Concrete Contractor in Cupertino, CA - Driveways and Patios on a Solid Base
Premium Gilroy Concrete is a concrete contractor building driveways, patios, steps and foundations for Cupertino homes and small businesses. We dig out and pack the base and plan the drainage before any concrete goes in.
Concrete work for Cupertino homes
Most of our Cupertino calls come from single-family streets. Many are lined with ranch houses still sitting on their original driveways and patios, and others have newer homes built where an older one came down. On the west side the lots start to slope toward the hills, much like next door in Saratoga, and there we spend as much time on where the water goes as on the concrete itself.
A lot of the valley floor here is clay that swells when it's wet and shrinks as it dries. Under the older slabs we often find that clay covered by a base that was raked flat instead of dug out and packed. That's why the price and the schedule on a Cupertino job mostly turn on three things: how much old concrete comes out, how deep we go into the subgrade, which is the ground the slab sits on, and whether the city wants plans reviewed first. My estimate lists each of those on its own line. On most of these houses, the work that decides how the new slab holds up happens below the surface.
What happens when you call us about a Cupertino job
Call or send the form
Call (408) 427-8265 or use the form and tell me what the slab is doing, and we'll set a time for me to come out. It helps if you're home so you can show me where water sits after a rain.
I measure and write it up
I measure the job myself and look at what's under and around the old concrete, including where water runs off the roof and yard. Then I write the estimate line by line, so you can see what's in the price and what isn't before you decide anything.
Sort out the permit first
I check with the city's Building Division for your address, and if the job needs a permit we pull it and line up the inspections. A small job can sometimes get a counter review and a permit the same day if the plans are complete, but plans that go to full review average 20 to 30 business days the first time and 10 to 20 for each round after that.
Agree the layout, then pour
Before the pour we walk the layout with you, including how water will drain and where the control joints go, which are the cuts that give the slab a planned place to crack. On pour day I'm on site, our crew works to the plan we agreed on, and we cure and protect the new concrete before we hand it over.
Concrete work we do in Cupertino
Around Cupertino the call we get most is about a cracked or sunken driveway on an older house. After that come patios and walks that have lifted near trees or settled by the downspouts. Front entries come up often too, and we rebuild those with new concrete steps poured on a packed base.
- Concrete driveway building
- Concrete patio construction
- Stamped concrete services
- Concrete sidewalk building
- Garage floor concrete
- Decorative concrete
- Concrete retaining walls
- Concrete floor installation
- Concrete pool decks
- Concrete steps construction
- Slab foundation building
- Foundation installation
- Concrete parking lot building
- Concrete footings
- Foundation raising
- Concrete cutting
What signs mean your Cupertino concrete needs attention?
Shifting ground and big old trees move slabs a little every year here, so these are worth a look before a small crack turns into a trip hazard or a tear-out.
- Cracks that keep getting wider
- One slab edge higher than the next
- Water pooling against the house
- Driveway sinking near the garage
- Chipping or a dusty, flaking top
- Gaps opening beside steps or walls
Should you repair or replace concrete in Cupertino?
If the cracks are thin and the pieces still sit level, we can usually cut out a section or fill and seal the cracks, and you keep your money. Once slabs have dropped, tilted toward the house or lifted over a tree root, the trouble is in the subgrade. Patching the top just covers that up until the slab moves again.
When it's time to replace, put the money into what goes under the slab before what goes on top. A stamped pattern or a color can be added later to a sound slab. Nobody can fix a thin, raked base once it's buried under concrete. The base is also the part people cut first, because nobody can see it the day we finish, and that's the cut I'd talk you out of.
Why a nearby crew makes sense for Cupertino
We're based in Gilroy and take work in many of the cities around it, Cupertino included. That means the ground here, the older ranch-house driveways and the sloped lots on the west side are things we plan for, not surprises on pour day. If you're not sure we cover your address, call and ask.
Rules change from one city to the next, so I check with Cupertino's office for each address before we start instead of assuming it works like the last place. When you compare contractors, ask whether they'll pull the permit and who will be standing there when the truck shows up. The answer tells you who's responsible for the base and the layout. With us it's our own crew, and me.
How Premium Gilroy Concrete treats your job
We work around your house the way we'd want ours treated. The forms come out, the old concrete gets hauled away, and the drive and the street get cleaned before we call the job done. If something on site isn't what the estimate assumed, I tell you before we change anything.
I'd rather settle questions on paper before the truck shows up than fix them afterward. That's why we agree the layout, the joints and the drainage with you first, and why each line of the estimate says what you're paying for. Your satisfaction, guaranteed.
You'll know what goes under your slab, where the joints and drainage go and what each line covers before we pour.
Call about your Cupertino concrete job
Tell me what the slab is doing and ask about the permit steps for your address, and we'll set up a free estimate.
Get a line-by-line concrete estimate in Cupertino
Tell us your address and what's going on with the driveway, patio or slab. We'll reply within one business day to set up a free on-site estimate, with no obligation to book.
Cupertino concrete questions we hear
Do I need a permit to replace a concrete driveway in Cupertino?
It may need one. The city requires a permit for any construction or alteration that isn't on its exempt list, and the exemptions it names for single-family homes are small detached structures, not driveways or patios. Ask the city's Building Division before you assume either way. When a job needs a permit, we pull it and line up the inspections. If work starts without a required permit, it stops until one is issued and the city doubles the permit fees.
What licenses does a concrete contractor need to work in Cupertino?
Usually two: a Cupertino business license, which the city requires of contractors unless its code exempts them, and a state contractor's license. The state requires that license when the job needs a building permit, uses any workers, or comes to $1,000 or more in labor and materials, so nearly any driveway or patio qualifies. The city also won't schedule a final inspection until the contractor and every sub on the job hold a city business license. We're licensed and insured.
How large a down payment can a contractor ask for on a home project in California?
For home improvement work, the state licensing board says a contractor can't ask for or take more than $1,000 or 10 percent of the total contract price, whichever is less. If someone wants more than that up front, slow down and keep comparing bids.
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Cupertino?
The price comes down to four things: how much old concrete has to come out, how deep the new base goes, the size and thickness of the slab, and the finish. That's why I give you a number only after I've measured. A patio is usually about four inches thick, and a driveway that carries cars runs a bit thicker and gets rebar, the steel inside that holds the slab together if it cracks. A plain broom finish, the light brushed texture that gives tires and shoes grip, costs less than stamping or color. Tight side yards, sloped lots and permit plan review add to the cost too, and each one shows up as its own line on the estimate.
How long does new concrete need to cure before I can drive on it?
Usually about a week before you drive on it, though you can walk on it after a day or two. That wait is curing, the stretch when concrete keeps gaining strength as long as it stays damp. That's why we keep it covered and moist instead of letting it dry fast. If your job needs full plan review, the review time from the steps above comes first.
What causes concrete driveways to crack and sink in Cupertino?
Most of the cracking and sinking we see here starts with ground that moves under a base that was never dug out and packed. Tree roots and roof water running under the edges add to it. A slab poured in midday heat can also end up with a weak, dusty top, and when joints are cut late or skipped, the cracks land wherever they want. A new slab on a packed base, with water sent away from the house and the joints cut on time, can still get hairline cracks, but it holds level far better.
Other cities we serve, and yours
If another city below fits, start there. If yours isn't listed, call (408) 427-8265 to ask whether we cover your address.