Concrete Contractor in Irvine, CA - New Driveways and Patios That Match the Block

The City of Irvine decides that, and its Community Development Department issues permits for most construction and repair work the code regulates, so call (949) 724-6313 to ask about your driveway. Even work on the city's list of exceptions still has to meet every technical code and the city, county and state rules that apply. When your job needs a permit and we're the contractor, we pull it, handle the city paperwork and plan the schedule around the review.

Retaining walls up to 4 feet tall are on the city's exemption list, measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall, unless the wall holds up a surcharge, which is extra weight on the ground behind it like a driveway, a slope or a building. Because that measurement starts below ground, a wall that looks about three feet tall in your yard can be over the line. An exempt wall still has to meet the codes, so it gets the same footing and drainage from us as one that's permitted.

Yes, whenever the job needs a building permit, uses employees or totals $1,000 or more in labor and materials, under the rules of California's Contractors State License Board. On a home improvement job, the state also caps the down payment a contractor can ask for or take at $1,000 or 10 percent of the contract price, whichever is less. The City of Irvine separately requires every business working in the city to hold a city business license before it starts, and we're fully licensed and insured.

The cost of a new driveway in Irvine comes down mostly to its size, how much old concrete we break out and haul away, and how much digging and packing the base needs. A plain broom finish, the light brushed texture that keeps it from getting slick when wet, costs less than stamping or color, and a narrow side yard where equipment can't fit adds hand labor. You'll get a written quote after I look at your driveway, so you can see exactly what the number covers.

You'll be off it through the tear-out, the base work and the cure, and the cure is usually the longest part because the slab needs that time to get strong enough for a car. You can walk on it well before you can drive on it, and I'll tell you the day it's ready for your car instead of leaving you to guess. If your HOA or your street limits parking, it's worth sorting out where the cars go before we start.

Most cracks come from a base that was raked flat instead of dug out and packed, water running under the slab, or control joints that were cut late or skipped, and those are the cut lines that give a slab a planned place to crack. Concrete moves and cracks some no matter who pours it, so the goal is to keep cracks small and inside those lines. We pack the base, add rebar where the slab calls for it so the steel holds the pieces together if a crack opens, and cut the joints on time.