Concrete floor installation in Bothell WA - a level floor with time to finish and cure
Worried a new basement or shop floor will crack or sit uneven? We prep the ground and pace each step so it comes out flat and sound.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- We reply within 1 business day.
What does it take to put in a concrete floor in Bothell?
Concrete floor installation in Bothell means building a slab over a level, well-packed subgrade, the ground the slab sits on, then finishing it, cutting its joints and curing it so it becomes a floor that stands up to everyday wear.
Most people call us when they're finishing a basement, turning a garage into a shop or adding a room, or when an old floor has cracked and sunk past patching. The price mostly follows the floor's size, how much digging and base work the ground needs, how easily we can get concrete into the space and what goes under the slab. The schedule turns on any permit and inspection, the weather and the time each step after the pour needs. If yours is a garage, our page on garage floor concrete goes into that work, and either way the written estimate I give you after seeing the space spells out what's included and what isn't.
How do you know it's time for a new concrete floor?
Cracks that keep opening
A crack that gets wider over the months, or one side that now sits higher than the other, usually means the ground under the slab has settled. Waiting lets water work into it and makes the floor harder to use or cover with anything new.
Damp patches or musty smell
Dark patches that come and go, or flooring that lifts and bubbles on top of the concrete, usually point to moisture coming up through the slab. Laying new flooring over it without fixing what's underneath tends to waste the new flooring.
Dusty, chipping surface
When the top flakes or leaves gray dust on your shoes, the slab was often finished or cured in a hurry, sometimes in the heat of the day. A weak top keeps wearing down, and patching it rarely fixes the cause.
Our concrete floor installation, step by step
Before we start, I go over with you what goes under the slab, the barrier against ground moisture and any steel, pipe or insulation, so nothing about it is a surprise later. Our crew then takes up the old floor or digs out the space and packs the subgrade solid, because a base that's only raked level settles with the dirt and takes the floor down with it. We set the rebar, the steel bars inside the slab that hold it together if it cracks, and then we pour. From there I set the schedule so finishing, cutting the control joints, shallow cuts that give the slab a chosen place to crack, and curing, the wait while the concrete hardens and gains strength, each get the time they need instead of being squeezed into one afternoon. If the budget is tight, I'd ask you to save somewhere other than the base, because it's hidden on the first day and it's the part the whole floor rests on.
A new floor often leads to work just outside it. When a garage or basement floor sits below a door, we can build concrete steps down to the yard, and if the room opens onto a pool, we build concrete pool decks on the same kind of packed base.
Basement floors
This suits a basement you're finishing or one with an old, damp floor, because what goes under the slab matters most when it sits below ground. We plan the moisture barrier and any pipes before a single load arrives.
Garage and shop floors
This suits a garage that carries a car or a shop full of heavy tools, because that slab takes daily wear and needs a firm base. We set the rebar and plan the joints with that load in mind.
Replacing an old floor
This suits a floor that's cracked, sunk or crumbling past patching, because a new slab lets us fix the ground underneath instead of covering the problem. We take up the old concrete and haul it away before we build the new base.
Request a written estimate for your concrete floor
We reply within one business day to set up a visit. I come out, look at the space and give you a free written estimate that spells out what's included, with no pressure to book.
- Based in
- Bothell, WA 98011
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 8 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 7 AM–11 PM
What happens when you call about a concrete floor in Bothell?
Here's how a floor job runs from your first call to the last walk-through, so you know what each visit is for.
Call or send the form
Reach us at (425) 384-1147 or through the form, and we'll set up a time for me to see the space.
Walk the space with me
I come out, look at the site and ask what the floor needs to carry, whether that's a car, a workbench or a finished room. You get a written estimate that spells out what's included and what isn't, so you know exactly what you'd be paying for.
Settle permits, then pick a date
We sort out any permit questions first. Then we choose a start date that leaves room for any inspection and for the forecast.
Build and walk the floor
Our crew preps the ground, pours, finishes and cures the slab on the schedule we agreed. When it's done, we walk the finished floor with you.
Why Bothell homeowners call C&S Bothell Concrete Contractors for floors
Running this business since 2017
I started this business in 2017 after learning concrete on flatwork and foundation crews in this area. That background is why I spend as much care on the ground under a floor as on the pour itself.
I quote it and lead it
I come out to look at your floor and write the estimate myself, and our own crew does the work with me leading it on site. You deal with the same person from the first visit to the final walk-through.
Licensed and insured, easy to check
We're licensed and insured, and Washington requires every construction contractor to register with L&I, the state's Department of Labor and Industries. You can confirm any contractor's active registration and workers' comp account with L&I's Verify tool before you sign.
On a concrete floor, the work that matters most is the planning and ground prep nobody sees once it's poured, so please get in touch with us and I'll start there with you.
Concrete floors and the work around them in Bothell
Bothell's building official issues permits to build, alter or repair a building or structure, and the city's list of work that's exempt names driveways, sidewalks and tiling but not concrete floors, so that list doesn't settle whether your floor needs one. I look at the permit side when I come out for the estimate, and when one is needed we can prepare and file it with the city and plan the start date around it. The city's code calls for a slab inspection once the steel, any electrical conduit, slab insulation and piping are in place and before any concrete goes in, so the pour date follows the inspector's visit. Bothell takes permit applications online through MyBuildingPermit.com, which also schedules inspections and shows a permit's status, and you'll find it from the city's permit applications page.
Rain is the other thing that shapes a floor here, because in western Washington it can damage fresh concrete, and pros cover the slab while it cures. That matters even indoors when a floor goes in before the roof and walls are closed up or through an open garage door, so please ask us how we'll cover yours. We see the same wet stretches on jobs in Kirkland and Woodinville, where many floor calls are for garages and basements in older houses.
Questions about concrete floors in Bothell
Will my new concrete floor crack?
Probably a little, because industry guidance says that even with the best floor design and proper construction, a floor that's completely free of cracks and curl, where the edges lift slightly as the slab dries, isn't realistic. Good work keeps cracks small and in the places the control joints set for them. I'd rather tell you that now than have a hairline crack surprise you later.
What goes under a concrete slab to keep out moisture?
Not plain plastic sheeting, because industry guidance says conventional polyethylene, though it was used in the past, shouldn't be considered for moisture protection under a slab. It's fair to ask any crew which material they plan to lay before the pour, and we'll name ours when we go over the job with you.
Can concrete go down in cold or rainy weather in Bothell?
Yes, with care. Industry guidance treats it as cold-weather concreting when the air falls to, or is expected to fall below, 40°F while the fresh concrete is being protected, and that calls for steps to keep it from harm. Rain needs covers, as noted above, and we'll tell you ahead of time if the forecast means moving your pour.
How much does a concrete garage floor cost near Bothell?
A garage floor slab in the Puget Sound area usually costs about $8 to $14 per square foot. That's the usual market price for that kind of slab, not a quote from us. Where your floor falls depends on what I find at the site, and your written estimate shows what's included and what isn't.
What causes problems with a new concrete floor?
Most often it's timing, because industry guidance calls the timing of finishing, jointing and curing critical, and getting it wrong can lead to cracks, a surface that wears quickly, high and low spots and water that won't drain. A loose base is the other usual cause, which is why the prep comes first on our jobs.
How do I get ready for a concrete floor installation?
Clear your belongings out of the space early, because an empty area lets the crew start on time. The ground itself is ours to prepare, and one barrier maker's guide says large rocks, debris and sharp objects should come out of it so they can't puncture the film laid under the slab.
Related concrete work for your new floor
Concrete pool decks
If your new floor opens onto a pool, a deck built on the same careful base gives you an even surface around the water.
Concrete steps construction
When a garage or basement floor sits below a door, solid concrete steps give you a steady way in and out, built on ground we prepare first.
Service areas around Bothell and nearby cities
C&S Bothell Concrete Contractors is based in Bothell, WA, and works across the cities around it, including Kirkland and Shoreline. Each of the 12 areas below has its own page, and if you're not sure we come out your way, just ask.
Plan your new concrete floor with us
Call (425) 384-1147 or send the form with the floor's size, its spot in your house and when you'd like it done, so the first visit can cover more.