Concrete contractor in Mountain View, CA - driveways and patios built from the base up
Elite Redwood City Concrete is a concrete contractor based in Redwood City that works in Mountain View, pouring driveways, patios, walkways, steps, retaining walls and foundations for homeowners, with the base dug out and packed before any concrete arrives.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free quotes on site.
- Replies within 1 business day.
Mountain View houses and the concrete around them
Mountain View gives us two kinds of concrete calls. The neighborhoods on either side of Castro Street are the older part of the city, mostly built between the late 1800s and World War II, so the driveways and walks there have usually been patched or replaced in pieces over the years. Farther from downtown the houses are newer, but plenty of their slabs went in fast on dirt nobody packed, and they're showing it now.
We do the same work next door in Palo Alto and Sunnyvale. On either kind of lot, I start by finding out what's under the old slab and where the water runs, because that decides the job more than the concrete does.
Concrete work we do in Mountain View
Older driveways here are often cracked and patched twice over. We dig to firm ground, pack a new base and pour a slab that sheds water.
Plenty of backyards here have a small, tilted slab by the back door. We replace it with a patio that falls away from the house.
Stamped concrete gives a patio or walk the look of stone or brick, which suits older homes near downtown. It only lasts if the base does.
Front walks here get heaved by tree roots and turn into trip hazards. We cut out the bad sections and pour new ones that sit flush.
Older garage floors are often cracked, stained and sloped the wrong way. We break out the old slab and pour one that drains toward the door.
Colored concrete, exposed aggregate and borders let a front walk look like it belongs with an older house. We'll help you pick a finish that suits it.
When a yard changes level or dirt keeps sliding onto a patio, a concrete wall holds it back. We put drainage behind it so water can't build up.
Workshops, garage conversions and backyard studios need a flat, dry floor. We lay plastic under the slab to block ground moisture and finish the top smooth.
Older pool decks here are often cracked and slick. We pour new ones with a textured finish for wet feet, sloped so water runs away from the pool.
Front steps on older houses settle, crack and pull away from the porch. We rebuild them with steel inside and each step the same height.
Additions, garages and backyard cottages need a slab foundation poured on packed ground with steel tied in. We get the base and the forms right, then pour.
When an older house gets an addition or a rebuild, the foundation has to be right before framing starts. We dig, form, set steel and pour.
Small apartment buildings and shops here need lots that drain and hold up to daily traffic. We dig out soft spots and pour for what drives on it.
Decks, fences and sheds on Mountain View lots need footings, the concrete pads that carry the weight to firm ground. We dig them deep enough for the load.
If a corner of an older house has dropped, you'll see sticking doors and cracks over windows. We find out why it sank before we lift it back.
Sometimes the fix is a cut, not a tear-out, like trenching for a drain line or removing one bad section. We saw clean edges with little dust.
A free on-site estimate for your Mountain View job
Send the form and I'll get back to you within one business day to set a time. I come out, look the job over and write up a free estimate, with no obligation.
(650) 587-4028- Based in
- Redwood City, CA 94063
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 7 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 6 AM–10 PM
Permits, licenses and access in Mountain View
The City of Mountain View handles building permits and plan check here, so if your job needs a permit, the city's review comes before we pour and sets part of the schedule. I'll tell you at the estimate whether I think yours needs one, and we take care of the paperwork and inspections with the city. The city also requires a business license from anyone doing construction work in Mountain View, so ask any contractor you're considering for theirs, along with their state contractor's license.
We drive down from Redwood City for jobs here, and the first thing I look at is how we'll reach the work. A backyard patio behind an older house with a narrow side yard means a pump or a lot of wheelbarrow trips, and that shows up in the price along with how much old concrete comes out, how deep we dig to reach firm ground and the finish you choose. The schedule mostly turns on the permit, if there is one, and the weather on pour day, and your estimate puts a number on all of it.
Why Mountain View driveways and patios crack and sink
Most of the cracked and sunken slabs we see here weren't poured badly so much as poured on bad ground. Somebody raked the dirt level instead of digging it out and packing a base, so the subgrade, the ground the slab sits on, settled unevenly and the slab broke where nobody planned. Add a slope that runs toward the house and you get the pooling water by the garage that brings a lot of our calls. We dig out to firm ground, pack the base, set rebar, the steel that holds the slab together if it cracks, and cut control joints, grooves that give the concrete a straight line to crack along instead of across the middle.
Trees are the other cause. Their roots lift walks and driveway edges until a section tips into a trip hazard, and on older lots we often find new concrete poured right over the old, which cracks along the old joints underneath. We break the old stuff out instead of topping it, and trim roots back where it's safe for the tree.
What happens when you hire us in Mountain View
From your first call to the final walk-through, here's who you'll deal with and when you need to be home.
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Call or send the form
Call (650) 587-4028 or send the form, and I'll set a time to come out. Tell us what you want done and what's bothering you about what's there now.
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I come out and look
I come out myself, check the ground and where the water runs, ask a lot of questions and write up your estimate. It helps if you're home, so we can talk through options before you see the number in writing.
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Our crew does the work
If your job needs a permit, the city's review comes first and sets the start date. Then our own crew digs out, packs the base, sets the steel and pours, and I check the work as it goes.
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Walk the finished job together
When it's done, we walk it with you before we call it finished, and the job is backed by our satisfaction guarantee. I'll tell you how long to stay off it while it cures, which is the wait while the concrete hardens enough to use.
Questions about concrete work in Mountain View
Do I need a permit for a concrete driveway in Mountain View?
Don't assume you can skip it, because the city's list of work that needs no permit doesn't name driveways or patios. That list of projects that don't require permits does include some low retaining walls at single-family homes and duplexes, as long as they stay within a height limit and aren't holding back extra load or liquids. For minor projects at single-family homes and duplexes, the city also offers a Same-Day Permit with no building plans, and I'll tell you if yours looks like a fit.
Does a concrete contractor in Mountain View need a California license?
Yes, in most cases, because the California Contractors State License Board requires a license when the job needs a building permit, uses hired workers or adds up to $1,000 or more in labor and materials. The only way around it is a job under that amount, with no permit and no employees, done by someone who doesn't advertise as licensed. We're licensed and fully insured, so ask to see the license before you sign anything.
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Mountain View?
I can't give you a fair number without seeing the job, and the estimate is where you get yours. The price follows what's under the old slab and how hard the site is to reach more than the size alone. If you need to trim the budget, trim the finish and keep the base, because nobody sees the base on day one, and concrete is very patient about showing you later where somebody cut corners.
How long does new concrete take before I can drive on it?
Longer than it takes before you can walk on it, and I'll give you both waits for your slab on pour day, since they depend on the mix and the weather. Concrete keeps gaining strength well after it looks hard, so parking on it early is how a new driveway gets its first crack. Plan on parking on the street for a stretch, and we'll tell you when it's ready.
Will a new concrete patio crack like my old one did?
It can still get a hairline crack or two, because concrete shrinks as it dries, but it shouldn't sink or break apart the way a slab on raked dirt does. The control joints give those small cracks a straight line to follow, and the packed base and rebar keep the pieces level if one opens.
What is the best time of year to pour concrete in Mountain View?
Most of the year works, because daytime temperatures here stay moderate, so the time of day matters more than the month. On a warm summer afternoon the top can dry out before we've finished it and turn weak and dusty later, so we start early and keep the surface damp while it cures. We usually finish outdoor slabs with a broom finish, a light texture that gives your shoes some grip when it's wet.
Get your Mountain View concrete estimate started
Call (650) 587-4028 or describe the project in the form, and I'll show up already knowing what to look at.
Redwood City, CA