Concrete Floor Installation in Berkeley CA - a smooth, flat floor you can build on
Old floor cracked, dusty or uneven? Our crew places and finishes a new concrete floor that's flat and ready for flooring once it dries.
What goes into a new concrete floor, and what sets the price?
Concrete floor installation in Berkeley means our crew forms, pours, places and finishes a new concrete slab right in your space, so you end up with a solid, flat floor for a basement, garage, shop or room that's ready for a coating or flooring once the slab has dried.
Most floor calls I get are for a basement, a garage or a room being added or finished, where there's bare ground or a tired old slab and you want something flat to build on. How it turns out depends on the mix and on the skill and timing of whoever places, joints and finishes it, so ask any contractor who'll actually be on your floor the day of the pour. I'll also tell you up front that even a well-built floor usually shows some cracks and a little curl, where the edges lift slightly, and nobody can honestly promise otherwise.
The price moves with the floor's size, how easy the space is to reach, whether an old floor has to come out first and what gets set in with the new one. The schedule turns on any permit, the day we can pour and how long the slab needs to dry before your flooring goes on, and your written estimate puts the figure for your own floor on paper. If your floor is in a garage, our garage floor concrete page goes into that job in more detail.
- Breaking out and hauling away an old cracked or uneven floor when the new one replaces it.
- Items set in with the floor, like vapor barriers, edge insulation, conduit, sleeves and drains.
- A plan for your coating or flooring, timed to go on after the slab dries.
What happens when you call us about a concrete floor in Berkeley?
Here's how a floor job runs with us, from your first call to the day I walk the finished slab with you. I'm the one who comes out, and I run the job while our crew does the work.
Call or send a request
Call (510) 345-1330 or send the form with a few details about the space. We'll set a time for me to come out and see it.
I measure and price it
I come out myself, measure the space and walk you through the choices, including what gets built in with the floor. You get a written estimate you can hold up against other bids, so you're not guessing about cost.
We prep, pour and finish
We take care of any permit steps and prep the ground, then our crew forms, pours and finishes with me running the job. Berkeley 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 start pour day early enough to finish inside those hours.
We walk the finished floor
When it's done, I walk the floor with you and explain how to care for it. We also go back over when your flooring can go on, since the slab has to dry first.
Photos of concrete slabs being poured and finished
These photos show the kind of slab work this job involves, from setting forms to pouring and finishing the surface. They're from the trade in general, not pictures of our own jobs.
Curved stamped concrete sidewalk runs beside a house, garage and landscaped garden beds.
Covered outdoor living area with gray concrete pavers, dining and lounge furniture, and built-in grills.
Stamped concrete patio with a circular fire pit, pergola, outdoor seating, and steps beside a house.
Large stone-finished concrete patio surrounds a blue swimming pool and spa behind a suburban home.
Stamped concrete patio with broad gray pavers and tiered steps beside a brick house.
Wide concrete landing and broad steps descend toward a sidewalk and street.
Get a written estimate for your new concrete floor
Send the floor's size, where it is in your house and the flooring you plan, and we'll reply within one business day to set up a visit. I come out myself, and the written estimate is free, with no obligation.
(510) 345-1330Common questions about new concrete floors in Berkeley
These are the questions people ask me most before a floor gets poured. If yours isn't here, call and I'll talk it through with you.
How much does a concrete floor cost in the Bay Area?
An installed concrete slab in the Bay Area usually costs about $9 to $18 per square foot. An open, easy-to-reach space tends toward the low end, while a basement that's hard to get concrete into, an old floor to break out or drains and conduit to set in push it up. I'll measure your floor and put your own figure in writing.
Do I need a permit for a concrete floor in Berkeley?
Plan on one, because Berkeley says to assume a permit is needed whenever your work isn't on its list of exempt work. We check which office covers your address before we price the floor, and the Permit Service Center can answer for your own project.
Will a new concrete floor crack?
Probably a little, because even a well-designed, properly built floor can't realistically be expected to stay completely free of cracks and curl. What we control is the timing of the finishing and the joints, so cracks have a planned place to go instead of running wherever they like.
Why do I have to wait before putting flooring over new concrete?
A coating or floor covering should go on only after the moisture inside the slab has dropped to acceptable levels. Laid too soon, it can trap that moisture and lead to discoloration, cupping, buckling, blistering, failed adhesive or mold, so it's best booked as a later step.
How long does a new concrete floor take to dry before flooring goes on?
Think in months rather than days, because after concrete hardens much of its water stays inside and leaves slowly over the following months. That's why I bring up your flooring date at the estimate instead of after the pour.
How do I know if a concrete floor contractor needs a license in California?
California requires a license from the Contractors State License Board when the project needs a building permit or uses employees, and when labor and materials together come to $1,000 or more. The state's C-8 concrete class covers flat concrete work like floors, and we're licensed and fully insured.
Concrete floor installation in Berkeley and nearby cities
Berkeley requires a building permit for all construction and most repairs unless the work is specifically exempt, so ask the city's Permit Service Center about your floor, and we'll handle the application and inspections when one applies. We do the same floor work in Oakland and Albany, often in older homes getting a basement or garage finished.