Self-Leveling Concrete & Overlays in Pleasanton CA - a level base for your new floor
Dips and humps in the slab will show through new tile, vinyl or wood. We test, prep and pour a level base first.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free quotes on site.
- We respond within 1 business day.
Do I need self-leveling concrete before new flooring?
Self-leveling concrete is a thin layer we pour over an indoor slab in Pleasanton so your new floor has a level base. Tile, vinyl, wood or a coating then sits flat instead of following every dip and hump in the old concrete. Most of the job is testing and prep, not the pour.
Usually you've pulled up carpet or tile and found a slab with low spots, high spots or old patched cracks, and the floor you picked needs something flatter to sit on. The price moves with the square footage, how deep the low spots run and how much prep comes first, like taking off old glue or grinding the surface. The schedule turns on the slab tests and on keeping the room closed off while the layer cures. I'll look at the floor and put the price in writing at the estimate, and if you're asking about an overlay instead, bring it up then and I'll tell you what fits your slab.
How we do self-leveling concrete and overlays
We use self-leveling on indoor floors, and most of the job happens before anything gets mixed. If there's old flooring glue on the slab, we have it tested before anything else, because the result decides how it comes off. Next we test the concrete for moisture, since one maker ties those readings to which underlayment is the right one, and picking a product before the numbers are in is guessing. We map every joint and crack and plan how each one carries up through the new layer, so the slab's movement doesn't end up as a crack in your finished floor. Then our crew grinds and cleans the surface, primes it and pours the layer out to a flat, level finish.
Some floors need other work first. If tile, carpet glue or an old coating is still on the slab, we take it up with concrete floor stripping and removal before the testing and the pour. Self-leveling is indoor work, so if the rough concrete you're worried about is around the pool, that's a job for pool deck coatings and resurfacing instead.
Full-room leveling pour
This suits a room where the slab is off across the whole floor, often after old carpet or tile comes up, and you're putting down tile, vinyl, wood or a coating. One continuous pour gives the whole room the same flat base, so the new floor lies flat from wall to wall.
Leveling low spots and transitions
This suits a floor that's mostly sound but has a dip in one area or a step where two rooms meet. We level just those areas and feather them into the slab around them, which keeps the cost down when the rest of the floor is already flat enough.
Permits and licensing for self-leveling concrete in Pleasanton
In Pleasanton, the city's building official issues permits to alter a building, and the city's list of work that doesn't need one names carpeting and similar finish work but doesn't mention self-leveling or overlays. That list doesn't settle your job either way, so we check with the city's building office before we start and take care of the permit if one's needed. The city also notes that a planning or zoning permit can still be required when a building permit isn't. On the licence side, the state license board's concrete contractor class covers pouring and finishing flat concrete, and its flooring contractor class covers preparing any surface for flooring, so it's fair to ask anyone you're comparing which licence covers the work.
We're based in Pleasanton and take jobs in the cities around it, homes and commercial spaces alike. Most leveling calls start with carpet or tile coming up in an older house and a slab underneath that dips toward a corner or has patched cracks, which is when the glue test and the crack plan matter most. We see the same kinds of floors on jobs in Dublin and Livermore, and we prep them the same way.
Why Pleasanton homeowners call Artisan Epoxy Flooring of Pleasanton for self-leveling
I come to your estimate
I look at the slab myself and I run the crew that does the work, so the person who planned your floor is there when it's poured. If self-leveling isn't a good fit for your floor or your budget, I'll tell you on that first visit.
Testing comes before pouring
Before starting this business in 2021, I ran a commercial cleaning company and spent years on floors that peeled and wore through, and most of them were let down by the prep. That's why we test the slab, check the glue and plan the cracks before we pour, even when it means more time on the front end.
Licensed, insured, based in Pleasanton
We're licensed and fully insured. We're based in Pleasanton, and since the city's permit list doesn't name leveling work, we ask the building office before your floor goes down, not after.
Not sure your slab is ready for a leveling pour? Send us a note or call (925) 209-2459, and I'll come take a look.
Request a quoteGet a written estimate for leveling your floor
We reply within one business day to set a time for me to come out. The estimate is free, on site and obligation-free. I look at the slab, talk through the options with you and put the price in writing.
What happens after you call about leveling a floor in Pleasanton?
Call or send the form
Call (925) 209-2459 or fill out the form, and we'll set a time for me to see the floor. If you know there's old glue or tile under the carpet, mention it then.
I look at your slab
I come out myself, look at the slab and ask how you use the room and what's going on top. You get a written estimate that spells out the testing, prep and pour, so you can see what's driving the price.
We test, prep and pour
Once you pick a system, we set the date around the testing and prep, and our own crew handles all of it through the pour. That day, plan on doors and windows shut, blinds closed and the heating and cooling off, since one maker's steps keep drafts and direct sun off the layer until it cures.
We walk the floor together
When the work is done, we walk the floor with you and go over anything you want to look at. You'll know the base is flat before the new flooring goes down.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to level a concrete floor?
Across the US, leveling a concrete floor with self-leveling compound usually runs about $5 to $7 per square foot installed. That's the going national range, not our price, and the prep your slab needs moves where a job lands. I'll put your number in writing after I see the floor.
Can self-leveling concrete go outside on a patio?
Self-leveling underlayment is meant for indoor floors. One maker's guide says these underlayments are for interior use only, and we use them inside. If you have an outdoor slab in mind, ask me at the estimate what fits it.
Will cracks in my slab show through self-leveling concrete?
They can, if the joints or cracks underneath are still moving. One maker warns that moving joints and cracks in the base floor can transfer up through a self-leveling layer and crack the finished flooring, and its guidance carries active joints up through the underlayment and the floor covering. Another maker notes that repairing a crack only subdues it, so repair lowers the odds of it showing, but it works alongside a joint plan, not in place of one.
What is the best way to deal with old flooring glue before leveling a floor?
Have it tested for asbestos before anyone scrapes or sands it. One maker warns that all cutback adhesive, a type of old flooring glue, should be tested for asbestos before removal, and that cutback containing asbestos is left unsanded. We have that test done first, and the result decides how the floor gets prepped.
How long does self-leveling concrete take before I can walk on it?
Plan on at least 2 to 3 hours before anyone walks on it, going by one maker's guide. The exact wait depends on temperature and humidity that day, so we'll tell you when the room is ready for foot traffic.
Do I need a permit to level a floor in Pleasanton?
The city's permit exemption list doesn't name self-leveling work, so we check with the building office before we start and get the permit if one's needed. Pleasanton also says work that's exempt from a permit still has to meet the state building code and the city's municipal code.
Other floor work that often goes with leveling
Concrete Floor Stripping & Removal
When carpet glue, old tile mastic or a worn coating is still stuck to the slab, stripping it off first gives the new leveling layer clean concrete to grab onto.
Pool Deck Coatings & Resurfacing
Self-leveling is for indoor rooms, so a rough, stained or worn surface around your pool calls for a deck coating or resurfacing system made for outdoor concrete and wet bare feet.
Pleasanton, CA
Find out if your slab is ready
Have the room's square footage, what's on the floor now, photos of any cracks and a note about old glue handy, and we can plan the visit around what your floor needs.