Concrete Contractor in East Los Angeles - Driveways and Patios on Packed Ground
Custom Duarte Concrete is a concrete contractor based in Duarte that pours driveways, patios, walks and front steps in East Los Angeles, with the ground under the slab dug out and packed before any concrete goes in.
- Service area
- East Los Angeles, CA
- Call
- (626) 416-2143
Older homes on small lots in East Los Angeles
East Los Angeles isn't a city of its own. It's one of Los Angeles County's unincorporated areas, so the county sets the rules and county departments handle permits here. We come over from Duarte the same way we cover El Monte and cities as far out as Pomona.
Most of the homes we work on here are older houses on small lots. They usually have a narrow driveway running beside the house to a garage in back, a front walk with steps up from the sidewalk, and a patio squeezed into the yard. A lot of the concrete we break out was poured over dirt that was raked flat and never packed, which is why it sank and cracked. The price of a job here moves with how much old slab comes out, how much base work the ground needs and the size of the pour, and the schedule moves with what the county needs before we start. The part you won't see when we're done, the packed ground under the slab, is the part I watch closest.
Our services in East Los Angeles, CA
Many driveways here are narrow strips beside the house, cracked and sunk where the base was never packed. We break out the old slab, dig out and pack the ground underneath, then pour.
Small backyards here get used hard, and a patio that tips toward the house sends water back at the wall. We check where the water runs before we form, so yours drains away.
Front walks on older lots heave from roots and settle into trip edges. We repack the base and pour a new walk with control joints, cut lines that give cracks a place to go.
Plenty of houses here sit above the sidewalk, and their front steps crumble at the edges first. We form and pour new steps with even rises, so nobody misjudges one coming down.
Lots that sit above or below the street often lean on an old wall that's tilting or cracking. Our concrete retaining walls start on dug footings with drainage behind, so water doesn't push them over.
Garages at the back of the lot often have old floors, cracked, sunken and patched twice. We break it out, rebuild the base and pour a new slab with rebar, steel that holds cracks tight.
Every service we offer
Concrete driveway building
Concrete patio construction
Stamped concrete services
Concrete sidewalk building
Garage floor concrete
Decorative concrete
Concrete retaining walls
Concrete floor installation
Concrete pool decks
Concrete steps construction
Slab foundation building
Foundation installation
Concrete parking lot building
Concrete footings
Foundation raising
Concrete cutting
What to expect when you hire us in East Los Angeles
Call or send us a message
I still answer the phone myself, which surprises people more than it should. Tell me what you're seeing, whether it's cracks, sinking or water pooling by the house, and we'll set a time for me to come look.
I look at the job myself
I measure, check where the water runs and poke at what the old slab sits on, and I ask a lot of questions, so it helps if you're home. Then I write up the estimate with the price for your job.
We check what the county needs
Before anything goes on the calendar, we confirm your address falls under the county and find out what the job needs from that office, then tell you who's handling each piece. The start date waits on that answer, so this is usually where the schedule gets set.
We prep, pour and walk it
Our crew digs out and packs the base, sets the forms, pours and finishes, and I'm on site checking the work. When it's done, I walk the finished slab with you and tell you how long it needs to cure, the wait before it's strong enough for feet and then for a car.
East Los Angeles concrete questions
Who issues permits for concrete work in East Los Angeles?
LA County Public Works issues them, through its East Los Angeles Building and Safety Office, since the county handles permits here instead of a city. Its permit list doesn't spell out driveways or walks, so we ask the office what your job needs before we schedule. Even work that turns out to need no permit still has to follow the building code.
Do I need a permit for a concrete patio or retaining wall in East Los Angeles?
Plan on one, because the county lists patios and retaining walls as building permit items, along with grading work. When you apply, the local office tells you whether the job needs a plan check, a review of the drawings, and what it takes to get it approved.
How long does a county building permit stay active in East Los Angeles?
A permit stays active only while the inspections keep coming. The first inspection has to be requested within 12 months of getting the permit, and after that, inspections need to be scheduled every 6 months to keep it active. That's one more reason not to let a half-finished job sit.
How do I know if my concrete contractor needs a California license?
The Contractors State License Board says a contractor needs a state license when the project needs a building permit, uses any extra workers, or comes to $1,000 or more in labor and materials. The license has to be in place before the contractor bids, so ask for it at the estimate, not after you've signed. We're fully licensed and insured.
How much does it cost to replace a concrete driveway in East Los Angeles?
Your figure comes from the estimate after I've seen the driveway, and most of it rides on removing the old slab and building the base right. On a narrow side driveway the concrete may have to be wheeled in instead of poured straight off the truck, which takes more hands. If the budget's tight, I'd pick a plain broom finish, the light texture that keeps it from getting slick, over stamped work before I'd skimp on the base, because a fancy top on loose dirt cracks just like a plain one.
What causes concrete driveways in East Los Angeles to crack and sink?
Most of the time it's the ground under the slab, because concrete poured on loose, raked dirt settles as that dirt does. We dig down to firm soil, pack the base and make sure water runs away from the house instead of soaking in at the edge. Concrete still cracks some as it dries and ages, so we cut control joints, grooves that give those cracks a straight line to follow, and I'd rather tell you that now than have it surprise you later.
Get a free on-site concrete estimate in East Los Angeles
We reply within one business day, and then I come out to East Los Angeles to see the job and write your estimate myself. It's free and obligation-free, so you can read it over and decide without anyone leaning on you.
- Call
- (626) 416-2143
- Location
- Duarte, CA 91010
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 6 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 7 AM–11 PM
Have your East Los Angeles slab looked at
Every job we pour is backed by our satisfaction guarantee, so call (626) 416-2143 or send the form.