Concrete driveway building in Hacienda Heights CA - a slab built for what you park
Cracked, sinking or pooling driveway? We tear it out if needed and pour a new one sized to the vehicles you park.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- We respond within 1 business day.
What goes into building a new concrete driveway, from tear-out to pour day?
Concrete driveway building in Hacienda Heights is forming, pouring and finishing a flat concrete slab that carries your cars every day. It usually starts with tearing out the old driveway and digging out and packing the ground underneath.
Most people who call about a new driveway have one that's cracked, sunk or holding water, or bare dirt where a driveway should be. The price turns on the size, how thick the slab needs to be for what you park, how much steel goes in, and whether an old driveway has to be broken up and hauled off first. The schedule mostly waits on the permit answer for your address and a decent day to pour. The estimate puts your own numbers on paper before you commit to anything.
How do you know your driveway needs replacing?
Cracks that keep spreading
One hairline crack is normal. Cracks that widen, multiply or break off into chunks usually mean the base under the slab has given way. Water gets in through them every time it rains, so the pieces keep moving and patches stop holding.
Sunken or lifted sections
A section that has dropped below the garage floor or pushed up at a seam usually means the dirt underneath was never packed, or the ground is moving. That edge becomes a trip spot and a tire bump, and it gets worse as the gap grows.
Puddles that won't drain
Water that sits in low spots or runs back toward the garage means the slab was set without enough fall, the slight tilt that carries water away. Left alone, that water soaks the base, which speeds up the sinking and cracking above it.
Work that often goes with a driveway
Concrete patio construction
A backyard slab that's cracked or sinking usually has the same base trouble as the driveway, and a new patio gives you solid, level ground out back.
Stamped concrete services
When plain gray isn't what you want out front, a stamped pattern and color give the driveway the look of stone or brick on a poured slab.
How we handle concrete driveway building
What you park on it decides the slab, so I ask about trucks, trailers or an RV before I price anything. If an old driveway has to come out first, that goes in the estimate up front. Once you say go, our crew breaks out the old concrete. Then we dig out and pack the subgrade, the dirt and base the slab sits on, because a base that's only raked level settles with the dirt and takes the slab down with it. We set the forms so the slab falls away from your house, lay the steel and pour. Then we give it a broom finish, a light brushed texture that keeps tires and shoes from slipping when it's wet. When a budget gets tight, people want to cut the base first because nobody sees it on day one. I'll argue against that, because a nice surface on a bad base cracks just the same.
Driveway jobs often grow a little once we're out there. If the yard in back is in the same shape, we can pour a new concrete patio to match. If you want more than gray at the curb, stamped concrete puts pattern and color right into the driveway itself.
Standard slab for everyday cars
This suits most homes where cars and SUVs come and go, with steel sized for normal traffic. It's the plain, broom-finished driveway most people need, and it keeps the money in the base.
Heavier slab for trucks, trailers or an RV
This suits you if a work truck, a boat trailer or a motorhome sits on it. We build it heavier where the load sits, so it carries weight a car slab wasn't made for.
Get a written driveway estimate at your property
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set up a free estimate at your property, with no obligation. Calling (626) 413-5388 works too.
Call (626) 413-5388Why Hacienda Heights homeowners call Elite Hacienda Heights Concrete for driveways
Started on a crew myself
I spent years mixing, hauling and cleaning tools before anyone let me finish concrete, and I opened this business in Hacienda Heights in 2013. I still come out to every job, so the person pricing your driveway has done the work by hand.
Licensed and insured for curb work
We're licensed and fully insured. That counts at the street, because LA County Public Works asks for the contractor's license number and insurance on its permit for a driveway approach, sidewalk, curb or gutter.
Straight talk before we start
I'd rather lose a job by being straight with you than win it with a nice-sounding number, so you'll hear about the base, the steel and the tear-out before we start. Your satisfaction, guaranteed.
On a driveway, the part that holds up is the base nobody sees, so ask me to come look at yours before you settle on a price.
What happens after you call about a new driveway?
Call or send a message
Call (626) 413-5388 or send the form, and we'll get back to you to set a time for me to come out. We're open 6 AM to 11 PM on weekdays and 8 AM to 9 PM on weekends.
I measure and write it up
I measure, ask how the driveway gets used and look at what's in the way, like an old slab, roots or a slope. The estimate lays out the tear-out, thickness and steel line by line, so you can see where the money goes before you decide.
We pour, and I check it
Before anything gets poured, we sort out the permit question with the right office for your address. Then our crew does the forming, pouring and finishing, and I check the work before we call it done.
Common questions
How much does a concrete driveway cost in the Los Angeles area?
One Los Angeles cost guide says an un-reinforced concrete driveway in the Los Angeles area usually runs about $7 to $13 per square foot, not counting removal of an old driveway. The same guide says tearing out an existing driveway can raise the price per square foot. The slab thickness and steel your vehicles need move the price as well, and your own figure comes from the estimate.
How thick should my driveway be if I park a truck or RV?
If you park a truck or RV, you'll likely want a slab thicker than standard. One Los Angeles cost guide says a standard slab is typically enough for standard-weight vehicles. The same guide calls wire mesh common for everyday cars and says rebar may be the better choice for heavy vehicles. Rebar is steel bars set inside the slab to hold it together. We settle thickness and steel at the estimate.
Who issues permits for driveway work in unincorporated LA County?
The county's Public Works department issues permits for properties in unincorporated LA County. That includes grading permits for projects that move soil or create slopes. If your property falls under another office, the county's Service Locator lists the phone and email for the one that covers your address. When your driveway needs a permit, we handle it as part of the job.
How do I find out if swelling soil could damage my new driveway?
Check your home buyer's disclosures, ask the local building department, or have a soil engineer or geologist look at the lot. California soil guidance says swelling soil can make driveways and slabs lift, tilt or shift sideways. If you know about it before the pour, tell me, so the whole crew can plan the job around it.
What causes a new concrete driveway to crack?
Usually a base that settles, joints cut late or skipped, or a pour hurt by the weather. All concrete cracks some, and I'll tell you that up front. We cut control joints, shallow grooves that give the slab a straight line to crack along where it won't bother you. National guidance on hot-weather concreting says high heat, low humidity and wind affect fresh concrete and the work of placing it, so it's worth picking the pour day with the forecast in mind.
Do I need a licensed contractor for a concrete driveway in California?
Usually yes. The state's exemption for unlicensed small jobs tops out at $1,000, and it applies only when the work can't require a permit and the person employs no one on the project. The state also has its own concrete contractor class for flatwork, the flat pours like driveways, walks and patios. Ask anyone you're weighing which license they carry.
Get your new driveway priced right
Have the rough size, what you park on it and any soil notes from your home disclosures handy, then call (626) 413-5388, email office@concretehaciendaheights.com or send the form, so the first visit gets straight to what changes the price.