Concrete Contractor in San Mateo, CA - Driveways and Patios on a Solid Base
Complete San Carlos Concrete is a concrete contractor based in San Carlos, CA, that builds and replaces driveways, patios, steps, walkways and slabs for San Mateo homes, poured over a packed base and pitched so water runs away.
San Mateo homes and lots, from bay to hills
San Mateo is a short drive up the peninsula from San Carlos, and we work there the same way we do in Belmont and Redwood City. Most of the calls I get from San Mateo homeowners are about a driveway that's cracked or sunk, a patio that holds water after rain, or front steps that have pulled away from the house.
The price on a job here mostly turns on size, how much old concrete has to come out and how much base the ground needs. The schedule turns on whether a permit is involved and on curing, the wait while the slab hardens before you use it. I'll lay out the work for your house after I measure. The ground matters as much as the size here, because some lots sit flat toward the bay with little fall for water, and others climb into the hills, where steps, walks and walls have to follow the slope.
What San Mateo lots ask of a slab
Concrete in San Mateo runs into the same few problems over and over, and most of them start under the slab or with where the water goes, not with the surface you see.
When we open up a cracked or sunken driveway, we usually find it was poured over dirt raked level instead of dug out and packed.
On flat lots toward the bay, we check where water runs before forming, because a slab with little fall can drain toward the house.
Hillside lots bring steps, walks and retaining walls into the job, and each has to follow the slope with even risers people won't trip on.
For new foundations, the city's design values cap how much load the ground is assumed to carry, and a design past that needs a soils report.
Those are the things I look at when I come out to measure, so the estimate covers the base, drainage and slope work your lot actually needs.
Where we work around San Mateo
We're based in San Carlos and work in San Mateo and the cities around it, including Foster City and Belmont. The cities below each have a page, and we work in others nearby as well.
Concrete work we do on San Mateo properties
Concrete driveway building
When your driveway has cracked, sunk or holds water by the garage, we dig out the base, pack new fill and pour a slab that drains away.
Concrete patio construction
A backyard patio that's chipping or tipping toward the house gets torn out and replaced with a slab set to carry rain away from your foundation.
Stamped concrete services
Stamped concrete gives a patio or walkway the look of stone or brick, and it still needs the same packed base underneath so the pattern holds up.
Concrete sidewalk building
For a walk broken into trip edges, we pour new sections with control joints, grooves cut so any crack runs straight along them.
Garage floor concrete
A garage floor that's pitted, dusty or cracked across can be replaced with a new slab, sloped slightly toward the door so water and wash-down run out.
Decorative concrete
Decorative concrete covers color, exposed aggregate and stained finishes for patios and walks, and we talk through how each one wears before you pick.
Concrete retaining walls
On sloped San Mateo lots, a concrete retaining wall holds the ground back so a patio, driveway or yard can sit level instead of creeping downhill.
Concrete floor installation
We pour interior concrete floors for additions, workshops and accessory buildings, setting the base and thickness for the load the room will carry.
Concrete pool decks
A pool deck has to drain away from the water and stay comfortable underfoot, so we pitch it carefully and pick a finish with grip when wet.
Concrete steps construction
Front and back steps that have cracked or settled away from the house are rebuilt with even risers and steel rebar inside that holds them together.
Slab foundation building
For a new garage, addition or accessory building, we form and pour the slab foundation to the approved plans, with the base packed before any concrete goes in.
Foundation installation
When an addition or rebuild needs a full foundation, we set forms and steel to the engineer's drawings and check every measurement before the pour.
Concrete parking lot building
For small lots at apartments, shops or churches, we pour concrete paving with the thickness and drainage it needs to take daily traffic.
Concrete footings
Footings carry posts, walls, fences and decks, so we dig them to the size and depth the plans call for and pour on firm ground.
Foundation raising
When a slab or foundation has dropped and doors stick or floors slope, we look at what moved first, then talk through raising it versus replacing it.
Concrete cutting
We saw-cut concrete for new joints, plumbing trenches, doorways and partial tear-outs, so a broken section comes out with a clean edge against what stays.
Get a free on-site concrete estimate in San Mateo
Send us the details of your San Mateo project and we'll get back to you within one business day to set a time. I usually come out myself to look at the job and take measurements, and you get a written estimate with the work spelled out. It's free, and there's no obligation.
- Call
- (650) 866-1977
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 8 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 7 AM–11 PM
Reasons to hire us for San Mateo concrete
We've been doing concrete out of San Carlos since 2017, and we're best known for driveways, patios and other flatwork that come out square, level and pitched the way they should be. Satisfaction guaranteed.
I measure your job myself
I usually come out myself to look at the job and take measurements, because concrete gives you one chance and mistakes set with it. Our crew forms, pours and finishes, and I check the work as it goes.
Straight answers, even unwelcome ones
I'd rather tell you a job isn't worth doing than sell you something that won't hold up. If a sunken walk can be fixed by cutting out one section and repouring it, I'll say so instead of quoting the whole thing.
The base comes before the finish
The base is buried on day one, so it's the first thing people want to cut. I'd keep it and simplify the finish, because a nice surface won't save a slab that settles. Call (650) 866-1977 to talk it through.
Questions San Mateo homeowners ask about concrete
Do I need a permit for a concrete driveway or patio in San Mateo?
Check with the city before work starts, because its rules don't spell out every concrete job. San Mateo requires a building permit to build, alter, repair or demolish a structure, including houses and garages, and its list of work that doesn't need a permit covers things like short retaining walls that don't hold back added weight, and small detached sheds. When your job needs a permit, we settle with you who will pull it before work starts and write that into the contract.
Who do I call with a permit question in San Mateo?
Call a permit technician at the city at (650) 522-7172 with questions about your particular project. The city says simple alteration projects can often be approved while you wait. Having your measurements or our written estimate on hand helps, because it shows exactly what's being poured and where.
Does a concrete contractor need a license to work in San Mateo?
Yes, a state contractor license and a city business tax certificate. The California Contractors State License Board requires a license when a project needs a building permit, uses any extra workers, or totals $1,000 or more in labor and materials across one or more contracts, and we're fully licensed and insured. The city also requires anyone doing business in San Mateo to pay an annual business tax, sometimes called a business license, before starting work, and it's separate from any permit.
How much does a concrete driveway cost in San Mateo?
The cost comes down to your driveway's size and what the ground needs, so you get a real number after I've looked at it on site. Tight access for the truck, a thicker slab with rebar for heavy vehicles, and a stamped or colored surface raise it, while a broom finish, the light brushed texture that gives tires and shoes grip, keeps it down. The base is the last place I'd trim.
What causes a concrete driveway to crack, and will a new one crack too?
Most cracks come from a base that settles, water collecting under or beside the slab, or shrinkage with no planned place to go. We dig out and pack the subgrade, the soil and gravel the slab sits on, check the fall before we set forms, and cut the control joints on time. Concrete can still crack, but built this way it usually cracks along those joints instead of across the middle.
How long does it take to replace a concrete driveway in San Mateo?
It comes in two parts, the work itself and the cure, and the cure is the part people forget to plan for. After the tear-out, base and pour, the slab needs time before you walk on it and longer before you drive on it, because loading it early can crack it while it's still gaining strength. I'll go over the wait for your slab when I come out, so you can plan where to park.
Tell us about your San Mateo concrete
Call (650) 866-1977 any day until 11 PM or send the form and tell us whether it's cracking, sinking or holding water, so I know what to look at when I come out.
Mon–Fri: 8 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 7 AM–11 PM