Concrete Services in Burien
Burien sits in southwest King County between Seattle and SeaTac airport. The housing stock skews older — many mid-century single-family homes on tree-lined streets, with original concrete approaching or past the 50-year mark. The neighborhoods near Three Tree Point and Seahurst Park add bluff-edge lots where slope, drainage, and foundation work are the dominant concerns.
Concrete topics for Burien homeowners
Popular Concrete Services in Burien
Aging concrete on mid-century homes
The most common Burien residential call is a driveway, walkway, or patio that was poured in the 1950s or 1960s and is now showing wide cracks, scaling, and settlement. The honest answer is often replacement rather than repair — the original slabs were typically thin, lightly reinforced, and placed on minimal base. Our leveling vs. replacement guide covers how to decide for a specific surface.
Bluff-edge foundations and drainage
Homes near the Puget Sound bluff have foundation and drainage considerations that flat-lot homes do not. Subsurface drainage and properly designed retaining walls protect the slope from saturation in the wet season; foundation work on bluff-adjacent lots may trigger critical area review under BMC 19.40 (Seattle's equivalent process is covered in the ECA review guide). Any estimate for work near a bluff edge should start with the slope and where its water goes.
Permits in Burien
Burien issues its own permits through the city Permit Center, and applications go through MyBuildingPermit. Work in the public right-of-way needs a right-of-way use permit reviewed by Public Works; curb cuts, paving, and sidewalks fall under the Type C permit for disturbing the right-of-way, and applications are due at least 30 days before the work.
On private property, the city's exemption list covers driveways and sidewalks that are not part of an accessible route, retaining walls 4 feet or less (bottom of footing to top of wall) that don't support a surcharge, and small grading jobs under 50 cubic yards. Those exemptions don't apply where critical area review is required, and paving or grading in a critical area or its buffer is reviewed under BMC 19.40. Lots within 200 feet of Puget Sound or Lake Burien fall under the Shoreline Master Program.
Burien concrete FAQs
Do I need a permit to replace a driveway in Burien?
On your own lot, a driveway that is not part of an accessible route is on Burien's list of work exempt from a building permit, unless the property is in an area that requires critical area review. The approach and curb cut in the street right-of-way are different: that work needs a Type C right-of-way permit from Public Works, and the work must begin within 90 days and be completed within 180 days of issuance.
When does a retaining wall need a permit in Burien?
A retaining wall needs a building permit if it is taller than 4 feet measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall, or if it supports a surcharge. Shorter walls lose that exemption in a special flood hazard area or an area that requires critical area review. When retaining walls are part of a clearing and grading submittal, the city asks for stamped engineered plans with calculations.
What extra review applies to concrete work near the Burien bluff or Lake Burien?
Grading, paving, and construction in a critical area or its buffer count as alterations that need critical area review under BMC 19.40 unless the work qualifies for an exemption. Land within 200 feet of the ordinary high water mark of Puget Sound or Lake Burien is in shoreline jurisdiction. Burien also requires a geotechnical report when a proposed structure is on or next to a steep slope or on a lot bordering Lake Burien.
Nearby service areas
We also pour, repair, and replace concrete in the communities around Burien:
Call (206) 552-9998 for a free on-site estimate in Burien.
