Serving Palo Alto, CA and surrounding areas. (650) 509-3392
Your driveway is the first thing people see. If it is cracked, pooling water, or losing the fight with tree roots, we can replace it with a paver surface built for Palo Alto's clay soils and wet winters.
Driveway pavers in Palo Alto means removing your existing surface, building a compacted gravel-and-sand base engineered for local clay soils, and setting individual pavers in your chosen pattern - most residential projects take two to five days on-site, and you can drive on the surface within 24 hours of completion.
A lot of homeowners in Palo Alto come to us after years of patching the same cracks or watching water pool every November. The problem is almost never the surface itself - it is a base that was not built for the way clay soil moves with the seasons. We fix that at the foundation level, not just on top. If you are also thinking about the paths that connect your driveway to your home, our walkway construction service handles those in the same materials and pattern.
Pavers also handle root pressure better than poured concrete, which matters in neighborhoods like Crescent Park and Old Palo Alto where large oaks and redwoods have been growing for decades. Individual pieces can be lifted, roots addressed, and the surface reset - without touching the rest of the driveway.
If you have filled the same cracks two or three times and they keep returning, the surface is not the problem - the base underneath is failing. In Palo Alto's clay-heavy soil, this cycle is especially common because the ground shifts with every wet and dry season, and patching cannot fix a foundation that is moving.
Standing water after a rainstorm means drainage is not working, which can work its way under the surface and cause more damage. In Palo Alto, where the city encourages permeable surfaces to reduce stormwater runoff, a pooling driveway is also working against local environmental goals.
Raised ridges, tilted sections, or cracks near the base of a large tree mean root pressure is the cause. This is common in older Palo Alto neighborhoods with mature oaks and redwoods, and it is a problem that gets worse over time, not better, on its own.
In Palo Alto's competitive real estate market, curb appeal carries real weight. A stained, cracked, or faded driveway is one of the first things buyers and visitors notice. If the front of your house has started to feel embarrassing, that is a reasonable signal it is time to upgrade.
Our driveway paver work covers the full project from excavation to final compaction. We handle site assessment, permit coordination with the City of Palo Alto, base preparation, material selection, and installation. For properties where drainage is a concern, we install permeable paver systems that let water filter through the joints and soak into the ground rather than running off into storm drains. If your project also calls for level changes or slope management nearby, our retaining wall construction team can handle that alongside the driveway work.
We work with concrete pavers, natural stone (granite, bluestone, travertine), and brick pavers in a range of patterns including herringbone, running bond, and basket weave. Every project gets a written estimate covering labor, base materials, pavers, and cleanup - so you know the full cost before a shovel touches the ground.
Suits homeowners who want a durable, uniform surface with consistent color at a lower material cost than natural stone.
Suits homeowners who want the look of granite, bluestone, or travertine and are willing to invest in a premium finish.
Suits homeowners in areas with stormwater rules or drainage problems, where water infiltration through the surface is a priority.
Suits homeowners whose existing paver driveway has sections that have lifted, shifted, or settled and just need targeted work.
Palo Alto's clay-heavy soils expand when wet and shrink when dry. That seasonal movement is one of the main reasons poured concrete driveways crack faster here than in other parts of the country. A paver surface handles that movement differently - individual pieces can flex and shift slightly without cracking the whole surface, and any piece that does lift can be reset without replacing the driveway. The city's stormwater program also actively encourages permeable surfaces, so a paver driveway with open joints can reduce your runoff footprint and simplify the permit process. We work throughout Palo Alto and serve customers in Mountain View and Sunnyvale as well.
In neighborhoods like Crescent Park and Old Palo Alto, mature trees are one of the things that make streets beautiful - and one of the things that destroy poured concrete surfaces. Root pressure under a concrete slab means a full replacement. Under pavers, it means lifting a few pieces, dealing with the root, and resetting. We factor tree location and root spread into every estimate so you are not surprised by extra work once the base is exposed. The Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute sets the installation standards we follow on every project.
We come to your property, measure the driveway, check soil conditions and nearby trees, and give you a written estimate that covers everything - no ballpark figures over the phone. We reply within one business day of your first contact.
You choose your paver style, color, and pattern from samples. If the City of Palo Alto requires a permit for your project, we handle the application - you do not have to navigate the building department yourself.
The crew removes your existing surface and excavates to the correct depth for your soil conditions. We build the base in compacted layers - crushed rock first, then sand - before a single paver goes down. This is the step that determines how long the driveway lasts.
Pavers go down in your chosen pattern, edges are cut and restrained, joints are locked with sand, and the surface gets a final compaction pass. We clean up the site, walk the finished driveway with you, and tell you exactly when you can drive on it.
No pressure, no obligation. We come to you, assess the site, and give you a clear price in writing before any work begins.
(650) 509-3392We excavate deeper and compact more carefully than contractors who treat every site the same. Santa Clara Valley clay moves with the seasons, and a base that ignores that will fail. We build for your specific soil, not a generic spec.
We pull permits through the City of Palo Alto Building Division and schedule inspections so you are not left managing paperwork. Permitted work protects your home's value and removes risk when you sell.
We follow the installation guidelines published by the{' '}Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute, which cover base depth, compaction, joint sand, and edge restraints. These are the standards that separate a 40-year driveway from a 10-year one.
We have been working on homes across Palo Alto and the surrounding Peninsula since 2016. We know which neighborhoods have aggressive tree canopies, which have clay soil that needs extra base depth, and how the city's permit office processes driveway applications.
Every one of these points comes back to one thing: a driveway that holds up the way it is supposed to, without surprises during the project or problems a few years later. That is what we focus on, and it is why our customers call us back when they need walkway work or a retaining wall down the line.
Hold back slopes, create usable flat space, and protect your foundation with a properly drained retaining wall.
Learn MoreConnect your new driveway to your front door or garden with a matching paver or stone walkway.
Learn MoreThe dry season fills up fast - call us now to lock in your start date before the best slots are gone.
