Stowe Contracting, Inc. Comparative Summary

Stowe Contracting, Inc. has several areas of expertise. It’s a general contractor that builds custom homes and also handles earthwork such as excavation, grading and site preparation. But with a full-time, in-house paving crew, Stowe Contracting is known primarily as one of the Bay Area’s most experienced purveyors and installers of paving stones, says owner Gary Stowe.

Mr. Stowe says the first step to any successful paving job is scheduling, a task that Stowe Contracting makes simple by accommodating to “anything customers want.” Because of the size and expertise of its crews, the Marina-based company can complete a standard paving job—driveway and walkway to the front door—within one week. It works straight through “until the job is finished to the customer’s satisfaction,” says Mr. Stowe. “We don’t take time off, and there are no gaps in our work schedules.”

Stowe Contracting relies on an experienced and dedicated paving crew that works on nothing but paving stones and heartscapes, says Mr. Stowe. The company is also certified to install permeable pavers, which help eliminate runoff from the stone’s surface. Permeable pavers can be installed to either percolate rainwater in the ground or harvest it for later use. Because the water passes through a gravel bed, permeable pavers filter out impurities and pollutants. They’re considered a Green product because of their environmental benefits, and may qualify for tax credits under newly passed federal regulations.