Concrete Contractor in Monterey Park, CA - Driveways and Walks Built for Sloped Lots
K&R El Monte Concrete Company builds and replaces driveways, patios, walkways, steps and foundations in Monterey Park, CA. We're based nearby in El Monte, and I come out to look at the job myself.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- We reply within 1 business day.
Services in Monterey Park, CA
Concrete driveway building
Sloped driveways here crack and settle when the ground under them washes out. We dig out, pack the base and pour so water runs toward the street.
Concrete sidewalk building
Front walks on older lots here lift and crack where roots get under them. Our concrete sidewalk building replaces the bad panels on a packed base.
Concrete retaining walls
Hillside yards here need a wall holding the slope before anything flat goes in. We build concrete walls with drains behind them so water has a way out.
Concrete steps construction
Houses set above the street here mean front steps, and old ones chip and pull away from the porch. We rebuild them with even steps on a solid footing.
Concrete patio construction
Small backyards here get used hard, and an old patio that holds water by the back door is a common call. We pour new ones sloped away from the house.
Foundation installation
Room additions here need a foundation tied in to the old house. We start from any soils report or engineer's plans the job calls for, then dig and pour.
Monterey Park, CA properties and local conditions
A lot of lots in Monterey Park sit on a slope, so driveways climb from the street and backyards step up or down. On a slope, water decides how long concrete lasts. When it gets under a slab, it carries dirt out with it, and the slab sinks and cracks along the low side. Before we set any forms, I look at where water comes off the roof and runs down the yard, and we set the pitch so it heads to the street or a drain and away from the house.
Many of the houses here are older, and so is the concrete around them. Old driveways and walks were often poured on dirt that was raked flat, not dug out and packed, and that's why they've settled. We dig down to firm subgrade, the ground the slab actually sits on, then put in base rock and compact it before anything gets poured.
Working in Monterey Park: permits, licenses and what sets the price
In Monterey Park, building permits go through the city's One Stop Building Permit Center, which covers work to build, alter, repair or tear out a structure. The city's own examples of permitted work are other trades, so I don't guess whether a concrete job needs one. I ask about your job, and when it does, we pull the permit and line up the inspections. The permit comes before any digging, so it sets the start date. Before you hire anyone here, check two things. One is a California contractor's license. The other is a Monterey Park business license, which the city requires of contractors from other cities even for a short job, and since we're based in El Monte, that rule covers us too.
The price turns on how much old concrete comes out, how deep we dig to reach firm ground, how steep the lot is, how close the truck can get on narrow, hilly streets, and then the finish. The schedule turns on the permit, any soils report or engineer's plans the city wants, and curing, the days fresh concrete needs to harden before it takes weight. Your written estimate spells out what's in the price and what isn't. If the budget's tight, I'd keep the base and go plainer on the finish, because you can redo a surface later, but you can't fix the ground under a slab without tearing it out. We do the same work over in East Los Angeles and back home in El Monte.
Your Monterey Park concrete job, priced on site and in writing
Send the form or call (626) 416-2123, and we reply within one business day. I call back to set a time, come out to your place in Monterey Park, walk the job with you and give you a written estimate of what's included and what isn't. The estimate is free, and there's no obligation.
(626) 416-2123What happens after you call us about a Monterey Park job
Call or send the form
Tell me what you've got now and what you want it for. I call you back and we pick a time for me to come see it.
Walk the job together
I come out myself, look at the slab, the slope and where the water goes, and ask what you'll park or put on it. You get a written estimate that says what the price covers and what it doesn't, so there's no surprise line later.
Line up permit and reports
When the job needs a permit, we pull it, and if the city wants plans reviewed, that can't be issued over the counter, so it adds time before we start. Some city clearances and fees paid outside the city can also come first, and I tell you up front which ones apply.
Pour, cure, walk it again
Our crew, led by a crew lead, does the work with me on site. When it's done, we walk it with you again, and I tell you when you can walk on it and when you can drive on it.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to replace a concrete driveway in Monterey Park?
I give you a written price after I see the driveway, because the size, the slope and what's under the old slab move the number more than anything. Breaking out thick old concrete, digging deeper to reach firm ground and adding a decorative finish all raise it. A plain broom finish, the light brushed texture that gives tires and shoes grip, keeps it down.
Do I need a separate permit to level a sloped yard in Monterey Park before pouring a patio?
You might, because bigger grading jobs need their own Grading Permit from the city's Public Works Department, apart from any building permit. Whether yours crosses that line depends on how much dirt gets cut and filled. I work that out when I walk the yard, and if a soils report or engineer's plans come into it, I tell you at the start.
Does my concrete contractor need a state license in California?
Yes, if the job needs a building permit, uses hired workers or costs $1,000 or more in labor and materials, the contractor needs a license from the California Contractors State License Board. A bigger job can't be split into pieces under $1,000 to get around that. We're fully licensed and insured.
Can I get a permit for concrete work as the homeowner in Monterey Park?
Sometimes, because the city can issue a permit to a homeowner as an owner-builder under certain circumstances. Permits for some kinds of work only go to someone the state has licensed for that trade. The city's permit issuance page lists the license categories and the work each one covers.
What causes cracks in a concrete driveway, and will a new one crack too?
Most cracks come from the ground moving under the slab, usually because the base was never dug out and packed, or because water got underneath. New concrete still shrinks a little as it cures, so we cut control joints, straight grooves that give it a place to crack, and we cut them on time. Packed ground, steel inside the slab and joints in the right places keep any crack where we chose to put it.
How long does a concrete driveway replacement take in Monterey Park?
The pour itself is the short part, and most of the wait is the permit and any reports up front, then curing after. We pour in the cooler part of the day, because concrete that dries too fast in heat ends up with a weak, dusty top. I give you your own dates in the estimate once I've seen the job.
About Monterey Park, CA
Monterey Park is mostly homes, many on streets that climb and curve, with apartments and small shops along the bigger roads. A lot of those homes have been there a long time, and so have their driveways, front walks and back patios. Most calls come from homeowners whose slab has settled or cracked, with some from owners of small buildings who need a walkway or a few parking spaces redone. It's the same kind of work we do in Rosemead and South El Monte, just on steeper ground.
Older houses also mean old concrete to break out. Some of it's thicker than you'd expect, and some has no rebar, the steel that holds a slab together, and we won't know which until it's open. That changes the tear-out, and on a hillside lot, the ground and the water shape the job before the finish does.
Explore the services
El Monte, CA
Call us about your Monterey Park concrete
We pick up evenings and weekends, so call (626) 416-2123 or send the form and I'll come look before that old slab settles any further.