Concrete contractor in East Los Angeles - driveways, walks and steps for tight lots
Elite Hacienda Heights Concrete pours driveways, patios, walkways, steps and garage floors in East Los Angeles. We tear out cracked or sunken concrete, dig and pack the base, and pour a new slab that drains away from your house.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- We respond within 1 business day.
Older homes and tight lots in East Los Angeles
East Los Angeles is built close together. Most of the calls I get here are about older single-family houses on narrow lots. On many of them the driveway runs down one side of the house to a garage out back, and the front walk and porch steps take up most of the front yard. A lot of that concrete has been patched more than once, and you can see it in the cracks across the driveway, the walk lifted where a root got under it, and steps that have started pulling away from the house.
Close quarters change the job. We're based nearby in Hacienda Heights, and we see the same kind of older blocks in El Monte. The lesson is the same in both places: when an old slab sank over dirt nobody dug out and packed, a new pour over that same dirt will sink too. A tight lot also leaves little room for trucks or piles of broken concrete, so I plan how the old slab comes out and the new one goes in before we break anything.
What I check before we pour in East Los Angeles
East Los Angeles isn't its own city. It's an unincorporated part of Los Angeles County, so permits here come from LA County Public Works through its East Los Angeles Building and Safety Office. If your job needs a permit, that's the first thing on the schedule. We check with the county for your address before we start, and when a permit is needed, we handle it as part of the work. Before you hire anyone, look up their California contractor license with the state licensing board, because the state licenses the people who build or alter structures. The county's own business license only covers certain kinds of businesses on its list, so a contractor without one isn't telling you much either way. We're licensed and fully insured.
Most of what moves the price is stuff you can't see from the street. That includes how much old concrete comes out and how far we have to wheel it down a narrow side drive. It also includes how much of the subgrade, the dirt the slab sits on, has to be dug out and packed, whether the slab gets rebar, steel bars that hold it together if it cracks, and the finish you pick. On blocks near Whittier Boulevard and other busy streets, a mixer truck can't always park close, and that can change how we get the concrete to your slab. For timing, the permit question comes first. After the pour comes curing, the days the new concrete needs to harden before it can take your weight. We do the same work down in Norwalk, and wherever you are, your own number comes from the written estimate I put together after I've seen the job.
Get a free on-site estimate for your East Los Angeles concrete
We get back to you within one business day, and I come out to your East Los Angeles property myself to measure and talk through the job. The estimate is free and in writing, with no obligation, so take your time with it and ask me whatever you want.
Call (626) 413-5388Services in East Los Angeles, CA
Concrete driveway building
Older side driveways here crack and sink because the dirt under them was never packed. We dig out, pack a new base and pour the slab so water drains away from the house.
Concrete sidewalk building
Front walks on these lots get lifted by roots and patched until they trip people. We break out the bad sections and pour a level walk.
Concrete steps construction
Porch steps on older houses often pull away from the house or settle unevenly. We form and pour new steps on footings dug down to solid ground.
Concrete patio construction
Small backyards here get a lot of use, so the patio has to hold up. We pour it with a broom finish, a light brushed texture that gives your feet grip.
Garage floor concrete
Detached garages behind older houses often have cracked floors where water pools. We break out the old slab and pour a new garage floor on a packed base.
Concrete cutting
On a tight lot, sometimes only one section needs to go, or a driveway needs widening. We saw-cut clean lines so we can replace just that piece.
How it goes when you call us about a job in East Los Angeles
Call or send us a message
Call (626) 413-5388 or fill out the form, and we'll get back to you to set a time for me to come out. Tell us what's wrong with the old concrete so I know what to look for.
I come out and measure
I measure, ask how you'll use the space and look at what's in the way, like trees, meters or a tight side yard. Then I write up the estimate, so you know what you're paying for before anything gets broken up.
We sort out the permit
Before anything gets poured, we settle the permit question with the county for your address. When you apply, the county office says whether plan check, its review of the plans, is required, and if it is, we need that approval before we can set a pour date.
Our crew pours, I check
Our own crew forms, pours and finishes the concrete, and I'm on site to check the work before we call it done. You don't need to be home for the pour, but I'll want to walk the finished job with you.
Common questions
Do I need a permit to pour a concrete patio in East Los Angeles?
Usually, yes, because the county's permit list names patios and retaining walls as building permit items, along with grading work. That list doesn't name driveways or walks, but that doesn't mean they're free of a permit. We ask the county about your address before we start either way.
Does a concrete contractor need a California license for a small driveway job?
In almost every case, yes. The state requires a license when a job needs a building permit, uses any extra workers, or comes to $1,000 or more in labor and materials together. A contractor also has to be licensed before they bid, so ask for the license before you take anyone's price seriously.
How long do I have to get the first inspection on an LA County permit?
You have to request the first inspection within 12 months of getting the county permit. After that, you schedule follow-up inspections every 6 months to keep it active. When we handle the permit, we keep track of those dates so it doesn't go inactive on you.
How much does it cost to replace a concrete driveway in East Los Angeles?
I can't give you a fair number until I've seen the driveway, because the price turns on its size, the tear-out and the base work it needs. A plain broom finish costs less than stamped or colored concrete. A tight side drive where we haul everything out by hand costs more. If the budget has to give somewhere, cut the finish and keep the base. Nobody sees the base on day one, but it decides whether the slab sinks later.
What causes concrete driveways to crack and sink?
Most sinking comes from a base that was raked level instead of dug out and packed, so the slab settles along with the dirt. Cracks in odd places usually mean the control joints, grooves cut to give a crack a straight line to follow, went in too late or not at all. A pour in midday heat can also leave a weak, dusty top. Concrete still cracks some, and I'd rather you hear that from me now. Packing the base and cutting the joints on time keeps the cracks where we chose.
What is the best way to fix a sunken front walk in East Los Angeles?
Cut out the sunken sections and replace them over a packed base, because patching on top of a sunk walk leaves the cause underneath. On the older lots here we often saw-cut just the bad panels so the good ones stay. If a tree root lifted the walk, we'll talk about the root before we pour, since it can do the same thing to new concrete.
Start your East Los Angeles concrete job
Call (626) 413-5388 or send the form now, because any county review has to clear before we can pour.