Concrete Contractor in Los Gatos, CA - Driveways and Patios Built for Hillside Lots
Benchmark Sunnyvale Concrete Company is a concrete contractor based in Sunnyvale that builds driveways, patios, walks, steps and foundations for homes in Los Gatos, with careful base work for the hillside lots and older yards here.
Los Gatos as we see it from the job site
Los Gatos runs from older, flatter streets near the Campbell line up into wooded hills, and the concrete work changes as you climb. Down low we find ranch houses and older homes on established lots, with long single driveways, patched walks and patios that big trees have lifted over the years. Toward the hills and the Saratoga side, the lots get steeper and the houses sit farther apart, so a driveway may curve up a grade and a patio often needs a wall to hold the ground behind it.
In both places the ground decides more of the job than the surface does, so we plan the base and the drainage around each lot before we talk about the finish.
Working in Los Gatos: permits, licenses and what moves the price
Permits here come from the Town of Los Gatos Building Division, which reviews plans for new construction, additions and remodels, so when your concrete work is part of one of those, the pour waits on that review. Before you hire anyone, it's worth checking two things: a state contractor's license and a current Town Business License, and the questions further down explain when each one applies. When a job needs a permit, we handle the application and the inspections with the city and keep you informed as it moves along.
The price is driven mostly by what you won't see once the concrete is down: how much old concrete has to come out, how deep we dig to reach firm ground, how much base we bring in and pack, and how hard the site is for a truck to reach. The schedule turns on any permit review, the weather and curing, which is the stretch of days new concrete needs to gain strength before it carries weight. Your written estimate after my visit sets out the scope and the price. We're based in Sunnyvale and do the same work there and in the cities around it.
What hillside lots and older driveways here need from us
Parts of Los Gatos sit on steep, heavily wooded hillsides reached by narrow, winding roads, and that shapes a concrete job long before anything is poured. A full-size truck may not fit up a tight road or turn on a sloped drive, so I look at the approach on the first visit and we plan for a pump or smaller loads when the site calls for it. Water runs fast on a slope, so we set the fall of a new driveway or patio to carry it away from the house and off the base. On the steepest lots a patio or an addition may need footings set into the hill, which is work we also do as part of foundation installation.
On the older, flatter streets, the usual call is a driveway or patio that has cracked, sunk or started holding water, most often because the old slab was laid on dirt that was raked level instead of dug out and packed. We dig down to firm subgrade, the soil the slab sits on, pack a proper base, and cut control joints, shallow grooves that give the concrete a straight place to crack, while the slab is still fresh. If the budget is tight, I'd rather you choose a plainer finish than cut back on the base, because no surface can save a slab that is sinking.
Get a free on-site estimate for your Los Gatos project
We reply to every call and message within one business day, and the estimate is free with no pressure and no obligation. After you send the form, we set a time for me to come out to your Los Gatos property, and after the visit you get the scope and the price in writing.
(669) 215-2122How a concrete job in Los Gatos goes once you call
Call us or send the form
Call (669) 215-2122 or use the form, and we set a time for me to come out to your house in Los Gatos. It helps to have a rough idea of what you'd like, whether that's a new driveway, a patio or a repair.
I visit and check the site
I walk the area with you, check how the ground slopes and where the water runs, and look at how a truck would reach it. Please point out any spots where water pools or the old slab has sunk.
You get a written estimate
After the visit you receive the scope of the work and the price in writing. Take the time you need to decide.
We handle permits and scheduling
Once you decide to go ahead, we take care of what the city needs, including any permit application and inspections, and put the work on the calendar. When a permit is needed, the Building Division's review sets the earliest day we can start.
We pour and walk it together
Our own crew does the work, and I'm on site to oversee it. When it's finished, we walk the job with you before we leave and go over when it's ready to walk and drive on.
Examples of driveways, patios and walls
Los Gatos concrete questions, answered
How do I find out if my concrete project needs a permit in Los Gatos?
Ask the Building Division, or let us ask for you, because the Town's published permit lists name other work, such as windows, roofs and electrical or plumbing work, and don't settle concrete flatwork either way. Applications go only through the Town's online permitting system, and staff at the counter answer questions. When it isn't clear for your job, we check with the permit office before we start.
When does a concrete contractor need a California contractor's license?
Under the Contractors State License Board's guidance, a license is required when the project needs a building permit, uses additional workers or totals $1,000 or more in labor and materials. A larger job can't be broken into pieces under $1,000 to get around that, so most driveway and patio work falls under it. We're licensed and insured, and you're welcome to ask me about it when I visit.
How long does new concrete take to cure in Los Gatos summer heat?
You can usually walk on a new slab after a day or two and drive on a new driveway after about a week, though the concrete keeps gaining strength for weeks after that. Warm, dry afternoons pull water out of the top too quickly and can leave a weak, dusty surface, so in summer we pour early in the morning and keep the slab damp while it cures.
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Los Gatos?
The cost depends on the driveway's size, how much old concrete comes out, how much base the ground needs and how easy the site is to reach, so I give you a written price after seeing it. Your choices move it too, since a stamped or colored finish costs more than a plain one, and extra thickness or steel for heavy trucks adds some.
What is the best way to build a concrete driveway on a steep Los Gatos lot?
The best way is to dig to firm ground, pack a solid base, pour it thick enough with steel inside, and give it a surface that grips. Many driveways are about four inches thick, and on a steep drive or where heavy trucks park we usually go thicker and add rebar, steel bars that hold the slab together if it does crack. We finish it with a broom finish, a lightly brushed texture that gives tires and shoes grip on a wet slope.
Does my contractor need a Los Gatos business license?
Yes, the Town requires a Town Business License from any business located in Los Gatos or whose workers come into Los Gatos to do business. A contractor also needs a current one to obtain permits, and these licenses expire on December 31 each year, so it's fair to ask that it's current for the year your job falls in.
Plan your Los Gatos concrete project with us
Call (669) 215-2122 or send the form, because planning early leaves room for any permit review and lets us book a cool morning pour before the summer heat.