Cicarelli Contractors, a CSLB-licensed general contractor (License #1109419) based in Richmond, California, serves 12 cities in Alameda County, 10 miles from our base, with pool removal, demolition, excavation, pavers, retaining walls and artificial turf. We pull the permits and send a written quote within 24 hours.
East Bay
Alameda County starts a few minutes south of our Richmond base. Albany and Berkeley border western Contra Costa, so the crew is in the East Bay flats and hills every week, from Oakland and the island city of Alameda down to Fremont.
On hillside lots in Berkeley and Oakland, a patio or ADU pad can need grading, drainage and a retaining wall first. Oakland publishes detailed demolition and grading rules, including a seasonal limit on grading, so the timing of a project matters here.
Alameda County services
From Berkeley hillsides to Livermore backyards, we work as the paver and concrete contractor Oakland homeowners search for, and as the general contractor that pulls the permit.
Get A Free EstimatePool removal in Livermore, Fremont, Pleasanton and Oakland with the city demolition permit, haul-off and compacted backfill. Our Fremont pool demolition is on video.
Learn more about pool removal in livermore and fremont
Need a concrete contractor in Oakland? We remove and replace driveways, patios and slabs, with grading scheduled around Oakland's October 15 to April 15 limit.
Learn more about concrete contractor in oakland
Paver driveways, patios and front walks in Oakland, Berkeley, Dublin and Livermore, set on a compacted base with clean borders and a written quote in 24 hours.
Learn more about pavers in oakland and livermore
Hillside retaining walls that create level ground on Oakland and Berkeley lots, with drainage behind the wall and the grading permit when the city requires one.
Learn more about retaining walls for oakland and berkeley hills
Artificial turf installation for Livermore, Pleasanton, Dublin and Oakland yards: a drained, compacted base and turf that handles Tri-Valley summer heat without watering.
Learn more about artificial turf in livermore and oakland
Covered patios, outdoor kitchens and fire pits for Alameda County homes, built by one crew after the old pool or concrete is gone.
Learn more about outdoor kitchens and patios, east bay
Filmed in the East Bay
The first clip is a pool demolition in Fremont, in southern Alameda County. Next to it: a San Ramon pool removal, a Walnut Creek retaining wall and a Hillsborough pool job by the same crew.
Watch On YouTubeEast Bay trust
From 45 Google reviews
Alameda County cities
Years in the trade
B General Building License #1109419 from the CSLB, backed by an active bond.
We measure on site in Oakland, Fremont or the Tri-Valley and send the written number the next day.
Planning approval, demolition permits and the October to April grading limit are built into our schedule.
A workmanship warranty from the date of completion, in writing.
Real results
Slide to compare before and after on real Cicarelli jobs, the kind of change we bring to Oakland, Berkeley and Fremont backyards.
See All Projects
BeforeAfterBurlingame · Pool removal, pavers and turf
BeforeAfterArtificial turf and pavers
BeforeAfterPaver patio over the old pool area
Our East Bay process
Clear steps and one point of contact, whether your permit comes from Oakland, Fremont or the Alameda County Permit Portal.
Start With A Free EstimateWe look at access, soil and slope, which matters on Berkeley and Oakland hill lots.
You get a written estimate within 24 hours and a plan for permits and the season.
We file with your city or the county portal, including Planning approval where Oakland requires it.
The pool or slab comes out, debris is hauled away and grading happens in the dry months.
Pavers, walls, turf or a covered patio go in, and the site is left clean.
The city signs off, and your 1-year workmanship warranty starts at completion.
Two of our Google reviews, word for word, picked for Alameda County homeowners comparing contractors.
Cicarelli just completed our pool demolition job promptly and professionally. I was very pleased that he was able to start so quickly. And I would recommend him. It was very convenient for me that he was able to text me updates and send me photos along the way of the work done. Super for the great work completed!
We recently hired Cicarelli Contractors to remove our old, unused pool, and we couldn’t be more pleased with the results! From the start, their team was professional, punctual, and extremely knowledgeable. They walked us through the entire process, providing clear explanations and a fair estimate.
Cities with their own page are linked; the rest are served too.
A city on the east shore of the Bay, between Albany and Oakland, named after the philosopher George Berkeley, with neighborhoods from the flats to the hills.
Services in Berkeley
A small city on the east shore of the Bay in northwestern Alameda County, bordering Richmond and El Cerrito. Population 20,271.
Services in Albany
The Alameda county seat and largest city in the East Bay, with Lake Merritt at its center and detailed demolition and grading rules. Population 440,646.
Services in Oakland
An island city in San Francisco Bay, built on Alameda Island, Bay Farm Island and Coast Guard Island. Its name means "tree-lined path". Population 78,280.
Services in Alameda
The fourth most populous city in the Bay Area and the closest East Bay city to Silicon Valley, below Mission Peak. Population 230,504.
Services in Fremont
The third-largest city in Alameda County, between San Leandro and Union City, from bay flats up into the hills. Population 162,954.
Free estimate in Hayward
A city between Oakland and Hayward, named for Saint Leander, bordering Castro Valley and Ashland. Population 91,008.
Free estimate in San Leandro
A Tri-Valley city in the Amador Valley, at the junction of I-580 and I-680, about 23 miles east of downtown Oakland.
Free estimate in Dublin
An Amador Valley suburb in the Tri-Valley, south of Dublin and west of Livermore. Population 79,871.
Free estimate in Pleasanton
The most populous city in the Tri-Valley, on the eastern edge of the Bay Area, named after rancher Robert Livermore. Population 87,955.
Free estimate in Livermore
A city surrounded by Fremont, incorporated in 1955, part of the Tri-City Area with Fremont and Union City.
Free estimate in Newark
A Tri-City Area city incorporated in 1959 from Alvarado and Decoto, about 19 miles south of Oakland. Population 70,143.
Free estimate in Union CityThe 12 cities we serve in Alameda County. Tap a pin or a name for details.
Permits
In Alameda County, the city where the home sits issues the building or demolition permit. Homes in unincorporated areas get it from the county instead, through Alameda County Public Works permits. Each office sets its own fees, plans and inspections, and Cicarelli Contractors pulls the permit and schedules every inspection.
Compare Alameda County with other Bay Area cities in our pool demolition permit guide.
Local guide
A pool removal or backyard project in Alameda County starts with one question: who issues the permit. Across the 12 cities we serve in Alameda County, the city building department issues it; in unincorporated areas, Alameda County Public Works permits does. Cicarelli Contractors, a CSLB-licensed general contractor based in Richmond, pulls the permit, schedules the inspections, removes the pool or concrete and builds what comes next with the same crew.
It depends on the city and the season. A simple demolition permit moves faster than a project that needs plan review, and in Oakland, grading approval is normally not granted from October 15 to April 15 except for emergency stabilization. Plan earthwork for the dry season.
For a job in Berkeley, Albany and Oakland, the written estimate from Cicarelli Contractors lists the permit, the inspections and the order of the work, and the crew sends photo updates while it is underway. See the official Alameda County Public Works permits site for current processing notes.
Plan on one. Bay Area cities treat pool removal and fill-in as demolition, and Oakland says all demolitions need Planning approval and a Building Permit before work begins. In unincorporated Alameda County, the Public Works Agency takes the application through the Alameda County Permit Portal.
Keep the permit and the final inspection with your house records in Berkeley and Albany; buyers and future contractors ask for them. More on the pool removal page.
A lawn or turf can go over a partial removal, while an ADU, an addition or deck footings need a full removal with compacted fill. In Oakland, plan any grading for mid-April to mid-October, because grading approval is normally not granted during the wet weather moratorium.
| Where | Rule |
|---|---|
| Oakland, demolition | Planning approval and a Building Permit before any demolition begins |
| Oakland, grading | Permit triggers include fill over 50 cubic yards on slopes over 20 percent; no grading approval Oct 15 to Apr 15, except emergencies |
| Unincorporated Alameda County | Apply through the Alameda County Permit Portal (Public Works Agency) |
If grading over Oakland's thresholds is needed, such as fill over 50 cubic yards on a slope over 20 percent, a grading permit comes first. Compare full pool removal, artificial turf and paver patios, or read what you can build after a partial removal.
Updated · By Athalyson Bernardo, Owner of Cicarelli Contractors
FAQ
Share your Alameda County address by phone or text, Monday to Saturday from 9 am to 5 pm, or browse the full FAQ.
Call (650) 404-7049Yes. Cicarelli Contractors works in 12 cities in Alameda County, including Berkeley, Albany, Oakland, Alameda, Fremont and Hayward. Unincorporated communities in the county can usually be confirmed with a quick call. Every job starts with a free on-site estimate and a written quote within 24 hours.
Yes. California's Contractors State License Board licenses this work under classifications such as B General Building, C-21 Building Moving and Demolition and C-53 Swimming Pool. Cicarelli Contractors holds B license #1109419. Before you hire anyone in Alameda County, ask for the license number and look it up on the CSLB website.
In unincorporated Alameda County, apply through the Alameda County Permit Portal run by the Public Works Agency, which also handles plans, inspection scheduling and permit status. In Oakland, Berkeley or another city, apply to that city's building department. Cicarelli Contractors prepares the application, pulls the permit and schedules the inspections.
It depends on the pool, the access and the season. In Oakland, a job that needs a grading permit is normally not approved between October 15 and April 15, so it is scheduled for the dry months. A demolition that needs Planning approval also waits for that sign-off.
Usually not. Oakland runs a wet weather grading moratorium from October 15 to April 15, and grading approval is normally not granted in that period except for emergency stabilization. Projects that need a grading permit in Oakland are best planned for the dry season, from mid-April to mid-October.
Send photos of your yard and your address in Berkeley, Albany and Oakland or anywhere else in Alameda County through the free estimate form, or call or text (650) 404-7049. Cicarelli Contractors visits, measures the work and sends a written quote within 24 hours that lists the work, the permit and the schedule.
