Concrete contractor in Lake Morton-Berrydale, WA - slabs built on solid ground
D&L Kent Concrete Construction is a concrete contractor based in Kent that pours driveways, patios, retaining walls and foundations for homes in Lake Morton-Berrydale, starting with the ground underneath before any concrete arrives.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- Replies within 1 business day.
Homes on wooded lots across Lake Morton-Berrydale
Lake Morton-Berrydale borders Kent, WA, where we've worked as a concrete contractor since 2013, along with Covington and Auburn, and it's more spread out and rural than any of them. Most of what we see here is houses on bigger, wooded lots, many with a long gravel driveway, a detached garage or a shop out back, with Lake Morton on the east side and Covington Creek and Big Soos Creek running along the south edge.
That ground shapes the job. Low spots near the lake and creeks hold water, and an old gravel drive usually sits on soft topsoil and roots, so the price here mostly turns on how much we dig out and rebuild underneath, and the schedule turns on the rain and on whether the county needs a permit.
Our services in Lake Morton-Berrydale, WA
- Concrete driveway building
Many houses here still have a long gravel drive that ruts every winter. We dig out to firm ground, pack a new base and pour a slab that sheds water.
- Concrete patio construction
Backyards here stay damp under the trees, so a patio on loose topsoil tends to tip and pool. We set ours on packed rock, sloped away from the house.
- Concrete retaining walls
Sloped yards here often need a wall to hold soil back for a patio or parking spot. We pour it on solid footings with a path for water behind it.
- Garage floor concrete
Detached garages and shops are common on the bigger lots here. We break out cracked old floors, rebuild the base and pour a level slab for cars and tools.
- Foundation installation
New homes, additions and shops on these wooded lots start with clearing and solid ground. Our foundation installation begins with careful layout, then forms and steel set before the pour.
- Foundation raising
Houses on soft, wet ground can settle unevenly over the years, leaving sticking doors and cracked slabs. We look at what's moving and why before we suggest raising anything.
What Lake Morton-Berrydale's wet ground asks for
Rain is what every slab here has to live with, because it soaks the topsoil for months and water finds its way under anything poured on loose dirt. So we dig past the soft layer to firm ground and build the subgrade, the packed rock the slab actually sits on, in layers, and we check where the water runs on your lot before we set a form so the finished slab falls away from the house. The base is buried on day one and it's the first thing people want to cut from a budget, but I'd rather put the money there than into a fancier finish, because a nice surface on a weak base cracks and settles just the same. Rain also sets the schedule, since we won't pour into standing water, and once the slab is down it needs its curing time, the wait while it hardens, before you walk on it and longer before you drive on it.
King County sits in the Puget Sound Lowland, where small earthquakes happen most days, nearly all too small to feel, and very large ones have happened before. On foundations and footings that's one more reason I spend the time on layout, forms and rebar, the steel inside the concrete that holds it together if it cracks, because none of that can be fixed once the concrete is in.
Get a written concrete estimate for your Lake Morton-Berrydale property
We reply within one business day, and the estimate is free, done on site and comes with no obligation. I come out to your place in Lake Morton-Berrydale myself to measure and walk the site, then you get the estimate in writing with each part of the job listed.
Driveways, patios and walls
Lake Morton-Berrydale concrete questions
Who issues permits for concrete work in Lake Morton-Berrydale, WA?
King County does, because Lake Morton-Berrydale is unincorporated county land rather than a city, and King County Permits issues building and land use permits for those areas. We check which office covers your address, take care of the permit when your job needs one and keep you posted on where it stands.
How do I know if my new concrete driveway needs a King County permit?
Start with the size and the ground, because the county requires a clearing and grading permit for more than 2,000 square feet of new hard surface that water can't soak through, or for grading in a critical area. Wetlands, steep slopes, flood zones and other special site conditions can bring permits of their own, and any development in a mapped floodplain needs one. The county's building permit list doesn't settle a flat driveway either way, so we check with the county before we pour.
Does a concrete retaining wall need a permit in Lake Morton-Berrydale?
Most retaining walls 4 feet high or less don't need a county building permit when the site has no critical areas. That exemption covers the building permit only, so a nearby wetland or steep slope can still bring another permit, and digging more than 5 feet deep or 100 cubic yards needs a clearing and grading permit. We look at the height and the slope on site and check with the county before we form anything.
How much does a concrete driveway cost in Lake Morton-Berrydale?
Your price comes from the size of the driveway, how much ground has to come out and be rebuilt underneath, and the finish you pick, so I measure before I give a number. Long driveways on bigger lots, tearing out old concrete, soft or wet ground, tight access for the truck and a permit for a large new surface all add cost, while a plain broom finish, the light texture that gives shoes and tires grip, costs less than stamped or colored work. Your written estimate lists each part, and you can call (253) 398-9060 or use the form above to set one up.
What does Washington require of a concrete contractor for a home job?
The state requires every construction contractor to register with the Department of Labor & Industries and to be bonded and insured. On any home job of $1,000 or more, a registered contractor has to give you the state's written disclosure notice. We're fully licensed and insured.
What causes new concrete to crack in Lake Morton-Berrydale?
Usually it's settling ground or cracks with no planned place to go, since a slab on wet, unpacked soil drops when the soil does, and one without control joints cracks wherever it likes. Control joints are the straight cuts we make in fresh concrete so the shrinkage cracks every slab gets land in those lines, and we cut them on time and stay out of the worst midday heat, which leaves a weak, dusty top. I'll still tell you to expect a few small cracks, because concrete shrinks, but on a packed base with joints in the right places they usually stay thin and where we planned them.