North Bay Grading and Paving marks 15 years with Coast Guard job

North Bay Grading and Paving is celebrating 15 years in business while starting the 2026 phase of a multi-year asphalt resurfacing project at a U.S. Coast Guard facility in Novato. The Petaluma contractor says the work is its largest annual phase there yet and underscores its push into municipal and public-works paving.

Why it matters: - The Novato project gives North Bay Grading and Paving a high-profile federal contract as the company marks 15 years in business. - The 2026 phase is the largest annual segment of the multi-year resurfacing effort so far, signaling the contractor’s growing scale on public-sector work. - The project also supports Peterson’s plan to expand into municipal roadway paving, utility infrastructure work and other public-works opportunities.

What happened: - North Bay Grading and Paving began the 2026 phase of roadway resurfacing at a U.S. Coast Guard facility in Novato. - The Petaluma-based contractor is celebrating its 15th year in business while performing the work. - The 2026 scope covers about 54,000 square feet and calls for roughly 715 tons of asphalt at a 2.5-inch compacted finished depth. - The Novato job is the third consecutive year North Bay Grading and Paving has handled paving work at the facility.

The details: - North Bay Grading and Paving was founded in 2011 by owner Zack Peterson. - Peterson started working with his father at age 8 and earned his contractor’s license at 18. - The family paving history dates to the early 1960s, when Peterson’s grandfather launched the first family paving operation in Santa Rosa. - The company’s first Novato phase included a 26,000-square-foot asphalt reconstruction with pavement removal, compacted base rock and a 3.5-inch asphalt installation built to project compaction requirements. - In 2025, North Bay Grading and Paving completed a 36,000-square-foot milling and asphalt overlay phase using about 465 tons of asphalt. - The company also completed a separate 74,000-square-foot asphalt paving project at a U.S. Coast Guard facility using about 1,000 tons of asphalt. - North Bay Grading and Paving serves residential and commercial customers across Sonoma and Marin counties, including Petaluma, Santa Rosa, Rohnert Park, Windsor, Healdsburg, Sebastopol, Novato and surrounding North Bay communities. - Services include driveway paving, parking lot paving, private roadway resurfacing, asphalt repair, grading, sealcoating, concrete flatwork and parking lot striping. - The company says its approach emphasizes long-term customer relationships, clear estimates, finished asphalt thickness standards and communication. - Peterson said the company prioritizes relationships and that customers receive the asphalt thickness promised after compaction. - The company’s crews are organized into defined roles for screed operation, paver controls, raking, shoveling, vibratory compaction and rolling. - The fleet includes a 2025 LeeBoy 8520 commercial asphalt paver, heavy compaction equipment, skid steers and a 700-gallon sealcoating tank. - North Bay Grading and Paving says it has completed work for shopping centers, apartment complexes, schools, utility sites and other public- and private-sector facilities. - The company offers free paving estimates and is available evenings and weekends when project needs require extra communication.

Between the lines: - The Coast Guard work shows a small regional contractor building repeat business in a niche that rewards consistency, thickness control and schedule discipline. - Peterson’s comments point to a business model built around retention and referrals, not just bid price. - The company’s emphasis on defined crew roles and clean job sites suggests it is positioning itself as a more formal public-works contractor.

What's next: - Peterson plans to expand North Bay Grading and Paving’s capacity for municipal roadway paving, utility infrastructure work and public-works projects across Sonoma County and the greater North Bay. - The company says it wants to keep serving both residential and commercial customers while adding more street and road paving work. - Peterson said he is also building the business for his two sons and family, leaving open the possibility of a future family transition.

The bottom line: - North Bay Grading and Paving is using a milestone year and repeat federal work to strengthen its case as a larger public-works paving player in the North Bay.