Concrete contractor in East Palo Alto - driveways and patios on packed ground
Hallmark Menlo Park Concrete is a concrete contractor based in Menlo Park. We pour driveways, patios, steps, walls and foundations for homeowners in East Palo Alto, and we start with the ground under the slab.
Concrete work in East Palo Alto
We're based in Menlo Park, and East Palo Alto is one of the cities around it where we pour driveways, patios, walkways, steps and foundations, the same as in Stanford and Palo Alto. I come out to every job myself before anyone puts a number on it, because the concrete you can see is only half the job. The other half is the ground under it and where the water goes.
The price moves with the size of the slab, how much old concrete has to come out, how deep the base needs digging and the finish you pick. The schedule turns on whether your job needs a city permit, the weather on pour day and how long the new concrete has to cure and harden before you walk on it, and longer before you drive on it. Your own numbers come in the estimate.
What we check under the slab
Before I price anything, I look at what the slab sits on, which we call the subgrade, and where water runs when it rains. If an old driveway has sunk at one corner or a patio holds a puddle against the wall, the trouble usually started under the concrete, not in it. A new slab poured over the same ground will do the same thing, so we fix the base first.
- Raked, not packed. When the old base was raked level instead of dug out and packed, the dirt settles over the years and the slab goes down with it.
- Falls toward the house. A slab that slopes the wrong way sends rainwater to your foundation or garage door, so we check where the water runs before we set forms.
- Cracks nobody chose. Concrete shrinks as it dries, and if nobody cuts control joints in time to give it a straight line to crack along, it cracks wherever it likes.
Concrete jobs we do for East Palo Alto homeowners
When a driveway or patio has cracked, sunk at one end or started holding water, we break out the old concrete, dig out the soft dirt and pack a new base before we pour. That base is hidden the day we finish, which makes it the first thing people want to cut from a budget. I'd cut the fancy finish first, because a nice surface on loose ground still sinks.
Where a yard drops away or soil keeps sliding onto a walkway, concrete retaining walls hold the ground back, as long as the water behind them has a way out. We also build steps, garage floors and footings, and each one starts the same way, with the ground.
Working in East Palo Alto
Our crew comes over from Menlo Park for East Palo Alto jobs, as we do for Redwood City and the other cities around us. Before we set a date, we find out what the city's Building Services Division asks for at your address. Call (650) 582-0556 or use the form, and I'll come out to look.
Tell us about your slab
Tell us what you want poured or replaced and roughly how big it is, and we'll reply within one business day to set a time for me to come look.
(650) 582-0556- Free, at your property
- No obligation to hire us
- Base and drainage checked
East Palo Alto concrete questions
Do I need a permit for a concrete driveway in East Palo Alto?
Some jobs do, so we check with the city for your address before we set a date. Building Services issues building and demolition permits, and the city's Engineering permits cover grading and work on streets and sidewalks. When a permit is needed, we handle the paperwork or help you with it, and we don't start until it's in place.
How long does East Palo Alto take to review a building permit?
City staff reply with next steps within two business days of getting an application. A job that isn't approved over the counter goes through a 30 day review, with two week rechecks if plans have to be resubmitted, so we build that wait into the schedule before we pick a pour date.
What happens if concrete work starts without a permit in East Palo Alto?
The city charges a penalty fee for work started without a building permit and reports the contractor to the state license board for investigation. It also goes looking for unpermitted work, so we don't pour until any permit your job needs is in hand.
How do I check a concrete contractor's license in East Palo Alto?
Ask for it before you hire, because the city checks a contractor's license status with the state licensing board as part of its permit process. If a contractor registered with no workers has a crew on site, the city issues a stop-work notice until a workers' comp certificate is provided. We're licensed and fully insured.
Will my new concrete patio crack like the old one did?
A new slab can still get a fine crack or two, because all concrete shrinks as it cures, but it shouldn't sink or break apart the way one on a raked base does. We pack the base, slope it away from the house and cut the joints on time, so any crack follows a line we picked.