Concrete contractor in Newport Beach - driveways and patios on a solid base

Plan on checking, because the city's guidance says a building permit is needed for all new construction and only names walks, platforms and decks 30 inches or less above the ground among the work that doesn't need one. Other agencies may review work even where the city doesn't require a permit, so the Permit Center is the place to confirm your exact job. When it needs a permit and we're your contractor, we pull it and handle the city paperwork, and we'll tell you early if anything has to come from you, like an HOA approval.

Yes, the city says every business working in Newport Beach, including contractors based in other cities, has to file a Business License Tax application before starting work and pay the tax every year. That's separate from the contractor's license that comes from the state licensing board, so it's fair to ask any contractor about both. We're fully licensed and insured.

The city puts that on the property owner, who's responsible for making sure inspections happen at the right points during the work, though the contractor can make the call. Inspections usually need one or two days' notice and can be booked by calling (949) 644-3255 or online through the city's permits and inspections page. On jobs where we pulled the permit, we plan the pour around the city's review so nothing sits waiting.

Your real number comes from your written quote after I've seen the driveway, because two jobs the same size can price very differently here. A tight lot that needs a pump or wheelbarrow runs instead of a truck backing in adds labor, and so does old concrete over soft base that has to come out. Rebar, the steel grid that holds the slab together if it cracks, and a stamped or colored finish add to it too.

Longer than most people expect, because concrete keeps hardening for days after the pour and a car on it too soon can crack a slab that isn't ready. You can walk on it well before you can park on it, and I'll give you the days for your slab once I know the mix and the weather that week. Before the pour, the schedule usually turns on any permit review and inspection.

Some cracking is normal on any slab, because concrete shrinks as it dries and moves a little with the ground, so the goal is to control where it cracks. We cut control joints, the straight grooves you see across a sidewalk, early enough that the cracks land in them instead of wandering across the middle. Most of the ugly cracks I see on old slabs come from joints cut late or skipped, or the unpacked base I mentioned above.