Concrete Contractor in Monterey Park, CA - Solid Driveways and Steps for Sloped Lots
South El Monte Concrete is a concrete contractor in South El Monte, CA, and we pour driveways, patios, steps, walkways and slabs for homeowners and small property owners in Monterey Park, including the small jobs other crews pass on.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free on-site estimates.
- We respond within 1 business day.
Monterey Park homes and the concrete around them
Monterey Park is mostly houses, a lot of them older single-family homes still sitting on the original driveway, front walk and back patio, with small apartment buildings and businesses along the busier streets. When people here call me, it's usually because that concrete is showing its age, with a crack running across the driveway, a walk lifted by a tree root, or front steps pulling away from the porch. We get the same calls next door in Montebello and Rosemead, there are just more hills here.
Plenty of streets here climb, so a lot of driveways run up or down to the garage and a lot of yards sit on a slope. That shapes the job from the start, because a sloped pour takes more forming and base work, and on a tight lot we plan how the concrete gets from the truck to your backyard.
Concrete work we do around Monterey Park
Concrete driveway building
Most driveways we tear out here are original, cracked and settled, and on a sloped lot we pack the base hard and pitch the slab so water runs away.
Concrete patio construction
Backyard patios are a common call in Monterey Park, usually to replace cracked old concrete or give a dirt yard a level spot for the table and grill.
Stamped concrete services
Stamped concrete gives a patio or front walk the look of stone or brick in a single pour, with no pavers to shift and no weeds growing between them.
Concrete sidewalk building
Front walks and side-yard paths lifted by roots are easy to trip on, so we break out the raised sections and pour new ones flush with what stays.
Garage floor concrete
Older garage floors around here are often cracked, stained or sunk at the door, and a new slab gives you a flat floor for the car and the workbench.
Decorative concrete
Colored concrete, exposed aggregate and custom borders let you dress up the street side of your house or a back patio without the upkeep of tile or pavers.
Concrete retaining walls
On sloped lots in Monterey Park, a concrete retaining wall holds the hillside back, so you get usable level ground for a patio or a wider driveway.
Concrete floor installation
We pour interior concrete floors for additions, workshops and converted spaces, with the base packed and the slab set level so flooring goes down flat later.
Concrete pool decks
Decks around older backyard pools tend to crack and lift at the edges, and a new deck with a textured finish gives wet feet better grip.
Concrete steps construction
Sloped lots here mean plenty of front steps, and when old ones crack or pull away from the porch, we form and pour new ones with even, comfortable steps.
Slab foundation building
For an addition, a granny flat or a detached garage, we pour the slab foundation on a dug-out, packed base so the building starts on solid ground.
Foundation installation
When you're building on a lot in Monterey Park, we dig and pour the foundation the plans call for and set up the inspections it needs along the way.
Concrete parking lot building
Small apartment buildings and businesses here often have worn parking areas, and we pour concrete lots built for daily traffic and sloped so water drains off.
Concrete footings
Footings carry the weight of a wall, a patio cover or a deck post, and on sloped ground we dig them down until we reach firm soil.
Foundation raising
If a slab or an older foundation has settled, leaving cracks in the walls or doors that stick, we figure out what moved and why before raising it.
Concrete cutting
Saw cutting lets us remove a damaged section, run a pipe or tie new concrete into old along a clean edge, instead of breaking up the whole slab.
Get a free concrete estimate for your Monterey Park home
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day to set a time. I come out myself to look and measure, and the estimate is free with 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 Monterey Park: permits, licenses and what sets the price
Building permits here come from the city's One Stop Building Permit Center, and whether your slab, wall or steps need one is the city's call, so I check with them for your address before we talk dates. If a job needs plans reviewed, that review has to clear before we can schedule the pour, so a permit job takes longer to get started. Before you hire anyone, ask for two things: a California contractor license, and a Monterey Park business license, which the city requires of any contractor from another city who works here, even for a short job.
Here the price mostly moves with the size of the job, how much old concrete comes out, how much base work it needs, the slope and the finish, plus access, since a steep driveway or a backyard behind a narrow side yard means more forming and more wheelbarrow trips. Beyond the permit, the schedule turns on curing, the stretch of days a new slab needs to gain strength before it can take weight. It's the same work we do in Pico Rivera and the other cities around South El Monte, and your own number comes with the estimate.
Why older Monterey Park slabs crack and hold water
A lot of the cracked and sinking driveways I look at here have the same story underneath. The original crew raked the dirt level and poured on it instead of digging out and packing the subgrade, which is the ground the slab sits on, so the dirt kept settling for years and the concrete went down with it. Rebar, the steel we set inside the slab, helps hold cracks tight, but it can't make up for a soft base, so we dig out to firm ground and pack it before any concrete shows up. That base work is hidden the day we pour, and it's the first thing people want to trim from a budget. I'd rather go simpler on the finish than skimp on the base, because a finish can be redone and the base can't.
Water is the other big one. On the sloped driveways here, a slab that tips toward the house sends water against the garage door or under the concrete, where it softens the base and starts the sinking all over again, so we check where the water goes before we set a form and pitch the new slab away from the house.
What happens after you call us about a Monterey Park job
From the first call to the final walkthrough, here's how a job runs, and you'll deal with me at the estimate and again at the end.
Call us or send a request
Call (626) 719-0110 or send the form with a short note about the job, and we'll get back to you to set a time to come out. A photo of the crack or the problem spot helps me get a head start.
I come out and measure
I come out myself to measure, check the base, the slope and where water runs, and talk through what you want, so you know what's driving the price before you decide anything. Be home for it if you can, because that's the best time to ask about cost, the finish or how long you'll be off the driveway.
We handle permits and pour
If you go ahead, we take care of the permit when there is one, and since only permits with no plan check come over the counter, others wait on the city's review plus any clearances and outside fees the city wants first. Then my crew and I dig out, pack the base, set the forms and steel, pour, finish and cut the joints.
We walk the finished job
Before we pack up, I go over the finished job with you and tell you when you can walk on it and when you can drive on it while it cures. Then we clean up and haul away the broken-out concrete.
Questions about concrete work in Monterey Park
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Monterey Park?
A new driveway here is priced on its size, the tear-out, the base work, the slope and the finish, and you get your own figure at the estimate after I measure. A broom finish, the light brushed texture that gives tires and shoes grip, costs less than stamped or colored concrete, while a thicker slab with steel in it costs more and is usually worth it where cars park every day.
Does my concrete contractor need a state license in Monterey Park?
Yes, whenever the job needs a building permit, uses employee labor, or costs $1,000 or more in labor and materials, according to the California Contractors State License Board. A bigger job can't be split into pieces under $1,000 to get around that rule. We're licensed and fully insured.
Can I get a concrete permit in Monterey Park as the homeowner?
Sometimes, because under certain circumstances the city may issue a permit to a homeowner as an owner-builder. Permits for some kinds of work only go to someone licensed by the state for that trade, and the city's permit issuance page lists the license categories and the work each one covers. When you hire us, the permit is our job.
How do I know if my concrete job in Monterey Park needs a separate grading permit?
It comes down to how much dirt moves, because once the cut and fill passes a set amount, the city requires a separate Grading Permit from the Public Works Department on top of any building permit. That mostly comes up with retaining walls and big hillside dig-outs, so I measure what we'd be moving at the estimate and check it with the city before we plan the work.
What causes concrete driveways to crack and sink in Monterey Park?
Most of the time it's a poorly packed base and water getting under the slab, which is why we dig out and pack before we pour. Concrete also shrinks a little as it cures, so we cut control joints, straight grooves that give a crack a planned place to form, and we cut them early, because late or skipped joints leave cracks wherever they like. Nobody can promise concrete won't crack, but with a packed base and joints in the right spots, any cracks usually stay in the joints and stay tight.
How long does it take before I can drive on a new concrete driveway?
Longer than it takes before you can walk on it, because the slab keeps curing and gaining strength for days after the pour, and a car on it too early can crack or mark it. I give you both days at the walkthrough, so plan to park on the street or in a neighbor's driveway until then.
South El Monte, CA
Ask for a concrete estimate in Monterey Park
Concrete is hard to undo once it's poured, so call (626) 719-0110 or send the form and let's get your questions answered before the truck ever shows up.