Concrete Contractor in South Whittier - Driveways and Patios Built on a Solid Base
Santa Fe Springs Concrete pours driveways, patios, walkways, steps and slabs for homes in South Whittier, CA. We dig out and pack the base, set the forms, pour and finish, then clean up before we leave.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free on-site estimates.
- Expect a reply within 1 business day.
South Whittier homes and the concrete around them
Most of our calls in South Whittier come from homeowners. It's mostly single-family houses on their own lots, so the work is a driveway out front, a patio out back, a walk down the side yard and the steps up to the front door. Now and then a small property owner calls us for a parking lot or a wall.
It's the same kind of work we do in Whittier and Norwalk. On many of these lots the driveway is the only way into the backyard, so a patio or pool deck job starts with how the crew and the concrete get past the house.
Concrete work we do on South Whittier properties
When a South Whittier driveway has sunk, split or pooled water toward the garage, we break it out, dig and pack the base, and pour a new one.
Many yards here have a small, tired slab off the back door, and we pour a larger patio sized for a table, a grill and room to move.
Homeowners here who want a front walk or patio to look like stone or brick get it in one pour, with no pavers to shift or weed.
Side-yard walks and front paths that have heaved into trip edges are common here. We replace them on a packed base with joints cut to control cracking.
Older garage floors here are often cracked, stained or sunk at the door. We pour a new floor that sheds water out the door.
Color, exposed stone or a scored pattern can dress up a plain driveway or patio here without changing how the slab is built underneath.
Where a backyard steps up or a side yard slopes toward the house, a concrete retaining wall holds the soil back and gives you flat, usable ground.
A workshop, storage shed or studio on a South Whittier lot that needs a new slab gets a level floor, ready for tile or coating.
Older pool decks around here crack and lift at the edge. We pour a new deck brushed with a broom so the surface grips wet feet.
Front steps that have pulled away from the porch or chipped are a common call here. We pour new ones with every step the same height.
When you're adding a back room or small unit on a South Whittier lot, we pour the slab foundation flat and square so the walls go up straight.
For a new garage or addition here, we dig and pour the foundation your plans call for, with steel rebar set inside to hold it together.
Small property owners around here call us for parking lots and loading areas that have broken up under daily traffic. We pour them thicker where the trucks run.
Patio covers, block walls and posts on South Whittier lots need footings dug deep enough to carry the weight, so nothing leans or sinks later.
If a corner of your house or a slab has dropped and doors stick or cracks run up the wall, we look at why before lifting it back.
On South Whittier properties we saw-cut trenches for drain lines and clean edges where one driveway section comes out, so the rest stays whole.
Get a free written estimate for your South Whittier slab
We get back to you within one business day to set a time, and I come out myself to look at the job. The estimate is free, it's in writing, and there's no obligation.
(562) 689-9662- Based in
- Santa Fe Springs, CA 90670
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 6 AM–10 PM, Sat–Sun: 8 AM–10 PM
Working in South Whittier: permits, licenses and price
South Whittier doesn't have a city hall, because it's unincorporated land run by the County of Los Angeles, so building permits go through the county's Public Works South Whittier District Office in Norwalk. Before we schedule anything, we look up what the county requires for your address, and when a permit is needed we handle the paperwork with you and settle up front who calls for each inspection, so your pour date follows the county's review instead of a guess. Ask any contractor for their state license from the Contractors State License Board, which licenses and regulates construction work in California, and know that the county also requires its own business license for some kinds of work when the business is located on unincorporated land. We're licensed and insured.
We're a concrete contractor in Santa Fe Springs, CA, a short drive from South Whittier, and we do the same driveway and patio work in Pico Rivera and the other cities around us. The price here moves with the size of the slab, how much old concrete we break out and haul off, how much the base needs and the finish you pick, and your written estimate lists each one.
Why concrete here sinks, cracks and holds water
Most of the concrete we break out in South Whittier failed from underneath. The old base was raked flat instead of dug out and packed, so the dirt settled and the slab sank and cracked with it, which is why we dig down to firm subgrade, the soil the slab sits on, pack a base over it and set rebar before we pour.
Water is the other problem. A slab that tips toward the house sends rain at your foundation, and a low spot keeps the ground under it soft, so we check where the water runs before we set a form.
How a concrete job runs when you call us in South Whittier
From the first call to the final walk-through, here's who you'll deal with and when it helps to be home.
Call or send us a message
Call (562) 689-9662 or use the form, and tell us what's going on with your driveway, patio or slab. We set a time for my visit, and it helps if you're home so we can walk it together.
I come out and measure
I come out myself, measure, check what the old slab sits on and where the water runs, and listen to what you want. You get a written estimate that spells out what's included and what isn't, so you can compare it line by line.
We pour with me on site
Once the permit question for your address is settled, we put your pour on the calendar. Our crew does the work with me on site, and you don't need to be home for it.
We walk the finished job
When it's done, I walk the finished job with you and tell you when it's ready for feet and when it's ready for a car. We haul off the old concrete and clean up before we leave.
Questions about concrete work in South Whittier
How do I find out if my concrete project in South Whittier needs a permit?
Ask LA County Public Works, because the county, not a city, decides which work needs a permit in South Whittier. The county's permits page points you to its Service Locator, which shows the Building and Safety office for your address with a phone number and email, and that office can tell you what your project requires. Even work the county exempts from a building permit can still need a separate plumbing, electrical or mechanical permit, which is why we check before we schedule.
Does a small concrete repair in South Whittier need a licensed contractor?
Yes, unless it's minor work under $1,000 that needs no permit and the person doing it employs no one on the job. The state raised that limit from $500 to $1,000, so you may still hear the old number, but the other two conditions haven't gone away. If a crew is breaking out and pouring your slab, the contractor running it needs a state license.
How much can a contractor ask for up front on a concrete job in California?
A California contractor can't ask for or take a down payment of more than $1,000 or 10 percent of the contract price, whichever is less. The state licensing board says that rule covers all home improvement projects, and any other payments have to be listed in the contract and tied to work finished or materials delivered.
What affects the cost of a new concrete driveway in South Whittier?
The size and thickness of the driveway, how much old concrete comes out and how much the base needs set the price more than anything else. Stamping or color costs more than a plain broom finish, and steel and a long carry from the truck add to it. If the budget is tight, I'd cut the finish before I'd cut the base, because the base is what keeps the slab from sinking and you can't fix it later without tearing the slab out.
How do I keep a new concrete patio from cracking like my old one?
You build it on a packed base and cut control joints on time, because those two things decide where it cracks and how much. We pour early enough in the day that the top doesn't dry out before it's finished, and we cut the joints, shallow grooves that give the concrete a straight line to crack along, while the slab is still fresh. Concrete shrinks as it dries, so I won't tell you it'll never crack, but the cracks should land in the joints instead of across the middle.
How long does a new concrete driveway take before I can drive on it?
Longer than most people expect, because concrete keeps curing, slowly gaining strength, for days after the pour, and a car on it too early can crack it. You can usually walk on it after a few days, and at the walk-through I'll tell you when your slab is ready for a car, so plan where you'll park until then.
Santa Fe Springs, CA
Get your South Whittier concrete job started
Call (562) 689-9662 or send the form, and you'll know what's wrong with your old slab and what it takes to fix it before any concrete is ordered.