Concrete you can park, walk and build on in Laguna Niguel, CA

It depends on the size of the driveway, how much old concrete has to come out and how much work the ground under it needs, so your number comes from a written quote after I measure. A plain broom finish costs less than stamping or color, and tight access can add labor.

Usually it's the base, the packed ground under the slab, that one bid includes and another skips. It's hidden on day one, so it's the first thing cut to save money, and it's the one thing I won't trade for a fancier surface, because a nice top on loose dirt settles and cracks along with it. Ask each contractor to put tear-out, hauling and base work in writing so you're comparing the same job.

Usually about a week, though you can walk on it after a day or two while it keeps curing. Heat and the mix change that, so I'll tell you your days at the pour. If the job needs a city permit, the city says plan check takes 10 business days on a first submittal, and we build that into the schedule.

Yes, in most cases. The state licensing board requires one when the project needs a building permit, uses any additional workers or totals $1,000 or more in labor and materials, though the board lists some exemptions. We're fully licensed and insured.

I come out, look at the job, measure and talk through what you want, then write the quote myself. If you go ahead, we set a date, pull any permit the job needs and tell you early if something has to come from you, like an HOA approval. On the day, a lead hand runs our crew and I'm there for the pour.

Yes, our work is satisfaction guaranteed. What I won't tell you is that a slab will never crack, because concrete moves and cracks some no matter who pours it. I'd rather you know that going in, so you can judge the work fairly and know what's normal.

Some cracking is normal, but a packed base and control joints, shallow cuts that give the slab a line to crack along, make random cracks like the old ones much less likely. We dig out and pack the subgrade, the ground the slab sits on, instead of raking dirt level, and we cut the joints on time instead of late. Orange County runs hot and dry for long stretches with Santa Ana winds, so we pour in the cooler hours, because a midday pour can leave a weak, dusty top.

It depends on the job, so ask the city's Building & Safety Division or let us check yours. The division issues permits for new construction, additions, alterations and remodels, so a foundation for an addition goes through that office, and the city lists walls under 42 inches tall among work exempt from a permit. When your job needs one and we're the contractor, we pull it and handle the city paperwork ourselves.