Concrete contractor in Pico Rivera - driveways, patios and slabs built on a solid base
South El Monte Concrete is a concrete contractor based in South El Monte that pours driveways, patios, walkways, steps and slabs for homes in Pico Rivera, plus the smaller jobs a lot of outfits pass on.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free on-site estimates.
- We respond within 1 business day.
Pico Rivera homes and the concrete around them
Pico Rivera is a quick drive from our base in South El Monte, and most calls here come from single-family houses on flat lots, a lot of them with a driveway running along one side to a garage in back. We also hear from owners of small apartment buildings and shops who need a parking area or a walk redone, much like the mix we work with over in Montebello.
What we see most are long driveways, front walks that have heaved and backyard patios that have been patched more than once. A narrow side yard means wheeling concrete back by hand instead of pouring straight off the truck, so access is one of the first things I check.
Concrete work we do around Pico Rivera homes
Concrete driveway building
When the driveway running back to your garage has cracked or sunk, we tear it out, dig and pack a new base, and pour fresh.
Concrete patio construction
A backyard patio gives you a flat, clean place for the grill and the table. We slope it away from the house so water runs to the yard.
Stamped concrete services
Stamped concrete presses a stone, brick or tile pattern into the wet surface, a popular way to dress up a front walk or patio without laying pavers.
Concrete sidewalk building
We replace walkways and side paths that have heaved or cracked into a trip hazard, setting them on a packed base so they stay level.
Garage floor concrete
An old garage floor that's cracked or sloping the wrong way gets broken out and repoured so water drains toward the door.
Decorative concrete
Color, exposed stone and saw-cut patterns let a plain slab match the house, which helps when the front yard is mostly concrete already.
Concrete retaining walls
Where one side of a yard sits higher than the other, a concrete retaining wall holds the dirt back so it stops creeping onto the patio or path.
Concrete floor installation
We pour interior concrete floors for workshops, converted garages and back rooms, finished smooth so you can seal them or put flooring over the top.
Concrete pool decks
A pool deck needs a finish with grip for wet feet and a slope that carries splash water away from the pool and the house.
Concrete steps construction
Older front steps tend to crack at the edges or pull away from the porch, and we rebuild them so every step is the same height.
Slab foundation building
For a new garage, backyard room or ADU, we form and pour the slab it sits on, with steel inside and a packed base underneath.
Foundation installation
When an addition goes on the side or back of the house, we dig, form and pour the foundation it needs, matched to the plans you're building from.
Concrete parking lot building
Small commercial lots and apartment parking areas take more weight and traffic than a home driveway, so we pour them thicker on a deeper base.
Concrete footings
Footings are the buried concrete under a wall, post or patio cover that spreads its weight, and we dig and pour them for what sits on top.
Foundation raising
If one corner of a slab has dropped and the doors have started sticking, foundation raising can lift it back toward level without tearing everything out.
Concrete cutting
We saw-cut openings, trenches and clean edges in existing concrete, like widening a driveway or cutting a path for a new drain line.
Get a free concrete estimate for your Pico Rivera property
We get back to you within one business day to set up a visit. The estimate is done in person at your property, it's 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
Permits, pricing and timing on Pico Rivera concrete jobs
Permits here go through the city's Building Division, which oversees construction on homes in Pico Rivera. The city lists patios and porches among the structures that need a zoning review, a plan check or both before a permit is issued, and that review has to clear before we pour, so on those jobs it sets the start date. When a job needs a permit, we pull it and set up the inspections, and if yours isn't on the city's list, I check with the Building Division for your address instead of guessing. We're licensed and fully insured, and you're welcome to ask about either at the estimate.
Price mostly comes from what we find under the old concrete, because tearing out a cracked slab and digging out and packing a proper base is often where most of the labor goes, and a bigger or thicker slab adds material on top of that. The schedule comes down to the permit review and the curing wait after the pour. We price jobs in Downey and El Monte the same way, and the estimate is where you get the figure for your own driveway or patio.
Why older Pico Rivera slabs crack, sink and puddle
A lot of the driveways and patios here were poured long ago straight onto dirt that was raked level, and that dirt keeps settling, which is where the sunken corners and long cracks come from. We dig out to firm ground, the subgrade, and pack base rock on top of it, add rebar, steel bars inside the slab, where it'll carry a car, and cut control joints, shallow grooves that give the small cracks every slab gets a straight line to follow. If the budget's tight, I'd rather spend it on the base than a fancy finish, since a stamped pattern on a sinking slab just cracks prettier.
The other thing we see is water. A patio that tips toward the house or a driveway with a low spot leaves puddles against the foundation, so before we set forms we check where water runs on your lot and slope the new slab away from the house.
What happens when you call us about a Pico Rivera job
Here's how a job goes from your first call to the walk-through at the end, so you know what's coming before the truck shows up.
Call or send a message
Call (626) 719-0110 or use the form and tell us roughly what you want, and we'll set up a time to come look. You don't need measurements or plans yet.
I come out and measure
I come out myself to look at the old concrete, measure, check how water runs and talk through what you want, so it helps if you're home. You get an estimate that spells out what's included and what would change the price, and I'd rather answer one question too many than leave you guessing.
Permit review, then the pour
When there's a permit, the city's review comes first and the pour date follows it. My crew and I dig out, pack the base, set forms and pour, then the slab cures, the wait while it hardens enough to use.
We walk the finished job
Before we pack up, I go over the finished work with you and tell you when it's ready to walk and drive on. We haul off the old concrete, and the work is backed by our satisfaction guarantee.
Questions about concrete work in Pico Rivera
Do I need a permit for a new concrete patio in Pico Rivera?
Plan on a review, because the city lists patios, along with porches, pools and sheds, among the accessory structures that need a zoning review, a plan check or both before a permit is issued. You can see that on the city's online permit page, or call City Hall at (562) 942-2000, Monday through Thursday, and we go over what your patio needs at the estimate.
Do I need a city plan check to redo my driveway approach in Pico Rivera?
Yes, the city sends driveway approaches, the sloped piece where your driveway meets the street, through a Public Works plan check before it issues a permit, and grading goes the same route. Public Works also handles encroachment permits for things like a roll-off bin in the street, which can come up when we're hauling out an old driveway.
How long does a building permit last in Pico Rivera?
A building permit expires one year after it's issued if construction hasn't started or the work isn't progressing, according to the city's permit FAQ. Approved plans expire six months after approval if no permit has been issued, so once your plans clear, we get the permit and the pour on the calendar instead of letting them sit.
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Pico Rivera?
You get your number after I measure at your property, because the tear-out and base work that drive most of the price change a lot from one lot to the next. Thickness, how much steel goes in and the finish move it too, since a plain broom finish, a light texture that keeps it from getting slick, costs less than stamped or colored concrete, and a new approach at the curb adds its own plan check and work.
How long does it take before I can drive on a new concrete driveway?
You'll wait noticeably longer to drive on it than to walk on it, because a slab needs days of curing to get strong enough for a car, and parking on it too soon is one of the easiest ways to crack a new driveway. I'll tell you at the estimate how long to keep the car off for your job, and we plan the tear-out and pour around when you need the driveway back.
What causes a concrete patio to flake and turn dusty on top?
Usually the top got weakened during the pour, either from finishing it with water sitting on the surface or pouring in midday heat so the top dried out before the rest of the slab. We pour early when we can and don't add water to make the concrete easier to spread, because a wetter mix leaves a softer surface that chips later.
South El Monte, CA
Get your Pico Rivera concrete job priced
Concrete's hard to undo once it's poured, so it pays to sort out the details at the estimate while they're still easy to change.