Concrete Contractor in Pasadena, CA - Driveways and Slabs Built on Solid Ground
Masterwork Glendale Concrete Company is a concrete contractor building driveways, patios, walls, steps and foundations for Pasadena homes, and fixing slabs that have cracked or sunk, starting with what's going on underneath.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free quotes on site.
- We respond within 1 business day.
Pasadena homes, older lots and the concrete around them
Pasadena has a lot of older houses, plenty of them Craftsman bungalows and Spanish-style homes on tree-lined streets, and the city has designated whole neighborhoods as historic. On many of those lots a long driveway runs back to a detached garage, past a front walk and steps that have been there for decades, and somebody poured the backyard slab a long time ago. Toward the foothills and along the Arroyo Seco the ground slopes, and closer to the busier streets there are apartments and small businesses with parking to keep up. The houses in South Pasadena and Altadena run much the same, and so do the jobs.
That shapes the job before we pour anything. A long driveway or a sloped backyard can be a long way from where the truck parks, and an old slab beside a historic house has to come out without wrecking the brick edging, the plantings or the steps that are staying.
Concrete services for Pasadena homes and businesses
Concrete driveway building
Long driveways running back to a detached garage are common on older Pasadena lots, and we dig out the old slab and rebuild the base before we pour.
See the service Concrete driveway buildingConcrete patio construction
Pasadena backyards get a lot of outdoor use, so we build patios that slope rain away from the house and hold up to tables, grills and foot traffic.
See the service Concrete patio constructionStamped concrete services
When a plain gray slab would look wrong beside an older Craftsman or Spanish-style home, stamped concrete gives a stone or brick look that suits it.
See the service Stamped concrete servicesConcrete sidewalk building
Front walks and paths heave and split where tree roots and years of settling get under them, so we tear out the bad sections and pour level ones.
See the service Concrete sidewalk buildingGarage floor concrete
Detached garages behind older houses often have thin, cracked floors, and a new slab gives you a flat, sound surface for cars, storage or a workshop.
See the service Garage floor concreteDecorative concrete
Color, an exposed pebble finish or scored lines help new concrete sit comfortably beside the brick, stone and tile you see on so many Pasadena properties.
See the service Decorative concreteConcrete retaining walls
Sloped yards near the foothills and the Arroyo often need a wall to hold back ground, and we work out the footing and drainage behind it first.
See the service Concrete retaining wallsConcrete floor installation
For workshops, studios and converted outbuildings, we pour interior floors that come out flat and level, so whatever goes on top of them sits right.
See the service Concrete floor installationConcrete pool decks
Pool decks here take hard sun and constant splashing, so we give them a finish that's easy underfoot and a slope that carries water away from the pool.
See the service Concrete pool decksConcrete steps construction
Older porches and raised front doors often sit on crumbling concrete steps, and we rebuild them with even step heights so nobody trips on the odd one.
See the service Concrete steps constructionSlab foundation building
Additions, backyard units and new outbuildings start with a slab foundation, and we build the base and steel to carry the walls, not just the floor.
See the service Slab foundation buildingFoundation installation
When an older house needs new foundation sections or a structure needs a foundation from scratch, we dig, form and pour to the approved plans.
See the service Foundation installationConcrete parking lot building
Small business lots and apartment parking areas around Pasadena take daily traffic, so we build a heavier slab with good drainage that holds up under it.
See the service Concrete parking lot buildingConcrete footings
Walls, posts, garden structures and additions all need footings, the buried concrete that spreads the load, and we set them deep and wide enough for what they carry.
See the service Concrete footingsFoundation raising
Older houses that have settled show it in sticking doors and cracked plaster, and I like to find out why the house sank before we lift anything.
See the service Foundation raisingConcrete cutting
We cut clean openings in an old slab or driveway for a new walk, drain or utility line, which saves you tearing out the whole thing.
See the service Concrete cutting
Get a free on-site estimate for your Pasadena project
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day to set a time. I come out myself, look over 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 Pasadena: permits, licenses and what we check first
Building permits in Pasadena come from the city's Permit Center, and work that doesn't need a building permit can still need a zoning permit, a city check that the work fits its zoning rules. The permit has to be sorted out before we pour, so on a lot of jobs it sets the start date. Before you hire anyone, ask whether they hold a California contractor's license and a current City of Pasadena business license, because the city asks to see that business license from whoever pulls the permit.
When a job needs a permit, we pull it and line up the inspections, and if I'm not sure whether it does, I check with the city before we start. We're a concrete contractor in Glendale, CA, so Pasadena is a short drive for our crew, the same as Burbank is the other way, and on game and event days at the Rose Bowl we plan the pour around the traffic so a loaded truck isn't stuck in it. Your price mostly turns on what's under and around the slab and how much old concrete comes out, your schedule on the permit and the weather, and I'll put your own figure in a written estimate that spells out what's included.
Why Pasadena driveways and walks give out
A lot of the concrete around older Pasadena houses has simply outlived its base. We see driveways and walks where whole sections have dropped, cracks that wander wherever they like, and slabs lifted by the roots of big old trees, and when we break them out there's often no rebar, the steel bars that hold a slab together once it cracks, and only a thin layer of loose base underneath. We dig down to firm ground, pack a new base, set steel where the slab needs it and deal with a root before we pour over it, so the new slab isn't fighting the same thing the old one lost to.
Hot summer sun and the odd heavy rain do the rest. Water that runs toward the house or pools by the garage slowly washes out the ground at the slab's edges, so I check where your water goes before we set a single form, and on hot days we pour early, because concrete finished in midday heat can end up with a weak, dusty top.
How a Pasadena concrete job runs with us
Here's how it goes from your first call to the walk-through at the end, with me there from the estimate through the last check.
Call us or send the form
Call (747) 372-8605 or send the form and tell us what you're seeing, whether that's cracks, sinking or water pooling, or the new slab you have in mind. We'll set a time for me to come out.
I walk the site with you
I look at where the water runs, what the old slab sits on and what's around it, and I ask a lot of questions about how you use the space. You get it all in writing, line by line, so you can see exactly what you're paying for.
We prep, pour and finish
Once you say go, any permit comes first, and if the job needs plans, like a slab for an addition, the city reviews them before work starts, so that review sets the date. Then our crew digs out, packs the base, pours early in the day and finishes it, with me running the job.
Walk the finished job together
When it's done, we walk the job with you and I explain the curing, the days new concrete needs to gain strength before it takes weight, so you know when to walk on it and when to drive on it. Cars wait longer than feet, so plan on parking on the street for a while.
Questions about concrete work in Pasadena
How do I get a permit for a new concrete driveway in Pasadena?
In a residential zone, a new driveway or other paving needs a zoning permit, and the application and fees go in at the city's permit office during business hours. The city's permit page lists driveways and other paving among the work a zoning permit covers. When you hire us, filing it is part of our job.
Do I need a permit for a retaining wall in Pasadena?
Yes, the city lists lower retaining walls up to 4 feet high, measured from the footing, among the work that needs a zoning permit. A taller wall is a bigger engineering job, so I check with the city on what it needs before we design it. Either way, we work out the footing and the drainage behind the wall first, because that's what keeps a wall from leaning.
Does a concrete contractor in Pasadena need a state license?
Yes, for most jobs, because the state licensing board requires a license when a project needs a building permit, when employees do the labor or when labor and materials come to $1,000 or more. Pasadena's permit staff check the contractor's license with the board, and contractors also have to carry workers' compensation insurance. We're fully licensed and insured.
How much does a concrete driveway cost in Pasadena?
A Pasadena driveway's cost comes down to its size, how much old concrete comes out and how much base work the ground under it needs, so there's no one price until I've seen it. A long run back to a detached garage, a tight spot for the truck, a stamped or colored finish and the permit all push it up, while a broom finish, the lightly swept texture that gives tires and shoes grip, keeps it down. If the budget's tight, I'd rather you trim the finish than the base, because nobody sees the base on day one but it's the one part you can't fix later without tearing the driveway out.
How do I keep a new concrete patio in Pasadena from cracking?
You plan where it cracks and keep it from moving, with a packed base, good drainage and control joints, the straight grooves cut into the slab so it cracks along them instead of across the middle. Concrete shrinks as it dries, so some cracking is normal, and joints cut on time keep it in lines you chose instead of ones nobody picked.
Will unpermitted concrete work cause problems when I sell my Pasadena house?
It can, because when you sell, the city's Occupancy Inspection Program researches the property, inspects the site and reports any illegal construction it finds. An owner with illegal construction can be forced to tear it down, which on a wall or a slab foundation is an expensive way to find out.
Other service areas
Glendale, CA
Have me look at your Pasadena concrete
Cracks and sinking spots tend to grow with every rainy season, so the sooner I see them, the better the odds the fix is a section instead of the whole slab.