Concrete Contractor in Palo Alto - Driveways and Patios Built on a Packed Base
Frontier Fremont Concrete Company pours driveways, patios, steps, sidewalks and slab foundations for homes in Palo Alto, CA. We dig out and pack the base, set the forms, pour and finish, then clean the street before we leave.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free on-site estimates.
- We reply within 1 business day.
Palo Alto driveways and patios under old trees
Most of what we're called for in Palo Alto is residential work. That means front driveways, the walk to the side gate, backyard patios and the steps up to the porch. Older neighborhoods like Old Palo Alto mix original houses with newer rebuilds, usually under big street and yard trees. The lots sit close enough together that a driveway often runs right along the neighbor's fence, so getting a truck and a crew in without tearing up a lawn or a planting bed takes some planning.
We also pour across the city line in East Palo Alto. In both cities the job usually comes down to what's already there, like roots that lifted the old slab and a narrow side yard every load has to pass through, so the tear-out and the base work take as much thought as the pour.
Concrete work we do for Palo Alto homes
Concrete driveway building
When an older driveway has sunk at the garage or heaved over tree roots, we tear it out, dig to firm ground and pour on a packed base.
Concrete patio construction
Backyard patios here often sit close to the house, so we set the slope to carry rainwater away from your walls before we pour the slab.
Stamped concrete services
Stamped concrete gives a patio or front walk the look of stone or brick in one pour, which suits the older and rebuilt homes on Palo Alto streets.
Concrete sidewalk building
A front walk lifted by a street tree becomes a trip hazard, so we cut out the raised panels and pour new ones flush with the rest.
Garage floor concrete
A garage floor that's cracked, stained or low at the door can be broken out and repoured, with a smooth finish that sweeps clean and drains toward the door.
Decorative concrete
Colored concrete, exposed stone and borders let a patio or entry match the house, and we plan the joints so they line up with the pattern.
Concrete retaining walls
Where the yard steps down beside a driveway, a concrete retaining wall holds the soil, with drainage behind it so water pressure doesn't push it over.
Concrete floor installation
For a converted garage, basement or workshop, we pour an interior concrete floor that's flat and level, so finished flooring or equipment sits right on it.
Concrete pool decks
Around a pool, we pour a deck with a textured finish for bare feet and slope it away from the water so puddles drain off.
Concrete steps construction
Front steps on older homes often crumble or pull away from the porch, so we rebuild them with even step heights and steel inside to hold them together.
Slab foundation building
For a backyard cottage or a new home, we dig and pack the ground first, then pour the slab foundation to the approved plans.
Foundation installation
Rebuilds and additions need a foundation that matches the engineer's drawings, so we set the forms and steel exactly where the plans put them before the inspector looks.
Concrete parking lot building
For a small office, church or apartment lot, we pour concrete thick enough for the traffic it carries and slope it so water runs to the drains.
Concrete footings
Decks, garden walls, pergolas and additions all rest on footings, the concrete pads underneath, and we dig them to the depth and size the plans call for.
Foundation raising
When part of an older house has settled and doors stick, we find out why it dropped, then raise and support that section of the foundation.
Concrete cutting
We saw-cut openings for new doors, trenches for plumbing lines and clean edges where only part of a driveway or walk needs replacing, so the rest stays put.
Ask for an on-site estimate in Palo Alto
We reply within one business day to set up a visit. I come out, look at the job and write a free estimate that spells out what's included, and there's no obligation to go ahead.
- Based in
- Fremont, CA 94536
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 6 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 7 AM–11 PM
Working in Palo Alto: permits, paperwork and price
Building permits here come from the city's Development Services office, which also handles plan review and inspections. Its list of permit work covers jobs like remodels, re-roofs, new homes and backyard cottages, and it doesn't name driveways or patios. That's why I check with the office about your address before we set a start date, because a permit adds a review and inspections to the schedule. If your job needs one, we pull it, set up the inspections and meet the inspector on site. We're licensed and insured. If you're also talking to a contractor with a fixed place of business in Palo Alto, the city requires that business to hold a business registry certificate, so it's fair to ask to see it.
Out front, a pour means a concrete truck at your curb, so we keep the sidewalk passable and sweep the street before we leave it. Price mostly turns on how much old concrete comes out, how much digging and packing the ground needs and the finish you pick. The schedule turns on any permit and on the curing wait before you can use the new slab, and the written estimate spells out what's included. We do the same work in Atherton and North Fair Oaks, and I check each city's rules on their own rather than assume Palo Alto's carry over.
Why Palo Alto driveways and patios sink and lift
Most of the old slabs we tear out here failed from underneath. A lot of older driveways and walks were set on dirt that was raked level instead of dug out and packed, and big trees push roots under them, so one panel drops while the next one lifts. If the budget's tight, I'd rather you spend on the base than on a fancy finish. The base is buried on day one and nobody ever sees it, but it decides whether the new slab settles the way the old one did. We dig to firm ground and pack the subgrade, the layer the slab rests on, before any concrete arrives.
Water is the other thing. A slab that falls toward the house sends water at the foundation, so we check where it runs before we set the forms. The city's building code also has flood hazard regulations next to its rules for houses, so when your job comes under a permit, we ask the city whether they apply to your lot.
What to expect when you call us about a Palo Alto job
From your first call to the final walk-through, here's how a job with us runs and who you'll be dealing with at each step.
Call or send us a note
Tell us what you've got and where, by phone or the form, and we'll set a time for me to come see it. Photos of the cracked or sunken spots help if you have them.
I come out and measure
I walk the site with you, look at the old slab, the drainage and the access, and listen to what you want. Then I write up an estimate that spells out what's included, so you know what you're paying for before anything gets torn out.
We handle permits and pour
Once you say go, we pull any permit the job needs and set up the inspections, and some minor projects here qualify for an instant building permit, which shortens the wait on small jobs. Our crew does the work and I'm on site running it, so you don't have to stand over the pour.
We walk the finished job
When it's done, we walk it with you, clean up and leave the street the way we found it. Before we go, I tell you when it's ready to walk on and when it can take a car.
Questions about concrete work in Palo Alto
Which building codes apply to a concrete project in Palo Alto?
Projects submitted to the city after January 1, 2026 have to meet the 2025 California Building Codes plus the city's own amendments, according to the city's Building Division. That's what the inspector checks the work against when your job needs a permit, so we build to it from the forms up.
How do I submit permit plans to the City of Palo Alto?
Plans go to the city as digital files, because it requires every submittal in digital format. When your concrete job needs a permit, we send them as part of pulling it, so you don't have to deal with that part.
Is an emailed PDF invoice from the City of Palo Alto real?
If it's a PDF invoice asking you to reply to get a separate payment link, the city's building permit page says its staff don't send those, so treat it as coming from outside the city. Don't pay it, and if it mentions your concrete permit, call us first and I'll check it against the permit we pulled.
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Palo Alto?
Your driveway's cost depends on its size, the tear-out and the finish, so I give you a written figure after I've seen the site. Tight side access means more hand work, a thicker slab with rebar, the steel grid that keeps cracks from spreading apart, costs more than a thin one, and stamped or colored work runs higher than a plain broom finish, the light texture that gives shoes and tires grip. The estimate spells out what's included so you can compare it line by line.
How do I keep a new concrete driveway from cracking like the old one?
You can't stop concrete from cracking, but you can decide where it cracks and keep the pieces from moving. We cut control joints, straight grooves that give the slab a planned place to crack, while the concrete is still fresh, and we set rebar so any crack stays tight. On your side, stay off it until it's cured and keep heavy trucks off a slab built for cars.
How long will I be without my driveway while new concrete cures?
You're off it from the day we break out the old slab until the new one has cured, the wait while concrete gains enough strength to carry weight, and you can walk on it well before you can drive on it. The size of the job and any inspection before the pour set the rest of the timing. Before we leave, I tell you when it's ready for foot traffic and when it's ready for a car.
Tell us about your Palo Alto concrete job
Call (341) 201-0945 or send the form with a few photos, and I'll look at the base and the drainage with you before anything gets torn out.