Hardscape Contractor
Complete outdoor living spaces from one licensed contractor: pavers, flagstone, concrete, retaining walls, masonry, outdoor kitchens and fire features, built on a proper base with drainage.
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Capitola sits on the northeast shore of Monterey Bay, where Soquel Creek meets the beach at Capitola Village. About six in ten homes here were built before 1980, and the 1970s was the biggest single decade. In Riverview Terrace and on Depot Hill, historic homes sit on small lots. On a lot like that, a patio has to fit a tight space and the City's own rules.
Aguilar and Sons Construction is a hardscape contractor based in Salinas, and we drive over for Capitola jobs. Here we build paver patios, flagstone paths, retaining walls, and stamped and plain concrete. We also build masonry, outdoor kitchens, fire pits, pergolas, fences and decks. Call or text (831) 262-9943 for a free estimate.
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Depot Hill overlooks Capitola Village from the shoreline, with detached homes on relatively small lots and many historic houses. Riverview Terrace, along Soquel Creek, has historic cottages and bungalows on small lots with minimal setbacks. The Jewel Box sits on the bluff above the Wharf and the Village, with vintage beach cottages and bungalows. On lots this size, the patio may be most of the back yard.
Minimal setbacks can leave little room beside the house, so we plan how base rock and materials reach the back. Concrete can be pumped through a hose when a truck cannot reach the yard. Stamped concrete gives a stone or plank look in a single pour. Pavers and flagstone can follow a curve or step down a grade.
Cliffwood Heights has detached homes on relatively large lots, with room for a pergola over the patio. The City's Design Permit rules exempt a single accessory structure under 120 square feet and under 10 feet tall with no water or sewer connection, and two or more need a Minor Design Permit. Whether a given pergola or patio cover fits that rule, and what building permit it needs, is the City's call, so confirm the plan with the City before work starts.
Capitola is built on a marine terrace, cut by coastal streams like Soquel Creek. The City's General Plan says siltstone and sandstone lie under the town. In the coastal bluffs, the sandstone is severely weathered and soft. The plan also maps significant parts of Capitola as susceptible to liquefaction, when shaking makes loose, wet soil lose strength.
The General Plan maps nearly all of Capitola Village and all of Soquel Creek in a FEMA flood zone. On ground like this, we slope every patio away from the house. Each retaining wall gets drain rock, perforated pipe and weep holes behind it. When a wall needs engineering, we build it to the engineer's plans and the permit.
The City's coastal zone generally takes in the Village, Riverview Terrace, Cliffwood Heights and the Jewel Box. Its boundaries are approximate, so check the City's map for your address. Anyone who develops property in the coastal zone needs a Coastal Development Permit, unless the project is found exempt. That permit comes with a public notice and a hearing before the Planning Commission.
About one Capitola home in four dates from the 1970s, the biggest single decade. Much of the housing around 41st Avenue and West Capitola went up in the 1970s and 1980s. A driveway poured with a 1970s house has been in place for about half a century. Slabs that old tend to crack and settle, and front steps can pull away from the porch.
When a settled, cracked concrete driveway is past patching, the fix is tear-out and a new pour. We break out the old slab, rebuild the base with compacted rock and set rebar on chairs. The new slab is poured thick enough for vehicles, with control joints cut to guide cracking. You can pick a broom finish, exposed aggregate, color or a stamped pattern.
Nearly half of Capitola's homes are in buildings with two or more units. About half of occupied homes are rented. If you own a rental or a small apartment building, several fixes can go on one estimate. We build concrete walkways and curbs for apartment properties as well as single homes.
In Capitola, the front setback runs from the front property line to the front of the house. The City's fence and wall height table sets three and a half feet there. A fence up to that height takes a staff approval permit, and taller takes Planning Commission approval. In all other locations, solid fences may be up to six feet tall.
Fences must be decorative masonry, ornamental steel or iron, or wood, in a color and material that complement the house. We build fences and gates in redwood and custom iron, with masonry columns where a gate needs them. For corrosion, Caltrans counts structures within 1,000 feet of ocean water as a marine atmosphere. That rule was written for bridges, but it is why we pick coated iron and corrosion-resistant fasteners near the water.
Before a fence goes in, the City's fence application recommends a survey to confirm property lines. That matters most on narrow streets with no sidewalk, like those in Riverview Terrace. The City's right-of-way includes sidewalks and the unimproved areas between a street and private property. Private fences, walkways and walls there need an Encroachment Permit.
Communities and areas we serve around Capitola: Capitola Village, Depot Hill, Jewel Box, Cliffwood Heights, Riverview Terrace, Upper Village, 41st Avenue, Capitola Wharf, Esplanade Park, Capitola Beach, Soquel Creek, Jade Street Park.
Capitola ZIP codes served: 95010.
Free estimates throughout Santa Cruz County and the surrounding area.
(831) 262-9943 Complete outdoor living spaces from one licensed contractor: pavers, flagstone, concrete, retaining walls, masonry, outdoor kitchens and fire features, built on a proper base with drainage.
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We set paver patios, walkways and driveways on excavated, compacted base rock with edge restraint on every open side. We lay tumbled, large-format and permeable concrete pavers, cut and fitted to the shape of the yard.
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We build concrete and concrete block retaining walls, low garden walls and planter walls with steps. The footing, the steel and the drainage behind the wall come first, then the stucco or stone veneer finish.
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We build outdoor kitchens as masonry: a block or framed island finished in stone veneer or stucco, with a stone, tile or poured concrete counter. The patio and footing under it come with the job, and we coordinate the gas, electrical and water runs.
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Stamped concrete gives a patio or walkway the color and texture of cut stone in one poured slab. We form it, set the steel, stamp the pattern and seal the finish.
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We build natural flagstone patios, walkways, steps and landings across the Monterey Bay area. The stone goes down mortar-set on a concrete slab or dry-laid on compacted base, with fitted joints and a cut stone border.
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Concrete block walls, stone veneer, columns, planters and masonry steps for homes across the Monterey Bay area. Footing, steel and drainage go in before the first block is laid.
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We build masonry outdoor fireplaces and gas or wood fire pits, set on a footing sized for the weight. Stone veneer or stucco finishes, cut stone caps and seat walls, with free estimates across the Monterey Bay area.
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We build wood pergolas and solid roof patio covers, freestanding or attached to the house. Posts land on poured footings and masonry column bases, and the frame is cut on site.
Learn MoreA few of the questions we hear most around Capitola. If yours is not here, call or text and ask.
Call or text (831) 262-9943, or send the form with a few details about the project. Photos of the area help, and we will set a time to come out and measure.
Tell us about the job. We will get right back to you.