Concrete contractor in Port Angeles, WA - slabs built for slow-draining ground
Groundbreak Port Angeles Concrete is a concrete contractor based in Port Angeles, WA. We pour driveways, patios, steps, garage floors and foundations here, and we work out the base and drainage before the truck shows up.
How Port Angeles shows up on our jobs
Port Angeles climbs from the harbor and downtown up into hillside neighborhoods. On our jobs here we pour for older houses close in, newer homes farther out and small businesses that need parking and walks. A lot of what we're called about is a driveway that's cracked, sunk at one corner or holding a puddle by the garage, or a patio that tips toward the back door.
We're based here, and we do the same work over in Sequim and the cities around it. On the older lots we're usually breaking out an old slab first, and what we find under it tells us how much base the new one needs.
Services in Port Angeles, WA
Concrete driveway building
Many driveways here slope toward the garage and pool water there. Our concrete driveway building starts with a packed base and a slab pitched away from the house.
Concrete patio construction
Backyard patios here often sit on soft fill and sink at one edge. We dig to firm ground, pack the base and slope it so water runs off.
Concrete steps construction
Hillside lots here mean steps that climb to the door, and older ones crack and tip. We rebuild them with every step the same height, on a packed base.
Concrete retaining walls
Sloped yards here push wet soil against whatever holds them back. We put drainage behind our retaining walls so water drains away instead of pushing on them.
Concrete sidewalk building
Front walks on older streets here heave and settle into trip edges. We tear out the bad sections, rebuild the base and repour them flush with what stays.
Garage floor concrete
Older garages here often have cracked, dusty floors that puddle under the car. We repour them pitched toward the door, with joints cut where cracks should go.
Permits, licenses and price in Port Angeles
Whether your job needs a permit is the city's call, and the city's Building Division is the office that issues them. Its rules are written around structures like sheds, fences, decks and retaining walls and don't name driveways or patios. So I look early at whether your work reaches city land or needs a permit. When it does, we handle the paperwork with the city or help you get your questions to its permit staff, because that answer can move the start date. Before you hire anyone here, check two things. They should be registered with the state Department of Labor & Industries, which requires every construction contractor to be bonded and insured. They should also hold the city business license, which now shows as an endorsement on the Washington State Business License. We're licensed and insured.
What moves the price here is mostly what's under and around the slab. That means how much soft ground we dig out and replace with packed gravel, how steep the lot is, and whether an old slab has to be broken out and hauled away. Size, thickness and finish come after that. The schedule turns on the permit question, the tear-out and the curing time before you can use the slab, and my estimate spells out what's in it and what isn't so you can see where the money goes.
What Port Angeles ground and lots do to concrete
Poor-draining soil is very common in Port Angeles, and it's what we find when we dig. Water that can't soak away sits in the subgrade, which is the ground the slab rests on, and softens it. A slab poured over raked dirt then sinks and cracks along with it. We dig out the soft ground, pack a gravel base and pitch the slab so water runs away from the house instead of toward it.
Slope is the other thing we meet a lot. When a lot falls toward the garage or the street, I work out where the water will run and how the forms need to sit before the truck shows up, and honestly those are some of my favorite jobs to figure out.
Get a free on-site concrete estimate in Port Angeles
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day to set a time. I'll come out to your Port Angeles property myself, ask what you've got planned for the space and write up a free estimate that spells out what's in it and what isn't. There's no pressure to book.
How a concrete job goes when you call us in Port Angeles
Call or send us a note
Call (564) 203-7120 or use the form and tell us what's going on, like the cracks, the sinking or where the water pools. A couple of photos help me get a head start.
I come out and estimate
I come out myself, look at the ground and ask what you've got planned for the space, since a slab for a car and a slab for a hot tub aren't the same job. You get a written estimate that spells out what's in it and what isn't.
We handle what the city needs
If the work needs a permit, we handle the paperwork with the city or help you get your questions to its permit staff. The review runs on the city's timeline, so we pick the pour date once that's settled.
We prep the ground and pour
Our crew digs out the soft ground, packs the base, sets the forms and pours, and I'm on site with them. We cut control joints, which are shallow grooves that give the slab a planned place to crack, and usually finish with a broom finish, a light texture that gives grip when it's wet.
Walk the job and let it cure
We walk the finished job with you and go over curing, the wait while new concrete gains strength before it takes weight. That's usually a day or two before you walk on it and about a week before you drive on it.
Port Angeles concrete questions we hear
Do I need a permit for a concrete driveway or patio in Port Angeles?
The city's permit rules don't name driveways or patios, so call the Building Division at 360-417-4817 before work starts. Its permit FAQ calls for a building permit on any structure 120 square feet or larger and on most new structures and significant alterations, so a big patio is worth asking about. Applications go by email to permits@cityofpa.us, and permitted work has to meet the Washington State Building Codes the city has adopted.
Does a concrete retaining wall need a permit in Port Angeles?
A retaining wall under 4 feet high is exempt from a building permit under the city's FAQ. The limit drops to 2 feet when the wall holds back extra weight above it, like a driveway or a slope, which builders call a surcharge. A taller wall isn't on the exempt list, so we'd plan on a permit, and even an exempt wall still has to meet setbacks, the required distances from your property lines.
How do I find out if my lot near the shoreline or on a steep slope in Port Angeles has extra rules?
Ask the city's environmental staff, who look after shorelines, wetlands, streams and steep slopes and guide applicants through environmental permits. The city also has new FEMA flood maps and updated its flood rules to match. If you're near the water, it's worth checking before we plan a slab.
How much does a concrete driveway cost in Port Angeles?
A driveway's price comes down to its size and how much work your ground needs, and I'll put a written number on yours after I've walked it. Plain concrete with a broom finish is the least costly way to go. Stamped or colored concrete raises the price, and so does a long, steep drive. If you need to trim the budget, cut the finish before the base, because the base is buried on day one and it's the part you can't fix later.
What causes concrete driveways to crack and sink in Port Angeles?
Most of the time it's the ground underneath. A slab poured on soft, wet dirt that was raked level instead of dug out and packed settles as that dirt does. Cracks in odd places usually mean the control joints were cut late or skipped. No slab is crack-proof, but a patio or walk is usually about 4 inches thick and a driveway usually gets more, often with rebar, which is steel set inside that keeps cracks tight so the pieces don't drift apart.
How do I check that a concrete contractor is bonded and insured in Washington?
Look the contractor up with L&I, because the state requires every construction contractor to register there with a bond and insurance. To register, a general contractor buys a $30,000 surety bond and a specialty contractor buys a $15,000 one. Both carry general liability insurance of $200,000 public liability and $50,000 property damage, or a $250,000 combined single limit. A specialty contractor can only work in the specialty they're registered for, so make sure that matches your job.
Nearby areas
Plan your Port Angeles concrete job with us
Call (564) 203-7120 any day of the week, mornings or evenings, or use the form to get the ground looked at before you pick a finish.