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Serving Corte Madera, CA and surrounding areas. (628) 212-4120
Your backyard is going to waste because there is nowhere comfortable to sit, eat, or gather. We build concrete patios that drain properly, hold up through Marin winters, and look good for decades.
Concrete patio construction in Corte Madera means excavating the area, building a compacted gravel base, and pouring a reinforced slab that slopes away from your home - most residential projects take one to two days of active work, and you can walk on the finished surface after three to five days.
Many homeowners in Corte Madera reach out because an existing patio is cracking, pooling water against the foundation, or simply too old and worn to be enjoyable anymore. The clay-heavy soils throughout Marin County are the main culprit behind most of these problems - a slab that was not built with a proper base moves with the soil, and once it starts cracking and settling it does not improve on its own. If you are also considering adding a water feature nearby, our concrete pool decks service covers those surfaces as well.
We start every job with a free on-site visit. We measure the space, discuss finish options with you, and provide a written quote that includes demolition of any existing surface, permit fees, and final cleanup - so the number you agree to is the number on the invoice.
Small hairline cracks in any concrete surface are normal, but cracks wide enough to catch a coin, cracks running diagonally across the slab, or sections where one edge sits higher than the other signal structural movement beneath. In Corte Madera, this pattern typically traces back to clay soil expanding and contracting through wet and dry seasons - and it worsens every year if left alone.
Standing water on or near your patio after a rainstorm means the surface has settled unevenly or was never sloped correctly. This is more than a nuisance - water sitting against your foundation during Corte Madera's long rainy season can cause serious moisture problems inside the home. A new patio poured with the right drainage slope solves this permanently.
Spalling is when the top layer of concrete chips or flakes away, leaving a rough, pitted surface that is uncomfortable underfoot and collects dirt. Once spalling starts it spreads - patching is a short-term fix at best. If more than a quarter of your patio surface looks like this, replacement is more cost-effective than continued repairs.
If your backyard is just lawn or bare dirt and you rarely spend time out there, a concrete patio is often the single change that makes outdoor living practical. A flat, clean surface gives you somewhere to put furniture, a grill, or a table - and it requires almost no upkeep compared to a wood deck. In Corte Madera's real estate market, outdoor living space also adds genuine value at resale.
Every patio project starts with excavation and base preparation. We dig to the right depth for Marin County soil conditions, compact a gravel sub-base, and place reinforcement before the concrete is poured. The base work is invisible once the job is done, but it is what determines whether your patio stays flat or starts cracking after the first wet season.
Finish options range from a standard broom finish - which adds slip resistance at modest cost - to stamped concrete that mimics the look of stone or tile. For homeowners who want color, pigments can be added to the mix before the pour. For those who want a finish that requires minimal upkeep through the seasons, a plain or broom-finished slab is hard to beat. If you are interested in high-end decorative finishes for other areas of your property, our stamped concrete services go into greater detail on pattern and color options.
We include permit handling as a standard part of every patio project. Most patios in Corte Madera require a building permit, and a contractor who skips that step leaves you with unpermitted work that can complicate a future home sale.
Best for homeowners who want a durable, low-maintenance surface with slip resistance that holds up through Marin winters.
Best for homeowners who want the look of stone, brick, or tile without the long-term maintenance challenges of natural materials.
Best for homeowners who want a finish that complements the color of their home or landscaping without going to full stamped concrete.
Best for homeowners with an aging slab from the mid-century era who need the old surface demolished and hauled away before the new pour.
Corte Madera sits on clay-heavy soils that are common throughout Marin County. Those soils swell when wet and shrink in the dry season - a seasonal cycle that puts stress on any slab sitting on top of them. Contractors who know this area dig deeper, build a thicker gravel base, and cut more control joints into the finished surface. Contractors who do not know this area build a patio that starts cracking after the first winter. The difference shows up within a few years and it is not reversible without tearing the slab out and starting over.
A significant portion of Corte Madera's homes were built in the 1950s through 1970s. If your home is from that era, there is a good chance your existing patio or slab is 50 or more years old and has never been replaced. Removing an old slab adds a demolition step and disposal cost - typically $1 to $3 per square foot extra - and any quote you receive should spell out whether that work is included. We serve homeowners throughout the area, including Tiburon, Sausalito, and Mill Valley.
Corte Madera's wet season runs roughly November through April and averages around 25 to 30 inches of rain per year. That moisture, combined with the clay soil movement, is why drainage slope matters on every patio we build. We grade each pour to direct water away from the foundation - so when November comes, you are not watching rainwater pool against your back door.
We come out to measure the space, discuss your finish preferences, and look at site access. Most visits take 20 to 30 minutes and you receive a written, itemized quote that includes demolition, permits, and cleanup. We respond within 1 business day of your initial contact.
After you accept the quote, we file the permit application with the Town of Corte Madera. Review typically takes one to three weeks. We handle the paperwork - your job is to confirm it is being done and to ask for a copy before work starts.
On the first day of work, the crew removes any existing surface, excavates to the right depth, and compacts a gravel sub-base. Before clearing the area, you will want to move furniture, planters, and anything stored near the patio zone. This step is what keeps the finished slab from cracking in Corte Madera's clay soils.
The concrete is poured, spread evenly, and finished to your chosen texture. The surface needs three to five days before foot traffic and at least a week before heavy furniture. Your contractor will give you specific guidance based on conditions at the time of the pour.
We come to your property, measure the space, and give you an itemized quote that covers everything - demolition, base prep, permits, the pour, and cleanup. No surprises on the final invoice.
(628) 212-4120Every patio we build is graded so rainwater runs away from your home, not toward it. In Corte Madera's long rainy season, a patio with even a slight incorrect slope sends water against your foundation every time it rains. We measure and set the slope during the form stage so it is built in from the start.
Corte Madera's expansive clay soils are one of the leading causes of cracked and uneven patios throughout Marin County. We excavate to the appropriate depth and compact a proper gravel base before any concrete is poured - because a beautiful surface on a weak foundation is just a future repair bill. The USGS documents the risk that expansive soils pose to concrete flatwork throughout the Bay Area.
Unpermitted patio work can surface as a problem during a real estate transaction - inspectors find it, and you may be required to remove or retrofit it at your own expense. We pull every required permit through the Town of Corte Madera as a standard part of the job, so your finished patio is on record and inspected.
Our estimates cover every step of the work - site prep, demolition of any existing surface, base construction, the pour, finishing, and cleanup. Homeowners throughout Corte Madera and Marin County come back to us because the final invoice matches the number they agreed to at the start.
A concrete patio is one of the most useful improvements you can make to an outdoor space in this climate. Built correctly, it gives you a clean, level surface that works year-round, holds up through Marin winters, and requires almost no maintenance to keep looking good. Built incorrectly, it cracks, settles, and sends water toward your home every rainy season. We build them correctly.
For guidance on concrete flatwork installation standards, see the Portland Cement Association flatwork guide and the American Concrete Institute.
Slip-resistant concrete surfaces around pools, built with the same drainage and base prep standards as our patios.
Learn moreDecorative stamped patterns and colors for patios, walkways, and pool surrounds that mimic stone or brick.
Learn moreDry-season slots fill fast once spring arrives, and permit review adds one to three weeks before work can start. Reach out today and we will get your estimate on the calendar within 1 business day.