Concrete Contractor in Hacienda Heights - Driveways and Steps for Hillside Lots
South El Monte Concrete is a concrete contractor based in South El Monte, and we pour driveways, patios, steps, walkways and retaining walls for homes in Hacienda Heights, plus the smaller jobs a lot of outfits pass on.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free on-site estimates.
- We respond within 1 business day.
Hacienda Heights homes, from the flats to the hills
Most of what we pour in Hacienda Heights is for houses. That means driveways that climb from the street up to the garage, back patios, front steps and the walkways that tie them together, usually around homes that have been standing a good long while. Down on the lower streets the lots are flatter and closer together, and as you head up toward the hills they get steeper, the driveways get longer and the back yards start stepping down in terraces.
We're out this way a lot, with jobs nearby in Avocado Heights and over in West Covina. On a sloped lot here, the concrete is the easy part. The real work is the ground, meaning how much dirt has to come out, where the water is going to run and whether the slab needs a wall or a step to hold it.
Concrete work we do around Hacienda Heights
Concrete driveway building
Driveways here often climb from the street to the garage, so we dig out, pack new base and slope it so water heads for the street.
Concrete patio construction
Back patios on terraced yards need a gentle fall away from the house, so water runs off the slab and not against your walls.
Stamped concrete services
When you want a patio or front walk that looks like stone or brick, we press the pattern into fresh concrete and color it to match your house.
Concrete sidewalk building
Walkways to the front door on older lots here often get lifted by tree roots, so we pull the heaved sections and pour a level path.
Garage floor concrete
Garage floors in older houses here are often cracked, stained or sunk at the door, so we break out the slab and pour fresh over packed base.
Decorative concrete
Colored concrete, exposed aggregate and borders around a plain slab can dress up a front entry or pool area without loose pavers that shift.
Concrete retaining walls
Sloped back yards in the hillier parts of Hacienda Heights often need a wall to hold the dirt back so you get usable flat ground for a patio.
Concrete floor installation
For a converted garage, a workshop or a room addition, we pour an interior floor that's flat and ready for whatever flooring goes on top.
Concrete pool decks
Decks around older backyard pools tend to crack and lift along the pool's edge, so we replace them with a finish that's easy on bare feet.
Concrete steps construction
Houses set above the street often have front steps that have settled or chipped, and we rebuild them with even step heights so nobody trips.
Slab foundation building
When you're adding a room, a backyard unit or a detached garage, we pour the slab it sits on, with the base and steel the plans call for.
Foundation installation
Building on a slope takes more digging and forming than a flat lot, so we set foundations that sit on solid ground and follow your plans.
Concrete parking lot building
Small church, office and shopping center lots get worn by daily traffic, and we pour concrete sections built thicker where cars and trucks turn.
Concrete footings
Patio covers, block walls and decks all need footings, the buried concrete that carries the weight, and on sloped ground we set them to suit the grade.
Foundation raising
When a corner of an older house here has dropped and the doors start sticking, we lift it back toward level and fill the gap underneath.
Concrete cutting
We saw clean openings in existing slabs for new plumbing, a wider driveway or a doorway, so the concrete you're keeping isn't shaken apart by a jackhammer.
Get a free estimate for your Hacienda Heights concrete job
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day to set a time. I come out myself to measure and talk it through, the estimate is free, and there's no pressure to book.
- Based in
- South El Monte, CA 91733
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 7 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 8 AM–10 PM
Working in Hacienda Heights means working with the County
Hacienda Heights doesn't have its own city hall. It's an unincorporated part of Los Angeles County, so the County acts as the local government and building permits come from LA County Public Works instead of a city counter. Public Works issues permits for new building, repairs and replacements and grading work, and when your job needs one, the permit and its inspections set part of the calendar. Before you hire anyone, ask to see their state contractor license, and know that the County requires its own business license for certain kinds of businesses located in the unincorporated area, depending on what they do.
When a job needs a permit, we pull it and set up the inspections, and I check with Public Works for your address first so nothing stalls after the forms are built. We're licensed and fully insured. What moves the price here is mostly the size of the slab, how much old concrete and dirt has to go, how much digging and forming a slope takes and the finish you pick. The schedule turns on the permit, if there is one, and on curing, the stretch a new slab needs to harden before it can take weight. The estimate gives you the number for your own job.
Why older slabs and sloped lots here crack
A lot of the driveways and patios we break out in Hacienda Heights have been down for decades, and plenty of them were poured on dirt that was raked flat instead of dug out and packed. That subgrade, the ground the slab rests on, keeps settling for years, so the concrete sinks at one end, cracks across the middle or lifts where a tree root pushes up. We dig past the loose stuff and pack new base before any concrete shows up, because that's the one part you can't fix later without tearing the slab out. If the budget gets tight, I'll always tell you to keep the base and pick a plainer finish, since nobody sees the base on day one but everybody sees a cracked driveway a few years later.
Slopes add the water problem. On a driveway that drops toward the garage or a patio cut into a hillside yard, water that pools against the house or runs under the slab washes out the base. I check where the water goes on the first visit, and we shape the slab so it carries water away from your walls.
How a concrete job runs when you call us from Hacienda Heights
Here's how it goes from your first call to the final walk-through, so you know who you'll be talking to and what happens at each stage.
Call or send the form
Call (626) 719-0110 or send the form, and we'll find a time for me to come by. It helps if you're home for the visit so we can walk the spot together.
I measure and talk it through
I come out myself, measure, check where your water runs and what the old slab sits on, and listen to what you want. Then you get your estimate, and I'd rather answer every question right there than have you guessing once the truck shows up.
We handle the County permit
If the job needs a permit, we apply through Public Works and set up the inspections. Bigger projects need drawings, and the office says at application time whether they need a plan check, an expert review of those drawings, which adds a wait before we can dig.
We pour, finish and walk through
My crew and I dig out, pack the base, pour early in the day and cut control joints, the grooves that give the slab a straight line to crack along. Before we pack up I go over the finished job with you and tell you when you can walk and drive on it.
Questions about concrete work in Hacienda Heights
Do I need a permit for a new concrete driveway in Hacienda Heights?
Permits in Hacienda Heights come from LA County Public Works, and we check with them for your address before we schedule a pour. Public Works issues permits for new construction, repairs and replacements and grading work, so a job that changes the ground or adds a structure is one to ask about. If yours needs one, we pull it and set up the inspections.
How do I know if a concrete contractor needs a California license?
A contractor needs a license from the Contractors State License Board when the job needs a building permit, uses hired workers, or comes to $1,000 or more in labor and materials together. Almost any driveway or patio passes that mark, and a contractor isn't allowed to split a bigger job into small bills to stay under it. Ask for the license number before you sign anything.
How much can a contractor ask for up front on a home job in California?
State rules say a contractor can't ask for or take a down payment of more than $1,000 or 10 percent of the contract price, whichever is less. Every payment after that has to be listed in the contract and tied to work done or materials delivered, and the board says this covers all home improvement jobs.
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Hacienda Heights?
A driveway here is priced on its size, how much old concrete and dirt we haul out, and the finish you choose, and I give you the figure after I've measured yours. A steep driveway takes more digging and forming than a flat one, and stamped or colored concrete costs more than a broom finish, the light brushed texture that keeps shoes and tires from slipping. Tight access matters too, because if the truck can't reach the spot we have to pump or wheel the concrete in.
What causes new concrete to crack?
Most cracks in a driveway or patio come from a weak base, joints cut late or skipped, water running under the slab, or a pour done in the heat of the day. We pack the subgrade, cut control joints so any crack follows a line we chose, set rebar, the steel inside that holds the pieces together, and pour early. Concrete can still crack, but this keeps cracks small and where you won't notice them.
How long does new concrete take before I can drive on it?
You'll be walking on a new driveway well before you can park on it, because concrete keeps gaining strength for a good while as it cures. I give you both dates for your slab before we pour, so you can plan where the cars go while you're without the driveway.
South El Monte, CA
Plan your Hacienda Heights concrete job
Calling before you settle on a finish or a date lets me look at the slope and the permit question first, so the plan fits your lot from the start.