Concrete patio construction in San Carlos CA - a patio slab built on a packed base
Cracked, sunken or uneven old patio? We dig it out, pack a firm base and pour a flat slab you can set a table on.
What does it take to build a concrete patio in San Carlos?
Concrete patio construction in San Carlos means we dig out and pack the ground, then form, pour and finish a flat slab and keep it damp while it cures, so you get an outdoor floor that stays level under chairs, a table and a grill. We've been based in San Carlos since 2017 and build patios here and in the cities around it.
Most patio calls we get are for a cracked old slab that needs to come out or a bare patch of yard that needs a hard surface. The price moves with the size of the patio, how much old concrete we break out and haul away, how easy it is to get into your backyard, and whether you want a plain finish or stamped concrete. The schedule turns on our calendar, the forecast on pour day and the curing wait before you can put furniture on it. California requires a home improvement contract to say who gets any permits the job needs, so we settle that with you before work starts and write it in. The written estimate from my visit gives you the figure for your own patio, and if I think a job isn't worth doing, I'll tell you that too.
How can you tell it's time for a new patio?
Most patio calls start with something you notice when you step out the back door. These are the signs I hear about most, and what each one usually tells me about the slab or the ground under it.
Cracks that cross the whole patio and get wider each year usually mean the ground underneath has moved.
One corner sitting lower than the rest usually points to dirt that was raked level instead of packed.
A surface that flakes, chips or leaves gray dust on your shoes often means it dried out too fast.
Cracks wandering across the middle, nowhere near a joint line, usually mean the joints were cut late or skipped.
A lip where the patio meets the steps or a walk usually means one slab settled and the other didn't.
A worn dirt patch where the chairs and grill always end up says that spot needs a hard, level surface.
Call sooner rather than later if a sunken edge or open crack is catching feet, because a trip edge on a patio doesn't fix itself.
What happens when you call about a patio in San Carlos?
Here's how a patio job runs with us, from your first call to the walk-through at the end. I'm involved at every step, and you'll see the scope and price in writing before we dig.
Call or send the form
Call (650) 866-1977 or send the form, and we get back to you to set a time to come out. Tell us roughly where the patio goes and how big you're picturing it.
I measure and look it over
I usually come out myself to measure, look over the site and any old slab, and talk through the size, shape and finish you want. You then get a written estimate with the work spelled out, so you know what you're paying for before anything is dug.
We dig, form, pour and finish
When you're ready, we schedule the work, and our crew digs out and packs the base, sets the forms, pours and finishes while I check the work as it goes. Before the pour, I show you where the joints will go.
We walk the finished patio
I go over the finished patio with you before we call it done. We keep the slab damp while it cures, and I tell you when it's ready for furniture.
Get a written estimate for your new patio
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day to set up a visit. The on-site estimate is free and comes in writing, with no pressure and no obligation.
- Call
- (650) 866-1977
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 8 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 7 AM–11 PM
Patio base, joints and finish, and why they matter
The part of a patio you'll never see is the part I care about most. The subgrade, the dirt the slab sits on, has to be dug out and packed firm, because a slab poured on loose, raked soil settles right along with it. When a budget gets tight, the base is the first thing people want to cut since it's buried on day one, and it's the one thing I won't skimp on. Larger patios may also get rebar, steel bars inside the slab that help tie it together.
Control joints are straight lines we cut or form into the slab, so when the concrete shrinks and cracks, the crack follows a line instead of wandering across the middle. Where the patio meets an existing walk, step or garage slab, we set an isolation joint, a soft strip between the two that lets each one move on its own. If that old walk is due too, we can pour it alongside as part of our concrete sidewalk building work.
A broom finish, a light texture dragged across the fresh surface, gives your feet grip when the patio is wet and is usually the simplest choice. Stamped or colored finishes cost more and add work on pour day, but they ride on the same base and joints, so a fancier top won't make up for a poor start underneath.
Concrete patio questions from San Carlos homeowners
Will my new concrete patio crack?
Probably somewhere, because concrete can't be kept from cracking entirely, but well-planned joints control where cracks happen and keep them small. Wire mesh won't stop cracks from forming, though it tends to keep them from opening up. We mark the joint lines and walk you through them before the pour, so any crack has a planned place to land.
How long does new concrete need to cure before I can use my patio?
Curing usually runs 3 to 7 days, starting right after the slab is placed and finished. Concrete left to dry out during that time can lose as much as 50 percent of its potential strength, which is why we keep the slab damp through the cure. I'll tell you when it's ready for chairs and a grill.
What does a concrete patio cost in the Bay Area?
An installed 20 by 20 foot concrete slab, 4 inches thick, usually costs about $6,400 to $10,000 per job in the Bay Area. That's the going rate for one plain slab size, not our quote, and your own price shifts with size, access, old concrete removal and finish. The written estimate from my visit gives you the figure for your San Carlos patio.
How much can a contractor ask for up front on a patio job in California?
No more than $1,000 or 10 percent of the contract price, whichever is less. That's the state's limit on down payments for home improvement jobs, and it covers special-order materials too, so you know what's fair to be asked for before any work starts.
How do I hire a licensed concrete contractor for a patio in California?
Hire a contractor licensed for concrete work, which California's license board describes as forming, pouring, placing and finishing flat concrete, what the trade calls flatwork. For any home improvement job over $500, the state also requires a written contract that gives a date of completion. We're fully licensed and insured, and our estimate spells out the work in writing.
What is the best way to pour a concrete patio on a hot day?
Place and finish it outside the hottest part of the day when possible, because heat rushes the surface and can leave a weak, dusty top. Hot-weather guidance also says to finish the slab without sprinkling water on the surface to make the work easier. If your pour date looks warm, you can ask us to start earlier and ask how we plan to finish it.
Concrete work that often goes with a patio
Stamped concrete services
If a plain gray slab feels too bare for your yard, stamping presses a stone, brick or tile pattern into the fresh concrete during the same pour.
Concrete sidewalk building
A new patio often needs a solid path to reach it, and a cracked side-yard walk next to fresh concrete stands out even more than before.
Get your new patio measured and priced
Call (650) 866-1977 or send the form with the patio size you have in mind, a few photos of the yard and when you'd like it done, so I can come out ready to measure.
Mon–Fri: 8 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 7 AM–11 PM