Concrete contractor in Shafter, CA - flatwork that drains right and stays put
Shafter Concrete is a concrete contractor based in Shafter, CA. We pour driveways, patios, walks and garage floors for homeowners, and slabs and footings for builders, with the ground under each one dug out and packed first.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free quotes on site.
- Replies within 1 business day.
Shafter houses, driveways and the dirt underneath
Shafter is home base for us, so a lot of our work here is close enough that I drive past old jobs on the way to new ones. Near downtown we see older houses with original driveways and walks that have cracked, sunk and been patched more than once. The newer subdivisions bring tract homes with a plain slab out back that people want to make bigger, and the lots toward the edge of the city run larger, with room for shops, RV pads and long driveways. We pour the same kinds of jobs in Bakersfield and Wasco.
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, and newer lots can sit on fill that equipment pushed around, so on nearly every job we dig down to firm ground before we think about the surface.
Concrete work we do on Shafter properties
Concrete driveway building
Older Shafter driveways often crack where trucks and trailers park, so we tear out, rebuild the base and pour a slab sized for the load.
Concrete patio construction
Newer homes here often came with a small slab out back. We extend it into a patio that drains away from the house, not toward the door.
Stamped concrete services
For a patio or front entry that looks like stone or brick without loose pieces to trip on, we press the pattern into the slab while it's soft.
Concrete sidewalk building
Walks at older Shafter homes get lifted by roots and broken by settling, so we replace the bad panels and give you a flat path to the door.
Garage floor concrete
A cracked garage floor in an older house usually sits on base nobody packed, so we break it out and pour a slab that holds your truck.
Decorative concrete
Color, exposed stone and borders let a front walk or patio match the house. We do it on new pours or sound slabs that need a new look.
Concrete retaining walls
When your yard sits higher than the neighbor's, a concrete wall holds the dirt back, and we drain behind it so water doesn't push on it.
Concrete floor installation
Shops, barns and outbuildings on the bigger lots around Shafter need a floor that takes equipment. We pour interior slabs flat and troweled smooth.
Concrete pool decks
A backyard pool deck needs to shed water away from the pool and the house and give wet feet grip, so we slope and finish it for both.
Concrete steps construction
Front steps on older houses here settle and pull away from the porch. We pour new ones with every step the same height, so nobody catches a toe.
Slab foundation building
Builders call us for slabs on new homes and additions around Shafter. We dig, pack the ground, place the steel and pour to the plans, ready for inspection.
Foundation installation
Garages, shops and additions on Shafter lots need a foundation sized to the building on top. We set the forms, footings and steel to the plans, then pour.
Concrete parking lot building
Shops, churches and small businesses in Shafter see steady traffic. We pour lots and aprons thick enough for delivery trucks, with the drainage planned first.
Concrete footings
Patio covers, block walls and carports need footings, the concrete pads that carry the weight into the ground. We dig them to the depth the plans call for.
Foundation raising
When a corner of an older house or slab has dropped, we lift it back toward level and fill the gap below so it sits on something solid.
Concrete cutting
A plumbing trench or a wider driveway means cutting old concrete. We saw it straight so the new pour meets the old edge without a ragged seam.
Get a free on-site estimate for your Shafter concrete job
We reply within one business day to set a time, and I come out myself to look, measure and write the estimate. It's free, and there's no obligation to go ahead.
Call (661) 776-8737- Based in
- Shafter, CA 93263
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 6 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 8 AM–9 PM
Working in Shafter: permits, licenses and price
Inside Shafter city limits, building permits come from the city's Building Department, and its list of work that needs one names patios and retaining walls along with most other construction and repair. If your job needs a permit, we handle the application and line up the inspections, and if the list leaves it open for a driveway or a walk, we check with the department before we start, because nothing gets dug until that question's answered. Before you hire anyone for concrete here, check two things: a current California contractor license, and a Shafter business license number, which the city's permit application asks for. We're licensed and insured.
Price on a Shafter job turns mostly on what's under the surface: how much old concrete comes out, how much soft dirt goes with it and how much base we haul in and pack. Size, thickness, a stamped or colored finish and how close we can get the truck to the pour add to it from there. The schedule turns on the permit, our crew calendar and curing, the days a new slab sits and hardens before it takes weight, and your written estimate spells out what's included so you know what you're paying for. We do the same work in Rosedale and the cities between here and Bakersfield.
Why older Shafter slabs hold water and break
On a lot of older houses here, the driveway or patio was set too low or tipped the wrong way, so water runs back toward the house, puddles in front of the garage and sits against the foundation. Before we pour, I check where the water goes off your roof and yard, and we set the forms so the new slab falls away from the house and toward the street or the yard. It's a slope you'll never notice, until the sprinklers run and nothing pools.
Bigger lots mean bigger loads, with work trucks, trailers and RVs parked on slabs that were poured for a sedan. Where something heavy will sit, we pour thicker and add rebar, the steel bars set inside the slab that hold it together if it does crack.
How a concrete job in Shafter runs when you call
Here's how a job runs from your first call, and who you'll be dealing with at each step. The short version is that you'll mostly be dealing with me.
Call or send the form
You call or send the form, and we pick a time for me to come out. It helps if you're home so you can show me what's bothering you.
I look, measure and estimate
I check the old slab, the ground and where the water runs, measure, and ask how you'll use it. You get a written estimate that says what's included, so you can see where the money goes before you decide.
We sort out the permit
If the job needs a permit, we file it and nobody digs until it's issued. The city asks applicants to allow one to five business days for residential permits, then sends an email with what's left to finish before it's issued.
We pour and walk it
Our crew does the work with me on site, from tear-out to the broom finish, the light brushed texture that keeps the surface from getting slick. When we're done I walk it with you and tell you when it's ready for feet and when it's ready for tires.
Questions about concrete work in Shafter
Call (661) 776-8737Do I need a permit for a concrete patio in Shafter?
Yes, inside city limits a patio is on the city's list of work that needs a permit, along with retaining walls, additions and pools. Driveways and walks aren't named on that list, so we check with the city for your address instead of guessing. The city's permit page also reminds everyone to call 811 before digging so buried lines get marked.
When do building inspections happen in Shafter?
Residential inspections in Shafter run in a morning window between 8:30 am and 12 pm and an afternoon window between 1:30 pm and 4 pm. The city says heavy inspection activity can delay or reschedule them without notice, so we hold the concrete order until the inspection has passed.
When does a contractor need a CSLB license in California?
A contractor needs a current license from the Contractors State License Board when the job needs a building permit, when they use employees, or when the work is worth $1,000 or more in labor and materials combined. Most concrete jobs clear at least one of those, so ask for the license before you sign anything.
How do I find out if my address is inside Shafter city limits?
The city's map of the city limits shows the boundary in red, so you can find your street on it. If you're still not sure, give me the address when you call, and we'll check with the building office for it before we start.
What is the best way to keep a new concrete driveway in Shafter from cracking?
Pack the base properly and cut control joints, the shallow grooves that give the slab a straight, planned line to crack along instead of a random one. Concrete shrinks as it hardens, so a hairline crack inside a joint is normal, while the packed base keeps the pieces level. We cut joints the day of the pour or soon after, because a late joint is one the crack already beat you to.
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Shafter?
Your price comes from the written estimate after I've measured and looked at the ground, because the tear-out and base work covered above swing it the most. If the budget's tight, cut the fancy finish before you cut the base, since the base is hidden on day one and it's the part that keeps the slab level. The driveway page covers more of what goes into one.
Shafter, CA
Plan your Shafter concrete job with us
Call (661) 776-8737 or send the form while the project's still an idea, because changing the size or the slope costs nothing on paper and plenty once it's poured.