Concrete contractor in Fullerton, CA - driveways and patios for sloped and flat lots

Patios, retaining walls, pools and the foundations under new buildings and additions are all on the City of Fullerton's list of work that generally needs a permit, so plan on one for those. Driveways and walkways aren't named on that list, which leaves the question open, so the place to ask is Fullerton's Building Division. Before we set a date, we check with the city for your address, and when a permit is needed, we handle the application, build the review time into the schedule and tell you up front.

New projects in Fullerton fall under the current California building codes plus the city's own amendments, which it wrote for local terrain, climate and geology. An application filed before the current codes took effect can stay under the older codes it was submitted under, as long as the permit is issued before the application expires. For foundations, footings and retaining walls, the city's design criteria also place sites in seismic design category D, E or F, a rating for how the structure has to be designed for earthquakes, taken from the USGS maps for each site, and we pour to the plans drawn for it.

Yes, the city requires anyone doing business or a trade in Fullerton to get a business registration certificate before the work begins. The city also says construction contractors need a state license and may ask for proof of it before issuing the certificate, so it's fair to ask any contractor you're considering about both. We're fully licensed and insured.

The cost comes down to the size of the slab, how much old concrete has to be broken out and hauled away, how much base work the ground needs and the finish you pick. A plain broom finish, the light brushed texture that gives shoes and tires grip, costs less than stamped or colored concrete. Tight side yards where the truck can't reach can add a pump or extra labor, and you'll get your own number once I've seen the site.

You can't make concrete crack-proof, but you can keep cracks few, small and in the places you chose by getting the base, the steel and the joints right. Most cracked, sinking driveways we tear out were poured on dirt that was raked level instead of dug out and packed, so we dig down to firm subgrade, the ground the slab sits on, and pack a base over it before adding rebar, the steel that holds the slab together. We cut control joints, grooves that tell the concrete where to crack, soon after the pour, slope the slab away from the house and pour early on hot days, because concrete that sets in midday heat ends up with a weak, dusty top.

Plan on a few days before you walk on new concrete and longer before you drive on it, plus any time the city needs to issue a permit, and I'll give you the wait for your slab before we pour. When a permit is required, the city allows no construction until it's issued, and it issues the permit once it has approved the plans. Smaller projects that need no more than about 30 minutes of plan review, such as residential patio covers and freestanding block walls that don't hold back soil, can typically be checked over the counter, though the city can ask for a fuller review depending on the project.