Concrete contractor in East Bakersfield, CA - driveways and slabs on solid ground
Shafter Concrete is a concrete contractor from Shafter, and in East Bakersfield we pour driveways, patios, walks, slabs and footings, with as much work going into the ground underneath as into the finish you see.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free quotes on site.
- Replies within 1 business day.
East Bakersfield driveways, patios and the dirt underneath
East Bakersfield is the east side of Bakersfield, just east of downtown, and it's mostly houses with shops and businesses mixed in. A lot of the calls we get here are for concrete somebody poured years ago, like a driveway cracked across the middle, a walk that's lifted at a seam or a back patio that holds water by the door. We get the same calls across the rest of Bakersfield.
With work like that, the job usually starts with breaking out the old slab and seeing what it was sitting on, because that's normally where it went wrong.
Concrete work we do on East Bakersfield properties
Concrete driveway building
When a driveway has cracked through or sunk by the garage, we tear it out, rebuild the base and pour a slab that sheds water toward the street.
Concrete patio construction
Most patio calls here are for a slab by the back door that's settled or holds water, so we set the slope away from the house.
Stamped concrete services
Stamped concrete gives a front walk or patio the look of stone or brick, and it sits on the same packed base as a plain slab.
Concrete sidewalk building
Lifted or split walks along a house are a trip waiting to happen, so we replace the bad sections and cut joints where cracks should go.
Garage floor concrete
A garage floor that's cracked, stained or uneven gets broken out and repoured on a packed base, thick enough for a car parked on it every night.
Decorative concrete
Colored and textured finishes suit the front of a house or a shop entry, where people see the concrete first, and they're poured with the same prep underneath.
Concrete retaining walls
Where a yard steps up or a grade change is pushing on a fence or slab, a poured wall on a proper footing holds the dirt back.
Concrete floor installation
Shops, storage buildings and add-ons need a floor that's flat and level, so we pack the base before it goes in and finish it smooth for racks.
Concrete pool decks
A pool deck has to shed splash water away from the house and give bare feet some grip, so we set the slope and the texture for both.
Concrete steps construction
Front steps that have pulled away from the porch or cracked at the edges get torn out and formed again, with even risers so nobody catches a toe.
Slab foundation building
Builders call us for slab foundations on new homes and additions, where the dirt prep and footings matter more than anything you'll see later.
Foundation installation
For a garage, shop or room addition, we dig and pour the foundation to the plans so the walls go up on something square and level.
Concrete parking lot building
Shops and offices on the commercial side of East Bakersfield need lots that carry delivery trucks, so we pour them thicker and plan where the water goes first.
Concrete footings
Patio covers, block walls and additions all sit on footings, and we dig and pour them to the depth and width the plans call for.
Foundation raising
When part of a house or slab has dropped and doors start sticking, we look at why it settled before we talk about lifting it back up.
Concrete cutting
We saw-cut old slabs so a repair meets the old concrete on a straight line, and we cut trenches through floors for plumbing or electrical runs.
Get a free on-site estimate for your East Bakersfield concrete job
We reply within one business day to set a time, and I come out to look at the job and write your estimate myself. It's free, done on site, and you're under no obligation.
Call (661) 776-8737- Based in
- Shafter, CA 93263
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 6 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 8 AM–9 PM
Working in East Bakersfield: permits, licenses and what moves the price
East Bakersfield is part of the city of Bakersfield, so when a job here needs a building permit, the city's Building Division issues it, one for each structure or piece of work, and nobody digs until it's in hand. We handle the application and line up the inspections, and if it isn't clear whether your job needs one, we check with the building office for your address before we start. When you're comparing contractors, ask for the state contractor license and the city's business tax certificate, which any business coming into Bakersfield to work has to carry and renew by June 30 each year. We're licensed and insured.
What moves the price is mostly the work underneath, meaning the tear-out and the base, plus how thick the slab needs to be and the finish you pick. What moves the schedule is the permit, if there is one, what we find once the old slab is out, and curing, the wait while new concrete hardens enough to take weight. Your written estimate spells out what's included. We do the same work nearby in Potomac Park, so the crew is never far off.
Cracked and sinking slabs on East Bakersfield lots
Kern County's building rules say parts of the county sit on soils that swell or collapse, and ground like that settles unevenly and pushes on slabs and footings, which is how a driveway ends up with one corner low. So we dig out to firm ground, pack the subgrade, the dirt the slab sits on, in layers instead of raking it smooth, and set rebar, the steel inside that holds the pieces together if it does crack. Most bad slabs I've seen since I opened in 2013 went wrong below the surface, not on top. I'd rather spend the extra time on prep than explain a crack later.
The other thing we see is water running the wrong way, like a patio that falls toward the house or a driveway that sends sprinkler water into the garage. We set the slope before we pour, and we cut control joints, grooves that give the slab a planned place to crack, on time so it doesn't pick its own spot.
How a concrete job runs when you call us in East Bakersfield
From the first call to the walk-through at the end, here's how a job goes and who you'll be dealing with along the way.
Call or send the form
Call (661) 776-8737 or send the form with the address and what you have in mind, and we set a time for me to come out. It helps if you're home for the visit, since I'll have questions.
I measure and write it up
I look at the job, measure, check where the water runs and ask how you'll use it, then you get a written estimate that says what's included, so there's nothing to guess at. If a permit's needed, we sort it out before anybody digs, and that part runs on the city's business days, not ours.
Our crew does the work
Our own crew breaks out the old concrete, packs the base, sets the forms and rebar and pours, and I'm on the job with them. You don't need to be home, as long as we can get to the work.
We walk it together
When it's done I walk it with you and tell you when you can walk on it and when you can park on it. We clean up and haul off the old concrete before we leave.
Questions about concrete work in East Bakersfield
Call (661) 776-8737Do I need a licensed contractor for a concrete driveway in East Bakersfield?
Almost always, because California requires a state contractor license when a job needs a building permit, uses employees, or comes to $1,000 or more in labor and materials, and a new driveway or patio nearly always hits one of those. Someone without a license can advertise work under $1,000, but only when it needs no permit and they have no workers, and their ad has to say they're not licensed. Ask to see the license before you sign anything.
How do I apply for a building permit for concrete work in East Bakersfield?
You apply with the City of Bakersfield through its online permit portal, which is also where you check an application's status. The city tells owners planning a remodel to check code requirements with its Building Department at (661) 326-3720. If you hire us, we file the application and schedule the inspections.
Which building code applies to concrete work on a house in East Bakersfield?
The city of Bakersfield uses the California Residential Code, with its own local changes, for building, repairing and tearing out work on houses in the city, along with the permits and fees that go with it. When a job is permitted, the inspector checks the work against that code, so we build to it from the forms up.
How much does concrete work cost in East Bakersfield?
There's no honest number until I've seen the job, so your price comes from the written estimate I write after measuring. A plain broom finish, the light texture dragged across the top for grip, on a lot the truck can reach costs the least, while stamping, color, a big tear-out or wheeling concrete through a side yard push it up. If the budget's tight, trim the finish and keep the base, for the reasons above.
Will a new concrete driveway in East Bakersfield crack like my old one?
It may get a hairline crack, because concrete does, but a slab on a packed base with joints cut on time usually cracks in the joints instead of across the middle and stays where we put it. We also pour early in the day when we can, since a slab that dries too fast in the heat ends up with a weak, dusty top.
How long does new concrete need to cure before I can drive on it?
Longer than most people want to wait, and I'll give you the day for your slab when we finish, since it depends on the mix and the weather. You can walk on it well before you can park on it, and a car on a slab that hasn't cured enough can crack it, so plan somewhere else for the car for a while.
Shafter, CA
Get your East Bakersfield concrete job scheduled
Send the address and the work you're planning, because if a permit's involved, starting early gives it time to clear before the date you have in mind.