Concrete driveway building in Lodi CA - water runs to the street, not the garage

Concrete driveway building in the Stockton area usually costs about $7 to $14 per square foot, not counting tearing out an old driveway. Removing an existing slab pushes the per-foot cost of a replacement higher, and a thicker slab or steel adds to it. I'll give you your own figure after I measure your driveway.

Work in the city's right of way, the strip along the street where your driveway meets it, needs an encroachment permit from the Lodi Public Works Department. You can apply online or at their office from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and they give fee and insurance details at 209-333-6706. Applying isn't approval, and the starting fee isn't refunded.

Go thicker, add steel or do both if heavy vehicles will use it, because that's where the extra cost pays off. One concrete guide sets 4 inches as the minimum and says moving to 5 inches adds about 20% to the concrete cost but raises the load the slab can carry by nearly 50%. Steel adds strength and holds cracks together, though reinforced concrete costs more.

One concrete guide says to let the slab cure for at least a week before you drive on it, so plan to park on the street or somewhere else for that stretch. Driving on it sooner puts a car's full weight on concrete that's still gaining strength.

It can still get a hairline crack, but a random crack is generally not a structural problem and won't shorten the driveway's life, though it can be an eyesore. Control joints, the straight grooves cut across the slab, help keep cracks from wandering, and a dug-out, packed base helps keep the slab from settling and splitting. I'll show you where the joints go before we pour.

It can be, as long as the crew plans for the heat, because hot weather speeds up how fast cement reacts and how fast fresh concrete dries out. That can cause trouble delivering, placing and curing the slab, and it can hurt how well the driveway holds up. We'd rather pour in the cooler part of the day than fight midday heat.

Yes, when the job needs a permit of any kind, California requires a license even for work under $1,000, and that holds when the person hires helpers too. Since driveway work that reaches the street needs a city permit, ask any contractor you're considering for their license before you hire.