Driveway cracked, sinking or holding water? We pack a solid base and pour a new slab that sheds water away from the house.
Concrete driveway building in East Los Angeles means forming, pouring and finishing a new slab on a base that's dug out and packed, so you end up with a hard, flat driveway that drains away from the house and holds up to what you park on it.
Most calls start with an old driveway that's cracked through, sunk at one end or holding a puddle by the garage. Usually the cause is under the concrete, not on top. The base got raked level instead of dug out and packed, or the water never had anywhere to go. So a new driveway starts with the ground, then the forms, then the pour.
The price moves with the size, how much old concrete we haul out, how much base work the ground needs and how thick the slab has to be for what drives on it. If the job reaches the curb, we check whether it needs a county permit. The schedule turns on that permit, the weather and the cure. I give you a written quote that spells out what's included.
Everyone asks whether the new slab will crack like the old one. These are the parts that decide it, and most of them are buried or cut before anyone sees the finished surface.
The subgrade, the ground the slab sits on, carries all the weight, so we dig out the soft dirt and pack the base firm before the forms go up. A base that's only raked level settles with the dirt under it, and the slab sinks and cracks right along with it.
Concrete shrinks as it dries, so it's going to crack somewhere. Control joints are grooves cut into the slab so those cracks land in a straight line we picked instead of wandering across the middle. Cut them late or skip them, and the slab picks its own spots.
Rebar is steel laid inside the slab before the pour. It doesn't stop concrete from cracking, but it holds the pieces together, so a hairline crack stays a hairline instead of opening up and leaving you with two slabs sitting at different heights.
Here's how a driveway job goes with us, from the first call to the walk-through, so you know who's coming and what's in the price before we set a pour date.
Call us or send a message through the form about your driveway. We get back to you to set up a time for me to come out and see it in person.
I come out myself, measure, ask what'll park and drive on it, and find out which office handles permits for your address. Then you get a written quote.
Our crew lead runs the job from tear-out to cleanup. The crew digs out and packs the base, sets the forms, then pours and finishes the slab on the day we planned.
Before we pack up, I walk the finished work with you. We go over when you can drive on it and what to keep off it while it cures.
The first thing I ask is what'll drive on it, because a driveway that sees delivery trucks gets built differently than one for the family car. Trade guidelines written for another part of the country call for a thicker slab when delivery vehicles use the driveway, and that's in line with general practice. So if trucks pull in at your place, tell me at the estimate.
Then I show you where the water goes. A driveway needs a slight slope so rain runs off, and those same guidelines say the ground under the slab should drain to open ground or a drainage system. A slab that slopes toward the house sends every storm at your foundation, so we set the grade before the forms go up.
We also plan the pour around hot days. Heat makes fresh concrete set and dry faster, and that's where most hot-day trouble comes from. Pour in the middle of a hot afternoon and the top can turn weak and dusty later, so we pick the day and the hour with that in mind.
If the budget's tight, don't cut the base. It's hidden on day one, so it's the first thing people want to trim, but it's what keeps the slab flat. Plenty of folks pour a concrete patio out back while we're there, and if you want something more decorative, our stamped concrete services page covers that.
One pour means one cure and the fewest seams, but the whole driveway is off-limits until it's ready. Most families park on the street for that stretch.
Pouring one side, then the other, keeps half the driveway open to park on. It takes longer overall and adds a joint down the middle, which we place so it looks planned.
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day to set up a visit. The estimate is free, happens at your property and comes with no obligation. I come out, measure the driveway and give you a written quote that spells out what's included.
(213) 338-1030East Los Angeles goes through the county, so LA County Public Works issues the permit here, including its permit for the driveway approach, sidewalk, curb and gutter where your driveway meets the street. The county wants the contractor's license number and insurance, plus a letter of authorization when the owner isn't the applicant. Since we apply, you'd sign that letter for us. The county's East Los Angeles Building and Safety Office answers at (323) 881-7030.
We check with the right office before we set a date, and when your job needs a permit, we take care of it and the inspections that go with it. Next door it's a different office, because Montebello, Downey and most of the cities around us run their own permit counters.
On new construction or a rebuild of four units or less, the county's runoff rules ask for at least two listed measures. Porous concrete, which lets rain soak through, counts when it makes up at least half the site's paving. Around here we replace a lot of older, narrow driveways that run tight along the house, so getting water to the street is most of the planning.
I come out, look at the job and write the quote myself. Our crew lead runs the work on site with our own crew. I started this business in 2013, so that's 13 years now, and before that I spent every summer through school hauling forms and finishing concrete next to guys who'd been doing it for decades.
We're fully licensed and insured. Our work is backed by our satisfaction guarantee. I'd rather lose a job by quoting it right than win it by skipping steps, so the quote you get includes what the concrete needs. When you're ready, call (213) 338-1030 or send us a message and I'll come take a look.
If the backyard slab is cracked or there isn't one yet, pouring a patio while the crew and trucks are already here saves a second setup.
If you want the driveway or a front walk to look like more than plain gray concrete, stamped work is where that conversation starts.
We're based in East Los Angeles and build driveways in the cities around it, including the ones listed here and plenty of others nearby. If yours isn't listed, call and ask.
A concrete driveway in the Los Angeles area usually costs about $8 to $15 per square foot. That's the usual range around here, not a quote from us. Your written quote from the site visit shows where your driveway lands and spells out what's included.
Plan on parking somewhere else for about a week. Trade guidelines from another part of the country open a new driveway to traffic after 7 days of curing, the wait while the concrete gains strength, and sooner only when testing confirms it's strong enough. We'll tell you at the walk-through when it's ready.
LA County Public Works does, because East Los Angeles goes through the county rather than a city. In most of the nearby cities, the city's own permit counter handles it instead. Either way, we find out which office covers your address before we set a date.
The state licensing board has a concrete contractor class that covers forming, pouring, placing and finishing flat concrete work like driveways. A general "B" contractor can also take the job if it holds that class or hires a properly licensed concrete subcontractor. Ask which license a contractor holds before you sign.
Move your cars, trash bins and anything stored along the driveway before tear-out day, and line up other parking for the cure. Tell us about sprinkler lines or lights near the edges so we can work around them. After the pour, keep kids, pets and sprinklers off the fresh concrete until we say it's ready.
You can, but not right away. Trade guidelines from another region say a penetrating sealer, one that soaks into the surface, can go on 30 days after the pour and typically needs reapplying every three to five years. Think of it as upkeep you plan for, not something the slab needs on day one.
Have your address, the rough size of the driveway and whether delivery trucks use it ready when you call (213) 338-1030 or fill out the form, so the first conversation covers what sets your price.
