Concrete contractor in Camano, WA - slabs built on solid ground
Arlington Concrete is a concrete contractor based in Arlington, building driveways, patios, steps, slabs and footings for homes and small properties on Camano, with the ground under each pour worked out before the truck shows up.
Pouring concrete on Camano
We work on Camano from our base in Arlington, the same way we cover the cities around it from Everett up into the Skagit Valley. The island is in Island County, and the county keeps an office right on Camano, so that's where we take our questions about what a job here needs.
The work is the same as what we do in Snohomish and Stanwood, from flatwork, our word for driveways, patios and walks, to steps, slabs and footings. What changes from one lot to the next is the ground, so I ask plenty of questions on site before I give you an answer.
What I check before we pour
On any lot I start with the ground, because the subgrade, the dirt and gravel the slab sits on, decides how the concrete holds up. I look at where the water runs when it rains, whether the yard falls toward the house and how a truck can reach the spot. Where a lot sits on a slope or near wet ground, we bring in an engineer before anything gets poured.
- Raked, not packed. When a base is just raked level instead of dug out and packed, the slab settles along with the dirt under it and the cracks follow.
- Water toward the house. If nobody checks where the water goes, a new slab can end up sloping toward the house, so rain pools against the foundation instead of running off.
- Hot-day pours. Island County lists heat waves among its common hazards, and concrete poured in midday heat can dry too fast and leave a weak, dusty top, so we start early on hot days.
Concrete work we do for Camano homes
Where a driveway or patio has sunk, cracked or started holding puddles, the fix usually starts under the surface. We break out the old slab, dig down to firm ground and pack a real base before the new pour. If the budget's tight, I'll tell you to save on the finish before the base, because nobody sees the base on day one, but it decides how long the slab lasts.
Other jobs are new concrete steps where the old ones have chipped or pulled away from the house, or footings and slabs for a shed, garage or addition. Those tie into a structure, so we bring in an engineer when the job calls for one.
Getting us out to Camano
I come out from Arlington to look at each Camano job. The price turns on the slab's size, how much base work the ground needs and how a truck reaches it, and the schedule on permits, weather and curing, the wait while the concrete gains strength. Call or use the form, and I'll measure and send a written estimate.
Tell us about your concrete job
Tell us the size, where it sits and what's wrong with the old concrete. We reply within one business day, then I come out, measure and send a written estimate.
(360) 474-2804- Free estimate on site
- Clear list of what's included
- No pressure to book
Before you hire for a Camano job
Do I need a permit for a concrete driveway or patio on Camano Island?
We check with the county for your specific job before we schedule anything, and we tell you plainly what we'll file and what, if anything, falls to you. If you'd like to ask the county yourself, call its Camano office at 360-387-3443, where a land-use planner takes questions on Wednesdays from 9:30 AM to 2:30 PM.
What does Island County need before it accepts a building permit application?
The county's building department takes a building permit application only with a site registration, a septic design, an approved access permit, an address and a water availability verification, and every application needs a plot plan. A qualified septic designer has to do the septic design, so if your concrete work is part of a new building, start on that early.
Does a concrete contractor have to be registered in Washington State?
Yes, Washington requires every construction contractor to register with the Department of Labor & Industries and to be bonded and insured. On residential jobs of $1,000 or more, the contractor also has to give you a written disclosure notice. We're fully licensed and insured.
How can I check for landslide or flood hazards near my Camano address?
The county has a hazard map where you search your address and see nearby tsunami, flood and landslide hazard areas. A blank spot on the map doesn't prove the ground is fine, because state landslide maps are built from existing geologic maps, so we look closer before a slab, footing or wall goes in near a slope.
Will a new concrete driveway crack like my old one did?
Concrete can still crack, but a packed base, control joints and a proper cure decide where and how much. Control joints are lines we cut into the slab on purpose so it cracks along them instead of across the middle, and they only do their job if they're cut before the slab cracks on its own.