Concrete Contractor in Campbell, CA - Driveways and Patios Built on a Solid Base
Benchmark Sunnyvale Concrete Company builds and replaces concrete driveways, patios, walks, steps and garage floors for homeowners in Campbell, CA, and we pour footings, slabs and foundations for property owners and builders here too.
Campbell homes and the concrete around them
Most of our Campbell calls come from single-family homes on quiet residential streets, where a driveway, a patio or a front walk has been down for many years and has started to crack, sink or hold water. We see the same kinds of houses and the same kinds of calls next door in Los Gatos and Saratoga, and we work there the same careful way.
Older lots like these have usually been changed over the years, with a patio added here and a walk patched there, so the levels rarely line up. That means the old concrete has to come out carefully, and what we find under it shapes most of the jobs we do here.
Working in Campbell and what we check first
When a concrete job in Campbell needs a permit, it goes through the city's building department, which issues permits for all construction in the city, so a permitted job waits on the city's review before we can pour. You can check two things about any contractor you're thinking of hiring here. Their state license should be in good standing with the Contractors State License Board, and on work under a city building permit they need a current City of Campbell business license for the whole time the work goes on. When your job needs a permit, we handle the application and the inspections and keep you informed, and if it isn't clear whether one is needed, we ask the city's permit office before we start. What moves the price most is how much old concrete has to come out and how much base work the ground needs, and your written estimate sets out the scope and the price for your property.
We're a concrete contractor in Sunnyvale, CA, and I've run this business since 2013, after years of learning the trade beside my father on his jobs. Campbell is a short drive for us, and we bring the same crew and the same way of working that we take up to East Palo Alto and the other cities around Sunnyvale. On residential streets the concrete truck usually parks at the curb, so for a backyard patio we work out how the concrete will get past the house, by wheelbarrow or by pump, before we set a pour day.
What we find under older Campbell driveways and patios
Most calls here start with a slab that has cracked across the middle or sunk at one corner, and when we break it out, the cause is usually underneath. The base was often raked level instead of dug out and packed, so the slab settled as the dirt below it settled, and the control joints, the grooves that tell concrete where to crack, were cut late or skipped. We dig down to firm ground, pack the base in layers, set rebar, the steel that holds a slab together if it does crack, and cut the joints on time so cracks tend to stay in the grooves. If the budget has to give somewhere, I'd ask you to keep the base and choose a plain broom finish, the light texture that keeps a wet slab from getting slick, because a surface can be improved later but a poor base can only be fixed by tearing the slab out.
Front steps and walks on older houses wear the same way, and a step that has dropped away from the porch is easy to catch a toe on. When old steps have to come out, our concrete steps construction starts with footings and a packed base so each step sits even with the next, and the footings and slabs we pour for property owners and builders get the same preparation.
Ask for a free on-site estimate in Campbell
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set a time for me to come out to your Campbell property and hear what you have in mind. After the visit you get the scope and the price in writing, with no pressure and no obligation to go ahead.
(669) 215-2122How a Campbell concrete job goes from your call to the walk-through
Call us or send the form
Tell us a little about the driveway, patio or other work, and we set a time for me to come out. It helps if you can be home for the visit so we can walk the site together.
Walk the site with me
I look at the old concrete, where the water runs and how a truck can reach the work, and I listen to what you'd like. I give every estimate myself, so the person who measured is the one who answers your questions.
Review your written estimate
After the visit you get the scope and the price in writing, so you can compare and decide in your own time. If anything in it isn't clear, call and I'll go through it with you.
We take care of permits
Once you decide to go ahead, we file what the city needs and keep you informed while it's reviewed. The city asks applicants to allow at least four to six weeks for a first plan review and two to four weeks for any later round, while smaller items such as a fence or a small accessory structure can be issued over the counter or within one to two weeks.
Pour, finish and walk through
Our own crew does the work with me on site, inside Campbell's construction hours of 8 AM to 5 PM on weekdays and 9 AM to 4 PM on Saturday, with no work on Sundays or holidays. When the job is done, I walk it with you before we leave.
Concrete driveways, patios and steps
Campbell concrete and permit questions
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Campbell?
There's no set price for a Campbell driveway, because it's figured from its size, the finish you choose and how easily we can reach the work. A plain broom finish costs less than stamped or colored concrete, and a long carry from the street adds labor. If the job needs a city permit, the fees are part of the price as well, and I'll give you the full figure in writing after I've seen the site.
How do I get a permit for a concrete retaining wall in Campbell?
In Campbell, a wall taller than 3 feet needs a building permit from the city, and a wall over 6 feet also needs a fence exception approved through the city's planning division first, as the city's guide for walls and small structures explains. When your wall needs a permit, we put in the application and arrange the inspections. For a lower wall, we confirm with the city before we start.
Does a concrete slab for a small shed in Campbell need a permit?
For a shed under 120 square feet with no electrical, plumbing or mechanical hookups, the city's guide says the structure doesn't need a building permit, though it still has to meet the city's standards for such structures. For anything larger, anything with power or water run to it, or any question about the slab itself, we ask the city before we form it.
Can I pull my own permit as an owner-builder in Campbell?
Yes, an owner can act as owner-builder by signing and submitting the city's disclosure forms with the permit application. If the property is held by an LLC, though, the city's guide says the LLC can't be an owner-builder, so a licensed contractor has to do the job.
How long does a Campbell building permit stay valid?
An issued permit in Campbell expires unless the work passes an inspection within every 180 days, and an application expires without a refund of fees if no permit is issued within 180 days of submittal. The city's building official can grant an extension before those dates, case by case. We schedule inspections as the work reaches each stage, which keeps a permit from sitting idle.
What causes a concrete patio in Campbell to slope toward the house?
A patio usually ends up tipping toward the house because the base near the wall settled, or because it was poured without enough fall away from the house in the first place. Water then pools against the foundation instead of running to the yard. When we replace one, we check where the water should go and set the forms so the new slab carries it away from your house.
Talk with us about your Campbell concrete
Call (669) 215-2122 or send us a message, and I'll come look at what's under the cracks before you decide anything.