Concrete Contractor in Lincoln, CA - Driveways and Patios Built on a Packed Base
One Call Lincoln Concrete is a concrete contractor based in Lincoln, CA. We build driveways, patios, stamped concrete, sidewalks, steps and slab foundations for homes and properties across the city, with me on site for each pour.
Concrete work in Lincoln, the city we call home
Lincoln is where we're based, so a lot of our driveway, patio and stamped work happens close to home. The city runs from older houses around downtown out to newer neighborhoods with wide driveways and backyard patios, and the calls change with the street. Near downtown it's usually an old driveway or walk that's cracked through and dropped at the edges. Farther out it's more often a builder's slab that's started to tip toward the garage or hold water after the sprinklers run.
We also work in Roseville and Auburn, but Lincoln jobs are the ones we drive past every day. Wherever the house is, its age tells me a lot before I pull out a tape, because it tells me how the first slab went down and what's likely sitting under it now.
Working in Lincoln: permits, licenses and what sets the price
Here the city's Building Division issues residential permits for new homes, renovations and added structures, and its list of quick over-the-counter permits covers things like re-roofs and water heaters, not concrete. So whether your driveway, patio or slab needs a permit is the city's call, and we check with the Building Division before anyone digs, because a job that needs a plan check, the city's review of your drawings, adds time before we can start. Before you hire anyone, look up their state license with the Contractors State License Board and ask whether they hold a Lincoln business license. We're licensed and insured, and when a permit is needed we take care of the paperwork and inspections with you.
Price moves on the size of the slab, how much old concrete and dirt has to come out first, how easy it is to get the truck close, and the finish you pick. A broom finish, the light brushed texture that gives shoes and tires some grip, costs less than stamped work. The schedule turns mostly on the permit and the crew's calendar, and after I walk your job you get it all in writing. It's the same work we do in Rocklin and Yuba City, but a tight side yard or a backyard behind a fence means wheelbarrows or a pump, and that shows up in the number.
What we see on Lincoln driveways and patios
On the older houses, the usual sign is a driveway cracked into plates, with one edge dropped and water sitting where it sank. Most of the time the base was raked level instead of dug out and packed, so it settled right along with the dirt. When we replace a driveway, we dig down to the subgrade, the ground the slab sits on, pack a solid base and set rebar, the steel that holds the slab together if it does crack. That base is the part you never see again, and it's the first thing people want to cut from a budget. I'd rather you save money on the finish than on the base, the same way a good kitchen spends the afternoon on prep instead of garnish, because a nice surface on a bad base cracks anyway.
In the newer neighborhoods the slabs are younger, but we still find patios that fall toward the house and cracks running where nobody planned them. We check where the water runs before we set forms, and we cut control joints, shallow grooves that tell the slab where to crack, while the concrete is fresh so the cracks stay in the lines.
Get a free on-site estimate for your Lincoln concrete job
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day to set a time for me to come out to your place in Lincoln. I walk the job with you, explain what I see and put the estimate in writing, and there's no obligation to go ahead.
(916) 884-6595How a concrete job runs when you call us in Lincoln
Call or send the form
Tell us what you're looking at, whether it's a cracked driveway, a new patio or a pad for a shed, and where you are in Lincoln. We'll set a time for me to come walk it.
Walk the job together
I come out myself to measure, look at the base and the drainage, and talk through your options in plain words. You get a written estimate you can hold up against anyone else's.
Sort out the permit first
If you go ahead, we check with the city's Building Division and handle any permit with you before digging starts. Work outside the city's over-the-counter list needs a plan check, which the city says may take 2 to 6 weeks depending on size and complexity.
Prep, form and pour
Our crew digs out, packs the base, sets the forms and steel, then pours and finishes with me on site. Move cars and open gates the day before so the truck has a clear path.
Walk through the finished slab
At the end I walk you through the job and explain curing, the wait while the concrete gains strength before it can take weight. I'll tell you when it's ready for feet, when it's ready for cars and how to look after it.
Driveways, patios and stamped concrete
Questions about concrete work in Lincoln
Do I need a permit for a concrete slab under a small shed in Lincoln?
The shed itself may not need a building permit in Lincoln, but only if it meets every condition the city sets. It has to be one story, 120 square feet or less, under 16 feet tall, with no water, sewer or electrical lines, built entirely above grade with eaves no more than 24 inches past the wall, and set outside easements and the front and side street setbacks. That rule covers the shed, not the slab, so I check the pad with the Building Division before we pour.
How do I schedule a building inspection in Lincoln?
You schedule it with the city before 3 pm at least one business day ahead, and every building permit needs at least one inspection. The city's residential permits page walks through it. When we're doing your job, we line up the inspection with you so it fits the pour.
How long is a building permit good for in Lincoln?
A building permit in Lincoln expires and becomes void one year after the city issues it. That's why we plan the pour once the permit is in hand instead of letting it sit, so let me know early if your plans or timing change.
Does a concrete contractor need a Lincoln business license?
Yes, the city requires a business license for any business working inside city limits, contractors included, even when the company is based somewhere else. It's renewed every January, and the city's fee table lists a $30.00 application and renewal fee, so it's a fair thing to ask any contractor about.
Can an unlicensed handyman pour a small concrete pad in Lincoln?
Only on a very small job, because California's limit for work without a license was raised from $500 to $1,000, and it only applies when the job needs no permit and the person has no one working for them. Past that, or with a permit or a helper involved, you want a contractor licensed by the state, and you can look up that license with the state board.
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Lincoln?
Your price comes from the size of the driveway, the tear-out and hauling of the old slab, the base it needs and the finish you choose, so I give you a written number after walking it. A driveway that carries a truck or RV needs a thicker slab and more steel, a long reach from the street can mean a pump, and stamped or colored work costs more than a broom finish. Call (916) 884-6595 and I'll come measure.
Call about your Lincoln concrete project
We take calls until 11 PM every day of the week, so you can reach us at (916) 884-6595 after work or send the form tonight.