Concrete Contractor in Mountain View, CA - Driveways and Patios Built on a Solid Base
Benchmark Sunnyvale Concrete Company is a concrete contractor based in Sunnyvale. In Mountain View, we replace and build driveways, patios, walks, garage floors and footings, with our own crew on the job and me overseeing it.
Mountain View houses and the concrete around them
Mountain View is right next door to Sunnyvale, so much of our work here is a short drive from home. The neighborhoods on either side of Castro Street near downtown were mostly built between the late 1800s and World War II, and their driveways, walks and front steps often show their age, with old concrete that has settled, lifted at the edges or been patched more than once. Farther out, the houses are usually newer, and calls there lean toward patio additions, wider driveways and garage floors.
We do the same kind of work in Santa Clara and Los Altos, but an older lot near downtown Mountain View usually asks for more at the start. Before anything new goes down, there is often old concrete and a thin, tired base to dig out, and we look closely at how the yard drains, because the old slab was often poured on whatever happened to be there.
What working in Mountain View involves, from permits to price
Permits here are the City of Mountain View's call, and its building office reviews building permits of every kind, so whether your job needs one, and how long that review takes, can decide when we start. Before you hire anyone, two things are worth checking, a state contractor's license, which you can look up with the state licensing board, and a Mountain View business license. I answer both in more detail in the questions below.
When a job needs a permit, we handle the application and the inspections and keep you informed, and when it isn't clear, I check with the city's permit office before we start. We're licensed and insured. The price moves most with the size of the area, how much old concrete we break out and haul away, how much of the base underneath has to be dug out and replaced, and the finish you choose, since a plain broom finish, the light brushed texture that gives shoes and tires some grip, costs less than stamped concrete with a pattern and color pressed in. The schedule mostly turns on the permit, the weather and curing, the days the concrete needs to harden before you use it, and the written estimate after my visit sets out the scope and the price for your job.
Why driveways and patios here wear the way they do
The city describes its weather as moderate, with winter days often in the fifties and sixties and summer days in the seventies and eighties, which makes for good pouring weather most of the year. The trouble comes on a warm summer afternoon, when the top of a fresh slab can dry before it's properly finished and turn weak and dusty later, so in summer we plan our pours for the morning.
Most of the tired concrete we replace here failed from underneath. Older driveways and walks were often poured on raked dirt with little packed base, so they settled with the ground, cracked wherever they pleased and sometimes tipped water back toward the garage or the house. We dig down to firm subgrade, the ground the slab rests on, pack a proper base, set the slope so water runs away from the house, and cut control joints, shallow grooves that give the slab a chosen line to crack along, soon after the pour. If a budget has to give somewhere, I would rather you keep the base and choose a simpler finish, because a surface can be redone later, but a poor base can't be fixed without tearing the slab out.
Request a free on-site concrete estimate in Mountain View
Tell us about the driveway, patio or other concrete work at your Mountain View home, and we'll reply within one business day to set a time for me to come out. The visit and the written estimate are free, with no pressure and no obligation.
(669) 215-2122How a Mountain View concrete job goes, from your call to the finished slab
Call or send the form
Call (669) 215-2122 or use the form and tell us what you have in mind, whether it's a new driveway, a patio or a slab that's sinking. A photo or two of the area and a rough idea of its size are a help.
I come out to the site
I visit myself to look at the ground, the old concrete and where the water runs across your yard, and to hear what you want. I also note how a concrete truck can reach the spot.
You get a written estimate
After the visit you receive the scope and the price in writing, so you can see exactly what is included. You decide in your own time.
We handle the city's part
Once you go ahead, we take care of what the city needs and schedule the work around it. For minor projects at single-family homes and duplexes, the city offers a Same-Day Permit that needs no building plans, while larger work goes through the city's plan check.
We pour and walk it together
Our own crew does the digging, base, forms and pour, and I'm on site to oversee it. Before we leave, I walk the finished job with you and go over when it's ready for feet and for cars.
Examples of concrete driveways and patios
Concrete questions from Mountain View homeowners
Does a new concrete driveway or patio in Mountain View need a city permit?
The city's list of permit-free work doesn't settle it for driveways, patios or walks, so I check with the city before we start rather than guess. That list of projects that don't require permits covers things like painting, tiling and small decks, and the city's building office reviews building permits for other work. If yours needs one, we take care of it as described above.
Do I need a permit for a short concrete retaining wall in Mountain View?
A retaining wall 4 feet or less in height, measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall, is on the city's list of work that needs no permit. That changes if the wall supports extra weight above it, such as a sloped yard, a driveway or a building, or holds back certain liquids. If your wall is close to that height, I measure it the city's way at the estimate.
How do I know if my concrete contractor needs a California license?
A contractor needs a state license once the job needs a building permit, uses any workers, or the labor and materials together come to $1,000 or more. Most driveway and patio jobs pass that mark, so it's sensible to ask for the license number and look it up with the board before you sign anything.
Does a contractor need a Mountain View business license to pour concrete here?
Yes, the city requires a business license for anyone doing work in Mountain View, construction included. A business completes the city's application before it starts working here, so it's fair to ask any contractor you're considering whether they hold one.
How much does a concrete driveway cost in Mountain View?
A driveway here is priced from what I find on site, and beyond its size and the old concrete coming out, the biggest local factors are access and what the slab has to carry. On older lots near downtown, a narrow side yard can mean pumping or wheeling the concrete in instead of pouring straight from the truck, and a driveway for heavy vehicles needs a thicker slab and rebar, the steel inside that holds it together if it cracks. Your written estimate spells out each of these.
How long does a new concrete driveway in Mountain View need to cure before I can drive on it?
You can walk on a new driveway well before you can drive on it, because concrete keeps gaining strength for days after the pour. The exact wait depends on the slab and the weather on pour day, so I give you the dates for walking and for driving when we schedule, and we leave the slab marked off until then.
Tell us about your Mountain View concrete project
Describe what you're seeing when you call (669) 215-2122 or use the form, and I'll arrive at your visit with your project already in mind.