Concrete Contractor in Redwood City - Driveways and Patios That Drain Right
Vertex Sunnyvale Concrete is a concrete contractor pouring driveways, patios, walks, steps and foundations for Redwood City homes and small businesses, with the base dug out and packed and the slope set so water runs off.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- Replies within 1 business day.
Redwood City homes and the concrete around them
Redwood City is a drive up the Peninsula from our base in Sunnyvale, and most of the calls we get there sound like the ones from Palo Alto and East Palo Alto. They come from homeowners with a driveway, front walk or back patio that's cracked, sunk or holding water. We hear from small business and property owners too, mostly about walks, steps and the slabs out back. Most of it is flatwork, which is what we call the driveways, walks and patios you walk and park on.
Lots here run from flat blocks near the bay to streets that climb west toward Stulsaft Park, and that changes the job. On a flat lot the hard part is giving water somewhere to go. On a sloped one it's keeping the base from creeping downhill, so I look at the grade before we talk about the finish.
Concrete work we do on Redwood City properties
Concrete driveway building
When an old driveway has cracked and sunk near the street, we dig to firm ground, pack a new base and pour it sloped away from the garage.
Concrete patio construction
Backyard patios here often sit flat against the house and hold water after a rain. We set the new slab to fall away so water heads for the yard.
Stamped concrete services
Stamped concrete gives a patio or entry the look of stone or brick in one pour, so there are no loose pavers to shift on a sloped yard.
Concrete sidewalk building
Tree roots lift front walks and side paths over the years, so we replace the broken sections, pack the base and set the new sections flush.
Garage floor concrete
Garage floors here are often cracked, stained and pitched the wrong way. We break out the old slab and pour a new one that drains toward the door.
Decorative concrete
Color, exposed stone and custom borders let a driveway or entry match the house instead of looking like a parking pad. We talk through the options on site.
Concrete retaining walls
On the sloped lots toward the western hills, a concrete retaining wall holds back the yard so a patio or driveway has level, stable ground beside it.
Concrete floor installation
Interior slabs for additions, workshops and small commercial spaces need to sit flat and level, so we check the base and moisture barrier before the pour.
Concrete pool decks
A pool deck has to shed splash water away from the pool and the house, and it needs a finish that grips wet feet. We plan for both at the estimate.
Concrete steps construction
Front steps on raised and hillside homes tip and crumble over time. We form new ones with even risers so every step feels the same.
Slab foundation building
For an addition, a garage or a backyard cottage, we pour the slab foundation on a dug-out, packed base with steel rebar tying it together.
Foundation installation
When an older house needs a new foundation or an addition needs one to match, we dig, form and pour to the plans and check every stage.
Concrete parking lot building
Small lots behind shops and apartment buildings take daily traffic, so we build them thicker over a packed base and slope them to the drains.
Concrete footings
Decks, fences, sheds and posts on a sloped yard need footings that reach firm ground. We dig and pour them so the structure above stays plumb.
Foundation raising
When one corner of a house or garage has settled and the doors start sticking, we work out why it sank before we talk about lifting it back.
Concrete cutting
We saw-cut openings, trenches for new lines and clean edges where an old slab meets a new one, so we don't crack the concrete that's staying.
Get a free on-site concrete estimate in Redwood City
We'll get back to you within one business day to set a time. I come out myself, look at the site and give you a written estimate, free and with no obligation.
- Based in
- Sunnyvale, CA 94087
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 6 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 7 AM–11 PM
What a Redwood City job runs through before we pour
The city's Building Division handles building permits and inspections in Redwood City, so whether your driveway or patio needs a permit is their call, and we ask them before we schedule anything. If it does need one, we pull the permit, handle the paperwork and meet the inspector on site. The review and inspections then become part of the timeline, and they often set the start date more than our own calendar does. Every contractor needs a Redwood City business license before doing any work in the city, so ask about it when anyone bids your job.
We're licensed and insured, and we run a Redwood City job the same way we run one in Los Altos or back home in Sunnyvale. Price moves mostly with the size of the slab, whether the old concrete has to come out and how much digging and packing your ground needs for a solid base. The schedule turns on the permit, if there is one, and on the days new concrete needs before you can use it. Your written estimate lays out both for your job.
Why Redwood City driveways crack and sink
A lot of the old driveways and walks we break out here were poured on dirt that was raked smooth instead of dug out and packed. The subgrade, the ground the slab sits on, settled over the years and took the concrete with it. Many also have few control joints, the shallow cuts that give a slab a planned place to crack, so the cracks run wherever they want, and tree roots along older streets push panels up into trip edges. I learned on a city crew fixing exactly that. Now we dig to firm ground, pack the base in layers and cut the joints while the concrete is fresh. I won't tell you a slab can't crack, but this way it cracks where we chose and stays flat.
The other thing we see is water going the wrong way. On the flatter lots, a patio poured dead level holds puddles against the house. On the sloped yards toward the hills, a driveway can send everything from the street straight at the garage. I check where the water runs before we set a single form, and then we build the slope into the base so the slab carries water off to the yard or the street.
How a Redwood City concrete job runs with us
Here's what happens from your first call to the final walk-through, so you know who you'll talk to and when you need to be home.
Call us or send the form
Call (669) 348-0343 or send the form, and tell us what you're seeing, whether it's cracks, puddles or a corner that's sinking. We'll get back to you to set a time for me to come out.
We walk the site together
I come out myself, walk the site with you, ask how you'll use it and talk through your choices, so it helps if you're home. You get a written estimate with the base work spelled out, so you're not guessing what's included.
Our crew pours, I check
Our crew digs out, packs the base, sets the forms and pours, and I'm on site checking it as it goes. We work within the city's contractor hours of 7 AM to 8 PM on weekdays, and you don't need to be home once we've agreed on the plan.
Walk the finished job together
Once it's finished, we walk the job with you and go over how to look after the slab while it cures, the stretch when the concrete is still gaining strength. You can usually walk on it after a day or two and drive on it after about a week.
Questions about concrete work in Redwood City
Do I need a permit to replace a concrete driveway in Redwood City?
You might, because Redwood City requires a building permit for any work that isn't on the exempt list in section 105.2 of the California Building Code. The city's Building FAQ gives fences 7 feet and under, painting, flooring and similar finish work as examples tied to that list, and it doesn't name driveways or patios either way. That's why we check your job with the Building Division before it goes on the schedule.
Can a contractor pour concrete on a Saturday in Redwood City?
Not without the city's written approval. Redwood City doesn't allow contractor work on Saturdays, Sundays or city holidays unless a request goes in 30 calendar days before construction starts and the city approves it in writing. Only residential property owners can work on weekends and holidays, from 9 AM to 5 PM, and emergency work can be done after hours. If a weekday pour is hard for you, tell me early so there's time to ask.
How long does a building permit stay valid in Redwood City?
A Redwood City building permit is good for 365 days from the day it's issued, and every field inspection it passes extends it another 365 days from that inspection. A permit stays active as long as the work keeps passing inspections, and on a driveway or patio we keep the inspections moving along with the pour.
How do I handle a dumpster for a concrete job in Redwood City?
Keep it on your property. The city doesn't allow dumpsters, PODs or bins on the street at any time, and anything that isn't on wheels has to be stored on site, such as on a driveway or in the yard. On a driveway tear-out that takes some planning, since the bin can't sit on the part we're breaking out, so we work out where it goes before demo day. The city's permit page also points to its Engineering Permits page for encroachment permits and POD or bin permits.
What happens to the old concrete when you replace a driveway in Redwood City?
Most of it gets recycled. Redwood City requires at least 65% of all construction debris to be recycled, with proof going to the Building Department within 90 days of the permit's approved final inspection. Broken concrete recycles well, so we haul it to a recycler instead of a landfill and hold on to the receipts for that proof.
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Redwood City?
There's no single number. The price of a Redwood City driveway comes down to its size, whether the old one has to come out, how much base work your ground needs and the finish you pick, and I'll give you a written figure once I've seen yours. Stamping, color and a slab thicker than the usual 4 inches, with more steel for heavy vehicles, all raise it. A plain broom finish, the light texture that gives shoes and tires grip, keeps it lower. If something has to give, I'd trim the finish before the base, because nobody sees the base on day one, but it's what keeps the new slab from sinking like the old one.
Book your Redwood City concrete estimate today
Call (669) 348-0343 or send the form, because water that gets under a cracked slab keeps washing out the base, and an early look usually means less to tear out.