Concrete Contractor in San Marino, CA - Driveways and Slabs Built on a Solid Base
Masterwork Glendale Concrete Company is a Glendale concrete contractor pouring driveways, patios, steps, retaining walls and foundations for San Marino homes, and we work out why an old slab cracked or sank before replacing it.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free quotes on site.
- We respond within 1 business day.
San Marino houses, lots and the concrete around them
San Marino is mostly houses on wide lots along quiet streets, and a lot of the concrete we're called about there went in when the house was young. We see long driveways running back to detached garages, front walks and steps that have shifted, and backyard patios sitting under big old trees, much like the yards we work on next door in South Pasadena and in Pasadena.
That changes how we plan a job here. A long driveway means working out how the truck and our crew get in without tearing up the lawn or the planting, and on a traditional house we think about how the finish and color will sit next to the brick and stone already there.
Concrete work we do on San Marino properties
Concrete driveway building
Long driveways on older San Marino lots often crack where roots or a thin base gave out, so we dig out, pack new base and pour fresh.
See the service Concrete driveway buildingConcrete patio construction
Backyard patios here usually sit near big trees and planting beds, so we check where the water runs and slope the slab away from the house.
See the service Concrete patio constructionStamped concrete services
Stamped concrete presses a stone or brick pattern into the surface, a good match for traditional houses when you want the look without setting individual pavers.
See the service Stamped concrete servicesConcrete sidewalk building
Front walks lifted by tree roots turn into trip hazards, so we take out the raised panels, deal with the roots we can and pour level sections.
See the service Concrete sidewalk buildingGarage floor concrete
Garage floors in older homes are often cracked or sloped wrong, so we break out the old slab and pour a new one that drains toward the door.
See the service Garage floor concreteDecorative concrete
Color, exposed stone and textured finishes let a driveway or courtyard match the house and garden, so it doesn't read as plain gray slab.
See the service Decorative concreteConcrete retaining walls
Where a yard steps down or a slope pushes on a driveway, a concrete retaining wall holds the soil back, and we plan the drainage behind it first.
See the service Concrete retaining wallsConcrete floor installation
New concrete floors for additions, workshops and pool houses start with a packed base and a vapor barrier, so moisture doesn't come up through finished flooring.
See the service Concrete floor installationConcrete pool decks
Pool decks here take splash water, chlorine and bare feet, so we slope them away from the pool and give them a textured surface that grips when wet.
See the service Concrete pool decksConcrete steps construction
Front steps on older houses settle, chip at the edges or pull away from the porch, so we rebuild them with rebar, steel that holds them together.
See the service Concrete steps constructionSlab foundation building
Additions, garages and guest houses on a slab need the subgrade, the soil the slab sits on, dug and packed right, because everything above depends on it.
See the service Slab foundation buildingFoundation installation
When a house addition or new structure goes up on a larger lot, we form and pour the foundation to the plans and line up the inspections it calls for.
See the service Foundation installationConcrete parking lot building
For churches, schools, offices and small businesses, we pour parking areas thick enough for daily traffic and graded so water doesn't pool at the entrance.
See the service Concrete parking lot buildingConcrete footings
Footings carry walls, pergolas and garden structures, so we dig them to the size and depth the plans call for and keep loose soil out of the hole.
See the service Concrete footingsFoundation raising
If a corner of the house or a slab has dropped, we find out why it settled, from water, soil or roots, before we lift it back.
See the service Foundation raisingConcrete cutting
We saw-cut openings, trenches for drain and utility lines, and clean edges where an old slab meets new concrete, so the rest of the driveway stays intact.
See the service Concrete cutting
Get a written estimate for your San Marino concrete job
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day to set a time. I come out myself, look at the site and give you a free written estimate, with no obligation.
- team@glendaleconcretecompany.com
- Based in
- Glendale, CA 91205
- Hours
- Mon–Sun: 6 AM–11 PM
Working in San Marino: permits, licenses and what sets the price
In San Marino, the Community Development Director serves as the city's Building Official, and the Planning and Building Department keeps the building code for anyone who wants to look at it. When a job needs a permit, we pull it and line up the inspections, and we don't pour until the city's side is in place, so that's part of what sets your start date. If we're not sure whether yours needs one, we ask the department before we start. There are two things you can check on any contractor here. Anyone building or altering a structure on a project that needs a building permit has to hold a license from the state contractors board, and every business working in the city needs a San Marino business license, renewed each year before the work starts, with the contractor's state license number on file. We're fully licensed and insured.
What moves the price here is mostly what you can't see from the street: how much old concrete comes out, how far the truck has to reach down the drive, how much base the ground needs and the finish you choose. The schedule turns on the permit, if there is one, and on curing, the wait while the new slab hardens before it can take weight. I put all of that in the written estimate so you can see what's included. As a concrete contractor in Glendale, CA, we do the same work in Sierra Madre and all through the cities around Glendale.
Why San Marino driveways and patios crack and sink
A lot of the old concrete here was poured on a base that was raked level instead of dug out and packed, so it has been settling with the dirt ever since. Add big trees whose roots push up under a driveway, and lawns and gardens watered for years that soften the subgrade, and you get the lifted panels, sunken corners and pooling water people call us about. We dig down to firm ground, cut back or work around roots where we safely can, and set the slope so water runs away from the house.
That's also why I'd spend your money on the base before the finish. Nobody sees the base on day one and it's the first thing people want to cut, but a nice surface on a weak base cracks the way the old one did.
How a San Marino concrete job runs with us
From your first call to the final walk-through, here's who you'll deal with and what you'll have in hand along the way.
Call or send a request
Call (747) 372-8605 or send the form, and we'll get back to you to set a time for me to come out. You don't need a plan yet, just tell us what's going on with the old concrete.
I look at the site
I come out myself, look at the slope, the base, the trees and where the water goes, and ask a lot of questions. You get a written estimate that spells out what's included, so you know the cost before anything gets broken out.
We permit, prep and pour
Once you say go, we take care of any permit and inspections, then our own crew breaks out the old slab, packs the base, pours and finishes, with me running the job. You don't have to be home on pour day as long as the truck can get in.
Walk the finished job together
When it's done, we walk it with you and point out the joints, the slope and how the water will run. I'll tell you when you can walk on it and when the car can go back on, so the slab cures without a load on it too early.
Questions about concrete work in San Marino
Does San Marino follow the California Building Code for concrete work?
Yes, the city has adopted the California Building Code as part of its own law, with some local amendments and deletions. That means the state code is the starting point and the city's changes sit on top of it, so on a permitted job we build to San Marino's version rather than the plain state code.
When do I need a licensed contractor for concrete work in San Marino?
Under state rules you need a licensed contractor when the project needs a building permit, when it uses employee labor or when the contracts on it add up to $1,000 or more. A job is only exempt if none of those apply, and a bigger project can't be split into small pieces to get under $1,000, which is why a crew with employees pouring your driveway needs a license.
How do I check a concrete contractor's license before hiring in San Marino?
Ask for the state license number, because every ad for work that needs a contractor's license has to show one. Questions about whether a business holds a San Marino business license go to the city's Business License Department at (626) 300-0700, and I'm glad to go over our license when I come out.
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in San Marino?
The price of a driveway here comes down to its size and thickness, how much old concrete has to be broken out and hauled off, how much base work the ground needs and the finish you pick. Long drives, tight access, roots and stamped or colored finishes push it up, while a plain broom finish, a light texture brushed in for grip, keeps it down. I'll put your number in writing after I see the site, with each part spelled out.
How do I keep a new driveway from cracking like the old one?
You give it a packed base, a way for water to leave and joints in the right places, because those are what failed under most of the cracked slabs we tear out. We slope the slab away from the house, add rebar where the job calls for it, skip the midday heat that leaves a weak, dusty top, and cut control joints, shallow grooves that give the concrete a straight line to crack along, on time. Concrete can still get fine cracks, but the joints decide where they go.
How long does it take before I can use my new driveway or patio again?
You can walk on a new slab well before you can drive on it, because concrete keeps gaining strength while it cures. How long you're without it also depends on breaking out the old concrete, the base work and any permit inspection, so I'll go over the days for your job when I come out to look at it.
Other service areas
Glendale, CA
Get your San Marino concrete job estimated
A look at the site before anything gets torn out tells us whether the old slab failed from the base, the roots or the water, and that changes what we'd pour.