Concrete Contractor in North Fair Oaks, CA - Driveways and Slabs Built on a Solid Base
Elite Redwood City Concrete builds driveways, patios, walkways, steps and foundations for homes in North Fair Oaks, CA, and we put most of our effort into the ground underneath before any concrete shows up.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free quotes on site.
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North Fair Oaks homes and the concrete around them
North Fair Oaks sits between Redwood City, Atherton and Menlo Park, and we're a concrete contractor based in Redwood City, CA, so it's close to home for us. On our jobs here it's mostly houses on their own lots, each with a driveway, a front walk and usually a patio out back.
Much of the area was built in two waves, one after the 1906 earthquake and another just before World War II, so plenty of the houses are old and so is the concrete around them. A lot of those slabs were poured on whatever dirt happened to be there, and they've had decades to settle, crack and tip. That's why our work here usually starts with breaking out the old concrete and fixing the ground under it before we talk about the new surface.
Concrete services we handle in North Fair Oaks
Most older driveways here have cracked or sunk because the base under them was thin. We tear them out, dig to firm ground and pour a new one.
A back patio that holds water or tips toward the house is a drainage problem first. We set the new slab to shed water away from your walls.
Stamped concrete gives a patio or walk the look of stone or brick without laying pavers one at a time. It still needs the same packed base underneath.
Front walks on older lots here are often lifted by roots or broken into tripping edges. We replace the bad sections or the whole run, whichever makes sense.
Detached garages on older properties often have thin, cracked floors. We pour a new slab with rebar, steel that holds the pieces tight if it ever cracks.
Colored, scored or exposed-aggregate concrete can dress up an entry or patio on an older house. I'll tell you which finishes wear well and which don't.
Where a yard steps down or dirt is pushing on a driveway, a concrete wall holds it back, with a drain behind it so water can't build up.
For a converted garage, a workshop or an addition, we pour interior floors flat and level so the flooring goes down without a fight later.
Around a pool, the deck has to drain away from the water and stay grippy when it's wet. We give it a textured finish and slope it right.
Front steps on older houses here have often sunk away from the porch or crumbled at the edges. We rebuild them with even risers and steel inside.
For a new garage, a backyard unit or an addition on your lot, we pour slab foundations on ground we've dug out and packed ourselves.
When an older house needs a new foundation, or a new building needs one, we form, set steel and pour to the plans your engineer or designer draws.
Shops and small businesses need lots and aprons that take daily traffic and drain properly. We build them thick enough for the vehicles that actually use them.
Decks, fences, sheds and walls sit on footings, the concrete pads that carry the weight into firm ground. We dig them to the depth the job calls for.
When part of an older house has settled and the doors stick, raising and resupporting the foundation can bring it back. I'll tell you if it's worth it.
We saw-cut openings for new doors, trenches for drain or utility lines and clean edges where only part of an old slab needs to come out.
Get a free on-site concrete estimate in North Fair Oaks
Send the form and I'll get back to you within one business day to set a time. I come out myself, look the job over and write up a free estimate, with no obligation to go ahead.
(650) 587-4028- Based in
- Redwood City, CA 94063
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 7 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 6 AM–10 PM
Working in North Fair Oaks under County of San Mateo rules
Your mail may say Redwood City or Menlo Park, but North Fair Oaks is unincorporated, so the County of San Mateo, not either city, reviews and inspects concrete work that needs a building permit. If a job needs a county planning permit too, that one comes first, and nobody breaks ground until the building permit is issued, so a permitted job's start date rides on the county's schedule. On any contractor, check for a license from the state licensing board, and if the business is based in the unincorporated county, a county business license as well. We're licensed and fully insured, and if your job needs a permit I'll say so at the estimate and we'll handle the paperwork and inspections with the county.
What moves the price here is mostly what you can't see on day one, like how much old concrete has to come out and get hauled off, how deep we dig to reach firm ground and how much base and steel go back in. Size, finish and access count too, because on narrow streets and tight side yards we sometimes pump the concrete or wheel it in. The permit and the weather set the schedule, and my written estimate lays out your own job. It's the same work and the same crew we bring to San Carlos and East Palo Alto.
Why older slabs in North Fair Oaks crack and sink
The slabs we replace here usually failed from the bottom up. Someone raked the dirt flat and poured on it instead of digging out and packing a gravel base, so the subgrade, the ground the slab sits on, kept settling and took the concrete with it. Concrete is only as good as the dirt under it, and it holds a grudge. We dig to firm ground, pack the base in layers and add rebar, and if the budget's tight I'd rather you skip the fancy finish than the base, because you can't fix the base later without breaking out the slab.
The other thing we see is water. A driveway or patio that tips toward the house sends every rain at your walls, so we check where the water runs before we set the forms and slope the new slab away. We also cut control joints, shallow grooves that tell the slab where to crack, soon after the pour, so any crack runs in a straight line we chose.
How a North Fair Oaks concrete job runs once you call
Here's how it goes from your first call to the final walk-through, with me looking at the job before we start and checking it while our crew works.
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Call or send the form
Call (650) 587-4028 or send the form with a few lines about the job. I get back to you myself and we set a time for me to come out.
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I come look it over
I look at the old slab, where the water runs and how a truck gets in, and I ask a lot of questions. It helps if you're home to show me what's bugging you, and you get a written estimate you can take your time with.
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Our crew digs and pours
Once any permit is issued, our own crew tears out, digs to firm ground, packs the base, sets the forms and steel and pours, and I check it as it goes. You don't need to be home on pour day, just keep the cars out of the way.
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We walk it with you
When it's done, we walk the job together so you can point out anything you don't like. I also go over how to look after the new concrete while it cures.
Questions about concrete work in North Fair Oaks
How do I find out if my concrete project in North Fair Oaks needs a permit?
Email the county's building counter at buildingcounter@smcgov.org and they'll confirm whether your work needs one. A county building permit applies when a structure is built, altered, repaired, moved or taken down, and driveway or sidewalk work on a county sidewalk or road needs a separate permit from Public Works. The county's Public Works page lists a fine of $350.00 a day for doing that work without one, so I'll tell you at the estimate which permits I expect your job to need.
Does a concrete contractor need a California license to work in North Fair Oaks?
Yes, in most cases. The state requires a contractor's license when the job needs a building permit, uses any extra workers, or comes to $1,000 or more in labor and materials. Ask for the license number before anyone pours.
How do I find out if my North Fair Oaks property is in a flood zone?
Ask the county, and its flood zone maps page explains how. The county can tell you whether your property is in the Special Flood Hazard Area or the Floodway, and give you its flood map zone and Base Flood Elevation where those are available. That's worth having in hand before we plan a new slab or foundation.
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in North Fair Oaks?
It comes down to how much old concrete has to come out, how much digging and base work the ground needs, the size and the finish, so I can't give you a fair number until I've seen it. A plain broom finish, the light brushed texture that keeps feet and tires from slipping, costs less than stamped or colored work, and a permit for the apron where the driveway meets the street adds to it. Older driveways here often need more base work than people expect, and that's the part I'd tell you to pay for.
Does a retaining wall in North Fair Oaks need engineering?
Yes, once it's taller than 3 feet, because the county wants engineering calculations with the plans for walls over that height. Inspectors also check setbacks, how far the wall sits from your property lines, so a retaining wall needs a survey first. We work that into the schedule from the start.
How long will I be without my driveway after a new pour in North Fair Oaks?
You're off it from tear-out until the concrete has cured, the stretch while it hardens and gains strength, and you can walk on it well before you can drive on it. I'll give you both dates before we start, based on the mix and the weather that week, so you can plan where to park on the street.
Tell us about your North Fair Oaks project
A few lines about what's cracked, sinking or holding water means I show up knowing what to look at, so call (650) 587-4028 or use the form.
Redwood City, CA