Asphalt Paving in Castro Valley, CA

Asphalt paving in Castro Valley often means working on a slope. The community spreads up canyons named Crow, Cull, Palomares and Redwood, with creeks feeding San Lorenzo Creek and Lake Chabot in the northwest. Many driveways climb from the street, some sharply, and runoff from the hills follows the pavement down. Drainage and edge support decide whether a driveway here lasts.

No city hall

Castro Valley is not a city. It is an unincorporated community governed directly by Alameda County, and residents voted down incorporation in 1956 and again in 2002. That means work in the road right-of-way goes through Alameda County Public Works, whose rules say it is illegal to dig or place anything in the right-of-way without a valid encroachment permit. If your apron or a section of the road edge is part of the job, we plan for that county permit.

From ranches to tract homes

In the 1940s and 1950s Castro Valley was known for chicken ranches. It grew from 4,145 residents in 1940 to 37,120 in 1960 and 66,441 in 2020, and builders including Joseph Eichler added homes along the way. Some older driveways here were laid long before modern base standards, on whatever ground was there. Replacing them means building the base the original never had.

Steep driveway details

• Compaction in lifts so the asphalt does not shove downhill
• Thickened edges where the driveway meets a slope
• Swales or drains to catch water before it reaches the garage
• Transitions at the street that do not scrape bumpers
• Crack sealing on curves where vehicles turn

Castro Village and commercial lots

Castro Village along Castro Valley Boulevard, once part of the Lincoln Highway, is the commercial center. Small retail and office lots there need patching, sealcoating and restriping more often than full rebuilds, and we schedule around business hours.

Runoff from the canyons

In winter, water comes off the hillsides fast. On a canyon driveway, the most common failure we see is the downhill edge washing out or a section undermined where water runs along it. A thickened edge, a swale on the uphill side and a drain at the bottom keep that water off the pavement. We point out where runoff is coming from at the estimate.

Eichler and midcentury homes

Castro Valley has a share of midcentury homes, including some by Joseph Eichler, whose designs often place the driveway and carport close to large glass walls. Work near those homes calls for care with runoff and staging. We protect glass and siding, keep equipment clear of the carport structure and set grades so water drains away from slab-on-grade floors.

Get a quote

Call (510) 998-2728 or

Get a Free Estimate

and we will look at the slope, the drainage and the base.