Concrete Contractor in Palo Alto, CA - Driveways and Patios Built on a Solid Base
Ironset Fremont Concrete is a concrete contractor based in Fremont that takes driveway, patio, walkway, step and foundation work in Palo Alto. We dig out and pack the base and pour slabs that drain away from your house.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- We reply within 1 business day.
Palo Alto homes and the concrete around them
Most of what we pour in Palo Alto is flatwork, the driveways, front walks, back patios, steps and garage floors around single-family houses. Plenty of those houses are older, in neighborhoods like Old Palo Alto, and still have the driveway and walk they were built with, cracked by roots and sunk where the ground gave way. There's commercial work too, mostly walks and small lots around offices and shops that take a lot of foot and car traffic.
We come over from Fremont for this work, the same as we do next door in East Palo Alto. On an older lot the old slab usually comes out first, and what we find under it decides how much digging and packing the new base needs.
Concrete services for Palo Alto homes and businesses
Concrete driveway building
Older Palo Alto driveways often crack and sink because the original base was thin. We tear out the old slab, dig out and pack new base, then pour.
Concrete patio construction
A back patio should drain toward the yard, not the house. We check where water runs before we set forms so it doesn't pool against your walls.
Stamped concrete services
Stamped concrete gives a patio the look of brick or stone to suit an older house, on the same packed base as every slab we pour.
Concrete sidewalk building
Front walks lifted by tree roots turn into trip edges. We take out the heaved sections and pour new ones with joints placed where cracks should go.
Garage floor concrete
An old garage floor that's cracked or sloping the wrong way can be broken out and poured again, pitched toward the door, with a smooth finish that sweeps clean.
Decorative concrete
Colored concrete, exposed stone and borders let new work match an older house and garden. We pick the finish with you before the pour, not after.
Concrete retaining walls
Where a yard steps down, a concrete retaining wall holds back the dirt. We build the footing and drainage behind it so water doesn't push it over.
Concrete floor installation
Additions, workshops and sheds need a flat, solid floor. We pack the base, set the steel and pour a slab ready for whatever goes on top.
Concrete pool decks
A pool deck has to shed splash water away from the pool and the house. We slope it, give it a textured finish for grip, and joint it.
Concrete steps construction
Crumbling front steps on an older house are a fall waiting to happen. We form new ones with even risers and steel inside so they hold together.
Slab foundation building
For a garage, studio or addition that sits on grade, we dig out, pack and pour a slab foundation built to the plans the city approves.
Foundation installation
When an older house gets an addition or a backyard unit, the foundation goes in first. We set footings, walls and steel to the approved drawings.
Concrete parking lot building
Small lots behind offices, shops and apartment buildings take heavy, constant traffic. We build a thicker base and slab so it holds up to cars turning all day.
Concrete footings
Fences, decks, posts and small additions need footings that sit on firm ground. We dig to solid soil and pour them so the structure above stays put.
Foundation raising
When part of an older house has settled and floors or doors are out of line, we look at what's under it and lift it back toward level.
Concrete cutting
Need an opening in a slab, a trench for a new line, or a clean edge before a repair? We saw-cut it straight so the rest stays whole.
Get a free on-site estimate for your Palo Alto concrete job
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set up a visit. I come out, look at the job and put the price and the work in writing, with no pressure and no obligation.
- hello@fremontcaconcrete.com
- Based in
- Fremont, CA 94538
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 8 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 6 AM–10 PM
Permits, prices and timing for Palo Alto concrete work
Building permits in Palo Alto come from the city's Development Services office, which also checks plans against the codes and inspects the work. Before we dig, we find out whether your job needs a permit, and when it does, we handle the paperwork and inspections, and the city's review sets when we can start. If you're comparing a contractor with a shop in Palo Alto, the city requires them to hold a business registry certificate, so that's fair to ask about. We're licensed and fully insured.
We're a concrete contractor in Fremont, CA, and Palo Alto is one of the cities around it we take jobs in, along with Atherton. What moves the price is the size of the slab, how much old concrete we break out and haul off, how deep the base has to go, the steel and the finish you pick, and a tight side yard on an older lot adds work when we can't get a truck close. The schedule turns on the permit, if there is one, and on curing, the days new concrete needs to gain strength before you use it. Your written estimate puts the price and the work on paper for your job.
Older driveways and walks in Palo Alto
A lot of the cracked and sinking driveways we look at here have the same problem underneath. The base was raked flat instead of dug out and packed, so the dirt settled and the slab went down with it. Joints were cut late or skipped, so it cracked wherever it wanted. We dig out to firm subgrade, the soil the slab sits on, pack new base in layers, and cut control joints, grooves that give the concrete a straight line to crack along instead of a random one.
The other thing we see is water. An old patio or walk that's sunk at one end can tip toward the house, and then water from the roof and sprinklers runs against the foundation instead of away from it. Before we set forms, I check where water goes on your lot and slope the new slab away from the house.
What to expect when we pour concrete in Palo Alto
Here's how a job runs from your side, from the first call to the day we pack up the tools.
Call and I come out
You call or send the form, and I set a time to come look at the job. I measure it and ask what you need it to do, so it helps if you're home for that visit.
Get the estimate in writing
You get a written estimate that spells out the base, the steel and the joints, not just a total. That way you can see what you're paying for and compare it line by line.
We sort out any permit
If the job needs a permit, we get it through the city's review before we dig. Some minor projects qualify for an instant permit, which shortens the wait on small jobs.
Prep, pour and clean up
Our crew digs out, packs the base, sets forms and rebar, the steel bars that hold the slab together, and pours with me on site. We clean up before we leave and tell you when it's ready to walk on and when it's ready to drive on.
Questions about concrete work in Palo Alto
What kinds of projects need a building permit in Palo Alto?
The city's list of work that needs a building permit includes home remodels, re-roofs, new single-family homes, accessory dwelling units, tenant improvements, and mechanical, electrical and plumbing work. You can see it on the city's building permit page. A foundation for an addition or backyard unit is part of that kind of project, and a driveway or patio on its own isn't spelled out, so we ask before we dig.
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Palo Alto?
I don't put a number on it until I've seen the driveway, because the old slab, the ground under it and the finish you want all change the price. If the budget's tight, I'd rather you go with a plain broom finish, a light swept texture that gives tires and shoes grip, than cut corners on the base. Nobody sees the base after day one, but it's what keeps the slab from cracking and sinking.
How long before I can drive on a new concrete driveway?
You can walk on new concrete well before you can drive on it, because it keeps gaining strength for days as it cures. Driving on it too early is how a good slab picks up cracks it didn't need to have. We'll tell you the day for each before we leave.
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 Palo Alto's own amendments. For a foundation or slab that's part of a permitted project, that's what the plans and the inspections are checked against.
How do I send permit plans to the City of Palo Alto?
Plans go to the city as digital files, because it takes all submittals in digital format. When we handle your permit, we send the plans in and keep up with the review, so you don't have to.
Is an emailed PDF invoice from the City of Palo Alto real?
Be careful with it, because the city says its staff don't send emailed PDF invoices that ask you to reply for a separate payment link. If you get one like that, you can treat it as coming from outside the city. If it's about a permit we're handling, call us at (510) 574-8512 and we'll tell you where things stand.
Fremont, CA
Book a look at your Palo Alto concrete
If you tell us whether the old slab is cracking, sinking or holding water, I'll know what to check when I come out.