A Clean Step Upgrade in Belmont, CA
This project took place in Belmont, right in San Mateo County, tucked into one of those quiet hillside neighborhoods where everything slopes just enough to make life interesting. The client had an old set of concrete stairs that were worn, uneven, and honestly just unsafe — especially at night.
This was actually Phase 1 of a bigger backyard makeover we did for them. The backyard retaining wall came later, but the steps were the first thing we tackled because the homeowner used them every day.
We removed the old stairs, rebuilt all 22 steps, and widened everything to about 4 feet to make the walkway feel open and comfortable. Once the new concrete was in, we installed the Alliance SL25 low-voltage step lights — clean look, low energy, and most importantly, they made the whole path safer to walk at night.
The client loved the lighting the most. It changed the whole backyard vibe and took something basic like stairs and made it feel finished and intentional.
Full Project Photos
👉https://tinyurl.com/belmontstairs
YouTube Video For This Project:
👉 https://bit.ly/Concretesteps2025
Why Step Lighting Makes a Difference
Concrete stairs are one thing.
Concrete stairs with clean, soft lighting? Whole different experience.
Belmont has a lot of hillside homes, and lighting becomes more than an upgrade — it becomes a safety feature. Those SL25s are bright enough to guide you, but subtle enough that they don’t blast light everywhere. Perfect for the backyard vibe this client wanted.
Working in Belmont
Belmont is one of those cities where you’re either going uphill or downhill — no in between. If you know, you know.
Every time we drive in, we take Highway 280, which I always call the “scenic route” of the Bay Area. Trees, rolling hills, smooth road… it’s a good warm-up before getting into the real work.
Hillside jobs in Belmont always come with their own challenges, but once you understand the terrain, the soil, and the drainage patterns, it’s just another day of making something look clean and function right.
- Removed old, unsafe concrete steps
- Rebuilt 22 new 4-ft-wide steps
- Installed Alliance SL25 step lighting for nighttime safety
- First phase of a larger Belmont backyard project
What We See in the Field vs. What’s on Paper
On paper, this looks like “demo the old stairs, form up new ones, add lighting.” Straightforward.
But in the field, it’s rarely that simple.
You deal with slope changes, small adjustments, real-time decisions, and seeing things you don’t catch on drawings — especially in older Belmont homes where nothing is perfectly square. That’s where our experience kicks in.
We’ve grown by doing dozens of projects just like this. People who watch our videos see the difference — not just the finished product, but how we handle the small details and unexpected conditions that don’t show up on a plan. And that’s really what clients hire us for.
Check Out More All Access Blogs
If you’re checking this one out and want to see how other hillside or retaining wall projects come together, take a look at some of the other blogs. Every job has a different story, different terrain, different challenges — especially out here in the Bay Area.
Main Blog Page: https://tinyurl.com/All-AccessBlogs
Check Out This Video Project
This video walks you through the entire Milpitas hillside process — from the cuts we had to make to the base rock and rebar setup to the 110-yard concrete pour. If you want to see what it really takes to build a fire-truck-approved hammerhead turnaround up in the hills, this is the perfect breakdown.
Schedule online ⏩ https://tinyurl.com/AllAccessEstimates
Call/text: 510-804-4646
