Concrete Contractor in Alhambra, CA - Driveways and Slabs Built on Solid Ground
Masterwork Glendale Concrete Company is a concrete contractor in Glendale, CA. We pour driveways, patios, walks, walls and footings in Alhambra, and we start with the ground underneath so the new slab has something solid to sit on.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free quotes on site.
- We respond within 1 business day.
Alhambra homes and the concrete around them
Calls from Alhambra are usually about the concrete around a house rather than under it. It's a driveway that's broken into pieces, a front walk that's lifted at the seams, or a back patio that holds water every time the hose runs. The city sits in the San Gabriel Valley, with blocks of older single-family houses mixed in with apartment buildings and busy commercial streets. A lot of those houses have a narrow driveway running back to a detached garage. It feels a lot like South Pasadena and San Marino next door, and we see the same kinds of jobs there.
Older lots shape how we plan the work. A driveway poured decades ago often sits on whatever dirt was there, and getting the old concrete out and fresh concrete in down the side of a house takes some thought. We work out access, tear-out and the base before we ever set a pour date.
Concrete services we do for Alhambra homes
Concrete driveway building
When an old driveway has cracked into slabs and dropped in spots, we dig out the soft base underneath and pour a new one on packed ground.
See the service Concrete driveway buildingConcrete patio construction
A backyard patio should slope away from the house so water drains off instead of collecting by the back door, and on a smaller lot we plan it around the space you have.
See the service Concrete patio constructionStamped concrete services
Stamped concrete gives a front walk or patio the look of stone or brick, which is a good fit when you want the slab to sit right with an older house.
See the service Stamped concrete servicesConcrete sidewalk building
When the walk from the street to your door has lifted into a trip hazard, we pull it out, rebuild the base and pour it flat again.
See the service Concrete sidewalk buildingGarage floor concrete
Detached garages on older lots often have thin, cracked floors. We take those out and pour a new slab that's ready for a car or a workshop.
See the service Garage floor concreteDecorative concrete
Color, exposed stone and scored patterns let a plain slab match the house, whether that's an older bungalow or a newer stucco home.
See the service Decorative concreteConcrete retaining walls
Where a yard steps down to a neighbor's or a driveway cuts into a grade, a wall with drainage behind it holds the soil back without getting pushed over.
See the service Concrete retaining wallsConcrete floor installation
For an addition, a converted garage or a shop, we pour the interior slab flat and level so the flooring that goes over it lies right.
See the service Concrete floor installationConcrete pool decks
A pool deck has to shed water away from the pool and the house and stay safe underfoot, so we settle the slope and the finish before we pour.
See the service Concrete pool decksConcrete steps construction
Front steps on older houses tend to settle and pull away from the porch. We rebuild them with even risers so nobody catches a toe.
See the service Concrete steps constructionSlab foundation building
For a new garage, an addition or a back house, we pack the base and place rebar, the steel that holds the slab together, so it carries the load.
See the service Slab foundation buildingFoundation installation
When part of an older house needs new foundation, or an addition needs its own, we work out what the ground can carry before we form anything.
See the service Foundation installationConcrete parking lot building
Small apartment buildings and shops here need lots that drain well and take daily car traffic, so we build the base for cars, not just foot traffic.
See the service Concrete parking lot buildingConcrete footings
Fences, walls, posts and additions all stand on footings, and we size and pour them so whatever goes on top doesn't lean or settle.
See the service Concrete footingsFoundation raising
If a floor slopes or doors stick because part of the house has settled, we find out why it sank before we raise it back to level.
See the service Foundation raisingConcrete cutting
We saw-cut clean lines when you're widening a driveway, adding a drain or taking out one damaged section, so the rest of the slab stays put.
See the service Concrete cutting
Get a free concrete estimate for your Alhambra property
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day to set a time. I'll come out, look at the site and give you a free written estimate, with no obligation to go ahead.
- team@glendaleconcretecompany.com
- Based in
- Glendale, CA 91205
- Hours
- Mon–Sun: 6 AM–11 PM
Working in Alhambra: permits, licenses and your price
The city's Building Division issues building permits for most construction on private property. Its list of examples names things like additions, roofing, stucco and pools, not driveways or patios, so whether your slab needs a permit is the division's call, and you can reach them at 626-570-5007. When a job needs a permit, we pull it and line up the inspections. If we're not sure, we check with the division before we start, and a permitted job takes longer to get going than one without. Before you hire anyone, ask for their state contractor license number and whether they hold an Alhambra business license, since the city requires one from every contractor working here. We're fully licensed and insured.
The price on an Alhambra job moves with the size and thickness of the slab, how much old concrete we break out and haul away, how deep we dig to reach firm ground, how tight the access is and the finish you pick. A plain broom finish, a light brushed texture that keeps the surface from getting slick, costs less than stamped or colored work. The schedule turns on the permit, if there is one, and on curing, the days new concrete needs to gain strength before you put weight on it. Your written estimate spells out what's included. The ground changes from one city to the next, and a sloped lot up in La Crescenta-Montrose asks different things of a slab than a flat lot here, so I look at every site on its own terms.
Why Alhambra driveways and patios wear out
A lot of the concrete we replace here was poured a long time ago on a base that was raked level instead of dug out and packed. The dirt underneath settled over the years, and the slab cracked and dropped right along with it. Big street trees and backyard trees make it worse, because their roots lift walk and driveway edges as they grow. We dig down to firm subgrade, the ground the slab actually sits on, pack a real base on top and place rebar where the slab needs it. If a tree is part of the problem, we check whether it's protected under the city's tree rules before anyone cuts a root.
Water is the other big one. When we see pooling by the garage or a patio that drains toward the back door, the old slab was usually poured without anyone checking where the water would go. We set the slope so the water runs away from the house and out toward the yard or the street.
How a concrete job runs when you call us from Alhambra
Here's what happens from your first call to the day we walk the finished job together, so you know who's showing up and when.
Call or send the form
Call (747) 372-8605 or send the form and tell us what's going on, like cracks, sinking or water pooling. We'll set a time for me to come see it.
I walk the site
I come out myself, look at the old concrete, the ground under it and where the water runs, and ask a lot of questions. You get a written estimate that spells out what's included, so you can see exactly what you're paying for.
We handle permits and prep
If the job needs a permit, we pull it. Where plans need checking, the city's own overview gives a review time of about two to four weeks, though that sheet isn't dated, so we confirm when we apply. Then our crew breaks out the old slab, digs to firm ground and packs the base.
We pour, finish and walk it
We pour, finish and cut control joints, the grooves that give the slab a straight line to crack along, then let it cure. When it's done, I walk the job with you and go over when you can walk and drive on it.
Questions about concrete work in Alhambra
Who is allowed to pull a building permit for concrete work in Alhambra?
In Alhambra, only properly licensed people, or people the state exempts, can pull a permit for work the building code regulates. If you pull it yourself as an owner-builder, you become the responsible party on the permit, and the city's owner-builder form says a licensed contractor holding the permit may protect you from financial risk. On our jobs, we pull the permit.
Can an unlicensed handyman pour a small concrete slab in Alhambra?
Only if the job is under $1,000, needs no permit and the person doing it hires no one to help, according to the state contractor licensing board. If the job needs a permit or the person brings on workers, the state requires a license even when the job costs less than $1,000. That limit used to be $500, so older advice you find online may be out of date.
How much does a concrete driveway cost in Alhambra?
It comes down to the things I covered above, mostly the size of the slab, the tear-out, the base work and the finish, so your written estimate is where you'll see your own number. If the budget's tight, I'd rather you go with a plain broom finish than cut corners on the base. Nobody sees the base on day one, but it decides whether the slab cracks and sinks a few years later.
What causes a new concrete driveway to crack?
Most new driveways crack because the base was raked flat instead of dug out and packed, the control joints were cut late or skipped, or the pour went down in midday heat and the top dried too fast. All concrete cracks some, so the goal is to keep the cracks small and inside the joints. We pour early, cut joints on time, give the slab time to cure and figure out why the old one failed before we pour the new one.
How do I make sure the subcontractors on my job are licensed in Alhambra?
The city checks for you, because the general contractor has to file a Contractor's Report with the Finance Department showing that each subcontractor holds a valid Alhambra business license for the job. That check takes about two weeks, and the building permit can't be finalized until it's done. Our own crew does the work with me running it, and filing that report is our job, not yours.
Do I need workers' comp if I pull my own permit in Alhambra?
Yes, in most cases, because Alhambra requires an owner who pulls a construction permit to provide workers' compensation for relatives and anyone else working on the project, even unpaid helpers. The exceptions are an owner who lives on the property and immediate family members who live there too. When we pull the permit and do the work, you aren't the owner-builder, so that requirement doesn't fall on you.
Other service areas
Glendale, CA
Get your Alhambra concrete job on the calendar
Call (747) 372-8605 or send the form early, because a job that needs a permit has a review to get through before we can pour.