Concrete contractor in Palo Alto - driveways and patios that sit level and drain
Hallmark Menlo Park Concrete is a concrete contractor based in Menlo Park that pours driveways, patios, steps, walls and foundations in Palo Alto, with the base, forms and drainage worked out before any concrete goes in.
Pouring concrete in Palo Alto
We're based in Menlo Park and work in the cities around it, from San Mateo down to Cupertino. Palo Alto is one of them, along with East Palo Alto and Mountain View. Here we pour driveways, patios, steps, walls and foundations. I come out to look at each job and write the estimate myself, and then our crew does the work while I run it on site.
What moves the price is mostly the part you won't see once it's done. That's how much old concrete has to come out and how much the subgrade, the dirt the slab sits on, needs dug out and packed. Size, thickness and finish count too. The schedule turns on whether the city asks for a permit and on curing, the stretch when fresh concrete hardens and has to be left alone. Your own figure comes from the estimate I write at your house.
What we look at under the slab
Before I price a job, I look at what the new slab will sit on and where the rain will go, because those two things decide how it holds up more than the surface does. If an old slab has sunk, chipped or held water, I want to know why before we pour over the same ground, so we aren't building the same problem twice.
- Ground that settles. Where the old base was raked level instead of dug out and packed, the slab sinks with the dirt and cracks as it goes.
- Water running back. If a patio or driveway was set falling toward the house, rain runs to the foundation and pools along the wall instead of draining off.
- A dusty top. When a slab is poured and finished in midday heat, the top can dry too fast and turn weak, so it chips and dusts later.
Driveways and patios we build in Palo Alto
A driveway replacement usually starts with breaking out the old slab and hauling it off. Then we dig the base down to firm ground and pack it before the forms go in. We set rebar, the steel bars inside the slab, to hold it together if a crack opens. Plan on parking on the street for a while afterward, because you can walk on fresh concrete well before it's ready to carry a car.
With a new concrete patio, people tend to think about the surface first. If the budget gets tight, I'd keep the money in the base and take a plainer finish, like a broom finish, the light brushed texture that gives shoes some grip. You can dress up a surface later, but a bad base means tearing the whole thing out.
Getting us out to Palo Alto
We cover Palo Alto from Menlo Park the same way we cover Redwood City and the rest of the cities around us. To get started, call (650) 582-0556 or use the form, and I'll set a time to come look at the job.
Tell us about the job
Send your address and what you want poured, replaced or fixed. We reply within one business day to set a time for me to come out and look.
(650) 582-0556- Free estimate at your house
- No obligation to go ahead
- Measurements taken on site
Concrete questions for Palo Alto
Do I need a permit for a concrete driveway in Palo Alto?
The city's examples of work that needs a building permit are remodels, re-roofs and new homes, and driveways aren't on that list, so check with the city's Development Services office. We find out what it asks for at your address before we set a date, and if a permit's needed, we handle the paperwork or help you with it.
Which building codes apply to a concrete project in Palo Alto in 2026?
Projects submitted to the city after January 1, 2026 have to meet the 2025 California Building Codes along with the city's own amendments. When your job needs a permit, the city's plan review checks the drawings against those codes.
How are permit plans sent to the City of Palo Alto?
Plans go to the city as digital files, because it takes every submittal in digital format. There's no paper set to drop off, and if we're handling your permit, that part is on us.
Is an emailed PDF invoice from the City of Palo Alto real?
Not if it asks you to reply to get a separate payment link. The city says its staff don't send emailed invoices like that, so you can treat one as coming from outside the city. If something odd shows up while your project is in permit, send it to us and we'll look at it with you.
Will my new concrete driveway crack like the old one did?
It may crack a little, because concrete shrinks as it cures, but a slab on a dug-out, packed base shouldn't sink and split the way one on loose dirt does. We cut control joints, shallow grooves that give the slab a planned place to crack, early enough that a crack usually follows them instead of wandering across the middle.