Excavation and structural site work
Foundations and retaining walls in the Bay Area.
Excavation, new foundations, foundation retrofits and retaining walls, built from engineered plans with city permits handled. Based in Oakland. CSLB #1125088
- CSLB #1125088 · Class B
- Licensed, bonded & insured
- Architects & engineers on our team
- Plans & permits if you want them
- Residential & commercial
What foundation and site work we do
If you are adding on to your home, building on a slope or need to hold back soil, it all starts here. You do not have to find an engineer or deal with the permit office.
- Excavation and site preparation
- New foundations and retrofits of the one you have
- Retaining walls built from engineered plans
- City permits and inspections, handled by GM Ironwood
Read our guide: Foundation retrofits in the Bay Area: what to know · What a Class B general contractor does in California
Our work




How a job runs
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1
Site visit
We come out, look at the space and listen to what you want to build.
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2
Itemized bid
A written estimate broken down line by line. You see where every dollar goes.
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3
Build, clean daily
If permits are part of the job, GM Ironwood pulls them. Before the crew leaves each day, the site is cleaned up and safe.
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4
Hand-off
We walk through the finished work with you before calling it done.
The city inspects the work at each stage, and each inspection has to pass before the job moves on to the next step.
Timeline and cost
Every site is different, so the price comes after we see it and the plans. Here is what changes the number:
- The soil and how much excavation the site needs
- Size of the foundation or the wall
- What the engineered plans call for
- Permits and inspections in your city
You get the price and the schedule in one written bid, line by line.
Questions
Do you work outside Oakland?
Yes. GM Ironwood is based in Oakland, at 1824 79th Ave, and works across the San Francisco Bay Area, Contra Costa County and the Tri-Valley, plus the North Bay and the South Bay. The full list of cities is on our service areas page. Not sure about your city? Call (510) 479-2809 and ask.
Do you give a written estimate?
Yes. After the site visit you get a written bid, itemized line by line, before any work starts. Each line is one part of the job with its own price, so you can see where every dollar goes and decide what to include. One client wrote that the bid was detailed and itemized.
Are you licensed and insured?
Yes. GM Ironwood Construction Inc. holds California contractor license CSLB #1125088 as a Class B general building contractor. The company is bonded and carries general liability insurance. You can check the license at any time on the Contractors State License Board website, cslb.ca.gov, using that number.
Do you pull the city permits?
Yes, if you want us to. We can prepare and submit the permit package and schedule inspections, or you can handle permits yourself. Either way, the city inspects the work at each stage, and each inspection has to pass before the job moves on to the next step.
Do I need my own architect or engineer?
No. You can use our architect and structural engineer, or bring your own plans. Plans and permits can be part of our contract or separate. If you use our team, the same plans the city approves are the ones our crew builds from, so the design and the work match.
Does every city have different rules?
Yes. Each Bay Area city has its own building department, its own forms and its own local requirements, and some areas outside city limits are handled by the county. Before we write your bid, we check the rules that apply to your address, so the price already reflects what your city will ask for.
How long do permits take?
It depends on the size of the project and the city. We give you an estimate for your address with the bid. Plan review can take more than one round when the city sends comments on the plans, and larger projects usually need more review time.
Do you take commercial work?
Yes. GM Ironwood builds residential and commercial projects, including commercial renovations. The process is the same: a site visit, a written bid itemized line by line, city permits pulled by GM Ironwood, and plans with our architects and engineers when the work needs them. Call (510) 479-2809 to talk about your project.
What foundation work do you do?
Excavation and site work, new foundations, foundation retrofitting and retaining walls. Our engineers prepare the plans and structural calculations, GM Ironwood can pull the city permits, and the city inspects the work. The photos on this page show steel beams on a concrete column and the rebar for a concrete wall.
How is the price of foundation work set?
It depends on the soil, the size of the foundation or the wall, how much excavation the site needs and what the engineered plans call for. After the site visit you get a written bid, itemized line by line, with the price and the schedule before any work starts.
Tell us about the site.
Tell us what you want to build, and we will call you to set up the site visit.
- You get the price in writing, line by line
- Hours: Monday to Saturday, 7 AM–9 PM
- Want to talk now? Call (510) 479-2809
- WhatsApp: (510) 479-2809