Concrete Contractor in Potomac Park, CA - Driveways and Patios on Solid Ground
Shafter Concrete pours driveways, patios, walks and slabs for homes in Potomac Park, CA. I come out to every job myself, and our own crew digs out the old ground, packs the base and finishes the concrete.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free quotes on site.
- Replies within 1 business day.
Potomac Park homes and the ground under them
Potomac Park is a small unincorporated neighborhood in Kern County that sits right up against Bakersfield. We're a concrete contractor based in Shafter, CA, and the calls we get here mostly come from homeowners with a driveway that's dropped at the street, a back patio that holds water after the hose runs, or a front walk with one panel lifted. A lot of the concrete around these homes has been down a long time, and it shows.
When we break that old concrete out, we often find it was poured on dirt that was raked smooth and never packed, so here we usually dig down to firm ground and rebuild the subgrade, the layer the slab sits on, before anything gets poured.
Concrete work we do in Potomac Park
Concrete driveway building
When an old driveway has sunk or cracked across, we dig it out, pack the base and pour a new one that sheds water away from the garage.
Concrete patio construction
A backyard slab that tips toward the house sends water at your foundation. We set the new patio to fall away, with joints cut where cracks should go.
Stamped concrete services
Stamped concrete gives a patio or walk the look of stone or brick in one pour, and it still needs the same packed base underneath to stay flat.
Concrete sidewalk building
Walks to the front door here often heave or drop at one panel and catch a toe. We replace the bad sections and match the rest.
Garage floor concrete
A garage slab that's cracked, pitted or dusting gets torn out and repoured on a packed base, so it holds up under cars and a workbench.
Decorative concrete
Color, exposed stone or a scored pattern can dress up a plain slab out front. We plan the look around joints and drainage, not the other way around.
Concrete retaining walls
Where a yard steps down or soil leans on a fence, a retaining wall holds it back. We pour the footing first and give water a way out.
Concrete floor installation
For a shop, storage building or room addition, we pour an interior floor flat and level so tile, shelving or equipment sits right on it.
Concrete pool decks
Pool decks see a lot of water and bare feet, so we slope them away from the pool and the house and give them a finish that grips.
Concrete steps construction
Front steps that have pulled away from the porch or rock underfoot get broken out and rebuilt with steel inside and every step the same height.
Slab foundation building
Builders call us for house and addition slabs, and we treat the dig-out and compaction under them as the main job, not the pour.
Foundation installation
For a new home, garage or addition, we dig, form and pour the foundation to the plans, with the steel tied in place before the concrete arrives.
Concrete parking lot building
Small business lots and church or apartment parking take more weight and traffic than a driveway, so we pour them thicker on a deeper packed base.
Concrete footings
Patio covers, block walls and additions sit on footings, the buried concrete that carries the weight. We dig them to plan and clean out the trench first.
Foundation raising
When part of a house or slab has dropped and doors start sticking, raising it back can beat tearing it out. I'll tell you which fits.
Concrete cutting
Need a trench for a plumber, an opening in a wall or a bad section taken out cleanly? We saw-cut it straight so the rest stays put.
Get a free on-site estimate for your Potomac Park concrete
We reply within one business day to set up a visit. The estimate is free, done on site, and you're under no obligation to go ahead with it.
Call (661) 776-8737- Based in
- Shafter, CA 93263
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 6 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 8 AM–9 PM
Permits, licenses and pricing in Potomac Park
Potomac Park is unincorporated, so Kern County, not a city hall, issues building permits here. If your job needs one, we handle the application and line up the inspections, and the work waits on the county's go-ahead, so the permit is usually what sets the start date. If you're not sure which office covers your address, I check before we start. When you're comparing contractors, ask about a state contractor license, since the Contractors State License Board says a home improvement business has to be licensed in the right trade before it advertises or bids, and in unincorporated Kern County the county code requires a business license for the businesses and occupations it lists. We're licensed and insured.
What moves the price here is mostly what's under and around the slab, like how much old concrete comes out, how far we dig past soft dirt to reach firm ground, whether the truck can get close or we wheel concrete to the backyard, and the finish you pick, since stamping or color takes more labor than a broom finish, the light brushed texture that keeps a wet slab from getting slick. The schedule turns on the permit, if there is one, and on curing, the days new concrete needs to harden before it takes weight. Your written estimate spells out what's included, and we do the same work in Benton Park and East Bakersfield.
Why Potomac Park slabs crack, sink and pool water
Kern County's own building code findings point to expansive and collapsible soils in some parts of the county, ground that can swell and push or drop and settle, and either one can tip a slab or press on a footing. I can't tell which you have from the curb, so I read how the old slab broke, a corner dropped or the middle humped up, and we size the dig-out and the rebar, the steel bars that hold a slab together, to match.
The other thing we see is water running the wrong way, off a patio toward the house or into a low spot on the driveway. We set the slope so water leaves the slab, and we cut control joints, straight grooves that give concrete a place to crack on purpose, early enough that the cracks land there.
How a concrete job goes when you call us in Potomac Park
Here's what happens after you reach out, from the first look at your yard to the walk-through when the concrete's done.
Call and set a visit
You call or send the form, and we pick a time for me to come out. You don't need measurements or a plan yet.
I look, measure and estimate
I measure, look at how the old slab failed and ask how you'll use the new one, so it helps if you're home for this part. You get a written estimate that says what's included, and it costs you nothing.
Sort the permit, then pour
Any permit gets sorted before anybody digs, so the start date follows the county's go-ahead. Then our crew breaks out the old concrete, packs the base, sets forms and pours with me on site, and you don't need to be home.
Walk the finished job together
When we're done, I walk it with you and go over how long to stay off it while it cures. We haul off the old concrete and leave the site swept.
Questions about concrete work in Potomac Park
Call (661) 776-8737How do I start a building permit for concrete work in Potomac Park?
Start with Kern County's Building Permit Technician counter at the Public Services Building, which handles building permits. You can go to the counter or call its phone line. If we're doing your job, that paperwork is ours.
Does a small concrete job in Potomac Park need a licensed contractor?
Almost always, because the state board's exemption only covers minor work where the total price, with labor, materials and everything else counted, comes in under $500, as the board currently lists the rule. Past that, the board says the contractor has to hold a license in the right trade before advertising or bidding.
How large a down payment can a concrete contractor ask for in California?
No more than $1,000 or 10 percent of the total contract price, whichever is less, under the state licensing board's rules for home improvement work. Any other payments have to be listed clearly in the contract and based on work completed or materials delivered.
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Potomac Park?
Your price comes down to your lot, mostly how much has to come out before we pour, so I set it after one visit and put it in a written estimate. If the budget's tight, skip the stamping or color before you skimp on the base, because a plain slab on packed ground outlasts a fancy one on loose dirt. The base is the part you see on day one and never again, which is exactly why it's the first thing people want to cut.
Will my new concrete crack like the old one?
It usually won't crack the way the old one did, because most of those cracks started in a base that was never packed and at joints that were cut late or skipped. Concrete still shrinks a little as it cures, so a hairline in a control joint is the joint doing its job, and the steel inside helps keep any other crack tight.
How long does a new concrete driveway take before I can drive on it?
Usually about a week for a car, and you can walk on it in a day or two, because concrete keeps gaining strength as it cures. Heavy trucks like a moving van should wait longer, and I'll give you the days for your slab when we walk the job.
Shafter, CA
Get your Potomac Park concrete looked at
Call (661) 776-8737 or send the form, because a sinking section caught early can often be cut out and replaced by itself instead of the whole slab.