Concrete Contractor in Palo Alto, CA - Driveways and Patios Built on a Solid Base
Complete San Carlos Concrete is a concrete contractor based in San Carlos, building driveways, patios, steps and slabs in Palo Alto, CA. We're known for flat pours that come out square, level and pitched so water runs away from the house.
Palo Alto concrete on older, tree-shaded lots
In Palo Alto we're usually called out to driveways, patios, front walks and steps that have cracked, sunk or started holding water by the house. On older streets, including around Old Palo Alto, big trees and years of settling are behind a lot of it, and the slab we break out often turns out to be sitting on dirt that was never packed. We do the same work next door in Mountain View and East Palo Alto, and farther up the Peninsula in South San Francisco.
The price on a Palo Alto job mostly follows the size of the slab, how much old concrete comes out and the finish you pick, and the schedule turns on any permit and on curing, the wait while fresh concrete gains strength before it can take weight. Your written estimate spells out the work for your own slab. On these lots the ground and the roots under the slab matter more than anything we do on top, so that's where we start.
Older Palo Alto slabs and what wears them down
Most of what we tear out in Palo Alto failed for the same few reasons, and none of them showed on the surface the day the concrete went in.
Many slabs we replace were set on dirt that was raked level instead of dug out and packed, so they settled as the dirt did.
Water pooling against the house usually means the slab was poured without anyone checking where the water would run.
Big established trees are common on older lots, and their roots can lift and crack a slab poured too close to them.
Wandering cracks usually mean control joints, the cut lines that tell concrete where to crack, went in late or not at all.
I usually come out myself to look at your slab and take measurements, because none of this shows up in a photo.
Where we pour concrete around Palo Alto
We're based in San Carlos and work in Palo Alto and the cities around it, including Redwood City and Cupertino. The cities below have their own pages, and we work in others nearby too.
Concrete services for Palo Alto homes and properties
Concrete driveway building
When an older driveway has sunk, cracked across or holds water by the garage, we tear it out, dig to firm ground, pack the base and pour new.
Concrete patio construction
A backyard patio that tips toward the house or heaves near a tree gets replaced with a slab pitched to drain toward the yard instead.
Stamped concrete services
Stamped concrete presses a stone or brick pattern into the fresh surface, a good fit for front walks and patios where loose pavers keep shifting.
Concrete sidewalk building
Front walks and side paths lifted by roots become trip spots, so we replace the raised sections with level panels that meet your steps and driveway cleanly.
Garage floor concrete
A garage floor that's cracked, stained or sloped the wrong way gets broken out and repoured so water runs toward the door instead of the back wall.
Decorative concrete
Color, exposed stone and saw-cut patterns let a plain slab suit an older house, and we talk through upkeep with you before you choose one.
Concrete retaining walls
Where a sloped yard is pushing a planter or path out of line, a poured retaining wall with drainage behind it holds the soil back.
Concrete floor installation
For a workshop, a basement room or a new addition, we pour interior floors flat and level so finished flooring goes down without extra leveling.
Concrete pool decks
Pool decks need a surface that isn't slick when wet and a pitch that carries splash water away from the pool and the house.
Concrete steps construction
Front steps that rock, crumble at the edges or vary in height get rebuilt with even steps, because an uneven step is where people trip.
Slab foundation building
For a new garage, studio or backyard unit, we pour the slab foundation on a dug-out, packed base so the building above has firm, level support.
Foundation installation
Additions and rebuilds need a foundation set to the plans' measurements, and we check the forms before the pour because concrete leaves no room to fix them after.
Concrete parking lot building
Small lots for shops, offices or multi-unit buildings get the same base work as a driveway, built thicker where delivery trucks and steady traffic will cross.
Concrete footings
Decks, fences, posts and small additions sit on footings, the concrete pads under each load, and we dig and pour them to the depth your plans call for.
Foundation raising
When a corner has settled and doors start to stick, I look at what's underneath first and tell you plainly whether raising it is worth doing.
Concrete cutting
We saw-cut openings for doors, drains and plumbing runs, or cut out a sunken section of driveway, with clean edges that leave the concrete around it whole.
Get a written estimate for your Palo Alto concrete job
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set up a visit, and I usually come out myself to look at your Palo Alto job and take measurements. The estimate is free, done on site and comes in writing with the work spelled out, with no pressure and no obligation.
- Call
- (650) 866-1977
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 8 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 7 AM–11 PM
Why Palo Alto homeowners hire Complete San Carlos Concrete
Here's how we work in Palo Alto, from the first visit to the finished pour, and what we won't do to save a few dollars on the day.
The owner measures your job
I usually come out myself to look at the job and take measurements, then I check the work as our crew forms, pours and finishes it, because concrete gives you one chance and mistakes set with it.
Base first, finish second
If the budget has to give somewhere, I'd rather trim the finish than the base, because the subgrade, the packed ground the slab sits on, is hidden on day one and decides whether it sinks later.
Licensed, insured, straight answers
We're fully licensed and insured and have been in business since 2017. Satisfaction guaranteed, and if your job isn't worth doing, I'll tell you. Call (650) 866-1977 to set up a visit.
Concrete questions from Palo Alto homeowners
Do I need a permit for a concrete driveway or patio in Palo Alto?
The city's permit list doesn't settle it, because it names work like remodels, re-roofs, new single-family homes, ADUs and electrical, plumbing and mechanical work, not driveways or patios. Ask the city's Development Services office, which issues building permits, about your project. When a job needs a permit, we settle with you who will pull it before work starts and write that into the contract.
Which building codes apply to a concrete project in Palo Alto?
Projects submitted to the city after January 1, 2026 have to meet the 2025 California Building Codes along with Palo Alto's own amendments, so that's the set a project going in now follows. The same office that issues permits also checks drawings against those codes and handles inspections.
How do I submit concrete plans to the City of Palo Alto?
You send them as digital files, because the city requires every submittal in digital format. Some minor projects qualify for an instant building permit, which can shorten the wait on a small job, so it's worth asking whether yours does.
Is an emailed PDF invoice from the City of Palo Alto real?
If it asks you to reply to get a separate payment link, treat it as coming from outside the city, because the city says its staff don't send those. You can check that warning on the city's building permit page before paying any permit fee on your job.
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Palo Alto?
There's no set price, because every driveway is priced from its own measurements, so I won't give you a figure until I've seen yours. Beyond size, the cost moves with the tear-out, how deep we dig and pack for a firm base, whether we add rebar, steel set inside the slab that holds cracks tight, and the finish. A broom finish, a swept texture that gives tires and shoes grip, costs less than stamped or colored work, and your written estimate spells out each of those.
What causes a new concrete slab to crack in Palo Alto?
Most cracks in newer slabs come from a base that was never packed, control joints cut late or skipped, or a pour finished in the heat of the day that leaves a weak, dusty top. Concrete does shrink some as it dries, so nobody honest promises it won't crack at all, but the joints give those cracks a straight line to follow. We dig out and pack the base, cut joints on time and let the slab cure fully, so you walk on it well before you drive on it.
Tell us about your Palo Alto slab
Call (650) 866-1977 any day of the week until 11 PM, or use the form, and tell us what you're seeing so I come out knowing what to look at.
Mon–Fri: 8 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 7 AM–11 PM