaking out an old sunken slab, hauling it off and digging out soft dirt add to the price, while a simple shape with a broom finish keeps it down and color or stamping raises it. The free estimate at your property spells out each part so you can decide what matters to you.
How long does a new concrete driveway take before I can drive on it?
You'll be walking on it well before you can park on it, and I'll give you both days for your slab when I write the estimate. How fast it cures depends on the mix, the thickness and the weather that week, so we plan the pour around when you can do without the driveway.
What causes new concrete to crack, and will my new slab crack like the old one?
Most concrete cracks a little as it dries and shrinks, so the goal is to keep those cracks small and put them where we choose. The bad ones usually come from a base that wasn't packed, water running under the slab, a pour in midday heat that leaves a weak, dusty top, or joints cut late or skipped. We pack the base, set the slope, pour early in the day and cut the control joints on time, which is why a new slab shouldn't fail the way the old one did.