Concrete Contractor in Fife, WA - Slabs Set Up for Where the Water Goes
Cornerstone Tacoma Concrete is a concrete contractor based in Tacoma, and we pour driveways, patios, sidewalks, steps and footings for homes and businesses in Fife, from the first look at your lot to the final cleanup.
Get a concrete estimate for your Fife property
I walk your slab with you, check where the water runs and look at what's underneath.
Fife, where the flood maps shape the job
Fife sits between Tacoma and Federal Way, and our jobs there are a mix of family homes and business properties, often on the same stretch of road. Homeowners call about driveways that have dropped at one corner, patios that hold a puddle by the back door and front walks that have lifted, while business owners call about lots and footings. Most of those problems usually started underneath, with a base that was raked level instead of dug out and packed, so the slab settled right along with the dirt.
Parts of Fife also show up on the flood maps, which I cover in the questions below, and that's one more reason I look hard at where water goes on your lot before we set a single form. A slab that falls toward the house keeps sending water at your foundation, so we get the slope right first and cut control joints, the grooves that give a slab a planned place to crack, while the concrete is still young enough for them to work.
Working in Fife: who signs off and what moves the price
In Fife, building permits come from the city's building official, and before we start I check what your address and your job will need and what the city wants to see. When a permit applies we handle the paperwork, and if it's one you have to get as the owner, I tell you what to bring. The city's online permitting page has a table that shows which permit fits a job and which department handles it. A permit and its inspection set the earliest day we can pour, so they go on the schedule first. Before you hire anyone, ask for their registration with the state Department of Labor & Industries and whether their business license carries a Fife city endorsement, since Fife is on the state Department of Revenue's endorsement list. We're fully licensed and insured.
Price comes down to the size and thickness of the slab, whether old concrete has to come out first, how much digging and packing the subgrade under it needs, and how close the truck can get, because a tight backyard means a pump or a lot of wheelbarrows. Finish moves it too. A broom finish, the light brushed texture that gives shoes and tires grip, costs less than stamped or colored work, and if the budget gets tight I'll tell you to trim the finish before the base, because nobody sees the base on day one and it's what decides whether the slab sinks later. The schedule turns on the permit, the city's inspection days and the curing, the wait while the concrete hardens before you can walk on it and the longer wait before you drive on it. It's the same way we work in Lakewood, and the written estimate I leave you spells out your own figure.
Services in Fife, WA
Concrete driveway building
Sunk or cracked driveways are a common Fife call, usually because the old base was raked flat, not packed. We dig it out, rebuild the base and pour fresh.
Concrete patio construction
Patios that pool water or tip toward the house are a common Fife backyard fix. We set the slope so water runs away from your walls before we pour.
Concrete sidewalk building
Cracked or lifted walks along Fife frontages turn into trip hazards. Our concrete sidewalk building covers tear-out, a packed base and a fresh broom finish.
Concrete steps construction
Front steps on Fife homes often pull away or crumble at the edges. We form and pour new steps with rebar, steel bars that hold the concrete together.
Concrete parking lot building
Business lots in Fife take truck and delivery traffic a home driveway rarely sees. We build them thicker, on a deeper base, so the weight spreads out.
Concrete footings
Additions, garages and sheds on Fife lots start with footings, the wide concrete base a wall sits on. We dig down and pour them square so framing goes up true.
Get a written estimate for your Fife job
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set a time, then I come out to your Fife property myself to look at the job. The estimate is free, done on site and handed to you in writing, with no pressure and no obligation, so you can take your time with it.
- Phone
- (253) 354-0081
- Location
- Tacoma, WA 98402
- Hours
- Mon–Sun: 7 AM–10 PM
- Credentials
- Fully licensed and insured.
What Fife homeowners can count on
We're a concrete contractor based in Tacoma, WA, since 2017, covering 16 services across 12 service areas on this site and other cities nearby. Estimates are free and in person, and it's satisfaction guaranteed on every job.
- Based in
- WA
- Tacoma
- Services
- 16
- Service areas
- 12
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- Replies within 1 business day.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my concrete job needs a permit in Fife?
Ask the city before work starts, because Fife's permit rule says you apply before you build, enlarge, alter, repair, move or demolish a building or structure, so repair work isn't automatically left out. The rule lists exceptions from the building and residential codes, which is why we look at your exact job before saying anything. The city's permitting FAQ also notes that any fee it calculates is an estimate until you apply, and that the building permit fee doesn't cover other charges such as impact fees.
How long does it take to get a building inspection in Fife?
A request made by 4:00 PM can be booked for the next day, as long as that day is an inspection day. The city's public portal lists inspections Monday and Thursday mornings and afternoons and Wednesday mornings only, with none on Tuesday or Friday, and the city prefers you schedule through its Online Permit Center. The city's FAQ gives a different schedule, so we confirm the day before we plan a pour around it.
How do I check if a concrete contractor is registered in Washington?
Ask for their registration with the state Department of Labor & Industries, because state law requires every construction contractor to register there and to be bonded and insured. To register, a general contractor buys a $30,000 surety bond and a specialty contractor a $15,000 one, and each carries liability insurance of $200,000 for public liability and $50,000 for property damage, or a $250,000 combined single limit. On any home job of $1,000 or more, the contractor also has to hand you the state's disclosure notice to customer.
Which flood maps cover Fife, WA?
Fife is covered by FEMA's Flood Insurance Rate Maps for all of Pierce County, which the city posts on its flood maps page. They mark flood zones, base flood elevations and the regulatory floodway, and Fife's maps also show a new seclusion area tied to a levee that isn't accredited, which the city says will be reviewed and may be revised. If water around your house worries you, Pierce County's flooding staff talk through drainage problems, give retrofitting advice and will do a site visit on request at (253)798-2725.
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Fife?
Your cost comes from the size and thickness of the slab, whether the old concrete comes out, how much base work it needs and the finish you pick, so the real number comes from a written estimate on site. Permit fees are separate if your job needs a permit. When I come out, I'll show you which choices move the price most for your driveway.
Who has to fix the sidewalk in front of my house in Fife?
You do, because Fife's city code makes the owner of the property next to a sidewalk responsible for repairing and maintaining it. Digging, staging equipment or setting things in the street right-of-way also needs a street use permit from the city, which matters when forms or a truck sit along the curb. When we replace a walk and that permit applies, we handle the paperwork as part of the job.
Book your Fife concrete estimate today
Tight backyards, sloped lots and half-started fixes are the jobs we like, so call (253) 354-0081 or send the form.