Concrete Contractor in Federal Way, WA - Driveways and Patios Built on a Solid Base
Form & Pour Renton Concrete Company pours driveways, patios, walks, steps, retaining walls and slabs for homes and property owners in Federal Way, WA, starting with a dug-out, packed base and a plan for where the water goes.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- We respond within 1 business day.
Federal Way homes, lots and the ground beneath them
Federal Way is mostly single-family neighborhoods of ramblers and split-levels on curving streets, with newer subdivisions, townhomes and apartment buildings mixed in and shopping centers along the main roads. Plenty of yards slope, and some lots back onto wetlands, streams and open space such as West Hylebos Wetlands, the city park with the walking trail through it.
The calls we get here look a lot like the ones we answer in Kent and Auburn. They're mostly driveways that have cracked and settled, patios that hold water and steps pulling away from the house. On sloped lots and soft ground near wet areas, the base and the drainage plan decide how long the concrete lasts, so that's where we put our time.
Concrete work we do for Federal Way properties
When a Federal Way driveway has sunk at the garage or cracked across, we break it out, rebuild the base and pour one that sheds water away from the house.
A backyard patio here often has to handle water coming off a sloped lawn, so we set the slope to carry it away from your house.
Stamped concrete gives a patio or walk the look of stone or brick in one pour, which suits homeowners who want texture without pavers shifting over time.
A walk that has heaved or dropped at a joint is easy to trip on, so we replace the bad sections over a packed base.
Older garage floors here often crack, flake or hold water near the door. We pour a new slab that falls slightly toward the door so water runs out.
Color, a pebbled aggregate finish and custom borders can dress up a front entry or patio, and we talk through how each finish wears before you choose.
On sloped Federal Way lots, a concrete wall can hold back a hillside or level a yard, and we look at drainage behind it before anything else.
Basements, shops and additions need a flat, solid floor, so we prepare the base and set the slab level for whatever goes on top of it.
A pool deck stays wet much of the season, so we use a finish with grip and slope the deck to drain away from the pool and the house.
Front steps on split-level and hillside homes take a beating, and we rebuild cracked or crumbling ones with even step heights that are comfortable to climb.
A shed, shop or garage needs a slab that won't settle unevenly, so we dig to firm ground, pack the base and set the steel before pouring.
For additions and new buildings, we form and pour foundations to the approved plans, and we'll say plainly when a question belongs to your engineer.
Small lots at shops, churches and apartment buildings need concrete that handles turning traffic, so we plan thickness, joints and drainage for the use.
Decks, porches, fences and additions all rest on footings, the concrete pads underneath, and we dig them to the depth the plans or the city call for.
When a porch, slab or small structure has dropped, we find out why it moved before lifting it, since raising it without fixing the cause rarely lasts.
We saw-cut clean openings for new doorways, drains or utility lines, and cut out damaged sections of a driveway so the rest can stay.
A free written estimate for your Federal Way concrete project
We reply within one business day. Then I set a time to come out, walk the job with you and put the scope in writing, free and with no obligation.
(425) 264-4089- Based in
- Renton, WA 98057
- Hours
- Mon–Sun: 7 AM–11 PM
Permits, licenses and pricing for Federal Way concrete work
Permits here come from the City of Federal Way's Building Division, which issues them for virtually every improvement on a home or business lot, and any work in a wetland, stream, landslide hazard area or their buffers needs one even when the project would otherwise be exempt. If your job needs a permit, that review becomes part of the schedule, so I'd rather sort it out before we set a pour date. Before you hire anyone, it's fair to ask whether they hold a Federal Way City Endorsement, because the city requires one of every business working inside its limits, a contractor needs an active Washington State business license to get it, and it has to be renewed each year. We're licensed and insured, and at the estimate I check which office covers your address, go over whether your project may need a permit, and can handle the application or help you with yours.
What moves the price is mostly what you can't see once we're done. That means how much old concrete we break out and haul away, how deep we dig to reach a firm subgrade, which is the ground the slab sits on, and how close the truck can get. The finish matters too, since a broom finish, the swept texture that gives shoes and tires grip, costs less than stamped or colored work. The schedule turns on any permit review, a dry day for the pour and the curing wait while the new concrete gains strength, and your written estimate spells out the scope for your job. On busy streets and tight cul-de-sacs we plan where the truck parks so your neighbors can still get in and out, the same way we do in Bryn Mawr-Skyway and Renton.
Why Federal Way driveways and patios settle and pool water
A lot of the older driveways and patios we look at here were poured on a base that was raked level rather than dug out and packed, so the slab settled with the dirt under it, tipped and cracked. We dig down to firm ground and pack the base in layers before any concrete arrives. If a budget has to give somewhere, I'd suggest a plainer finish before a thinner base, because nobody sees the base on day one, but you can't fix it later without tearing out the slab.
Water is the other half. Sloped yards and downspouts send it across patios and walks, and a slab that falls toward the house holds it against your foundation, so before we form anything I check where the water runs and set the slab to carry it away.
How a concrete job runs when you call us in Federal Way
Here's how a Federal Way job runs from your first call to the final walk-through, so you know what we'll ask of you and when.
Call us or send the form
Call (425) 264-4089 or send the form, and I'll set a time to come out that works for you. It helps if you can be there, so I can hear how you plan to use the space.
Walk the site with me
I measure, look at how water leaves the site and send a written estimate that spells out the prep, the concrete work and what we'll ask of you before pour day, so you can compare it with any other quote. If your project needs a permit application, keep in mind the city's Permit Center takes them from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday and is closed Wednesdays.
Our crew preps and pours
A small crew I work with digs out, packs the base, sets the forms and pours, usually in the cooler part of the day so the top doesn't dry too fast and turn weak and dusty later. I check in as the job goes, and we keep your yard neat, cover what needs covering and keep the street clear for your neighbors.
Walk the finished work together
Before we pack up, I walk the finished concrete with you and point out what to watch for while it cures. We clean up and haul away the old concrete before we leave.
Questions about concrete work in Federal Way
Do I need a permit to replace a concrete driveway in Federal Way?
Driveways and sidewalks are on the city's list of exempt residential work, but your lot can still change the answer. The city notes that separate permits may still be required for exempt items, and the wetland and stream rule we covered earlier applies whatever the project is. If you're unsure, the Permit Center takes calls at 253.835.2607, and I'll go over it with you at the estimate.
When does a retaining wall need a permit in Federal Way?
A retaining wall in Federal Way needs a permit once it's taller than four feet, measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall, or when it holds back extra weight above it, such as a driveway or a sloping yard. Walls under that height with no extra load are on the city's exempt list, though the wetland and stream rule still applies. A taller or loaded wall is often a question for an engineer as well, and I'll say so at the estimate if I think yours is one.
Do I need a permit to pour a slab for a shed in Federal Way?
A permit comes into it when the shed is larger than 200 square feet of floor area, because the city's exempt list covers one-story detached buildings up to that size, other than storm shelters. Lots near wetlands or streams follow the rule we covered earlier either way. We'll size the slab with you at the estimate so you know which side of that line your plans fall on.
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Federal Way?
There isn't one fair price for every Federal Way driveway, because the figure depends on its size, how much old concrete has to come out and how much base work the ground needs. Access for the truck, the slope of the lot, the steel inside the slab and the finish you choose move it too, and a permit adds a step if your lot needs one. I'd be glad to come out, look at yours and put the figure in writing.
How do I keep a new concrete patio from cracking in Federal Way?
You can't make concrete crack-proof, but you can control where it cracks and keep the ground under it from moving. We pack the base, add rebar, the steel bars that hold the slab together, where the job calls for it, and cut control joints, grooves at planned spots so the slab cracks along them as it shrinks instead of across the middle. Joints cut late or skipped are why so many old slabs crack in places nobody chose.
How long do I have to stay off a new concrete driveway in Federal Way?
You can walk on new concrete well before you can drive on it, and I'll give you the dates for your slab when we finish, since the wait depends on the mix, the thickness and the weather. Driving on it early is a common way a new driveway gets chipped or marked before it has finished curing. If you need the driveway back by a certain date, tell me at the estimate so we can plan the pour around it.
Renton, WA
Plan your Federal Way concrete project with us
Call (425) 264-4089 or send the form before the old slab comes out or other trades are booked, so we can settle the grade, the drainage and any permit question while changes are still easy to make.