General Contracting · Tacoma to the Eastside · Veteran-Owned · WA L&I #BIGSTSG760LQ
Big Star General Contracting
Veteran-Owned
Service · 05 of 09

Concrete & land prep

Foundations, driveways, patios, cart paths. The difference between concrete that lasts thirty years and concrete that cracks in three is the environmental factors most contractors don't account for — soil prep, expansion joints, slope, mix specification. We do.

Concrete is one of the easiest construction materials to do badly and one of the hardest to do right. Pour it on improperly prepared soil and it cracks. Skip the expansion joints and it cracks. Get the slope wrong and it pools water that freeze-thaws into damage. Specify the wrong mix for the application and it spalls within two years. The 'concrete contractor' who quoted you 30% less than us is going to save you money today and cost you the entire driveway by year five. We know this because we've watched it happen to homeowners who hired the cheap option. We pour to last.

Soil preparation is the job

Most concrete failures trace back to inadequate base preparation. We compact the subgrade in lifts, lay properly graded crushed rock base, and verify drainage before a single yard of concrete arrives on site. The pour itself takes a day. The prep takes longer than that.

Mix specification

Driveways need different mix specifications than patios, which need different specs than foundation walls. We specify mix design, slump, and air entrainment based on the application and the climate. Pacific Northwest concrete needs higher air entrainment than Arizona concrete because of freeze-thaw cycles.

Expansion joints, control joints, slope

Three details most contractors handle as afterthoughts. We size and place them deliberately. The result is concrete that cracks where we want it to crack — at the joints — rather than diagonally across the slab.

Ready to discuss your project?

Every project starts with an on-site consultation. Book yours on Calendly — $300 up front, applied to your project if you book with us, $200 credit if you don't.

Start a project

Book your on-site project consultation.

We deliver top-quality work that lasts. Many imposters promise the world, only to leave you discovering later about the shortcuts they took to beat the lowest bid. Those shortcuts save you today and cost you plenty tomorrow.

We are licensed, insured, and bonded. Let our 30 years of vast planning and construction expertise guide your project to a successful outcome — on time and on budget. We excel at project management to contain pricing sprawl and protect delivery timelines.

How it works

Book your $300 on-site consultation. If you book the project with us, the $300 is applied toward your purchase. If you don't, you receive $200 in Big Star credit good toward any future project.

A real on-site visit by a real builder. Not a sales pitch from a phone-bank quoter.

On-site project consultation
$300
applied to your project · or $200 credit if you don't book
  • On-site walkthrough of your property and project scope
  • Direct conversation with Joel — not a phone-bank quoter
  • Written quote within 48 hours of the visit
  • Materials specification and timeline planning included
  • License, insurance, and bond verification on request
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