Layout & vehicle access
Width, turning room, where cars actually park, how the driveway meets walkways, the garage slab and landscaping. A layout that ignores how the household uses it tends to get widened later.
Improve / Bay Area homes
Concrete driveways in San Jose & the Bay Area
Concrete driveways in San Jose and the surrounding South Bay — planned, poured, repaired and replaced by a licensed California general contractor (CSLB #1158657).
A driveway is a slab, a drainage surface and, at the street, a piece of the public right-of-way. Getting it right means looking at all three before anything is formed or poured.
Design
What goes into a concrete driveway.
Slope & drainage
Concrete should shed water away from the house and toward a place that can accept it — not toward the garage door, foundation or a neighbor's lot. In general practice a driveway is pitched slightly so water never ponds, and the transition points (garage, walks, apron) get the most attention.
The apron & driveway approach
The apron is where the driveway meets the street. In San Jose the driveway approach, curb, gutter and sidewalk sit in the public right-of-way and are regulated by the City (see Permits below), so this part is planned separately from the private slab.
Trees, utilities & existing hardscape
Roots, buried lines, irrigation and adjacent paving all affect where the edges go and how deep excavation can be.
New installation
New driveway installation.
A typical new pour follows a familiar sequence across the industry: layout and grade stakes, excavation, a compacted aggregate base, forms set to the planned slope, reinforcement placed, concrete placed and finished, joints cut or tooled, and a curing period before the surface takes traffic. Each step depends on the one before it — a beautiful finish on a poorly compacted base is still a poorly built driveway.
Repair
Driveway repair: cracks, resurfacing & leveling.
Not every tired driveway needs to be removed.
Crack repair
Fine shrinkage cracks are common in concrete. Cracks that are widening, offset vertically or letting water into the base point to a different problem and are worth assessing before sealing.
Resurfacing
A bonded overlay or resurfacing product can refresh a worn or scaled surface when the slab underneath is sound. It does not fix movement or base failure.
Leveling sunken sections
Settled panels can sometimes be raised and supported rather than replaced, depending on the cause of the settlement and the condition of the slab.
Tear-out & replacement
Tear-out & replacement.
When a slab is broken through, heaved by roots, badly settled or drains toward the house, replacement is usually the honest answer. Tear-out typically includes saw-cutting at clean edges, breaking and hauling the old concrete, evaluating and re-compacting the subgrade, and then rebuilding as a new installation. It is also the moment to correct slope, widen access or change the finish.
Finishes & materials
Finishes & materials.
These are common options in the industry; the right combination is chosen for each property and confirmed in the written scope.
Surface finishes
- Broom finish — textured, slip-resistant, the most common driveway surface.
- Exposed aggregate — the top paste is removed to reveal the stone, giving texture and a natural look.
- Stamped concrete — patterned to resemble stone, brick or slate; usually paired with color and sealer.
- Colored concrete — integral color mixed into the concrete, or color applied to the surface.
What's underneath
- Base & compaction — a properly prepared, compacted base is the foundation of a durable slab.
- Thickness — set by expected vehicle loads and soil conditions; residential driveways are typically thicker than walkways.
- Reinforcement — rebar or welded wire mesh is commonly used to help hold cracked sections together and control movement.
- Control joints — planned joints give concrete a place to crack neatly instead of randomly.
- Curing — keeping new concrete properly moist and protected while it gains strength matters as much as the pour itself.
Permits & local details
Permits & local details in San Jose.
Rules below are from City of San José and Santa Clara Valley program sources. Requirements change and vary by city — Santa Clara, Sunnyvale, Campbell, Los Gatos and our other service areas each have their own process — so we confirm the current process for your address before work starts. We prepare the drawings and file the permits as part of the job; see design, plans & permitting.
Driveway approach, curb cut & sidewalk (public right-of-way)
- San José Public Works issues a Driveway / Sidewalk encroachment permit for new driveways or sidewalk at single-family homes; the online Driveway Permit has Driveway Only, Sidewalk Only and Combination categories. Encroachment permits typically require a plan of the proposed work, fees and a security deposit.
- To remove and replace an existing driveway in the same location, or repair existing sidewalk, the City directs owners to the Department of Transportation at (408) 794-1901.
- Under the Municipal Code, property owners are responsible for maintaining and repairing the sidewalk, park strip, driveway approach and curb and gutter adjacent to their property. DOT lists repair triggers such as a vertical separation of more than ½ inch or spalling deeper than ½ inch.
Stormwater & impervious surface
- Santa Clara Valley's C.3 stormwater rules require individual single-family home projects that create and/or replace at least 2,500 but less than 10,000 sq ft of impervious surface to include at least one site design measure — options include directing driveway runoff onto vegetated areas or building driveways with permeable surfaces.
- Routine resurfacing within the existing footprint is excluded; a repaving project that changes the footprint, grade, layout or configuration can trigger the requirements.
Street trees
- In San José, the adjacent property owner is responsible for street trees (Municipal Code 13.28), and a free permit is required before any street tree pruning, removal or planting. Requests go to treesandsidewalks@sanjoseca.gov or (408) 794-1901.
- A tree that has caused extensive concrete damage, with concrete replaced more than once in ten years, is one of the City's listed criteria for potential removal — removal still requires the City's application and posting process.
A useful starting point
Before we talk.
Also planning exterior renovation, a home addition or a whole-home remodel that could change access? Mention it too.
- Your address or city and the rough driveway size
- Photos of the whole driveway and the apron/curb
- Close-ups of cracks or settled areas
- Where water collects after rain
- Any street trees nearby
Budget & timing
What affects budget & timing?
Size and thickness, tear-out and haul-away, base repair, access for equipment, finish choice (stamped and colored take more labor than broom), drainage corrections, right-of-way permits, and weather for pouring and curing. A written proposal follows a site review and defined scope.
Included with every R&B service
Driveway design, approach permits & inspections included
A driveway reaches past your property line, so the permit can too. R&B includes a dimensioned site plan of the driveway, walkways, slopes, drainage and the approach at the street. In San José, the driveway on your lot may be exempt from a building permit when it stays within the City's limits: no more than 30 inches above grade, not over a basement and not part of an accessible route. Work at the curb is different. A new driveway approach or sidewalk needs a Driveway Permit from Public Works through SJPermits. Replacing an existing approach in the same location is handled by the Department of Transportation, and curb-and-gutter work needs its own permit, with City inspection of the forms before concrete is poured. We handle each one. Read about permits.
Building outside San José? Each city page lists that city's permit portal.
Your city. Your next step.
Plan your concrete driveways by city.
- Concrete driveways in San Jose
- Concrete driveways in Santa Clara
- Concrete driveways in Sunnyvale
- Concrete driveways in Campbell
- Concrete driveways in Los Gatos
- Concrete driveways in Cupertino
- Concrete driveways in Mountain View
- Concrete driveways in Milpitas
- Concrete driveways in Saratoga
- Concrete driveways in Palo Alto
- Concrete driveways in Los Altos
- Concrete driveways in San Carlos
- Concrete driveways in Atherton
- Concrete driveways in Portola Valley
- Concrete driveways in Stanford
- Concrete driveways in Santa Cruz
- Concrete driveways in Morgan Hill
- Concrete driveways in Gilroy
Before you begin
Questions about concrete driveways.
Every home is different. Let’s talk through the details of yours.
Do I need a permit to replace my driveway in San Jose?
Work on the driveway approach, curb or sidewalk is in the public right-of-way. The City of San José lists new single-family driveways and sidewalk under a Public Works Driveway Permit (an encroachment permit) applied for through SJPermits, and directs same-location driveway replacement and sidewalk repairs to the Department of Transportation at (408) 794-1901. We confirm the current requirement for your address before starting.
Can my cracked driveway be repaired instead of replaced?
Often, if the slab and base are sound. Fine surface cracks can be repaired and worn surfaces resurfaced. Cracks that keep widening, panels that have sunk or heaved, or water flowing toward the house usually point to base or drainage problems that call for partial or full replacement.
Which finish is best for a driveway — broom, exposed aggregate or stamped?
Broom finish is the most common and slip-resistant. Exposed aggregate adds texture and a natural stone look. Stamped and colored concrete give a decorative appearance but generally involve more labor and sealing. The choice depends on look, budget, slope and maintenance preference.
Who is responsible for the sidewalk and curb in front of my house?
In San José the Municipal Code makes property owners responsible for maintaining and repairing the sidewalk, park strip, driveway approach and curb and gutter adjacent to their property, according to the City's Department of Transportation.
What if a street tree is near my driveway?
In San José a free City permit is required before pruning, removing or planting a street tree, and the adjacent owner is responsible for its care. Plan the driveway and any root work around the tree and get City direction before cutting roots or removing it.
Does a larger driveway affect stormwater requirements?
It can. Santa Clara Valley's C.3 rules require single-family projects creating or replacing 2,500 to under 10,000 sq ft of impervious surface to include a site design measure, such as permeable paving or directing driveway runoff to landscaping. Resurfacing within the existing footprint is excluded.
Will the City inspect before the concrete pour?
For curb and gutter work, yes. The City inspects the concrete forms before the pour. R&B schedules it.
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(650) 800-9661info@rbmasterconstruction.comServing homeowners in the San Francisco Bay Area.
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