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 Lakeland South, WA - driveways and patios on a packed base

J&R Federal Way Concrete Construction pours driveways, patios, walks, footings and foundations for homes in Lakeland South, WA. We're a concrete contractor based next door in Federal Way, and I look at every job myself before our crew pours it.

Get an estimate(253) 652-2604
A covered poolside patio features a black metal pergola, warm wood panels, string lights, and concrete decking.

Lakeland South homes, from the lakeshore to the county line

Lakeland South is a residential stretch of unincorporated King County, with Federal Way on one side, Auburn on another and Edgewood across the Pierce County line. It's mostly houses, so the calls we get here are the ones you'd expect around houses. A driveway has sunk at the garage, a patio holds pooling water, or a front walk has an uneven edge that catches toes.

Around Lake Geneva the shore is woods, private homes and docks, and wooded lots like that usually mean roots under old slabs and a tight path for the truck. We plan the tear-out, the base and the pour around both.

The concrete work we take on in Lakeland South

We do the full run of concrete work in Lakeland South, the same as in the other cities around Federal Way. That covers driveways, patios and sidewalks, garage floors and steps, retaining walls, footings and foundations, and lots for small businesses. Every job starts with me on site, looking at the old concrete, where the water goes and what's under the yard, because that tells us how deep to dig out the subgrade, the packed soil and gravel the slab sits on, and where the joints go.

  • Concrete driveway building

    A driveway that sinks at the garage or cracks across the middle usually sat on a raked base. We dig out and pack it, then cut control joints so cracks follow straight lines we chose.

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  • Concrete patio construction

    Backyard patios on wooded lots often hold pooling water or tip toward the house. We check where the water runs, then slope the new slab away from your foundation before we pour.

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  • Stamped concrete services

    Stamped concrete fits an entry or patio you look at every day and want to read as stone or brick. We press the pattern and color in while the concrete is still workable, then seal it.

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  • Concrete sidewalk building

    Front walks under big trees get lifted by roots and end up with trip edges. We break out the heaved sections, rebuild the base and pour with a broom finish, a light texture that gives your shoes grip.

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  • Garage floor concrete

    A garage floor that's cracked, dusty or soaked with oil usually needs a new slab, not a patch. We pour it thick enough for your vehicles and slope it toward the door so water drains out.

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  • Decorative concrete

    Colored, stained and exposed-aggregate finishes dress up patios, walks and entries without changing what's underneath. I bring samples to the estimate, because a finish looks different in your yard than in a photo.

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  • Concrete retaining walls

    Yards that rise or fall from the house often need a wall to hold soil back for a flat patio or drive. We pour concrete retaining walls on real footings, with drainage behind so water has somewhere to go.

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  • Concrete floor installation

    Shops, basements and outbuildings need an interior floor that's flat for whatever sits on it. We pack the base, set rebar, the steel bars that hold the slab together, and finish it smooth and level.

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  • Concrete pool decks

    A pool deck has to keep its grip when wet and shed water away from the pool and the house. We pour it with a textured finish and slope it toward the yard or the drains.

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  • Concrete steps construction

    Front and back steps that sit on loose fill tend to crack and pull away from the house. We pour new steps on footings with even risers, so nobody catches a toe on the way in.

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  • Slab foundation building

    A garage, shop or addition on a slab needs ground that's dug out, packed and checked before the forms go up. We build that base, set the steel and pour the slab level and true.

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  • Foundation installation

    New homes and additions need footings and walls built to the drawings, down to the inch. We lay out, form and pour them to those plans and check the forms before the truck arrives.

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  • Concrete parking lot building

    Small businesses in and around Lakeland South need a lot, walk or slab that stands up to daily traffic. We dig a deeper base for the loads and plan the drainage before we pour.

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  • Concrete footings

    Decks, posts, porches and additions all stand on footings, the concrete pads that carry the weight into firm ground. We dig down to solid soil and pour footings sized for what goes on them.

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  • Foundation raising

    When part of a house or slab settles, doors stick and cracks open in the floor. We find out why it sank first, then raise it and support it on firmer ground.

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  • Concrete cutting

    Sometimes the job is a new opening, a removed section or a joint in an existing slab. We saw-cut straight, clean lines so the new work ties in neatly and the rest stays intact.

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What good concrete work looks like up close

These photos show concrete work at each stage, from the packed base and forms to the finished surface. Look at the edges, the joints and the slope, because that's where good work and shortcuts both show.

  • 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 Lakeland South: county permits, licensing and planning

Lakeland South isn't inside any city limits, so the paperwork side of a concrete job runs through the county and the state. Here's what that means for your start date, for checking a contractor and for your price.

The county issues permits, the state licenses contractors

Because Lakeland South sits outside any city limits, King County Local Services is the office for permits here, not Federal Way or Auburn. The county's building permits generally cover building, enlarging, altering, repairing, moving or tearing down a building. Before we schedule, we confirm which office covers your address, and when the job needs a permit, we handle the application and plan the start date around the wait.

On the contractor side, Washington requires every construction contractor to register with the state Department of Labor & Industries and carry a bond and insurance, so ask for that registration before anyone pours. The county's own business license applies only to businesses doing a regulated activity in unincorporated King County. We're fully licensed and insured, and I'm glad to go over it at the estimate.

  • Approved county permits stay posted where everyone can see them on site.
  • Ask any contractor for their L&I registration before you sign anything.
  • Plumbing in a slab is permitted through Public Health, wiring through L&I.

What moves your price and your start date

Price comes down to size, thickness and what's already there. Tearing out an old driveway costs more than pouring on open ground, a soft or root-filled base adds dig-out and gravel, and a tight lot can mean a pump instead of a chute off the truck. Stamped or colored finishes cost more than a broom finish. Your own figure comes from the estimate I write after seeing the job.

The schedule turns on two waits. The first is any permit, which we sort out before booking. The second is curing, the stretch after the pour when the concrete gains its strength, and it's why you'll walk on a new slab well before you drive on it. The pour itself is the short part, and we book it once the base is ready.

  • Thicker slabs and added steel cost more but carry heavier loads.
  • Breaking out and hauling old concrete is part of most replacement prices.
  • Driveway work means planning where you'll park until the slab has cured.

Get a free on-site concrete estimate in Lakeland South

Tell us about your project and any permit questions on the form, or call (253) 652-2604, and we'll reply within one business day. I'll come out to your Lakeland South property myself, look at the job and write the estimate, free and with no obligation.

(253) 652-2604

What we run into on Lakeland South properties

Most of what goes wrong with concrete around a house goes wrong underneath it, long before you see the crack. These are the conditions I look for first on Lakeland South properties, and what we do about each.

  • Roots under older slabs

    Big trees close to a drive or walk push slabs up from below, and the cracks follow the roots. We break out the heaved sections, deal with the roots under the new pour and rebuild the base, because pouring over a live root just starts the problem over.

  • Water running toward the house

    A patio or walk that pitches toward the foundation sends water where you don't want it and leaves puddles by the door. We check where the water runs before we set forms, then slope the new slab so it drains away from the house.

  • Bases raked instead of packed

    When the old crew just raked the dirt flat and poured, the slab settles as that dirt does, which is why corners drop and edges sink. We dig out to firm ground, bring in gravel and pack it in layers before any concrete shows up.

  • Cracks where nobody planned them

    Concrete shrinks as it cures, and if the joints are cut late or skipped, it cracks wherever it wants. We cut the joints on time, so any cracking follows the straight lines we placed instead of wandering across the middle of your driveway.

  • Sloped yards and tight access

    Some lots rise or fall from the street, and some have little room between the house, the trees and the fence. A slope can call for steps or a retaining wall, and a tight yard changes how the truck reaches the forms, so I plan both at the estimate.

How we work on your concrete job, start to finish

You're trusting a crew with something that will sit in front of your house for a long time. Here's how we work, from the first visit to the cleanup, so you know what you're hiring.

We put the money in the base first

The base is the part you'll never see. By the time the concrete goes in, it's buried, which is exactly why it's the first thing people want to trim when the budget gets tight. I won't do that. A thin, poorly packed base is how you end up with a sinking, cracked slab, and no finish on top fixes it.

If something has to give, I'd rather drop from stamped to a plain broom finish, or put off a section of the patio, than skimp underneath. I grew up fixing things on a farm, and concrete shows every shortcut sooner or later. If what you want won't hold up on your ground, I'll tell you at the estimate, not after the pour.

  • The owner writes your estimate

    I come out to your property myself, look at the old concrete, the slope and the drainage, and write the estimate. Then I'm on site running our crew while we form, pour and finish, so the person who priced the job is the one making the calls on it.

  • Licensed, insured, satisfaction guaranteed

    We're fully licensed and insured, and our work is backed by our satisfaction guarantee. Ask about our licensing at the estimate, the same as you'd ask anyone you're thinking of hiring to pour concrete at your house.

  • Footings and foundations, not just flatwork

    In business since 2017, we're best known for flatwork, the driveways, patios, walks and floors that lie flat on the ground, and for getting it true. We also take on the footings and foundations a lot of crews would rather pass on, so one contractor can handle the whole job.

  • A tidy site and street

    Your neighbors didn't sign up for our project. We keep the site tidy and clean up as we go, out of respect for them and the street. When you're ready, call (253) 652-2604 or use the form to set up a look at your job.

Questions about concrete work in Lakeland South

These are the questions Lakeland South homeowners ask about permits, licensing, ground and price before a concrete job. If yours isn't here, call or send the form and I'll answer it.

Do I need a permit to pour a concrete patio or driveway in Lakeland South?

We find that out for your job before we schedule anything, and if it needs a permit, we handle the application. The county's summary of exempt work lists items like fences under 6 feet high and decks under 30 inches above grade, with exceptions, so don't go by what a neighbor was told for a different project. Bring it up at the estimate and I'll look into it.

What bond and insurance does a concrete contractor need in Washington?

Washington requires a $15,000 bond for a specialty contractor and $30,000 for a general contractor, plus general liability insurance of $200,000 public liability and $50,000 property damage, or a $250,000 combined single limit. A specialty contractor can only work in the specialty it's registered for and can't hire subcontractors. We're fully licensed and insured, and you can ask about it at the estimate.

Which building code applies to concrete work in unincorporated King County?

The Washington State Building Code applies, and county applications deemed complete on or after March 15, 2024 fall under the 2021 edition with state and county amendments. The county council has a public hearing set for December 1, 2026, on a proposal to adopt the 2021 state building, fire and energy codes for unincorporated King County with local amendments. We build footings, slabs and foundations to the version your permit falls under.

How do I find out if my lot in Lakeland South is in a landslide hazard area?

King County publishes a map of potential landslide hazard areas, but the county says the map doesn't claim to identify actual hazards or the risk on any specific property. Depending on what you're building, a site evaluation by a licensed geological engineer may be recommended, which matters most for retaining walls, foundations and work on a slope. If I see a slope at the estimate that needs an engineer before we dig, I'll tell you up front.

How do I get an accurate price for a concrete driveway in Lakeland South?

Have me look at it in person, because the things that swing a driveway price most, the old slab, the base under it and how the truck gets in, only show up on site. I'll write the estimate there and walk you through what drives the number. If the budget's tight, you'll see where trimming the finish saves money without touching the base.

How long does a new concrete driveway need before I can drive on it?

Longer than it needs before you can walk on it, because the concrete keeps curing for days after the pour and needs that strength before it carries a car. We'll tell you when it's ready for foot traffic and when it's ready for the car, and plan with you where to park until then. Pouring early in the day helps the top cure hard instead of turning weak and dusty.

Service areas

Besides Lakeland South, we work in Federal Way and the cities around it, from Burien and SeaTac to Tacoma, Auburn, Renton and plenty in between. If you don't see your city listed, call (253) 652-2604 or send the form and ask.

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(253) 652-2604Get an estimate