Concrete contractor in Cupertino, CA - slabs that sit flat and drain right
Vertex Sunnyvale Concrete is a concrete contractor based in Sunnyvale, and we pour driveways, patios, walks, steps and foundations for homeowners and property owners in Cupertino, with the base dug out, packed and sloped to drain.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- Replies within 1 business day.
Cupertino homes, from flat streets to foothill lots
Cupertino is mostly neighborhoods of single-family houses, a lot of them ranch homes still sitting on the driveway, front walk and back patio the builder poured decades ago, with shops and offices along the main roads. The east side runs flat, a lot like Sunnyvale, while the west side climbs toward the foothills the way it does in Saratoga. In between you'll find plenty of remodels and rebuilds where the old flatwork, our word for driveways, walks and patios, didn't make the cut.
That age shows in the concrete. On the older lots the job usually starts with what's under the old slab, like roots, a thin base or fill that's settled, and on the hillside lots it starts with where the water runs, so we work that out before we set any forms.
Concrete work we do on Cupertino properties
Concrete driveway building
Original driveways on older Cupertino ranch homes are often cracked, sunk at the garage or lifted by roots, so we tear out, rebuild the base and pour fresh.
Concrete patio construction
Backyards here often have a small original patio or none at all, and a new slab sloped away from the house gives you room that drains.
Stamped concrete services
Owners redoing older Cupertino homes often want a patio or walk that looks like stone, and stamping presses the pattern in while the concrete's still soft.
Concrete sidewalk building
Tree roots and decades of settling tip front-walk panels into trip edges, so we pull the broken sections and pour new ones that sit flush.
Garage floor concrete
Garage slabs in older houses here are often cracked, oil-stained or sloped the wrong way, and a new floor sits flat and drains toward the door.
Decorative concrete
Color, exposed aggregate or a scored pattern can suit a remodeled Cupertino home, so the entry or patio fits the house instead of looking tacked on.
Concrete retaining walls
Lots on the west side climb toward the foothills, and a concrete wall holds back the slope so you get a flat yard and dirt that stays put.
Concrete floor installation
For an addition or converted garage on an older house here, we pour an interior floor that's level and ready for whatever finish goes on top.
Concrete pool decks
Decks around older backyard pools crack and lift, and a new one with a textured top gives bare feet grip and sheds water away from the edge.
Concrete steps construction
Entry steps on older homes settle away from the porch or chip at the edges, so we rebuild them with even step heights your feet can trust.
Slab foundation building
When you're adding a backyard cottage or garage on a Cupertino lot, we pour the slab foundation on a packed base so the building sits on solid ground.
Foundation installation
Additions and rebuilds on older houses need foundations that tie into what's already there, and on sloped lots that often means footings stepped down the slope.
Concrete parking lot building
Small business and property owners here call about worn lots and cracked stalls, and we pour concrete thick enough for daily traffic and sloped to the drains.
Concrete footings
A pergola, deck or garden wall is only as steady as the footings under it, so we dig and pour them to suit the load and your slope.
Foundation raising
When an older house here has settled and floors slope or doors stick, we lift and level the foundation and shore up what's under it.
Concrete cutting
On remodels here, sawing lets us remove one cracked panel or open a slab for a new drain line without breaking out the rest.
Free on-site estimate for your Cupertino concrete job
We'll get back to you within one business day to set a time, and I'll come out myself to look at the site and write you a free estimate, with no obligation to go ahead.
- Based in
- Sunnyvale, CA 94087
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 6 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 7 AM–11 PM
What we know about getting concrete work done in Cupertino
Permits here come from the City of Cupertino's Building Division, and the city says any construction or alteration that's not on its exempt list needs one. So before your job goes on our schedule, we check with the division, and if it needs a permit, we pull it, handle the paperwork and meet the inspector on site, which means that when a permit's needed, the city's review usually sets your start date more than our crew does. While you're comparing contractors, check two things. The state licensing board requires a license when a job needs a building permit, uses any extra workers or runs $1,000 or more in labor and materials, which takes in just about any driveway or patio, and the city requires every contractor working here to hold a Cupertino business license and won't schedule a final inspection until the contractor and every sub has one. We're licensed and insured, and our work is backed by our satisfaction guarantee.
What moves the price here is mostly what happens before the pour: how much old concrete comes out, how deep we dig to reach firm ground, how much forming a sloped lot takes and whether the concrete truck can get up a steep foothill driveway or we're wheeling it in through a side yard. The finish is the other big choice, since a plain finish costs less than stamping or color, and the schedule turns on the permit, the tear-out and the curing wait, the days new concrete needs to harden before you use it. Your own number comes in the written estimate I give you after seeing the site, the same way we work in Sunnyvale and Mountain View.
Why driveways and patios in Cupertino crack and sink
A lot of the concrete here went in when the houses did, and decades of tree roots, settling and a base that was often just raked flat instead of dug out and packed have left driveways cracked, sunk at the garage and tipped at the walk. When we replace it, we dig down to the subgrade, the firm soil the slab sits on, pack a gravel base over it, lay rebar, the steel that helps hold the slab together if it cracks, and cut control joints, shallow grooves that give the slab a straight place to crack instead of a random one. If the budget's tight, the base is the last place I'd cut, because a city crew taught me you can redo a finish but you can't fix what's under a slab once it's poured.
Clay soil in a lot of yards here swells when it's wet and shrinks when it dries, and on the hillside lots rain runs toward whatever's downhill, so we look at where your water goes before we form anything and slope the slab away from the house.
What happens when you call us about a Cupertino job
Here's how a Cupertino job goes from your first call to the final walk-through, with me on it from the first look at your site.
I come out and look
After you call or send a message, I come out myself to see the site, ask how you'll use it and talk through your choices. You get a written estimate, and if any of it doesn't make sense, ask, because I'd rather explain too much than leave you guessing.
We check what the city needs
Before anything goes on the schedule, we check with the city and pull the permit if the job needs one. When plans need review, the city reports first reviews averaging 20 to 30 business days and 10 to 20 for each round after, though small projects can get a counter review and sometimes a permit the same day.
Our crew pours, then we walk it
Our own crew does the tear-out, base and pour with me on site checking it as it goes, and you don't need to be home for that part. When it's done, we walk the finished job with you and go over how to look after it while it cures and for years after.
Questions about concrete work in Cupertino
Do I need a permit to replace a concrete driveway in Cupertino?
Check before you start, because the city says any construction or alteration that's not on its exempt list needs a permit. We ask the Building Division about your job before we schedule it, since the city stops work found going without a permit until one's issued and doubles the permit fees. You can read the city's own answers on its Building Division FAQ.
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Cupertino?
Your driveway's price comes from its size and what it sits on, so I can't give you a fair number until I've walked it. Beyond the tear-out and base work above, thickness matters, since most home driveways run about 4 inches and a spot where a heavy truck parks may need more, and so does a plain finish versus stamping and color. Call (669) 348-0343 and I'll come out and put it in writing.
How long before I can drive on a new concrete driveway in Cupertino?
Usually about a week for cars, and a day or two before you walk on it, though I'll tell you for your pour. That's the curing wait, and driving on a slab early is how a lot of new driveways pick up cracks and chipped edges, so plan moving vans and heavy deliveries around it.
What causes cracks in Cupertino driveways, and will a new one crack too?
Most cracks come from what's under the slab, like a base that was never packed, tree roots or water softening the ground, plus joints that were cut late or skipped. Concrete can still show a hairline crack as it shrinks, which is why we cut control joints so it lands in the groove, and why we pour early in the day instead of in midday heat that leaves a weak, dusty top.
How much of a down payment can a contractor ask for in California?
On a home improvement job, the state licensing board says a contractor can't ask for or take more than $1,000 or 10 percent of the contract price, whichever is less. If someone asks for more than that before work starts, that's a good reason to keep looking.
How do I stop water from pooling on my patio in Cupertino?
The fix is a slab that falls away from the house toward somewhere the water can go, and on an existing patio that usually means replacing the low sections, not patching them. Before we form a new patio, we check where water runs on your lot, which matters a lot on the hillside lots here, and we give it a broom finish, a light swept texture that keeps wet concrete from getting slick.
Tell us about your Cupertino concrete job
Call (669) 348-0343 or send the form to describe what you've got, and ask about permit steps so you know what comes first before anything's torn out.