Concrete Contractor in West Covina, CA - Driveways and Patios Built from the Base Up
South El Monte Concrete is a concrete contractor pouring driveways, patios, walkways, steps and slabs for homes in West Covina, CA, from the flat valley streets up to the lots climbing toward the San Jose Hills.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free on-site estimates.
- We respond within 1 business day.
West Covina houses, slopes and older slabs
West Covina sits in the San Gabriel Valley, and a lot of the houses we see here are single-story homes still on their original driveways, walks and patios, poured when the neighborhoods went in and patched more than once since. Most of our calls come from homeowners, with the odd walkway or parking area for a shop or apartment building near the commercial strip along the 10 freeway. It reminds me a lot of the work we do in nearby Hacienda Heights.
Where the streets climb into the San Jose Hills, the lots tilt, and that changes the job. A driveway on a grade takes more digging and forming than one on a flat street, and those houses usually need more steps and short walls to get you from the curb to the front door.
Concrete work we do around West Covina homes
Concrete driveway building
Plenty of driveways here were poured when the house was built, and when one is cracked or sunk at the street, we tear it out and pour new.
Concrete patio construction
Old patios here are often too small or cracked through, so we break them out and pour a bigger slab sized for the table and grill you actually use.
Stamped concrete services
Stamped concrete gives a patio or front walk the look of stone or brick in one pour, which suits plenty of West Covina backyards.
Concrete sidewalk building
Walkways from the driveway to the front door take a beating from roots and settling, and we replace the broken sections so nobody catches a toe.
Garage floor concrete
Older garage slabs here are often cracked, stained and pitted, so we break out the old floor and pour a new one that sweeps clean.
Decorative concrete
Colored concrete, exposed aggregate or a custom border can dress up a plain slab, and we'll talk through which finish fits your house at the estimate.
Concrete retaining walls
Lots that climb toward the San Jose Hills often need a wall to hold back the yard, and we build concrete retaining walls with drainage behind them.
Concrete floor installation
When you're finishing a converted garage or a room addition, we pour an interior slab flat and level so the flooring goes down without a fight.
Concrete pool decks
Plenty of backyard pools here are ringed by old decking that's cracked or lifted, so we pour a new deck with a textured top that grips wet feet.
Concrete steps construction
Front steps on sloped lots crack and pull away from the porch, so we rebuild them with even step heights and steel inside to hold them together.
Slab foundation building
For a new garage, granny flat or addition, we pour the slab foundation on a dug-out, packed base so the building above has firm ground under it.
Foundation installation
When an addition or new structure goes up, we dig, form and pour the foundation to match the plans, so the framing starts on something square and level.
Concrete parking lot building
Small lots behind shops and apartment buildings here take heavy daily traffic, so we pour them thicker than a home driveway and grade them to drain.
Concrete footings
Patio covers, block walls and posts need solid footings underneath, and we dig them down to firm soil so whatever sits on top doesn't lean or sink.
Foundation raising
If a slab or part of a house has settled and doors stick or floors slope, we look at why it sank before we talk about lifting it.
Concrete cutting
Widening a driveway for one more car usually starts with saw-cutting the old slab, so the concrete that stays ends at a clean, straight edge.
Get a free concrete estimate for your West Covina property
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day. I'll come out to measure and talk it through, 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 West Covina: permits, licenses and price
Some of the areas we work in go through the county for permits, but West Covina handles its own, and permits for private work here come from the city's Building Division. When your job needs one, we pull it and set up the inspections, and the pour date waits on that, so a permit job takes a little longer to get on the calendar. The city also requires anyone running a business in West Covina to hold a city business license, so it's fair to ask any contractor you're considering about theirs. For our part, we're licensed and fully insured.
The price comes down to the size and thickness of the slab, how much old concrete and soft dirt has to come out, how much forming a sloped lot takes, and the finish, whether that's a plain broom finish, the swept texture that keeps a wet slab from getting slick, or stamped and colored work. The schedule turns on the permit if there is one, the weather, and curing, the days new concrete needs to harden before it takes your weight or your car's. I go through both at the estimate so you're working from numbers for your property. We're a concrete contractor based in South El Monte, we do the same work down in Norwalk and the other cities around us, and every job is backed by our satisfaction guarantee.
Why West Covina slabs crack, sink and hold water
Most of the cracked and sunken driveways we look at here failed from underneath. The subgrade, the dirt the slab sits on, was raked level instead of dug out and packed, or roots and years of water got under it, so the slab settled right along with the dirt. We dig down to firm ground and pack a real base, add rebar, the steel bars that hold the pieces together if the slab does crack, and cut control joints, shallow grooves that give the concrete a place to crack neatly, the same day we pour. Concrete still cracks a little, I won't pretend otherwise, but this way it cracks where we picked instead of across the middle of your driveway.
Water and heat do the rest. On sloped lots, and on flat ones where an old patio tipped toward the house, rain runs where it shouldn't and pools against the walls, so we check where the water goes before we set a single form. Summer afternoons get hot here, and concrete poured in midday heat can dry too fast and leave a weak, dusty top, so we start our pours early in the day.
How a concrete job runs when you call us in West Covina
Here's how a job goes from your first call to the final walk-through, and you'll deal with me the whole way.
Call or send a message
Call (626) 719-0110 or use the form and tell us what's going on, whether it's a cracked driveway, a sinking walk or a new patio. We'll set a time for me to come out that works for you.
I come out and measure
I look at how the old slab failed, measure, check where the water runs and talk through what you want, so it helps if you're home. Then you get your estimate, and I'll answer every question about it before anything gets poured.
We handle permits and pour
If the job needs a permit, we take care of it, and the pour date follows the city's approval and inspections. My crew and I dig out, pack the base, set the forms and steel, then pour and finish.
Walk the finished job together
Before we pack up, I go over the finished job with you and tell you how long to keep feet and tires off it while it cures. Once that wait's over, your driveway or patio is all yours again.
Questions about concrete work in West Covina
Do I need a permit to replace a concrete driveway or walkway in West Covina?
The city's list of work that needs no building permit includes walks and driveways that are no more than 30 inches above grade, have no basement or story below them and aren't part of an accessible route, a path built to disability access rules. That list covers building permits only, so a drain line or electrical run tied to the job can still need its own plumbing or electrical permit. I check your plans against it at the estimate, and when a permit is needed, we pull it.
How do I know if my retaining wall needs a permit in West Covina?
Measure from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall, because the city's list exempts retaining walls that hold back no more than 4 feet unless they carry extra weight above them or hold back certain liquids. A taller wall, or one with a driveway or slope pushing on it, goes through the Building Division. We measure it at the estimate and handle the permit if it needs one.
How do I apply for a building permit in West Covina?
You apply through the city's One Stop Building Permit Center, or in person at the Building Counter at City Hall, Monday through Thursday from 7:30 am to 5:30 pm. The Building Division no longer takes applications by email, and you can call it at (626) 939-8425 with questions. If we're doing your concrete work, you can skip all that, because we pull the permit for you.
Does permit-free concrete work still need Planning approval in West Covina?
It can, because the city says a project that needs no building permit may still need approval from its Planning Division. In some cases Planning limits where something goes and how tall it is, or sets design requirements. You can reach the Planning counter at City Hall at (626) 939-8422 before you commit to a design.
Does a contractor need a business license to work in West Covina?
Yes. The city requires anyone operating a business in West Covina, from a sole proprietor to a corporation, to get a city business license within fifteen days of starting business there, and the Finance Department handles business licensing. It's a fair question to ask any contractor before you sign anything.
What makes a concrete driveway or patio cost more in West Covina?
The biggest swings come from how much old concrete and soft dirt has to come out and from the finish you pick, since stamped or colored work takes more labor than a plain broom finish. If the budget's tight, save on the finish, not the base, because nobody sees the base on day one but it's what keeps the slab from sinking a few years later. We can price it both ways at the estimate so you can see the difference.
South El Monte, CA
Set up your West Covina concrete estimate
Concrete is hard to undo once it's poured, so call (626) 719-0110 or use the form and get every question answered before a truck is ever booked.