Concrete Contractor in East Palo Alto - Driveways and Walks That Sit Flat
Vertex Sunnyvale Concrete pours driveways, patios, walks, steps, slabs and foundations for homes and small properties in East Palo Alto, and we dig out and pack the base first so the concrete sits flat and drains.
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East Palo Alto homes and the concrete around them
East Palo Alto is mostly homes, from older single-story houses on the streets off University Avenue to small apartment buildings, with the bay marshes at its edge. We're a concrete contractor based in Sunnyvale, CA, and we work here the same way we do in Palo Alto and Redwood City. The calls here lean toward old driveways and walks that need replacing, and backyards getting a second unit.
Most of what we pour here is flatwork, the trade's word for driveways, patios, walks and slabs that lie on the ground. On these flat lots the water doesn't run off by itself, so the slope we build into each slab and the base we pack under it decide whether it stays flat and where the rain ends up.
Concrete work we do for East Palo Alto properties
Concrete driveway building
When an old driveway has sunk by the garage or split down the middle, we tear it out, pack a new base and slope it toward the street.
Concrete patio construction
Backyard patios here often replace bare dirt or tired pavers, and we slope them away from the house so rain doesn't pool against your wall.
Stamped concrete services
Stamped concrete gives a front walk or patio the look of stone or brick in one pour, which suits small yards where every foot shows from the street.
Concrete sidewalk building
Walks lifted by tree roots are a trip waiting to happen, so we cut out the broken panels, rebuild what's under them and pour them back level.
Garage floor concrete
Older garage floors here are often cracked, stained and pitched the wrong way, so we break them out and pour a new floor that drains toward the door.
Decorative concrete
Colored and textured finishes dress up a front entry or a patio by the back door without the upkeep of pavers that shift and sprout weeds.
Concrete retaining walls
Where a yard steps down or a neighbor's grade sits higher than yours, a concrete retaining wall holds the soil back and keeps runoff off your patio.
Concrete floor installation
We pour interior slabs for garage conversions, workshops and small commercial spaces, with the base packed and the floor set level before any finish goes on.
Concrete pool decks
Around a pool, we pour a deck with a finish that grips wet feet and a slope that sends splash water away from the pool and the house.
Concrete steps construction
Front steps on older homes here tend to settle and pull away from the porch, so we pour new ones on a solid footing with even, easy rises.
Slab foundation building
Backyard units and additions going up around East Palo Alto need a flat, well-supported slab, and we pour it to the approved plans.
Foundation installation
For a new home, an addition or an older house that needs new support, we form and pour the foundation to the plans and hold it for inspection.
Concrete parking lot building
Small apartment buildings and shops here need parking that drains and stands up to daily traffic, so we build thicker slabs over a deeper packed base.
Concrete footings
Fences, decks, carports and posts need footings dug down to firm soil, and we pour them so what stands on top doesn't lean or sink.
Foundation raising
When part of a house has settled and doors stick or floors slope, we look at what's under it, then lift and support the low side.
Concrete cutting
We saw-cut openings for drains, doorways and utility lines, and cut out cracked sections of a driveway or walk so the rest of it can stay.
Get a free estimate for your East Palo Alto concrete job
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day to set a time. I come out myself to look at the site and write up a free estimate, with no obligation.
- Based in
- Sunnyvale, CA 94087
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 6 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 7 AM–11 PM
Working in East Palo Alto: permits, licenses and what moves the price
Whether your job needs a permit is the city's call, and in East Palo Alto building permits come from the city's Building Services Division. A permit can mean a review before we pour, so it's usually the thing that sets your start date, and if your job needs one, we pull it, handle the paperwork and meet the inspector on site. We're licensed and insured, and there are two things you can check on any contractor here. As part of the permit, the city checks the contractor's license status with the state licensing board, and contractors working in the city need a city business license too. Ask about workers' comp as well, because when a contractor registered with the state as having no workers shows up with a crew, the city issues a stop-work notice until a workers' comp certificate turns up.
The price here usually turns on three things: whether there's old concrete to break out and haul away, how easy it is to get the concrete to the forms, and how much base the ground needs. When the truck can't reach a backyard patio, we pump or wheel the concrete in, and that adds labor. Up in Los Gatos slope and walls tend to drive the number, while here it's more often tear-out and access, and your written estimate puts a figure on each part.
Why East Palo Alto driveways and walks need work
Old trees along the streets and in the yards here push up walks and driveways, and I spent years on a city crew fixing exactly that. A lot of these slabs were poured thin, with no steel and no joints, so once a root or a soft spot gets under them they crack and tilt. We cut the broken panels out, rebuild the base and pour them back with rebar, the steel bars inside a slab that hold it together so a crack doesn't spread apart.
Plenty of lots here are getting a second unit or an addition out back, and those need a slab or footings poured exactly to the approved plans. We set the forms square and level and don't pour until the inspection on what's in the ground has passed.
How a concrete job runs when you call us in East Palo Alto
Here's how a job goes from your first call to the walk-through at the end, and where the city's review fits in between.
Call or send the form
Tell us what's going on, a sunken driveway, a cracked walk or a patio you've been wanting, and we'll find a time for me to come out. Weekends work too, since we pick up the phone seven days a week.
I come out and look
I look at the old slab, where the water runs and what the ground is like, and ask how you'll use the space. You get a written estimate that spells out the tear-out, the base, the thickness and the finish, so you can see where the money goes.
We check with the city
Before anything goes on our schedule, we check what the city asks for on your job. City staff get back to an application within two business days, and a job the city can't approve on the spot goes through a 30-day review, with two-week rechecks if the plans come back for changes.
Our crew pours, I check
Our own crew digs out, packs the base, pours and cuts the joints, and I'm on site checking it as it goes. Then we walk the finished job with you and go over how long to stay off it while it cures, the wait while the concrete gains strength, and how to look after it.
Questions about concrete work in East Palo Alto
What permits does East Palo Alto require for concrete work?
The city's Building Services Division issues building, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, solar, re-roof and demolition permits. Grading, encroachment, street and sidewalk permits go through the city's Engineering side instead, so a driveway that meets the street or a public walk can involve both.
What happens if concrete work starts without a permit in East Palo Alto?
The city charges a penalty fee for work started without a building permit, and it reports the contractor to the state license board for investigation. The city says it keeps going after unpermitted construction, so skipping the permit isn't a shortcut.
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in East Palo Alto?
A driveway's price is set mostly by its size, its thickness and steel, and the finish you pick, on top of any tear-out and access work, and your written estimate gives you the figure for yours. If the budget's tight, I'd rather you go with a plain broom finish, the light dragged texture that gives tires and shoes grip, than thin out the base. The base is the first thing people cut and the one thing you can't fix later without tearing the slab out.
How do I get a permit for an ADU slab in East Palo Alto?
Applications for junior ADUs and ADUs under 800 square feet can be emailed to building@cityofepa.org, and projects over 800 square feet go to planning@cityofepa.org first for a completeness review. Once the plans are approved, we pour the slab or footings to match them.
What do I need on site for a concrete inspection in East Palo Alto?
The job card and any approved plans have to be on site when the inspector comes, and a site without them has to reschedule. We keep both at the job so a missing paper doesn't push your pour back.
What causes a concrete driveway to crack and sink?
Most cracking and sinking starts under the slab, with a base that was raked level instead of dug out and packed, so it settles as the dirt does. Cracks also wander when control joints, the grooves cut so the slab cracks along a straight line, go in late or get skipped, and a pour in the midday heat can leave a weak, dusty top. We pack the base, pour early in the day and cut the joints on time, so the cracks that do come usually follow the joints.
Talk to us about your East Palo Alto concrete
Call (669) 348-0343 or send the form with a few photos of the old slab, and I'll know what to look for before I come out.