Concrete cutting in Berkeley CA - clean openings right where you need them
Need a doorway, trench or pipe hole through concrete? We scan first, plan the opening with you and cut it clean.
Can you cut an opening in concrete without breaking the whole thing out?
Concrete cutting in Berkeley means sawing or core drilling straight cuts, clean openings or round holes in a slab or wall, so you get your new doorway, trench or pipe hole without tearing out more concrete than the job needs.
Most calls start with a plan someone else made. A plumber needs a hole through the garage slab, you want a door into the basement, or a cracked section of patio has to come out cleanly before new concrete goes in. Around Berkeley we see plenty of older houses where nobody has drawings of what's inside the floors and walls, and that's a big part of why we look before we cut.
The price moves with how long and how deep the cut runs, whether it's a floor, a wall or a round hole, and how easy it is to get a saw to the spot. The schedule turns on the scan, on an engineer's okay if the cut crosses steel, and on any permit, and your written estimate lays all of that out for your job. We're licensed and fully insured, and in California the state licensing board treats concrete sawing, breaking and coring as a specialty class of its own.
- Openings for doors and windows in concrete walls, sized to the frame going in.
- Trenches and cutouts in garage floors, basements and patios for new lines or patches.
- Round holes through slabs and walls for plumbing, electrical and other runs.
What happens after you call us about concrete cutting?
I handle the first visit myself, and our crew does the cutting with me running the job. Here's how it goes from your first call to the walkthrough once the opening is done.
Call or send a request
Call (510) 345-1330 or use the form, and tell us where the cut goes and what it's for. We'll set a time for me to come see it.
I measure and price it
I come out myself, look at the slab or wall, measure the opening and walk you through the choices. You get a written estimate that lays out the method, the scan and any approval or permit step, so you know what drives the cost and can compare it with other bids.
We scan, then we cut
Once you say yes, we take care of any permit steps, have the concrete scanned and make the cut. The city allows construction noise from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekends and holidays, so we schedule the saw inside those hours.
We walk the finished work
When the opening is done, I walk it with you and check it against what we planned. I'll explain how to look after the new edges and what to watch for once the next trade moves in.
A look at concrete work, from cutting to finished slabs
These photos show the kind of concrete work our trade does, from sawing and coring to forming and finishing. They're here to show what the work looks like, not as a record of particular jobs.
Two-story stone-and-siding house with a white-railed porch and short concrete steps leading to the walkway.
Curved stamped concrete sidewalk runs beside a house, garage and landscaped garden beds.
Stamped concrete patio with a circular fire pit, pergola, outdoor seating, and steps beside a house.
Curved brown stamped concrete patio with a block pattern beside a house and lawn.
Concrete steps built into a block retaining wall, edged by a lush garden of shrubs and flowering plants.
Light-colored concrete pool deck beneath a white pergola, with patio furniture beside a blue swimming pool.
Get a written estimate for your concrete cut
Tell us where the cut goes, what opening you need and whether you have drawings, and we'll reply within one business day. I'll come out myself, and the written estimate is free, with no pressure to book.
(510) 345-1330Questions Berkeley homeowners ask about cutting concrete
These are the questions I hear most when someone needs a hole, a trench or a new opening in concrete. If yours isn't here, call and ask me directly.
How do I choose between slab sawing and wall sawing for my project?
Slab sawing is for straight lines in floors, like trenches and floor openings, and wall sawing is for door and window openings in vertical concrete. The shape and spot of the cut decide the method, so when you ask for a quote, describe the opening you need and where it goes.
How much does concrete cutting cost per linear foot in Berkeley?
Across the US, concrete cutting by a professional contractor usually runs about $3 to $10 per linear foot. That's a national figure, not our price, and where your job lands depends on how thick the concrete is, whether it's a floor or a wall and whether steel or a tight spot slows the saw. The written estimate after my visit gives you the figure for your own cut.
What is the best way to avoid hitting rebar or pipes when cutting concrete?
Scan the concrete first, because a scan before drilling or coring is the usual way to lower the risk of hitting rebar, post-tensioning tendons, which are tightened steel cables in some slabs, and services buried inside. A scan also looks for ducts and other embedded lines, so it's worth asking what it found before any cutting starts.
Can you cut through rebar in a concrete slab or wall?
Only with the okay of the structural engineer or designer responsible for the building, since steel inside concrete should normally be cut on their approval. A scan shows where the steel sits but doesn't give permission to remove it, so an opening that crosses it adds that approval step before work starts. The license class for sawing and coring doesn't include installing reinforcing steel, so any new steel around the opening is separate work.
How do I cut a round hole in concrete for a pipe or wire?
Core drilling is the usual way, because it makes a clean round hole for plumbing, mechanical and electrical runs with very little damage around the edge. Like any other cut, it starts with a scan.
Can concrete cutting remove part of a slab or fix the joints in my floor?
Yes, slab sawing also handles controlled removal of part of a slab, plus joint and correction work in floors. Control joints are the grooves cut into a slab so that when it cracks, as most concrete does, it cracks along a line someone chose.
Concrete cutting in Berkeley and the cities around it
Berkeley's Permit Service Center issues permits, and since concrete cutting isn't on the city's list of exempt work, the city says to assume you need one. We check which office covers your address before pricing, then handle the application and inspections with you when a permit applies.