Concrete driveway building in Redwood City CA - a slab built for what you park
Old driveway cracked, sunk or holding water? We rebuild it from the ground up on a base packed to carry what you park.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free quotes on site.
- Replies within 1 business day.
What goes into building a new concrete driveway in Redwood City?
Concrete driveway building in Redwood City means digging out to firm ground, packing a base and pouring a slab, usually with steel inside, thick enough for the vehicles you park on it. Done right, you end up with a driveway that sits flat and sends rain toward the street instead of your house.
Most people call because the old driveway is cracked, sinking or sending water toward the garage, and a few call because there's only dirt where they want one. The price mostly turns on the size, on how thick the slab and the steel need to be for what you park, on the finish, and on whether the old driveway has to come out first. The schedule turns on the weather, on the days new concrete needs to cure before you drive on it, and on whether your city wants a permit. I'll come out, look at your driveway and write up the estimate, so your number is based on your job and not a guess over the phone.
How do you know your driveway needs replacing?
Cracks that keep spreading
Cracks that wander across the slab and get wider every year usually mean the ground underneath is moving, or the slab never had a planned place to crack. Wait too long and the pieces start shifting, the edges catch toes and tires, and water gets under the slab and speeds the whole thing up.
Sections sunk or tilted
A low spot at the garage door or a piece that rocks underfoot usually means the base was raked level instead of dug out and packed, so it settled with the dirt. Patching the top usually doesn't hold because the problem is underneath, and the longer it sits the further it tips.
Water pooling near the house
Puddles that sit for days, or rain that runs toward the garage instead of the street, mean the slab was never pitched to drain or has sunk since it was poured. That water ends up against your foundation or under the slab, and neither is where you want it.
Concrete driveway building, from the dirt up
Before we talk about anything else, I ask what the heaviest thing you park is, because that sets how thick the slab is and what steel goes in it. Then we break out the old driveway and dig down to the subgrade, the firm ground the slab sits on, and pack a base on top of it instead of just raking it smooth, because a raked base settles and takes the concrete with it. We check where your water runs and set the forms so the slab falls away from the house. After the pour we give it a broom finish, a brushed texture that gives tires and shoes some grip when it's wet, and we cut control joints, shallow grooves that give the slab a straight line to crack along instead of wherever it pleases. Once it's poured, we keep the new driveway covered and damp while it cures, so the top hardens properly instead of drying out weak and dusty. If the budget gets tight, cut the fancy finish and keep the base, because nobody sees the base on day one and it's the part that decides whether the driveway stays flat.
Driveway jobs tend to spread across the yard. If the slab out back is in the same shape as the one out front, it can make sense to price concrete patio construction on the same visit, since the dig-out and base work are the same kind of job. And if a plain gray driveway isn't what you had in mind, ask about our stamped concrete services.
Tear out and replace
This suits a driveway that's cracked, sunk or draining toward the house. Breaking out and hauling off the old slab adds to the price, but it's how we get at the base underneath, which is usually where the trouble started.
A new or wider driveway
This suits bare ground, an extra parking spot or a driveway that's too narrow for what you drive now. We still dig down to firm ground first, because loose dirt settles whether it's under an old slab or a new one.
Broom finish or a decorative surface
A broom finish is the plain, grippy standard and costs the least. Stamped and decorative surfaces cost more and look like more than concrete, so they suit a driveway that's a big part of how the front of the house looks.
Get a driveway estimate built around what you park
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 on site, 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
What happens when you call about a driveway in Redwood City?
Here's how a driveway job runs from your first call to the final walk-through, and who you'll be dealing with at each step.
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Call or send the form
You call (650) 587-4028 or send the form, and I get back to you to set a time to come out. It helps to know the heaviest vehicle you park and whether the old driveway comes out.
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I come out and look
I walk the driveway, check where the water goes, ask a lot of questions and write up the estimate. You get a written number for your job and decide from there, with no pressure from me.
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Our crew builds the driveway
Our own crew does the dig-out, base, forms and pour, and I check the work as it goes. I watch the base closest, because it gets covered up fast.
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We walk it together
When it's finished, we walk the new driveway with you. We go over how long to keep feet and cars off it while it cures.
Why Redwood City homeowners call Elite Redwood City Concrete for driveways
Tell me what you park and what's out there now, and ask for an estimate.
The owner comes to estimate
I come out to look at your driveway myself, and our own crew does the work. If you don't need a new driveway, I'll tell you, because I'd rather say no than sell you one.
Our own business since 2013
I ran crews and pours for another contractor for years before I started this business in 2013. Most of what I learned is about what happens underneath, which is where driveways usually go wrong.
Licensed and insured for your job
We're licensed and fully insured. Ask to see it at the estimate, because you should know who's working on your property before anyone starts digging.
Digging set for dry spells
San Mateo County's stormwater program advises against digging and grading in wet weather, so we plan the dig-out for a dry stretch. That keeps mud out of the street and keeps us from packing a soggy base.
Driveways, permits and pour days in Redwood City
Whether a new driveway in Redwood City needs a permit is the city's call, and the Redwood City Building Department is the office to ask, at permits@redwoodcity.org. The department handles its permits through an online portal. If your job needs one, I'll say so at the estimate, and we handle the paperwork and inspections with your city or the county.
Pour day has a local rule of its own. The county's stormwater program says cement washout stays out of driveways, streets, gutters and drainage ditches, with mixers washed only where the runoff drains to lined containment ponds, so where the truck washes out gets settled before it shows up. The driveways we tear out here look a lot like the ones on our jobs in San Carlos and Menlo Park, older slabs cracked across the middle, sunk at the garage or tilted so the rain heads for the house.
Questions about concrete driveways in Redwood City
How much does a concrete driveway cost in Redwood City?
A Bay Area cost guide puts a concrete driveway at about $8 to $16 per square foot, not counting tearing out an old one. That's what the work usually runs across the Bay Area, not our price, and where yours lands depends on the size, thickness, steel and finish. I'll give you your own number at the estimate.
How thick should a concrete driveway be?
For standard-weight cars, a Bay Area cost guide says four to five inches is typically enough. The same guide says trucks or RVs may call for six to eight inches, and poor soil may call for a thicker slab still, which is why I start by asking what you park.
Should I use wire mesh or rebar in my driveway?
Wire mesh is common for driveways that carry everyday cars, while rebar, heavier steel bars set in a grid, may be the better choice for big trucks, RVs or heavy traffic. Either way the steel holds the slab together if it cracks, and since reinforced concrete costs more per square foot, we match it to what actually parks there.
How long does a new concrete driveway need to stay damp?
National curing guidance says new concrete needs enough moisture for several days, especially at the surface, so it keeps hardening. Crews can hold that moisture in by leaving the forms on, covering the slab with wet burlap or plastic sheeting, or applying a curing compound. That's the covered, damp stretch we give yours, and it's worth staying off it until it's done.
Who is allowed to build a concrete driveway in California?
In California, a driveway job over $1,000, or one that needs a permit, has to be done by a licensed contractor. The state has a license class for concrete contractors, the C-8, and the small-job exception also requires that the person doing the work employ no one.
What causes a new concrete driveway to crack?
Usually shrinkage, a base that settles, or both. National guidance says shrinkage rises with the water in the mix, that less water for the same cement makes stronger concrete, and that pouring in moderate temperatures with a careful mix helps cut the risk of cracking, so a mild stretch is the better window here. Concrete shrinks as it cures, which is why we pack the base and cut the joints, so cracks have a place to go and the slab has firm ground under it.
Related concrete work to plan with a driveway
A patio poured off the back of the house deserves the same packed base and drainage check as a driveway, just without the truck parked on it.
If plain gray isn't what you want out front, stamping presses a pattern and color into the fresh surface, so the driveway looks like stone or brick.
Service areas for driveway work near Redwood City
Elite Redwood City Concrete is based in Redwood City, CA, and builds driveways in the cities around it, including San Mateo and Mountain View. The 12 cities listed here each have their own page, though they're not the only ones we work in.
Get your new driveway sized and priced
A look at the old slab and where your water runs tells me more than any photo, so the visit is worth it even if you're still deciding.
Redwood City, CA