J&R Federal Way Concrete ConstructionJ&R Federal Way Concrete Construction(253) 652-2604
J&R Federal Way Concrete Construction
(253) 652-2604Get an estimate

Concrete Contractor in Federal Way, WA - Driveways, Patios and Slabs That Stay Put

J&R Federal Way Concrete Construction is a concrete contractor based in Federal Way, WA. We build driveways, patios, walks and slabs, plus the footings and foundations a house sits on, for homeowners and small businesses across the city.

Get an estimate(253) 652-2604
A broad light-gray exposed-aggregate concrete driveway with control joints leads to a brick house and open garage.

How Federal Way homes and lots shape a concrete job

We're based in Federal Way, and most of our calls here come from homeowners with a cracked driveway, a patio that's started sinking or water pooling by the garage. Some come from small business owners who need a lot, a walk or a slab poured. We do the same work just over the line in Kent and Des Moines, and the crew and the habits don't change at the city limit.

A lot of houses here sit on sloped lots, and some sit near wetlands and streams, so where the water runs matters as much as how the slab looks. That's why the ground and the drainage get sorted out first, and the finish comes last.

Concrete work we do on Federal Way properties

Most of our calls here are flatwork, the driveways, patios, walks and floors that sit right on the ground, and we also build the footings, foundations and walls a lot of crews would rather pass on. Big or small, we plan the dig, the forms and the pour before the truck is booked, so nothing gets figured out with wet concrete in the chute. Each card below says what we see on these properties and what we do about it.

  • Concrete driveway building

    Cracked, sinking driveways are a common call here, and you still need the cars in and out. We break out the old slab, rebuild the base underneath and pour a new one.

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  • Concrete patio construction

    Backyard patios take grills, kids and a table that shouldn't wobble, so the slab has to sit true. We pour on a packed base and finish it for how you'll use it.

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  • Stamped concrete services

    Homeowners who want a patio or walk that looks like stone or brick, without loose pavers, ask for stamped concrete. We press the pattern while the slab is still soft, then seal it.

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  • Concrete sidewalk building

    Walks lifted by roots or sunk at the joints trip up anyone coming to the door. We pull the broken panels, fix what's underneath and pour new ones that meet flush.

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  • Garage floor concrete

    Garage floors in older houses often crack and pitch the wrong way, so water sits in puddles. We replace the slab and pitch the new one toward the door.

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  • Decorative concrete

    Some front entries and patios here call for color, a scored pattern or exposed stone instead of plain gray. We pick the finish with you on site to suit the house.

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  • Concrete retaining walls

    On sloped yards, dirt and water push downhill until a timber or block wall leans or gives out. We build concrete walls on real footings with drainage behind, so water doesn't push them over.

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  • Concrete floor installation

    Shops, basements and additions need an inside floor flat enough for tile, shelves or equipment. We set the grade, add steel where the job needs it and finish the floor smooth.

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  • Concrete pool decks

    Backyard pool decks take bare feet, splash water and chemicals, so a slick or chipping top gets old fast. We slope the deck away from the water and give it a finish with grip.

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  • Concrete steps construction

    Front steps on older houses here often settle away from the porch or crumble at the edges, which is how people fall. We form new steps with even risers and a gritty top.

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  • Slab foundation building

    New garages, shops and additions on these lots need a slab that carries the walls without settling. We pack the subgrade the slab sits on and thicken the edges under the walls.

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  • Foundation installation

    Additions and new homes need foundation walls built square and level, and a lot of crews would rather pass on that work. We dig, form and pour them to the plans, then backfill.

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  • Concrete parking lot building

    Small business owners call us when their lot has ponding, potholes or broken edges customers drive over. We plan the drainage first, then pour it thick enough for the traffic.

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  • Concrete footings

    Decks, posts, walls and additions sit on footings, the concrete pads that spread their weight into firm ground. We dig to solid soil, set the steel and size each footing for its load.

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  • Foundation raising

    A dropped corner shows up as sticking doors, sloping floors or cracks running up the foundation. We find why it settled before we lift, because lifting without fixing the cause only buys time.

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  • Concrete cutting

    Adding a drain line, widening a driveway or removing one bad slab means cutting concrete cleanly instead of breaking it up. We saw straight cuts and keep the slurry off your lawn and street.

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What concrete work looks like from base to finish

These photos show the stages of concrete work, from a dug-out base and forms to a broom finish, the light grooves that give shoes and tires grip. Most of what makes a slab last happens before the truck arrives.

  • Fresh concrete driveway leads to a brick house, bordered by grass and a curved red-brick walkway.

  • Tan stamped concrete patio and walkway beside a raised wooden deck, with brick walls and a play area beyond.

  • A modern home stands behind a driveway of large pale concrete panels separated by strips of grass.

Working in Federal Way: permits, licenses and what sets the price

Here's what the city expects before concrete goes in, what you can check on any contractor, and what moves your price and your schedule. It's the same rundown I'd give you standing in the driveway.

Who issues permits and how to check a contractor

The City of Federal Way's Building Division issues permits for virtually every improvement on a home or business lot, so whether your job needs one is the city's call, not ours. Before we schedule, I check which city or county office covers your address. When it does need a permit, we handle the application and plan the start date around the wait. That wait usually moves the schedule more than the pour does.

You can check any contractor here, us included. Every business working inside city limits needs a city business endorsement, which sits on top of an active Washington State business license and runs one year at a time. Ask for a current one before anyone breaks ground, because a crew that skips its own paperwork tends to skip steps on the job too.

  • The city's Building Division decides whether your job needs a permit.
  • When a permit is needed, we file it and plan around the wait.
  • Ask any contractor for a current city endorsement before work starts.

What moves your price and your schedule

Price starts with size and thickness, and how much old concrete has to be broken out and hauled away matters too. The base is often the biggest swing, because soft fill has to be dug out and packed before anything is poured. Steel and the finish you pick move it as well, and your own number comes from the estimate I write after walking the job.

The schedule turns on three things. A permit wait, when the job needs one, comes first. Then the tear-out and base work, which run longer on soft ground or a tight lot. Last is curing, the time a slab needs to harden before it takes weight, so you'll walk on it well before you can park on it. I'll tell you the timing for your slab on pour day.

  • Old concrete and soft fill both have to come out first.
  • Thicker slabs and added steel cost more and carry more weight.
  • Walk on it first, and give it longer before you drive on it.

Your free on-site concrete estimate in Federal Way

Call (253) 652-2604 or send the form, and we'll reply within one business day to set a time. I come out to your Federal Way property myself, look at the job and write the estimate, and it's free with no obligation.

(253) 652-2604

What we run into on Federal Way driveways and yards

Most of the concrete we replace here failed for the same handful of reasons, and none of them show on the day it's poured. These are the ones we look for first at an estimate.

  • Driveways that sank with the dirt

    A driveway that dips in the middle or drops at the edges was usually poured on dirt that got raked level instead of dug out and packed. The slab settles as the dirt does. We dig to firm ground and pack a real base, because that's what keeps the new one where we put it.

  • Slabs that drain toward the house

    When a patio or walk falls toward the house, every rain sends water at the foundation and the crawl space. We check where the water runs before we set a single form, then slope the slab so it carries water out to the yard.

  • Older slabs poured without steel

    A lot of older patios and garage floors we break out have no steel in them, so once a crack opens, the pieces drift apart and tip. Rebar, the steel bars tied in a grid inside the slab, holds the pieces together, and we put it in where the job calls for it.

  • Patches poured over bad concrete

    Thin patches and overlays poured over a cracked slab are common here, and they usually crack again right over the old line. The problem was underneath the whole time. When the base or the old slab is the trouble, we'd rather tear it out than cover it.

  • Narrow streets and truck access

    Plenty of driveways here sit on narrow streets with cars parked along the curb, and a concrete truck needs room to reach the forms. We look at access during the estimate, because a long reach or a pump changes the plan and the price.

What you get when we take your job

I started this business in 2017, after years on other crews, and I run it the way I'd want my own driveway done. Here's how that plays out on your job.

We spend the money on the base first

Every concrete job has two halves. The base is the packed ground the slab sits on, and nobody sees it once the concrete's in. The finish is what you look at every day. When a budget gets tight, the base is the first thing a lot of crews cut, because nobody can tell on day one.

I go the other way. If the money has to come from somewhere, I'd rather you get a plain broom finish on a solid base than a fancy stamped pattern on dirt that's going to move. A good finish on a bad base cracks anyway. A plain slab on a good base just lasts.

  • A straight answer at the estimate

    If something won't work, like a slab over a soggy spot or a patio pitched toward the house, I'll tell you at the estimate. I'd rather lose a job than have you find out the hard way a few years later.

  • Licensed and insured on every job

    We're fully licensed and insured on every job we take, from a short garden walk to a full foundation. Every job is backed by our satisfaction guarantee, and you're welcome to ask about our coverage when I come out.

  • A tidy site and a clean street

    Your neighbors have to live with our job too, so we keep the site tidy and clean up as we go instead of saving it all for the last day. Washout, broken concrete and old forms don't sit in your yard or along the curb longer than they have to.

  • The owner writes your estimate

    I come out to look at your job and write the estimate myself, then I'm on site running our crew through the form, pour and finish, so what I told you is what gets done. Call (253) 652-2604 or use the form to set it up.

Questions Federal Way homeowners ask about concrete

These are the questions I hear most at estimates around Federal Way, from permits to cracks. If yours isn't here, ask me when I come out to look.

Do I need a permit to replace a concrete driveway or sidewalk in Federal Way?

The city's list of residential permit exemptions includes driveways and sidewalks, but that doesn't settle every job. Any work in a wetland, stream, landslide hazard area or the protected buffer around them needs a permit, and the city notes that exempt items can still need separate permits. If you're unsure about your lot, the Permit Center takes calls at 253.835.2607, and it's part of what I check before we schedule.

Do I need a permit for a concrete retaining wall in Federal Way?

The city exempts retaining walls up to four feet tall, measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall, unless the wall holds up a surcharge, which is extra weight behind it like a driveway, a slope or a building. A taller wall, or one carrying that kind of load, falls under the city's permit rules, and the wetland and stream rule above applies either way. I'd rather size a wall for what it's holding back than for the exemption.

How do I apply for a concrete permit in Federal Way?

You apply through the city, which takes applications and issues permits from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. The Permit Center is closed on Wednesdays, so don't plan a trip that day. When we're doing the work and it needs a permit, the application is on us, so you only need this if you're filing it yourself.

What building code does Federal Way use for a new slab or foundation?

New permit applications in Federal Way are reviewed under the 2021 codes, which for houses means the 2021 International Residential Code with Washington State and city amendments. An application submitted before March 15, 2024, along with its later revisions, stays on the 2018 edition, which only matters if your project has been in the works a while. We build to the plans the city approves, so the footings, slab and steel match what was signed off.

How much does it cost to replace a concrete driveway in Federal Way?

A driveway's price is set by its size and thickness, how much old concrete and soft ground come out, and the finish, so the real number comes from seeing it. A steep drive, a pump when the truck can't reach, or a stamped or colored surface pushes it up, and a plain broom finish on a solid base is the best value. I'll write a number for yours when I come out.

What causes a new concrete driveway to crack, and will mine crack like the old one?

Most cracks come from a base that wasn't packed, joints cut late or skipped, or a midday pour in the heat that dries the top too fast and leaves it weak and dusty, and we control all three. Concrete still shrinks as it cures, so we cut control joints, straight grooves that give it a planned place to crack, on time, and add steel where the job calls for it. Nobody can honestly promise a slab that never cracks, but a good one cracks where we chose and stays flat.

Service areas

We're based in Federal Way and work in the cities around it, from Burien and SeaTac to Tacoma, Auburn, Renton and plenty in between. If your city isn't listed, call (253) 652-2604 or send the form and ask.

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