Walnut Creek Truefinish Epoxy FloorsWalnut Creek Truefinish Epoxy Floors(925) 433-7858
Walnut Creek Truefinish Epoxy Floors
(925) 433-7858Get an estimate

Flooring Contractor in Berkeley, CA - Garage and Basement Floors Built on Good Prep

Walnut Creek Truefinish Epoxy Floors is a flooring contractor based in Walnut Creek. In Berkeley we coat, polish and resurface concrete in garages, basements, patios and pool decks, and on shop floors.

Get an estimate(925) 433-7858
Brown stained concrete patio with a geometric border beside a house and lawn.

How Berkeley looks from inside its garages and basements

Berkeley runs from flat blocks near the bay up into the Berkeley Hills, and the floors change along the way. Lower down, it's often garages and basements under older houses, plus small shops and kitchens that need a floor to stand up to daily work. Higher up, in neighborhoods like Northbrae and along the hill streets, the garage tends to sit under the house at the bottom of a steep drive. We're based in Walnut Creek and work across the cities around it, from Pleasant Hill to Oakland right next door.

That ground shapes the job before any coating goes down. It decides how much old finish we grind off an older slab, and how we get set up on a tight hillside lot while your family keeps living in the house.

Floor services we offer in Berkeley

Homeowners call us for garages, basements, patios and pool decks, and business owners call us for shop and kitchen floors. We offer every service below in Berkeley. Each job starts with me looking at the slab in person, because what's already on it and what's under it decides which system makes sense. From there we pick the prep and the finish together, so you know why we're recommending a coating, a polish or an overlay before any work begins.

What these floors look like once they're done

These photos show the kinds of floors we put down, from coated garages to polished slabs and resurfaced pool decks. They're examples of the work, so ask what any of them would take on your own slab.

  • Glossy red industrial floor surrounds rows of stainless steel tanks and processing equipment in a brightly lit facility.

  • Close-up of a gray speckled concrete floor with two diagonal control joints crossing.

  • Close-up of a glossy metallic epoxy floor with flowing black, white, and bronze swirls.

Working in Berkeley: what to know before the floor work starts

Before we grind anything in Berkeley, there are a few things worth sorting out with the city and with us. Here's who handles permits, what you can check about a contractor and what moves your price.

Permits and licenses the city asks about

In Berkeley, building permits come from the city's Permit Service Center, which issues them for construction and most repairs. Its list of exempt work names painting, tiling, carpeting and similar finish work, but it doesn't name floor coatings or polishing either way. So before work starts, I check with the city and tell you what I find, because if a permit is needed, the start date waits on it.

Two things are worth checking on any contractor you talk to. California's Contractors State License Board licenses contractors, and the FAQ below covers when that applies. The city also requires a business license of anyone operating in Berkeley, and it names contractors who apply for building permits. We're fully licensed and insured, so ask us about either one.

  • We check permit questions with the city before any work starts.
  • Ask any contractor for their state license before you take a bid.
  • Ask whether they hold a Berkeley business license for working in the city.

What moves the price and the schedule

Price mostly follows the slab. Size matters, but so does how much prep it needs, like old paint or sealer to grind off, cracks and pits to fill and moisture to deal with in a basement. The system you pick counts too, because a sealer, a polished slab and a full epoxy coating are different jobs. Tight access, like a garage at the foot of a steep drive, adds time.

The schedule turns on three things: whether the city wants a permit, how much prep the slab needs and how long each coat has to cure before the next one goes down or you drive on it. I can't judge any of that over the phone, so your own price and timing come from me looking at your floor in person.

  • A bigger floor costs more, but prep usually moves the price most.
  • Polished concrete, sealers and full coatings each carry a different price.
  • Cure time between coats decides when you get your garage back.

Get a free on-site estimate for your Berkeley floor

Call (925) 433-7858 or send the form, and we'll reply within one business day. I then come out to your Berkeley home or business myself to look at the slab, explain what I see and check any permit question with the city before work starts. The estimate is free, done on site and comes with no obligation.

(925) 433-7858

What Berkeley houses and slabs ask of a new floor

Berkeley's floors come with their own quirks, from garages built into hillsides to basements that have seen decades of use. Here's what we look for on these properties and how it changes the job.

  • Garages under hillside homes

    Up in the Berkeley Hills, many garages sit under the house or at the bottom of a steep drive. That changes how we get grinders, vacuums and materials in, and where dust and fumes go, so we plan the setup and airflow before the first day.

  • Slabs with layers of history

    Older garage and basement slabs here usually carry something, whether it's paint, an old sealer, soaked-in oil or patches from past repairs. A new coating won't bond well to any of that, so we grind it off and check the surface before anything new goes down.

  • Cracks worth a closer look

    Berkeley sits close to major earthquake faults, and most slabs carry a few cracks no matter where they are. Before we coat, I look at each one to judge whether it's still moving, because a moving crack that's simply filled over can show back through the new floor.

  • Basements that hold moisture

    Basements in older houses here tend to stay cool, and moisture can work up through a slab with no barrier under it. That moisture can lift a coating from below, so we test basement floors first and pick a system that suits what we find.

  • Shops and kitchens that work hard

    Business owners call us about shop floors and commercial kitchens too, where carts, hot water and harsh cleaners wear a floor down fast. We ask how the space gets used each day before we suggest a system, because the right floor for a shop isn't always right for a kitchen.

What you get when we take on your floor

I started this business in 2021 to work in homes people actually live in, and that shapes how we run every job. Here's what that means when you're choosing who works on your floor.

We explain your slab before we touch it

Before any grinder comes off the truck, I walk the floor with you and show you what I see, like old coatings, cracks, stains and signs of moisture. I spent my first years in the trade coating slabs in new buildings nobody had moved into yet, and that taught me how much the prep decides how a floor holds up.

I'd rather you understand your own floor well enough to make the call yourself. If a sealer or a polished slab makes more sense than a full coating, I'll say so and explain why. If you're getting other bids, you'll also know what to ask, like how they'll prep the slab and what they'll do about cracks.

  • I look at every job myself

    I come out to look at every job myself, and our trained installers do the work with me on site. The person who looked at your slab and explained the plan is the same one watching the prep, so the plan carries through from the first visit to the finished floor.

  • Permit questions checked up front

    When a floor job might need a permit, we check with the office that covers your address before work starts and tell you what we find. That way you know where things stand before anyone grinds a slab, and the start date doesn't catch you off guard.

  • Licensed in California, insured on every job

    We're fully licensed and insured, and you're welcome to ask about both before you decide. Licensing is how the state holds contractors to its rules, and insurance is there if something goes wrong on your property while our crew is working.

  • Satisfaction guaranteed on every job

    Satisfaction guaranteed on every job. We walk the finished floor with you so you can point out anything that isn't right while we're still there. When you're ready to talk about your floor, call (925) 433-7858 or use the form on this page.

Questions Berkeley homeowners ask about floor coating

Here are straight answers to what Berkeley homeowners usually want to know before a floor project. If yours isn't here, call and ask, and I'll walk you through it.

Does plumbing or gas work near my garage floor need a permit in Berkeley?

Yes, in Berkeley any work that installs, alters, repairs, removes or replaces an electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing system needs a permit. The city's list of exempt work lets you stop a leak in a drain pipe without one, but replacing a concealed drain, water or vent pipe needs a permit. If moving a water heater or a floor drain is part of your plan, settle that work first, because the new floor goes down last.

How do I check that a flooring contractor is licensed in California?

Ask for their state license before they bid, because contractors are licensed by the state board before they submit bids. A license applies when the job needs a building permit, uses any additional workers, or costs $1,000 or more in labor and materials. For work in Berkeley, also ask whether they hold the city's business license.

How much does it cost to coat a garage floor in Berkeley?

There's no single price, because what your garage floor costs depends mostly on the slab and the system you pick. A sealer or a polished slab usually costs less than a full epoxy or polyaspartic coating, and metallic epoxy runs higher because of the extra labor in the finish. Prep and access move it from there, as covered above, so the real number comes from me seeing your floor.

What causes an epoxy garage floor to peel in Berkeley homes?

Peeling usually comes from poor prep, where the coating went on over paint, sealer, oil or a slick surface it couldn't grip. Moisture coming up through the slab is the other common cause, especially in basements and garages built into a hillside. That's why we grind to clean concrete and check for moisture before choosing a coating.

Service areas

We're based in Walnut Creek and work in Berkeley and across the cities around it, including the ones listed here. If your city isn't on the list, call (925) 433-7858 and ask.

Ask about your location
(925) 433-7858Get an estimate