Concrete Contractor in Irvine, CA - Driveways and Patios Built on a Solid Base

The price comes down to the size of the slab, how much old concrete we break out and haul away, how much digging and packing the base needs, and the finish you choose. A plain broom finish, the light brushed texture that gives shoes and tires some grip, costs less than stamped or colored work, and a driveway that carries cars needs a thicker slab than a patio. Tight access, steps and walls add to it, and I'll give you a figure for your own job once I've measured it at your property.

Many concrete jobs do, because the City of Irvine's Community Development Department issues permits for most construction and repair work regulated by code, and even work on the city's exempt list still has to meet the codes. The city takes permit questions at (949) 724-6313, and the city's page on which work needs a permit lists the exceptions, including that a patio cover needs a permit at any size. When your job needs one, we handle the application and book the inspections, and if we're unsure what the city wants, we ask the Building Division before we start.

A retaining wall no taller than 4 feet, measured from the bottom of its footing to the top of the wall, is on the city's exempt list unless it holds up extra weight above it, such as a driveway or a building, or holds back flammable liquids. Because the measurement starts at the buried footing, a wall that looks well under 4 feet can be over the line. Taller walls and loaded ones aren't on that list, and even an exempt wall still has to meet the codes.

Ask for their California contractor license, because the state licensing board requires one when a job needs a building permit, uses employees or comes to $1,000 or more in labor and materials. Irvine also requires every business working in the city to hold a city business license before it starts. On a home improvement job, state rules cap the down payment at $1,000 or 10 percent of the contract price, whichever is less, so a contractor asking for more up front is a reason to slow down. We're licensed and fully insured.

Usually about a week, and longer for a heavy truck or trailer, because concrete keeps gaining strength while it cures, the slow hardening that goes on for days after the pour. Most people can walk on it after a day or two. Before we start, I'll tell you the wait for your slab so you can plan where to park in the meantime.

Most cracks in new concrete come from a base that was raked level instead of dug out and packed, from a slab that falls toward the house, or from joints cut late or skipped. We dig out and pack the subgrade, the ground the slab sits on, slope the slab away from your house, add rebar, the steel that holds a slab together, where the job calls for it, and cut control joints on time, shallow grooves that give the concrete a chosen place to crack. Concrete can still crack a little, but with that work the lines usually stay in the joints.