Concrete Contractor in East Palo Alto - Driveways and Slabs Built to Drain Right
D&L Santa Clara Concrete Construction pours driveways, patios, walks and slabs for homeowners in East Palo Alto, CA. I come out to measure, our own crew does the work, and I'm there on pour day.
Book an estimate for your concrete job
I walk the lot, measure, and check where the water runs before we price anything.
East Palo Alto: flat ground by the bay
East Palo Alto is a small city sitting low and flat along the bay, between Palo Alto and the marshes on the water. Most of our calls here come from older single-family homes on compact lots, where the driveway, the front walk and the back patio have been patched more than once, and a lot of owners are now putting a second unit in the backyard.
Flat ground is what shapes our work here. Water doesn't run off a level lot on its own, so we build the slope into the slab and make sure it falls away from your house, not toward it.
Working in East Palo Alto: what to check first
Permits for home building work here come from the city's Building Services Division, and work in the street or on the public sidewalk goes through the city's Engineering side. When a job needs review, that wait sets the start date more than the pour does, so I look into permits while I put your estimate together and check with the city for your address, and when we're the ones pulling the permit, we handle the paperwork and the inspections. The city checks a contractor's license with the state licensing board as part of the permit, and it issues a stop-work notice if a contractor registered with no workers shows up with a crew and no workers' comp certificate. Ask anyone you're thinking of hiring for their state license and their East Palo Alto business license. We're licensed and fully insured, and our own crew does the work.
Our crew comes up from Santa Clara, and we do the same kind of work in Mountain View and Los Altos. On the narrower streets here, I plan where the truck parks and how the concrete gets to the back yard before pour day, because a loaded truck won't wait while we figure it out. What moves your price is mostly what's under the slab and how we get to it: how much old concrete comes out, how deep we dig and pack the subgrade, which is the ground the slab sits on, the slab's size and thickness, and the finish. After the pour, curing, the slow hardening that gives concrete its strength, decides when you get the driveway back, and the estimate spells out the rest so you can see what you're paying for.
Services in East Palo Alto, CA
Concrete driveway building
Older driveways here are often cracked and sunk where the base was never packed. We dig out, compact a fresh base and pour a new slab sloped toward the street.
Concrete patio construction
On a flat lot, a dead-level patio holds water against the house. We pour it with a gentle fall away from your walls and cut joints so cracks land in straight lines.
Slab foundation building
A backyard unit here needs a solid slab under it. For slab foundation building we work from the engineer's plans and set rebar, the steel that holds the slab together.
Concrete sidewalk building
Front walks on older lots tend to settle and leave a lip where they meet the driveway. We break out the bad sections and pour new ones flush so nobody trips.
Concrete steps construction
Small entry steps on older homes here chip at the edges and settle away from the house. We form new ones with even heights and a gripping broom finish.
Concrete cutting
When only part of a slab is failing, there's no reason to tear out the rest. We saw-cut straight lines so the concrete you're keeping stays whole.
Your East Palo Alto concrete estimate, written out
Tell us about the slab at your East Palo Alto house and we'll reply within one business day to set a time. I come out myself to look at it and measure, then send a free written estimate that lists what's included, with no pressure and no obligation.
- Phone
- (669) 281-0773
- Location
- Santa Clara, CA 95050
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 6 AM–10 PM, Sat–Sun: 7 AM–11 PM
- Credentials
- Licensed and fully insured.
What East Palo Alto homeowners get
We're based in Santa Clara, CA, and cover 16 concrete services across the 12 cities on this site, East Palo Alto among them. Every job starts with a free on-site estimate.
- Based in
- CA
- Santa Clara
- Services
- 16
- Service areas
- 12
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free on-site estimates.
- We reply within 1 business day.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a permit for a concrete driveway in East Palo Alto?
The city decides that, so ask before anyone digs, because its Building Services Division lists building, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, solar, re-roof and demolition permits and doesn't name a driveway or patio slab on its own. Work in the street or on the public sidewalk goes to the city's Engineering side, which handles encroachment, grading and sidewalk permits, and the city's permits page shows which office does what. We sort that out for your address during the estimate.
How long does permit review take in East Palo Alto?
City staff get back to you with next steps within two business days of an emailed application, and jobs that can't be approved over the counter go through a 30-day review. If the plans need changes, each recheck takes two weeks. Applications go by email to building@cityofepa.org, and when we pull the permit, we keep track of all of it.
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 it reports the contractor to the state license board for investigation. East Palo Alto actively goes after unpermitted construction, so a crew that offers to skip the permit is one to walk away from.
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in East Palo Alto?
Your number comes from a written estimate after I measure, with every line spelled out. If the budget is tight, I'd trim the finish before the base, because a fancy top over raked, unpacked dirt settles and cracks with the ground under it, and the base is the one thing you can't fix later without tearing the slab out.
How do I keep my new driveway from cracking like the old one?
Start with a dug-out, packed base and control joints, the grooves we cut so the slab cracks along straight lines we picked instead of across the middle. Concrete does crack, and I'll tell you where yours is likely to, but on a good base the cracks stay thin and in line. We also check where the water runs and set the slope so it heads away from the house, because water sitting under a slab softens the ground it rests on.
How long before I can drive on a new concrete driveway?
You can usually walk on a new driveway days before you can drive on it, because the slab is still curing and gaining the strength to carry a car. I'll give you the dates for your slab on pour day. If your job has a permit, the city wants the job card and approved plans on site for every inspection or it has to be rescheduled, so we keep them there and the schedule doesn't slip.
Call about your East Palo Alto concrete job
We answer (669) 281-0773 evenings and weekends, so call while you're standing on the slab you want gone.