Concrete contractor in Lake Forest Park, WA - slabs built for sloped, wooded lots
C&S Bothell Concrete Contractors builds and replaces concrete in Lake Forest Park, WA, from driveways, patios and steps to slabs, footings and retaining walls, with the ground prep done before any concrete goes in.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- We reply within 1 business day.
Lake Forest Park homes on wooded, hillside lots
Lake Forest Park is mostly homes along winding streets at the north end of Lake Washington, between Shoreline and Kenmore, with Lyon Creek running down to the lake. Many of the houses we visit have been there for decades, with tall trees, sloped yards and the original driveways, walks and steps still in place, now cracked, pushed up by roots or sunk at one end.
That ground shapes most jobs here, because a slope sends water across a slab, roots lift anything poured over them, and an old base that was never packed keeps settling under new concrete unless it's dug out.
Concrete services for Lake Forest Park homes
Concrete driveway building
Many driveways here climb a slope on a thin base, so we dig out, rebuild the base and pitch the new slab to shed water away from the garage.
Concrete patio construction
A back patio on a wooded lot has to work around roots and grade, so we settle the base and the slab's fall before we set any forms.
Stamped concrete services
Stamped concrete presses a stone or brick pattern and color into the slab, which suits garden settings and older homes that want a patio with some character.
Concrete sidewalk building
Walks heaved by roots or broken at the seams are common here, so we rebuild them on packed base with control joints, cuts that steer where cracks form.
Garage floor concrete
Garage floors in older houses are often cracked, stained or sunk at one corner, and a new slab gives you a flat, sound floor that's easy to sweep.
Decorative concrete
Color, exposed aggregate or a scored pattern can dress up a front entry or garden path so new concrete fits a house that's stood for decades.
Concrete retaining walls
Sloped yards often need a retaining wall to hold soil back for a flat patio or parking spot, with drainage behind it so water can't build pressure.
Concrete floor installation
For basements, shops and additions, we pour interior floors on a prepared subgrade, the packed ground the slab rests on, so the floor stays flat.
Concrete pool decks
A pool deck has to drain away from the pool and give bare feet some grip, so we plan its slope and surface texture together from the start.
Concrete steps construction
Plenty of front doors here sit above a sloped yard, and solid concrete steps with even risers replace tired wood or crumbling old concrete.
Slab foundation building
For a garage, shop or addition on a level pad, we build a slab foundation with rebar, steel bars that hold the concrete together, on packed base.
Foundation installation
When an addition or new structure goes in, we form and pour the foundation walls after the footings, planning around the slope and any permit.
Concrete parking lot building
Small property owners get parking areas laid out to drain and to take cars turning, on a base built for more weight than a home driveway.
Concrete footings
Additions and walls on sloped ground need footings, the concrete pads that spread the load, dug down to firm soil rather than set on loose fill.
Foundation raising
When part of a slab or foundation has settled, raising it can bring it back toward level, and we look for why it sank before we lift anything.
Concrete cutting
We cut openings, trenches and clean edges in existing concrete, for a new drain line, a wider driveway or a cracked section that has to come out.
Your free written estimate for concrete work in Lake Forest Park
We reply within one business day to set up a visit, and I come out myself to look at the site. The written estimate is free, spells out what's included, and there's no pressure to book.
- Based in
- Bothell, WA 98011
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 8 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 7 AM–11 PM
Working in Lake Forest Park: permits, licenses and planning
In Lake Forest Park, construction permits come from the city's Community Development Department, which covers work to build, enlarge, alter, repair, move or tear down a building or structure, and whether your driveway or patio falls under that is the city's call. I look at the permit side when I come out for the estimate, and when one is needed we prepare and file it and plan the start date around the city's review. Before you hire anyone here, you can check that they're registered with the state through Labor & Industries, as Washington requires of every construction contractor, and that they hold a Lake Forest Park business license, which the city requires of any business working within its limits on top of a state business license. We're licensed and insured.
We're a concrete contractor based in Bothell, WA, and we come over to Lake Forest Park the same way we do for jobs in Kirkland. What moves the price here is mostly the ground: how much old concrete and soil has to come out, how much base the spot needs and where the water has to go, along with the finish you choose. The schedule turns on whether a permit is needed, then on our crew's calendar, and your written estimate gives you the figure for your own job with what's included and what isn't.
Why driveways and walks here wear out
Most of the concrete we replace here was poured long ago on a thin, loosely raked base, and as that dirt settled, the slab cracked, tipped or dropped at the garage. We dig the old base out and rebuild it with packed crushed rock, because that hidden layer decides how the new slab holds up far more than the surface finish does, and it's the one place I'd ask you not to cut the budget.
Big trees and sloped yards are the other half of it, since roots lift walks and water running downhill finds its way under a slab or back toward the house. We plan where the water goes, set the new slab to fall away from the house, and talk through the options with you wherever roots are in the way.
How a concrete job in Lake Forest Park runs
Here's how a job goes from your first call to the final walk, with me on site from the estimate through the end of the work.
Call or send the form
Call (425) 384-1147 or send the form, and we'll set a time for me to come out to your property. It helps if you can be there, because I'll want to hear what the space needs to do.
Walk the site with me
I look at the ground, the slope, the trees and any old concrete, and ask how you plan to use the space. You get a written estimate that spells out what's included and what isn't, so you know exactly what you're paying for.
Settle permits and a date
If the job needs a permit, we prepare and file it with the city, which lists a typical review time of 8 weeks for all building permits, whatever their size or scope. We set your start date around that review, or around our crew's calendar when no permit is needed.
Build it, then walk it together
Our own crew does the work and I lead it on site, from digging out the base to cutting the joints. When it's done, we walk the job with you and go over curing, the wait while the concrete gains strength, before you put feet or a car on it.
Questions about concrete work in Lake Forest Park
How do I apply for a building permit in Lake Forest Park?
You apply online through the city's Permit Portal, sending the application, checklists and plans together. Inspections start only after the permit is issued, and a payment receipt isn't a permit, so work shouldn't begin on a receipt alone. When your job needs one, we prepare and file it for you.
How does a tree permit affect a concrete project in Lake Forest Park?
When tree work needs a city tree permit, it adds a fee and a waiting period before work can start. The application fee is $120.00, plus 3% if you pay by card, and a major removal also needs an arborist report and review by the city's Urban Forest Planner, billed at $95 an hour. The city posts a notice of application for at least 2 business days on a minor permit or 14 days on a major one before issuing it, so I point out any trees in the way when I come out.
Do concrete contractors need to be bonded in Washington?
Yes, state law requires every construction contractor to register with L&I and to be bonded and insured. The bond is $15,000 for a specialty contractor and $30,000 for a general contractor. A registered contractor has to show the registration number in ads and bids, and on a residential job of $1,000 or more they give you the state's disclosure notice to customers.
How much does a new concrete patio cost in Lake Forest Park?
A patio's price comes down mostly to its size, how much old concrete or soil has to come out, and the base and drainage the spot needs, with the finish after that. A plain broom finish, a light texture brushed in for grip, costs less than stamped or colored concrete, while a slope, roots or a tight path for the truck add work. If the job needs a permit, the city's fees are their own line, and the base is still the last place I'd trim, for the reason above.
What causes a concrete driveway to crack and sink?
Most cracked, sinking driveways sat on a base that was raked level instead of dug out and packed, so the slab settled as the dirt underneath did. Water running under the slab, joints cut late or skipped, and a pour in midday heat that leaves a weak, dusty top all add to it. We pack the subgrade, check where the water goes and cut control joints on time, and while new concrete can still crack, the cracks usually run along the joints we planned.
What drainage standard does Lake Forest Park use for new concrete work?
The city uses the King County Surface Water Design Manual as its stormwater and drainage standard, so that's the yardstick when drainage comes up in a permit review. If your lot borders a creek, wetland or the lakeshore, the city's application list also includes a Critical Area Work Permit and shoreline applications, which are worth asking about before a large slab. On every job, I check where the water runs today and plan the new slab to fall away from the house.
Start your Lake Forest Park concrete project
Call (425) 384-1147 or send the form before you've picked a finish, so we can plan the base, the drainage and any permit first and your estimate covers the whole job.