Concrete driveway building
When your driveway has cracked across or sunk where it meets the street, we tear it out, dig out and pack the base, and pour a new slab.
Concrete contractor in West Covina, CA - slabs and walls that hold on sloped lots
Caliber East Los Angeles Concrete builds and replaces driveways, patios, walks, steps, retaining walls and foundations in West Covina, CA. I come out and quote the job myself, and our own crew does the pour.
Caliber East Los Angeles Concrete pours driveways, patios, walks, steps, garage floors and retaining walls in West Covina, plus footings and slab foundations for additions and outbuildings. Most calls here start with something you can see, like a driveway cracked across the middle, a patio that holds water or a walk that's sunk at one end.
West Covina homes and the concrete they need
West Covina sits in the San Gabriel Valley, and parts of the city climb the north slope of the San Jose Hills. On the flatter streets we mostly see driveways and backyard slabs that have settled, usually because the ground under them was raked level instead of dug out and packed. Up the slopes, the work leans toward retaining walls, steps and getting water to run away from the house.
We're based in East Los Angeles and work across the cities around it, from Commerce to El Monte and out here. The drive changes, but the job doesn't. I still come out to measure, and the same crew that pours closer to home pours your slab.
- Based in
- East Los Angeles, CA 90022
- Hours
- Mon–Sun: 7 AM–11 PM
Concrete work we do on West Covina properties
Concrete patio construction
A patio that holds water after the sprinklers run usually has no slope to it. We set the new one to fall away from your house.
Stamped concrete services
Stamped concrete gives a patio or front walk the look of stone or brick in one pour, and it holds up best on the same packed base as plain concrete.
Concrete sidewalk building
Walks that have lifted or dropped at a joint are easy to trip on. We replace the bad sections, or the whole run from the driveway to your front door.
Garage floor concrete
Older garage floors often have wide cracks or a low spot by the door. We break out the old slab and pour a new one built to carry your car.
Decorative concrete
Color, exposed aggregate and scored patterns dress up an entry or a backyard. We help you pick a finish that suits the house and stays easy to clean.
Concrete retaining walls
On a sloped lot, a concrete retaining wall holds back the hill so you gain flat ground for a patio or play area, with drainage planned behind it.
Concrete floor installation
For a workshop, a converted garage or an addition, we pour interior floors that sit flat and level, ready for tile, a coating or a polished finish.
Concrete pool decks
Pool decks take bare feet and splash water every day. We give them a textured finish for grip and slope them so water runs off to the drains.
Concrete steps construction
Front steps on a slope take a beating, and uneven risers trip people. We form new steps with even rises and a broom finish, a brushed texture for grip.
Slab foundation building
A slab foundation for an addition, garage or accessory building has to match the plans, so we set the base, forms and steel the way they're drawn.
Foundation installation
For a new structure we dig, form and pour the foundation to the plans, with rebar, the steel that holds the concrete together, placed where it's called for.
Concrete parking lot building
Business and building owners call us for parking areas and aprons. We build the base for heavy traffic and set the slope so water clears the lot.
Concrete footings
Patio covers, block walls and posts sit on footings, the concrete pads that carry the load. We dig them to the depth your plans or the structure calls for.
Foundation raising
If part of your house or slab has dropped, we lift it back toward level, after we find out why it sank in the first place.
Concrete cutting
Need a doorway in a wall, a trench for a drain line or a broken section taken out? We saw-cut clean so the rest of the slab stays sound.
Get a written quote for your West Covina concrete job
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day to set a time. I come out to your West Covina property, walk the job, measure and give you a written quote that spells out what's included. The estimate is free and there's no obligation.
(213) 338-1030Working in West Covina: permits, licenses and what sets the price
In West Covina, the city's Building Division issues permits for private work, so that's the office we check with for your address before I set a date. If your job needs a permit, the pour waits on it and on the inspections, which is why we sort it out first. When one's needed, we take care of the permit and the inspections that go with it.
The city also requires anyone running a business in West Covina to hold a city business license. It's a fair thing to ask any contractor about before you sign, along with who actually shows up to do the work.
The price moves with what's under and around the old concrete: how much we break out and haul away, how deep we dig for a solid base, how much slope we're working with, how thick the slab needs to be and the finish you pick. The schedule turns on the permit, the weather on pour day and the cure before you can use it. My written quote spells out what's included, the same way it does in Montebello.
Why West Covina homeowners call us for flatwork
I worked concrete every summer through school, hauling forms and finishing next to guys who'd done it for decades, and I started this business in 2013. We're known for flatwork that stays flat, the driveways, patios and walks around your house. I still do every estimate myself, and our crew lead runs the job on site with our own crew.
The base is where I won't cut corners. It's the subgrade, the packed ground the slab sits on, and nobody sees it once it's poured, so it's the first thing that gets trimmed when a budget's tight. I'd rather put your money there and give you a plain broom finish than pour a fancy surface over raked dirt. I'd rather lose a job by quoting it right than win it by skipping steps.
We're fully licensed and insured, and the work is backed by our satisfaction guarantee. Call (213) 338-1030 or send us the form and I'll come out to look at your slab.
What West Covina lots mean for your concrete
How a slab holds up here comes down to the ground, the water and the weather on pour day. These are the things I look at on a West Covina estimate before I write anything down.
Sloped yards near the hills
Parts of West Covina rise toward the San Jose Hills, and a sloped yard pushes on everything below it. Retaining walls, steps and driveways that climb need a dug-out base and footings sized for the load, not a slab laid over loose fill. We also plan how water gets out from behind a wall, because water trapped back there is what pushes walls over.
Water that runs toward the house
Pooling water on a patio, or a driveway that sends rain into the garage, usually means nobody checked where the water goes. Before we set forms, I look at the fall of the yard, the downspouts and the sprinklers, and we pitch the new slab away from the house. A slab that falls toward your foundation keeps feeding water right where you don't want it.
Hot afternoons and pour timing
Summer afternoons in the San Gabriel Valley get hot, and concrete that dries too fast can end up with a weak, dusty top that chips. We'd rather pour early in the day and keep the surface damp while it cures, the slow hardening that gives concrete its strength. That's why your pour may start not long after sunrise.
Commercial lots along the freeway
Business and building owners along the Interstate 10 commercial corridor call us for parking areas, aprons and walks that take delivery trucks every day. That kind of traffic needs a thicker slab and a deeper packed base than a home driveway. We talk through which sections to do first so part of your lot can stay open while the rest cures.
West Covina concrete questions we hear most
Do I need a permit for a concrete driveway or walkway in West Covina?
The city's list of work that needs no building permit includes walks and driveways no more than 30 inches above grade, not over a basement or a story below and not part of an accessible route for wheelchairs. Planning can still review location, height or design, and a new drain line can need a plumbing permit. We confirm it for your address before we schedule.
Do I need a permit for a concrete retaining wall in West Covina?
The city's exemption list covers retaining walls that hold back no more than 4 feet, measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall, and only when they carry no extra weight above them, like a driveway or a slope, and hold back no liquids. Anything past that, we take to the Building Division before we pour.
How do I apply for a building permit in West Covina?
You apply through the city's One Stop Building Permit Center or in person at the Building Counter, Monday through Thursday from 7:30 am to 5:30 pm, and the city no longer takes applications by email. When your concrete job needs a permit, we handle the application and the inspections for you.
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in West Covina?
I can't give you a fair number until I've seen it, because the biggest differences are under the surface. Breaking out a thick old slab, digging out soft ground, working with a steep drive or a curb apron, and choosing stamped or colored over a broom finish all raise the price. The free estimate gets you a written quote.
How should I get my yard ready for a concrete pour?
Move cars, planters and anything stored on or next to the old slab, and keep a clear path from the street for the crew. Show us where sprinkler lines run if you know, and tell us about pets so the gate stays shut. We take care of the tear-out and hauling the old concrete away.
How long before I can drive on a new concrete driveway?
Usually you can walk on it after a day or two and drive a car on it after about a week, longer for a heavy truck or an RV. That wait is curing, the time concrete needs to harden and gain strength, and driving on it early can crack or mark it. We'll tell you the dates for your slab when we finish.
Will my new concrete driveway crack like the old one?
Concrete shrinks as it cures, so a few fine cracks are normal, but they shouldn't open up or sink the way your old slab did. We cut control joints, shallow grooves that give the slab a straight place to crack, while it's still fresh, and we pack the base so the slab doesn't settle with the dirt. Old slabs that break apart usually had neither.
Call before that crack gets any wider
A slab that's started to sink usually keeps going as water gets under it, so call (213) 338-1030 or send the form and I'll tell you whether replacing a section will do or the whole thing has to go.