Concrete Contractor in Gilroy, CA - Slabs Set Up for Expansive Soil
Premium Gilroy Concrete is a concrete contractor based in Gilroy, CA. We pour driveways, patios, walkways, steps and foundations here, and we do the digging, base packing, forms and layout that decide how a slab holds up.
Concrete work for Gilroy homes and lots
We're based in Gilroy, so most of our calls come from right here. It might be a cracked driveway on an older street near downtown, a patio behind a newer house in one of the subdivisions, or a long drive or shop slab on a rural lot at the edge of the city. We also take work just up the road in San Martin and Morgan Hill, and in many of the cities around them.
The ground shapes the job here more than anything. Much of it swells when it's wet and shrinks as it dries, and a slab moves with it unless the base under it is dug out and packed.
What happens when you call us in Gilroy
Call and set a visit
Call (408) 427-8265 or send the form with your address and what you want poured or fixed. We set a time for me to come out, and it helps if you're home so we can walk the job together.
I measure and write it up
I measure the job myself and look at what's under and around it, including the soil, the slope and where your water runs now. Then I write the estimate line by line, so you can see what's in it, what isn't and what moves your price, which is usually the size, the thickness, how much dirt comes out and the finish.
Agree on layout and permits
Before the pour we go over the layout with you, including how water will drain away from your house and where the control joints go, which are the cuts that tell the slab where to crack. If the job needs a permit, we pull it and line up the inspections, and the permit and the weather usually set the pour date.
Pour, cure, then hand over
On pour day our crew works to the plan we agreed on, and I'm on site for it. We cure and protect the new concrete before we hand it over, so the top hardens strong instead of drying out weak.
Concrete services for Gilroy properties
Most Gilroy calls are for concrete driveway building and patios. Often the job is replacing a slab that cracked or sank because it went down on raked dirt instead of a packed base. We also do a lot of steps, walkways and foundation work, where the swelling ground makes the base and the steel matter most.
- Concrete driveway building
- Concrete patio construction
- Stamped concrete services
- Concrete sidewalk building
- Garage floor concrete
- Decorative concrete
- Concrete retaining walls
- Concrete floor installation
- Concrete pool decks
- Concrete steps construction
- Slab foundation building
- Foundation installation
- Concrete parking lot building
- Concrete footings
- Foundation raising
- Concrete cutting
What signs mean your Gilroy concrete needs work?
Ground that swells in the wet months and dries out in summer works on a slab every year, so these signs are worth a look before a small problem spreads.
- Cracks that keep getting wider
- One slab edge higher than another
- Water pooling on the driveway
- Patio sloping toward the house
- Chipping or a dusty top
- Gap between slab and garage
Repair or replace your Gilroy driveway or patio?
If the cracks are thin and the slab is still flat, sealing them and fixing the drainage around it is usually the right call, and I'll tell you so. When sections have sunk or tipped, or keep breaking along new lines, the base underneath has usually failed. Patching the top won't change what's happening below.
Replacing lets us dig out, pack a real base and set rebar, the steel that holds the slab together if it cracks. That's where I'd spend the money before a fancy finish, because you can redo a surface later but you can't fix a base without tearing the slab out.
Hiring a concrete crew that works in Gilroy
A crew that works here knows the ground moves with the seasons and that summer afternoons get hot enough to hurt a pour. When it's hot we pour early in the day, because a slab that sets too fast in the sun comes out with a weak, dusty top that starts chipping within a few years.
I come out and take the measurements myself, our own crew does the work, and I'm on site for the layout and the pour. The person who wrote your estimate is the one checking the forms, so questions get settled on paper before the truck shows up, where they're easy to fix.
Respect for your yard and your time
We set up where we said we would, protect the lawn and plants around the forms, and haul off the old concrete and dirt when we're done. Your time matters too, so we settle the layout and the questions before pour day instead of working them out in your driveway.
If something changes once the old slab is out, like soft ground or old roots, I show you, explain what it means and price it, so you decide before the work goes on. We're licensed and insured. Your satisfaction, guaranteed.
You can count on the base under your slab getting the same care as the surface you'll see every day.
Get your Gilroy concrete job measured
We answer early mornings, evenings and weekends, so call when you're home and can look at the slab while we talk.
Get a free on-site estimate in Gilroy
Tell us your address and what you'd like poured or fixed. We reply within one business day to set up a free on-site visit, and there's no pressure to book.
Gilroy concrete questions we hear
How much does a concrete driveway cost in Gilroy?
The price of a Gilroy driveway comes down to its size and thickness, how much old concrete and dirt comes out, how much base goes back in, and the finish you pick. Base work is the part I won't cut short on this ground. A plain broom finish, the light texture that gives tires and shoes grip, costs less than stamped or colored work. You get your own figure, line by line, once I've measured.
Do I need a permit for a new driveway or patio in Gilroy?
Ask the city's Building Division at 408-846-0451 before you pour, because it issues building permits for all new development and renovation work and can tell you what your slab needs. The city also asks you to call the planning division at (408) 846-0440 before building any structure, since planning rules can apply even without a building permit. Starting without the right permit can hold a project up, so when a job needs one we pull it and line up the inspections.
What causes concrete to crack and sink in Gilroy?
Most of it starts underneath, because much of Gilroy's soil is expansive and moves a slab sitting on a raked, unpacked base. That soil is why the city requires a soil report for all new construction here. On every slab we dig out, pack the base and cut the joints on time, so the cracks that do come go where we planned them.
Does a concrete contractor from outside Gilroy need a city business license?
Yes. Every business that does work inside Gilroy needs a city business license, wherever it's based. The city's licensing is handled by HdL Companies by phone, online and by mail, so it's a fair thing to ask any contractor about before you sign.
How long does a concrete driveway replacement take in Gilroy?
The pour itself is the short part, and the schedule usually turns on the permit, if one's needed, the weather and the curing time before you can use the slab. Curing is the wait while new concrete gains its strength. You'll stay off it for a few days and keep cars off longer, and I'll give you the dates for your slab when we set the pour.
How do I get a permit for a concrete retaining wall in Gilroy?
Retaining walls are on the city's list of work that needs a building permit. You apply online through the city's GO Permit portal, which also tracks plan review and schedules inspections. When we build a wall for you, we pull the permit and line up the inspections as part of the job.
Other cities we cover, and yours
Pick your city below to see its own page. If yours isn't listed, call (408) 427-8265 and ask, since we take work in many of the cities around Gilroy.