Concrete Contractor in Martinez, CA - Driveways and Slabs Built for Hillside Lots
First Choice Napa Concrete is a concrete contractor based in Napa, CA, and we pour driveways, patios, steps, retaining walls, footings and foundations for homeowners and small property owners in Martinez.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free quotes on site.
- We reply within 1 business day.
Martinez homes, from old downtown streets to hillsides
Martinez is an older city than most we work in, and you see it in the concrete. Close to downtown there are older homes with narrow driveways, front steps and sidewalks that have been patched more than once. Farther out, the streets climb into hillside neighborhoods and newer subdivisions where the garage often sits above or below the street. We're based in Napa and come down for the same calls we take in Pleasant Hill next door: a driveway that's cracked and sinking, a patio that holds water, a walk that's gone uneven.
The slope changes the job more than anything else here. On a sloped lot I plan where the water goes before we plan the forms, and a steep driveway or a long run of steps usually means more digging, more forming and sometimes a short retaining wall to hold the ground beside it.
Concrete services for Martinez homes and lots
- Concrete driveway building
When an older driveway here has cracked, sunk at the garage or tipped toward the house, we tear it out, rebuild the base and pour it new.
- Concrete patio construction
A backyard patio on a sloped Martinez lot has to shed water away from the house, so we set the slope before anything is poured.
- Stamped concrete services
Stamped concrete gives a patio or front walk the look of stone or brick, which suits many older homes here, on the same packed base as plain concrete.
- Concrete sidewalk building
Older sidewalks and front walks here often lift and crack at the joints, so we cut out the bad sections and pour new ones that sit flush.
- Garage floor concrete
A cracked or uneven garage floor in an older Martinez house can be broken out and repoured, with the slab sloped toward the door so water runs out.
- Decorative concrete
Colored and textured finishes let a new walk, patio or entry match an older house, and we talk through how each finish wears before you choose.
- Concrete retaining walls
On hillside lots, a concrete retaining wall holds back the slope beside a driveway, patio or yard, with a footing under it and drainage planned behind it.
- Concrete floor installation
Interior slabs for additions, workshops and backyard outbuildings sit on ground we dig out and pack first, so the floor isn't resting on loose fill.
- Concrete pool decks
A pool deck in a Martinez backyard has to drain away from the water and the house and give bare feet some grip, so we plan slope and texture together.
- Concrete steps construction
Hillside homes here often have long runs of front steps, and when they crack or pull away from the porch we form and pour new ones.
- Slab foundation building
A slab foundation for a new garage, addition or backyard unit starts with a dug-out, packed base and the steel set where the plans call for it.
- Foundation installation
When a Martinez project needs a full foundation, we pour it to the approved plans and time the pour around any required inspection.
- Concrete parking lot building
Small property owners with a lot behind a shop or rental building can get a concrete lot with the base and drainage built for daily traffic.
- Concrete footings
Footings carry the weight of a deck, wall, fence or addition down to solid ground, which matters on a slope, and we dig them to the depth the plans set.
- Foundation raising
When part of an older house has settled and doors stick or floors slope, we look at what's under it and explain the options before any work.
- Concrete cutting
We saw-cut old slabs for clean tear-outs, new openings or a section of driveway that needs replacing, so the concrete you keep isn't broken along with it.
Get a free on-site estimate for your Martinez concrete job
Send the form or call, and we reply within one business day to set a time. I come out, look at the site and give you a free estimate that spells out what's included, with no obligation.
Call (707) 254-6028Working in Martinez: permits, licenses and what moves the price
Building permits in Martinez come from the city's Building Department, which issues them to homeowners and licensed contractors for work inside city limits, and whether your job needs one is the city's call, not ours. The city also has separate encroachment and grading permits. When a job needs a permit or an inspection, we talk with the office early, tell you who books each step and plan the pour around the sign-off. Before you hire anyone, check their license with the state licensing board and ask whether they hold the business license the city requires of contractors. We're licensed and insured. The price mostly moves with the size of the slab, how much tear-out and base work it needs and how easy the site is to reach, and your estimate spells out what's in it.
Getting concrete to the forms is part of every estimate here. Older streets near downtown are narrow and parking is tight, and some hillside driveways are too steep or too long for a truck to reach, so on those jobs we pump the concrete or wheel it in, which adds labor. We see the same mix of older houses and sloped lots in Benicia across the strait and in Hercules to the west, and we work those jobs the same way.
Why Martinez driveways and steps wear out
Many driveways, walks and steps here were poured decades ago, and a lot of them went in on a base that was raked level instead of dug out and packed. That dirt settles over the years, the slab follows it down, and you get the cracks, sunken corners and pooling water people call us about. Patching rarely holds on a failed base, so when the base is the problem I tell you that and price the tear-out. If the budget is tight, I'd rather you spend it on the base than on a fancy finish, because nobody sees the base on day one, but it's what the slab sits on for its whole life and you can't fix it later without tearing everything out.
Sloped lots add a second problem, which is water. When a driveway or patio falls toward the house, runoff heads for the foundation, so we check where the water goes on every job and set the slope away from the house before we pour.
What to expect when you hire us for concrete in Martinez
Here's how a Martinez job runs from your first call to the final walk-through, and when you'll want to be home.
Call or send a request
Call (707) 254-6028 or use the form, and we'll set a time for me to come see the site. You don't need measurements or a design ready.
I look at the site
I walk the job with you, ask what you need and check the slope, the drainage, the access and the old concrete. The estimate I give you says what's included and what isn't, so you know what you're paying for before you decide.
We line up permits and pour
Once you say yes, we line up any permits and inspections and plan the pour around the city's sign-off, so that review is often what sets the start date. Our crew digs out and packs the base, forms, pours and finishes with me on the job, and we cut control joints, the grooves that give the slab a planned place to crack.
Walk the finished job together
When the work is done, I walk it with you and explain curing, the wait while the concrete hardens before it can take weight. You'll know when it's safe to walk on, when you can drive on it and how to care for it.
Questions about concrete work in Martinez
How do I apply for a building permit for concrete work in Martinez, CA?
New building permit applications in Martinez go through the city's online portal, and a paper application needs an exception from the Chief Building Official. The city's Permit Center is where you start, and it lists the building permit application and fee schedule. When your job needs a permit, we tell you who files it and who books each inspection.
When does a concrete contractor need a California license?
A contractor needs a California license when the job needs a building permit, uses employees or totals $1,000 or more in labor and materials together. The exemption under that amount only covers work with no permit and no employees, and a bigger job can't be split into smaller contracts to get under it. You can look up any contractor with the Contractors State License Board before you sign.
What building code does concrete work in Martinez have to meet?
Permitted construction in Martinez has to meet the current California building codes, the set that took effect January 1, 2026. That's the standard a permitted slab, footing or wall is held to. We build permitted work to the plans the city approves.
How do I get rid of old concrete from a project in Martinez?
On projects the city's rules cover, Martinez requires construction and demolition debris to be tracked through its online Green Halo system. After the work ends, the applicant has to send proof that the debris was kept out of the landfill as required, and missing the deadline costs the whole security deposit the city holds for it. When we're breaking out an old driveway or patio, we work out early whether your job is covered and who files the proof.
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Martinez?
A Martinez driveway's cost comes down to its size, whether the old slab has to be broken out and hauled off, how much digging and base work it needs and how hard it is to get concrete to it. A steep or long hillside driveway usually costs more than a flat one, and a decorative finish costs more than a plain broom finish, the light brushed texture that gives tires and shoes some grip. The estimate I write on site lists what's included, so you can compare it fairly.
Does Martinez have a rebate for sidewalk repair?
Martinez lists a Sidewalk Repair Rebate Application among its permit center forms, so ask the city about it before you pay for sidewalk work in front of your house. The city decides how it works and who qualifies. If you go ahead, we cut out the broken sections and pour new ones flush with the walk on either side.
Napa, CA
Plan your Martinez concrete job with us
If you call (707) 254-6028 or send the form before you apply for a permit or pick a finish, we can plan the base, the drainage and the paperwork together.