Concrete cutting in San Fernando CA - clean, straight cuts with the dust kept down
Need a slab or wall opened up, or a section of driveway taken out? We cut it straight and wet, with cleanup planned first.
What does concrete cutting in San Fernando involve?
Concrete cutting in San Fernando means sawing straight lines through a slab or wall, or drilling round holes for pipes, drains and conduit, so you can take out a damaged section, open up a wall or run a new line without breaking up more concrete than you need to.
Most cutting calls I get come from someone planning what's next, like a cracked section coming out before a new concrete driveway, a trench for a drain line, or an old slab cut out to make room for patio construction. The price moves with whether it's a floor or a wall, how thick the concrete is and how much steel is inside it, how many feet we're cutting, and whether the pieces need breaking up and hauling away, so I sort all of that out before I quote. The schedule usually turns on whether the slab needs a scan first and whether the work touches anything the city permits, and your written estimate lays out the prep, the cutting and the cleanup for your job. California's licensing board counts concrete sawing and coring as licensed contractor work, and San Fernando Concrete is licensed and insured.
When does a slab or wall need cutting?
Most people don't think about cutting until a plan runs into concrete. These are the situations I hear about most, and each one usually means a saw or a core drill is the cleanest way through.
A cracked or sunken section of driveway needs replacing, and you'd rather not tear out the whole slab.
A new drain, pipe or conduit has to pass through a floor or wall, which usually means a core hole.
Your plumber or electrician needs a trench across a garage or patio slab to run a new line.
A concrete wall sits right where you want a new doorway or opening.
Water pools against the house because one section slopes the wrong way and needs cutting out and repouring.
A lifted edge where two slabs meet keeps catching toes, and that piece usually needs to come out.
Call before the other trades show up, so the cut gets planned around their work instead of squeezed in at the last minute.
What happens when you call us about concrete cutting?
A cutting job runs the same way every time, and I'm part of it from the first look to the last walk-through. Here's how it goes.
Call or send a message
Call (818) 806-6170 or use the form, and tell us what's being cut and what's coming after it. That tells me what to look for when I come out.
I measure and talk it through
I come out myself to measure, check whether the cut sits in a floor or a wall, and hear what you have in mind for the space afterward. If the pieces need to come out, we settle that now, because it changes the whole job.
Get your written estimate
You get a written estimate that spells out the prep, the cutting, removal if the pieces are coming out, and the cleanup, so the saw isn't the only line on it. When you're ready, we set a date and take care of any permit the job calls for.
Cut, clean up and walk it
Our crew does the cutting with me on site, running water to the blade and handling the slurry the way we agreed beforehand. Then we walk the finished job together before we pack up.
Get a written quote for your concrete cut
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set a time for me to come out. The on-site estimate is free, and there's no obligation to book anything.
- Call
- (818) 806-6170
- Hours
- Mon–Sun: 8 AM–9 PM
Saws, drills and the cuts they make
Which tool we bring depends on the surface. A flat saw rolls across floors, driveways and patios for straight cuts, while a wall saw runs on a track for vertical or steep surfaces, so the first thing I sort out is whether your cut sits in a floor or a wall. Round holes for a drain, pipe or conduit are a different job, done with a core drill.
For tight corners and smaller openings, a hand saw gets in where the big machines can't, and a wire saw handles thick or heavily reinforced sections. Rebar, the steel bars inside a slab that hold it together once it cracks, is what makes a blade work hardest, so a thick driveway full of steel cuts slower than a thin, plain walkway.
We also cut control joints, the shallow grooves sawn into fresh concrete that give it a planned place to crack, and if they're cut late, the slab picks its own spots. When a section comes out, I look at the dirt underneath before anything new goes back, because a soft or washed-out base is usually why that piece failed. Back when I was a helper, the finishers drilled that into me, and I'd still rather spend your money on the ground than on a fancy finish.
Concrete cutting questions we hear in San Fernando
How much does concrete cutting cost per foot?
Saw cutting an accessible 4 to 6 inch slab usually runs about $4 to $10 per linear foot across the US, and that covers the sawing, not removal. Thicker or reinforced slabs and wall cuts cost more per foot, and on a small job a minimum or trip charge can outweigh the per-foot rate. Your own number comes in the written estimate after I've seen the job.
Does concrete cutting include removing the concrete?
Not always, because sawing and removal are separate jobs, and some cutters just cut the lines and leave the panels where they sit. Breaking the slab up, loading a truck and paying disposal fees can add more than the sawing itself. That's why I figure out up front whether the pieces are coming out, so the quote covers the whole job and not just the saw.
Which San Fernando offices handle permits and inspections?
The city's Building and Safety Division reviews construction plans against city building, health and safety codes and inspects permitted projects. The city also issues Construction Permits for work in the public right-of-way, and that list names sidewalk, curb, street and driveway approach work but not concrete cutting, so ask the city whether your job needs one. Every San Fernando construction permit requires liability insurance naming the city as additionally insured, and if your job needs a permit, it's part of what we handle.
Who handles the slurry and dust when concrete is cut?
We settle it with you before the blade touches anything, because one industry specification puts slurry disposal on the owner and expects collection to be agreed ahead of time. California stormwater guidance keeps saw-cut slurry out of storm drains and waterways and off the pavement, so we plan where it goes and clean up the residue. We cut wet for the dust, since cutting concrete throws off fine silica dust that can cause silicosis and lung cancer, and water at the blade is the control the federal construction silica rule spells out for handheld saws.
How do I avoid hitting pipes or rebar when cutting concrete?
Have the slab checked and the utilities shut off and marked before anyone cuts. On a structural or post-tensioned slab or wall, the kind with tightened steel cables running inside it, a scan may be needed to find rebar, those cables, conduit and pipes, so leave time for it before the saw starts. One industry specification also has the owner or hiring contractor shut off utility lines in the building and call to locate buried lines, as state or local rules may require, and I'll walk through that with you at the visit.
What is the best way to cut concrete inside a house?
Use an electric, hydraulic or air-powered saw, or a gas saw only with proper ventilation, because one industry specification calls for ventilation that meets OSHA standards whenever a combustion saw cuts an interior wall or slab. We cut wet indoors too and plan where the water and slurry go before we start, so it doesn't end up across the room.
Concrete work that often follows a cut
Concrete driveway building
Once a cracked or sunken section is cut out, we can pour new driveway concrete on a dug-out, packed base so it doesn't settle like the old one.
Concrete patio construction
Cutting a patio back for a planter bed or new shape is often step one, and then we pour the new section sloped away from your house.
Get your concrete cut planned right
Call (818) 806-6170 or use the form with where the cut is, floor or wall, a rough length in feet and whether the pieces come out, and I'll show up ready to price the whole job.
Mon–Sun: 8 AM–9 PM