Concrete contractor in Los Altos - driveways, patios and slabs on a solid base
Benchmark Sunnyvale Concrete Company is a concrete contractor based in Sunnyvale. We build driveways, patios, walks, garage floors, footings and slabs for Los Altos homeowners, and our own crew does the work.
Los Altos as we see it on our jobs
Los Altos is mostly a city of single-family homes on roomy lots, with a small downtown and quiet residential streets around it. Much of it grew quickly after World War II. On many of our jobs here we're looking at driveways, front walks and back patios that have been in place for decades, often beside newer rebuilds and remodels where the owners want the concrete to suit the house.
The streets feel more open than the denser blocks of Mountain View next door, and the work tends to be longer driveways and bigger patios rather than tight infill. When an old slab here has failed, the cause is usually what was under it. That's why most of our jobs start with taking the old concrete out and seeing what it was sitting on.
Working in Los Altos: how a job moves through the city
When a concrete job at a Los Altos home needs a permit, the city's Building Division checks the plans for architectural and structural detail, then schedules and carries out the inspections. We can't pour until that review is done, so it affects the schedule more than anything we do on site. When your job needs a permit, we handle the application and the inspections and keep you informed. If it isn't clear whether yours needs one, I check with the city's permit office before we start. We're licensed and insured, which is worth confirming with any contractor before you sign.
The price mostly comes down to the size of the job, how much old concrete has to come out and how close a truck can get to the pour. A backyard patio reached only by a narrow side yard takes more labor than a driveway the truck can reach from the street, and the same is true inside the house for a concrete floor installation during a remodel. Timing depends on the city's review and on our crew's calendar, and your written estimate covers both the scope and the price. We work the same way in Saratoga and Cupertino, where we see many of the same kinds of homes and questions.
Why Los Altos driveways and patios end up needing work
Much of the flatwork we replace here, meaning driveways, patios, walks and garage floors, is original to the house or close to it. Age tends to show the same way from house to house. We see driveways that have sunk at the garage, walks lifted by tree roots, and patios that tip toward the back door so water pools against the house. Under slabs like these we usually find a base that was raked level instead of dug out and packed, so it settled with the dirt over the years. We dig down to firm ground, pack a proper subgrade, which is the layer the slab rests on, and set the slope so water runs away from your house.
We also hear often from owners adding on or remodeling who need footings, a slab or a garage floor done properly the first time. If the budget is tight on any job, I would rather you keep the money in the base and choose a plainer finish. A handsome surface on a poor base cracks just the same, and the base can't be fixed later without starting over.
A written estimate for your Los Altos concrete job
Send us a few lines about your Los Altos project and we'll reply within one business day to set a time for me to come out. The estimate is free and done on site, with no pressure and no obligation. After the visit you'll get the scope and the price in writing.
(669) 215-2122How a concrete job in Los Altos goes, from call to walkthrough
Call or send the form
Tell us what you have in mind, whether it's a new driveway, a patio or footings for an addition, and we'll set a time for me to come out. Photos of the area help, but you don't need to send any.
Walk the site with me
I look over the old concrete, where the water runs and how a truck will reach the pour, and I listen to what you'd like. If you've noticed water pooling or a spot that keeps sinking, please show me, because it tells me a good deal about the base.
Review your written estimate
After the visit you get the scope and the price in writing, so you can look it over and decide in your own time. Nothing is scheduled until you tell us to go ahead.
We take care of permits
When you decide to go ahead, we take care of what the city needs. The city asks for up to 5 business days to confirm a submittal is complete and process it before sending it on for review, so we set the pour date with that in mind.
Build it and walk through
Our crew works within the city's residential construction hours, which are 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays, with no work on Sundays or city holidays, and I'm on site to oversee the job. When the work is done, I walk the finished job with you before we leave.
Driveways, patios and slabs
Questions about concrete work in Los Altos
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Los Altos?
A Los Altos driveway is priced on its size and on a few choices we go over at the estimate. Those are the thickness, whether it gets rebar, which is the steel that helps keep a cracked slab from separating, and the finish. A broom finish, the lightly brushed texture that gives shoes and tires grip, costs less than stamped or decorative work, and the base work depends on what we find once the old slab is out.
Which building codes do concrete plans in Los Altos need to follow?
The city's permit submittal notice says plans drawn to the 2022 California Building Codes must be submitted by December 22nd, and submittals received after that date need to reflect the 2025 codes. When a job needs drawings, we check that they match the codes the city will review them under. This matters most if your plans were drawn some time ago.
What does the Los Altos building inspector need to see on site?
The inspector needs the approved permit, plans and related documents printed and on site, and the city won't perform the inspection without them. Once they're approved, the city emails those documents to the responsible party. When we're handling your permit, we print them and keep them on the job so an inspection isn't held up.
Do I need Planning approval before building a foundation for an addition in Los Altos?
Yes, additions and new single-family homes in Los Altos need approval from the city's Planning Department first. That step comes before any concrete footings or slab work, so if you're planning an addition, please tell me early and we'll schedule our work around the approvals.
How long does it take before I can drive on a new concrete driveway in Los Altos?
You can walk on a new driveway well before you can drive on it. Concrete keeps hardening for days after the pour, and that curing time, the wait while it gains strength, has to pass before it can carry a car. I'll give you the waits for your slab at the estimate and again on pour day, and if you need the garage in the meantime, we can talk about pouring in sections.
What causes a new concrete driveway to crack?
Most cracks in new concrete come from shrinkage as it hardens, which happens to nearly every slab, so the real question is where the cracks go. We cut control joints, the straight grooves in the surface, on time so cracks follow those lines instead of running across the middle. On warm days we pour early, because concrete poured in midday heat can end up with a weak, dusty top. Along with the packed base described above, those steps are the best answer we know to the cracks in your old slab.
Tell us about your Los Altos project
Call (669) 215-2122 or use the form to describe the job and ask about timing, because a project that needs the city's review is much easier to schedule when we hear about it early.