Concrete patio construction in Sunnyvale CA - a slab that sits flat and drains
Cracked, sinking or puddling patio, or bare dirt out back? We build a level slab on firm ground that sends water away from your house.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- Replies within 1 business day.
What goes into building a concrete patio in Sunnyvale?
Concrete patio construction in Sunnyvale means checking and preparing the ground, then forming, pouring and finishing a slab, so you end up with a flat outdoor floor that drains away from your house and holds up for years.
Maybe you've got bare dirt out back, or an old patio that's cracked, sunk at one corner or holds a puddle every winter. Either way, the price mostly comes down to the size of the patio, the finish you pick, whether an old slab has to be broken out and hauled off, and how much soft ground we find and have to fix. The schedule turns on the weather and on what the city asks for, because we wait for dry days to pour and we check on permits before we book anything. I'll give you your own figure in a written estimate after I've seen the yard.
How do you know your patio needs replacing?
Cracks wandering across it
When cracks run across the patio in odd directions, the ground under it usually moved, or there were no joints to give the slab a planned place to break. Left alone, water works into those cracks and the pieces start to shift and lip up, which turns a patch job into a tear-out.
One corner sinking lower
A corner or edge that drops below the rest usually sits over soft dirt or an old trench that was never packed. It rarely stops on its own, and the little step it makes is easy to trip over at night.
Puddles after it rains
Water that sits on the patio or runs toward the house means the slab is too flat or tips the wrong way. That water keeps the dirt at the edges wet and can end up against your foundation, so it's worth fixing before the next wet season.
How we handle concrete patio construction
First I walk the yard and watch where the water goes, because a patio that tips toward the house sends rain toward your foundation. Then we dig out and look for soft spots and old trench lines before we form anything, since a patio only holds up when the ground under it is even. We pack the subgrade, the dirt the slab actually sits on, set forms with a gentle fall away from the house, and time the pour around rain so the concrete gets a fair chance to cure, which is the quiet stretch where it hardens and needs to be left alone. Once it has a broom finish, a light dragged texture that gives your feet grip when it's wet, we cut control joints, shallow grooves that give the slab a straight place to crack instead of a random one. The base is the part nobody sees on day one, and it's the first thing some folks want to trim from the budget. I'd cut back on the finish before I'd skimp on what's underneath, because a nice surface on raked dirt is just a crack waiting to show up.
If you'd like a pattern pressed into the patio, our stamped concrete services cover that. A lot of homeowners also have us pour a concrete sidewalk from the driveway or side gate to the new patio while the crew and forms are already there.
Plain slab with a broom finish
This suits most backyards where you want a clean, useful space without extras. It's the simplest slab we pour, and the brushed texture keeps it from getting slick after the sprinklers run.
Exposed aggregate surface
This suits someone who wants some texture and color in the patio without going to a full pattern. We wash off the top layer of cement paste so the stone mixed into the concrete shows through.
Replacing an old patio
This suits a yard where the old slab has cracked, sunk or drains the wrong way. We break it out and haul it off, then look at what failed underneath so the new patio doesn't repeat it.
Get a written estimate for your new patio
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day to set a time. I'll come out, look at your yard and give you a free in-person estimate, with no obligation.
- Based in
- Sunnyvale, CA 94087
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 6 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 7 AM–11 PM
What happens after you call about a patio?
Here's how a patio job runs from your first call to the final walk-through, and who you'll be dealing with at each step.
Call or send a message
Call (669) 348-0343 or use the form, and we'll set a time for me to come see the yard. A rough idea of how big you want the patio helps.
I walk the site with you
I look at the ground and where the water runs, ask how you'll use the space and talk through size and finish with you. You get a written estimate that spells out the work and the price, so there's nothing to guess at.
We check with the city
Before anything goes on the schedule, we check what the city asks for on your project. Then we pick pour days around the weather.
We build it and walk it
Our own crew does the work with me checking in as it goes. When it's done, we walk the patio with you and go over how to look after it.
Why Sunnyvale homeowners call Vertex Sunnyvale Concrete for patios
The owner writes your estimate
I come out myself to look at the site and write the estimate, and I'm back on site checking while our own crew does the work. You're talking to the person who answers for the job from the first visit to the last.
Pouring in Sunnyvale since 2013
I learned concrete on a city crew, fixing sidewalks and curbs that tree roots and time had broken, and started this business in Sunnyvale in 2013. That work taught me a slab is only as good as what's under it, and it's how we still build.
Licensed and insured for patios
We're licensed and insured. It's fair to ask any contractor for both before they start digging in your yard, because that's what protects you if something goes wrong on your property.
If you've got a patio in mind, tell us about your yard or call (669) 348-0343, and I'll come take a look.
Concrete patios, walks and permits in Sunnyvale
Permits are the local piece that can change a patio job. The City of Sunnyvale says every project has different requirements and asks first-time applicants to call about theirs, and it keeps a list of work that single-family homes and duplexes can do without a permit. I don't guess which side of that line your patio falls on. Before we schedule anything, we check with the city's permit center, and if your project needs a permit, we pull it, handle the paperwork and meet the inspector on site.
On jobs around here we see a lot of mature trees close to the house and old patios that were raked flat on loose dirt instead of packed. Roots can lift a slab from below, so we look at the trees before we pick where the patio's edge goes, and an old slab comes out completely so we can see what failed. We run into the same backyards in Santa Clara and Cupertino.
Questions about concrete patios in Sunnyvale
How much does a concrete patio cost in the Bay Area?
A standard concrete slab with a basic broom finish usually runs about $13 to $18 per square foot in the Bay Area, installed, counting materials and labor. A San Jose price guide notes that replacing a patio can cost more per square foot when the old one has to be demolished first. For your yard, I'll put your own figure in a written estimate after I've seen the site.
When is the best time to pour a concrete patio in Sunnyvale?
Pour during a dry stretch that leaves time for the concrete to cure before the next rain, which is what guidance for concrete work recommends. Rain matters for cleanup too, since fresh concrete washed into creeks, lakes or the Bay is toxic to fish and dumping it into storm drains or creeks is against the law. We keep our washout out of the drains.
Is exposed aggregate worth the extra cost over plain concrete?
For a lot of patios it is, if you want a decorative look and good footing at a middle price. It costs slightly more to install than plain concrete but less than stamping, and the stone surface is slip-resistant. One trade guide says an exposed aggregate patio can last at least 50 years without repair when it's cared for, and that care includes sealing it against oil spills and stains from standing water.
Who is allowed to build my patio in California?
A contractor licensed by the Contractors State License Board can build your patio, because state law treats it as home improvement work. Someone without a license can only take on small work under $1,000, up from $500, and only when the job needs no permit and they have no one working for them on it.
What causes a concrete patio to sink?
Uneven ground underneath is the usual cause, since a slab holds up best when its support is about the same everywhere. Soft pockets, utility trenches that were never packed and buried organic material can let one part settle even when most of the yard feels firm. Ground that stays soaked under a slab also loses strength, so water needs to be steered away from it before and after the pour.
How do I keep a new concrete patio from cracking like the old one?
Find out what cracked the old one and fix that cause before the new slab goes in. Most failed patios I look at come down to loose ground, water running the wrong way or joints that were skipped, so I'll tell you what I see when I come out and we build around it.
Related concrete work for your yard
Stamped concrete services
If plain gray isn't the look you want, stamping presses a pattern and color into the fresh slab while it's still soft enough to shape.
Concrete sidewalk building
A walk from the driveway or side gate to your new patio keeps foot traffic off the lawn, and it's easy to plan into the same project.
Service areas around Sunnyvale for patio work
Vertex Sunnyvale Concrete is based in Sunnyvale, CA, and we build patios across the city and the cities around it. The 12 areas below have their own pages, from Cupertino to Los Altos, though they aren't the only places we work.
Get a price on your new patio
Have the rough size, the finish you like and whether an old patio has to come out, and I can give you a sharper estimate on the first visit.