Concrete driveway building in Lomita CA - a slab that's cured before you park on it
Cracked, sunken or puddling driveway? We break it out and pour a new one that sends water to the street and wears well.
- Service
- Concrete driveway building
- Call
- (424) 667-0052
How do you know it's time for a new driveway?
Cracks that keep growing
A crack that started thin now has a raised lip, loose chips or weeds coming through. That usually means the slab has moved and is breaking where it wants to, and every rain that runs into it chips the edges a little further.
Sunken or tipped sections
One panel sits lower than the next, or the edge by the garage has dropped. That usually means the slab has lost support in that spot, and the step it leaves gets bigger, harder to patch and easier to trip on.
Water pooling near the house
After rain, puddles sit on the driveway or run toward the garage door instead of the street. The slab is falling the wrong way, and water that keeps collecting against your house turns into a bigger repair than the driveway itself.
What goes into building a new concrete driveway in Lomita?
Concrete driveway building in Lomita means forming, pouring, placing and finishing a new concrete slab for your cars, usually after we break out the old one, and then curing it, which is the wait that lets the concrete harden properly so the surface lasts. What you end up with is a flat, even driveway that sends rainwater toward the street instead of your house.
Most people call us when the old driveway is cracked, sunk or holding water, and the first three questions are always the same. What will it cost, how long are the cars on the street, and will the new one crack like the old one? The price mostly moves with the size, how much old concrete has to come out and get hauled away, how easy it is to get a truck to the pour, and the finish you pick, because a plain finish costs less than a pattern. The schedule turns on the weather on pour day, the curing wait before you drive on it, and whether any of the work reaches the street and involves the city. If you're also thinking about a patio out back, it's worth folding into the same visit, since concrete patio construction uses the same crew and planning. Your written estimate lays out what we'll do on your driveway and what it costs.
Details to note before an estimate
- Rough length and width of the driveway
- Where water pools after rain
- Cracks, sunken spots or chipped edges
- How many cars park there
- Front yard changes you're planning
- The finish you have in mind
How we build a concrete driveway
Before we break anything, we check where the water runs, because the new slab has to fall toward the street and away from your house. Then we break out and haul off the old concrete, prep the ground, set the forms and pour. We give the top a broom finish, a light texture that gives tires and shoes grip when it's wet, and cut control joints on time, straight grooves that give the slab a planned place to crack so it doesn't pick its own. Concrete still cracks, but along those lines it stays neat and tight. We treat curing, the stretch when the concrete is still gaining strength, as part of the job, and I'll tell you when it's ready for feet and when it's ready for cars. Sealing is its own visit once the slab has had time to settle in. If the budget gets tight, I'd rather you go plain on the finish than cut the prep, because the prep is buried on day one and it's what the driveway rides on for years.
If you're changing the front yard along with the driveway, tell me early so we can plan both together. The city's rule is that when you change existing front yard landscaping on a house lot, at least half of the front yard area needs drought-tolerant plants and irrigation, and that's much easier to lay out before the forms go in. Plenty of homeowners pair a new driveway with concrete patio construction out back. If you'd like the driveway or a border to look like stone or brick, our stamped concrete services press a pattern into the fresh slab.
Other concrete work people pair with a driveway
Concrete patio construction
A patio gives you a flat, easy-to-sweep spot to sit and grill out back, and it's simple to plan around the same pour schedule.
Stamped concrete services
A stone, brick or slate pattern pressed into fresh concrete suits a driveway border or front walk when plain gray feels too bare.
What happens after you call about a new driveway?
Call or send us a note
Call (424) 667-0052 or use the form and tell us roughly what you have now and what you want. We'll set a time for me to come out.
Walk the driveway together
I come out myself, measure, check where the water runs and look at where the driveway meets the street. Bring up anything else you're planning nearby, like new planting in the front yard.
Get a written estimate
You get an estimate in writing that spells out the prep, the joints and the curing in plain words, along with the cost. That way you can hold us, or anyone else bidding the job, to the same standard.
Pour day and final walk-through
I lead the crew on the job and check in with you before the pour and again at the end. At that last check we go over when you can walk on it and when you can drive on it.
Questions about building a concrete driveway
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in the Los Angeles area?
An installed concrete driveway slab around Los Angeles usually runs about $5 to $17 per square foot. That's a broad range because the price guides behind it disagree, and where your job lands depends on the size, how much old concrete comes out, access for the truck and the finish you choose. Your written estimate gives you the figure for your driveway.
Who can legally build a concrete driveway in California?
A driveway job that needs a permit or a crew has to go to a licensed contractor, and the state's C-8 concrete license, issued by the Contractors State License Board, is the one that covers pavement and flatwork, the flat pours like driveways, patios and walks. Unlicensed workers can only take jobs under $1,000 that need no permit and no hired help. We're fully licensed and insured, and since concrete contractors can't claim a workers' comp exemption for having no employees, it's fair to ask anyone bidding your job about their coverage.
How much can a contractor ask for up front on a driveway in California?
On a home improvement job like a driveway, a contractor can't ask for a down payment over $1,000, and on smaller contracts the cap is lower. Every payment after that has to be listed in the contract and tied to work done or materials delivered to your home, so you're only paying for progress you can see.
Do I need a permit to replace my driveway in Lomita?
Any part of the work in the city's right of way, the public strip along the street, goes through Lomita's Public Works Department, which issues Public Works Permits for that work. We go over the permit side of your job during the estimate, tell you which office is involved and who handles each step, and walk you through anything that falls to you as the owner.
What is the best weather to pour a concrete driveway?
A calm, humid day is easier on fresh concrete than a windy, sunny one, and general concrete guidance calls for stricter precautions on the windy, sunny day even at the same air temperature. So we plan the pour around wind and sun as well as the thermometer, and we stay away from pouring through midday heat, which can leave a weak, dusty top later on.
How long does a new concrete driveway take to cure before sealing?
One supplier's guide puts curing at a minimum of 28 days after the pour, and sealing comes after that. A sealer helps keep the look and wear of the surface once it's cured, which is why sealing is a separate visit for us.
Get a written estimate for your new concrete driveway
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set up a free estimate on site. I'll come look at the driveway with you, then send a written estimate that says what we'll do and why, with no obligation to go ahead.
Explore our services and areas
Services
- Concrete patio construction
- Stamped concrete services
- Concrete sidewalk building
- Garage floor concrete
- Decorative concrete
- Concrete retaining walls
- Concrete floor installation
- Concrete pool decks
- Concrete steps construction
- Slab foundation building
- Foundation installation
- Concrete parking lot building
- Concrete footings
- Foundation raising
- Concrete cutting
Get your new driveway on the schedule
Have the address, a rough size of the driveway and any front yard plans handy, so we can cover it all in one visit.