Driveways

Parent Q&A

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  • Driveway Gate Design/Builder

    Aug 30, 2023

    Hello, I am looking for recommendations for a gate designer and builder who can replace the gate across our driveway. We are looking to improve privacy and would like something with a trellis or arch so we can grow vines over it. I see lots of gorgeous examples around Berkeley and am hoping to find a local builder/craftsperson who has a good eye for design and can advise us. Thanks for any recs!

    No recommendations, but just wanted to advise that you check the zoning regulations in your city regarding fence height, and also keep your neighbor adjacent to your driveway in the loop.  There are height limits for fences and gates, and if you exceed those limits, especially if your neighbor isn't on board, you may face issues later. If the driveway is on a corner (not next to a neighbor), note that the height limits are lower near public sidewalks and especially at corners/intersections - for traffic safety.

    I recommend talking to Lazar Landscape. They have several talented designers and they do all the build work themselves. We live in Berkeley and they recently did an upgrade on our driveway and front gate as part of a retaining wall project. The designer we worked with from Lazar, Lisa Anusasunanan, created the most beautiful design and guided the project through the permit process and during the build. A word of caution: if you live anywhere near a fire zone, which is half of Berkeley, you may not be allowed to do a wood trellis. We wanted to put a trellis over our parking spot but the City told us it can't be wood, it has to be metal, which was more costly and not the look we wanted, so we ditched that idea. Lazar will know - they are based in Oakland and familiar with Berkeley code rules.

  • Hello,

    I'm wondering if you all have any recommendations for a builder/contractor that can help me build a driveway for my house.  Preferably someone who has experience doing this in berkeley and navigating the permitting/code process.  I know there are potential issues around setback etc and I've tried researching them on my own and I've had trouble understanding what I've found. Thank you for the help!

    Robert Tractenberg ( https://www.gardenarchitecture.biz ) is a landscape architect design/build contractor who has done a number of driveways in Berkeley.  Definitely worth talking to.

  • Driveway pavers

    Jul 10, 2022

    My wife and I want to replace our very old and crumbling driveway with pavers and would appreciate any recommendations of companies and/or individuals who would do a very good job of removing the existing concrete and replacing it with pavers. Many thanks.

    Be sure your contractor knows where your gas line is -- the folks putting in driveway pavers down the street cut the line. Lots of fire trucks but no fire.  The gas lines on our block aren't buried very deeply and are brown plastic, look just like roots. 

    We just had our driveway and adjacent retaining walls done by Smartscaping, who were recommended by a good friend. Many of the other companies that we called had a minimum that was much higher than our price range. Smartscaping did a fantastic job and their price was a fraction of the other quotes that I got. The trade-off is that there was a little bit of wait-and-see with the timing because of the way he has to stack and combine jobs and sites...for us, it was well worth it. I felt that he went above and beyond to do a great job.

    https://www.mysmartscaping.com/

    We also had a great experience with Smartscaping! They were professional, got our driveway done very quickly and it turned out beautiful 

  • New driveway

    May 24, 2022

    Our flat and level driveway is very old with many cracks and needs to be replaced. We would be grateful for any recommendations of reputable companies which would remove the existing drive and replace it with a high quality new one. Many thanks.

    We used Mr. Pavers almost ten years ago, and our driveway has held up beautifully. We had decided on pavers because (then) they cost not much more than an asphalt driveway, they are more unique and beautiful, allow some water to filter to the soil below, and likely last much longer. We chose Mr. Pavers specifically because they had the best quote and reviews, though I don't know how they compare today to other companies. 

  • We live in the hills and our driveway has a very sleep slope that constantly damages our cars and anyone else who drives on it. I am concerned that the property line though is the city’s so we cant permanently alter it. Does anyone else have experience with this? Or even someone who could make a wooden ramp to make the slope more level? We bought a new car and its losing all its under siding already.

    My understanding is that you can repave your driveway from the street up into your property as long as you don't modify the city sidewalk. And since you're in the hills, perhaps you don't have a sidewalk? I suggest contacting a driveway repaving contractor and see what they say. We have a similar situation, but our issue is related to the slope from the street to the sidewalk. Small sedans bottom out at the sidewalk. Our only hope of correcting it would be to lower the sidewalk, which will never happen for us unless the city decides to do it.

    I have the same problem. Looking for a solution as well. Anyone knows if it’s possible to flatten the driveway to street level and build a carport/deck combo over it, do I have to convert the garage at the same time? I was thinking of a modern looking deck would look great with our house and eventually convert our garage to a family room, but don’t want to do it all at the same time.

  • Hello BPN Community:

    I'm seeking recommendations for license concrete contractors to repair a driveway and sidewalk at my house in Berkeley. The City of Berkeley requires a permit for sidewalk repairs so these contractors should be familiar with City standards and its licensing process. Thanks in advance!

    We recently had a concrete walkway and porch steps done by Duval Construction and they did an absolutely fantastic job. They were a subcontractor on our project but they will deal with owners directly as well.

    Schafer Construction might do concrete? I'm not sure if they do, but I do know they are great at working with the city and licensing.  They do a lot of work in both the Berkeley and Oakland Hills, mostly on houses and decks though.  If they don't do concrete they'll probably know someone who does.   I had them do some repairs on my bridge driveway. https://schaferconstructioninc.com/

  • Driveway Repair

    Nov 29, 2016

    We need to repair our driveway and the recommendations for concrete contractors on the website are from 2010 and earlier.  Can anyone provide a recent recommendation?  Thanks!

    Last Nov we had our driveway repaired by Diamond Concrete Construction. It was quite a job - and they did EXCELLENT work.  They were timely and professional. I highly recommend them!

Archived Q&A and Reviews


Concrete contractor ro pour a new driveway

March 2008

I'm looking for recommendations for a concrete contractor to pour a new driveway and help with irrigation issues. I'm looking for a licensed professional with reasonable prices. Thanks! Kelly


A very, very good Concrete contractor is Francisco Sanchez who has done a lot of work for me as part of a recent remodel. He is reliable, does excellent work, his fees are reasonable, he is straightforward and what he says you can take to the bank. I think a lot of him and his work. He did a number of difficult jobs including leveling of concrete floors, tearing out of an old garage floor, driveway and walkways etc. etc. Some of this work other contractors wouldn't touch or priced exorbitantly. I think a lot of Francisco. His number is 707-310-9070 and he does a lot of work in Oakland. Larry larry


Tim Smith at Continental Pacific (510-654-7733). Made us a new driveway and front stairs last year - good job, great guy. Rebecca


Isidro Gonzalez does fantastic work with stone, brick walls and driveways. He just finished installing a stone retaining wall in my front yard to support an elevated driveway. His crew works on only one project at a time and is very reliable. Working with Isidro is a pleasure -- he is very honest, eager to please and extremely flexible. Our site presented a few unexpected bumps which Isidro was able to handle professionally and without fuss. If you are looking for someone to do stone, brick, fence or cement work, definitely consider him. Call him 510 776 4634 Steve


We are in the process of finishing a MAJOR redo of our 9000 sq. ft. lot in the Berkeley Hills. The scope of the concrete work is enormous; an engineered 100 ft.+ keyed driveway, 3 retaining walls, 1 front concrete fence with pillars, travertine courtyard and terrace, many steps and all the associated prepping.

About 6 years ago, we also undertook another MAJOR addition to our home (1000+ sq. ft.) and engaged an architect, soil engineer, structural engineer and a GREAT contractor, DAVE PETERSON, Kensington, (510) 384-5588, who came well recommended, as did all the other professionals. The concrete contractor for the remodel was Tim Smith, who also did great work for us.

We again contacted Dave spring of 2007 to see if he would assist us with the managing of our hardscaping project and he in turn suggested a different concrete contractor, Francisco Sanchez, FCO-S Concrete Construction Co., (707) 310-9070, to do our extensive work, as this contractor worked with stamped- stained concrete, (which is what I thought I wanted to install). My husband and I have been extremely pleased with Francisco's and his crews' work. They have been punctual, knowledgeable and consistent in their work. We would hire them again in a heartbeat. You are welcome to drive by to see the work; feel free to email me with further questions. cc


I had my driveway re-done a few years ago by Francisco Sanchez, owner of FCO-S Concrete Construction Co. His cell number is, 707-310-9070. He also built a new ''on-ramp'' (I don't recall the technical term) onto the driveway from our street, since there is a deep dip, and only our SUV could get over it. He knew exactly what to do, worked with me to provide me with all the necessary measurements and drawings for the city permit process (I did it myself to keep my costs down), he brought enough men to get the job done quickly, supervising the entire process. The were professional, clean, I was very satisfied with the results and his bid was very reasonable. He is also licensed. I highly recommend him; you will get quality and a great price. Contact me directly if you would like to know more. Jana B


A reader had recommended David Peterson Construction out of Kensington in Feb or Mar in response to a concrete contractor needed and it would be wise not to hire him for any work. Unless you want low quality craftsmanship, strangers in and out of your house who are not part of his crew, low quality materials, extremely high prices (this guy charges 15% on top of the highest rates I've seen in the business which also includes charges for travel and delivering materials), inexperience, I would avoid this company and its owner. Be careful as ''general contractor'' does not mean that they have the knowledge or can make the right decisions on how to approach a job. There are many ways to do a job, but this company chose the absolute wrong way to do just about everything on our project and left more damage than before they arrived. It cost us tens of thousands of dollars and a great deal of time. Check 5+ references thoroughly, check that all sub-contractors are also licensed, check that the contractor you hire has done the same type of work you're looking to do successfully, ensure proper contracts and paperwork, and check the contractor's license board for complaints and lawsuits. Goodluck. bad contractor survivor


New driveway for old Victorian

January 2003

We're currently renovating an old Victorian in Alameda and would appreciate recommendations for a Cement contractor for a new driveway.


We did extensive outdoor work, including new cement patios and a driveway. For our cement work, we used Counterforce, who also did our earthquake retrofitting. 510-835-5400 We also did lots of fencing, and liked our fence builder, William Earl Roberts, 510-841-8830 Karen


Resurface a small driveway

June 2002

Can anyone recommend someone to resurface a small, flat driveway and rebuild our stairs, which are currently stone and not built to code? I would like creative and relatively inexpensive ideas for these two projects. Concrete would be okay, but what other nice alternatives are there? Thanks for any ideas you all may have. Hilary


I resurfaced my driveway with cobblestone pavers made of concrete. The driveway took a long time but was worth the effort. You will probably have to have some soil removed from the driveway. (See Hauler recommendation in this newsletter.) You then prepare a base by spreading and shaping about six inches of special fine ''blue'' gravel. It is good to have a slight arch in the middle so that water falls to the sides. You can rent a heavy compactor which you can use to pound it solid. You then cover the base with an inch of sand that you spread evenly with 1'' PVC pipe. You set the pavers in the sand and fill the cracks with a fine sand. I also built some matching steps by placing the pavers in wet concrete set in two by four forms. The steps were surprisingly easy to construct. - Jenny


April 2002

Can anyone recommend an inexpensive but reliable person/company who can help us resurface our driveway in concrete? It will involve solving a drainage issue too. Thank you! Hilary


If you are resurfacing your driveway to cover cracks I would recommend against it. I'm not a contractor but I moved into a house two years ago in which the driveway had been resurfaced with about two inches of concrete just before we bought the house. At this point there are numerous cracks in the new surface. The problem is earth movement and settling. If the original driveway did not have rebar (and enough of it) then no amount of resurfacing will last. You might want to ask other neighbors if there are driveway-cracking problems in the neighborhood. Larry