Concrete driveway building in San Fernando CA - a slab that drains toward the street
Cracked, sinking or puddling driveway? We dig out the old slab, pack a solid base and pour new concrete that sends water to the street.
What goes into building a new concrete driveway in San Fernando?
Concrete driveway building in San Fernando means taking out the old driveway if there is one, packing a firm base and pouring a new slab that slopes toward the street and away from your house and garage, so rain runs off instead of standing on it.
Most calls start with a driveway that's cracked, sunk at one corner or holding a puddle by the garage after it rains. The price mostly turns on the size, how much old concrete and soft dirt has to come out, how thick the slab is and whether you want a plain finish or something like stamped concrete. The schedule turns on the tear-out, any permit for the part that meets the street, and the days the slab needs to cure and harden before you park on it, so I measure all of it on site and your written estimate gives you the figure for your own driveway.
How do you know it's time for a new driveway?
A driveway usually tells on itself well before it fails. Here's what homeowners tend to notice, and what it usually says about the ground and the slab underneath.
Cracks that keep widening, or with edges at different heights, usually mean the ground underneath has moved.
A slab that's sunk near the garage or the street usually sits on dirt that was never packed down.
Water that pools on the driveway or runs toward your garage door means the slope is wrong.
Chipping, flaking or a dusty top that wears away under your tires points to a weak surface.
A lip where the driveway meets the sidewalk or garage floor usually means one slab settled or lifted.
Patches on top of patches that keep breaking up mean the old slab is past fixing.
If water is heading toward your garage or a raised edge has turned into a trip hazard, call (818) 806-6170 rather than wait, because both tend to get worse.
What happens when you call about a new driveway?
Here's how a driveway job runs with us, from your first call to the walk-through, so you know who you're dealing with and what you'll have in hand before any concrete gets poured.
Call or send a message
Call (818) 806-6170 or use the form, whether you're in San Fernando or the cities around it like Burbank, Glendale or Santa Clarita. I set a time to come out and see the job myself.
I measure and write it up
I walk the driveway, check where the water runs and hear what you have in mind. You get a written estimate that spells out the prep, the work and the cleanup, so you know what you're paying for before anything gets torn out.
We set the date together
Once you're ready, we pick a date that works for you and line up any permit the job calls for. If city review or an inspection is involved, we build it into the schedule so the pour doesn't get ahead of the paperwork.
Our crew pours and finishes
Our own crew digs out, packs the base, sets the forms and pours, with me running the job on site. We clean up without washing residue into the gutter, since the city asks everyone to keep streets and storm drains clear, and then we walk the finished driveway with you before we pack up.
Get a written estimate for your new driveway
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 the work.
- Call
- (818) 806-6170
- Hours
- Mon–Sun: 8 AM–9 PM
Base, slope and joints under a good driveway
The base is where I'd spend your money first, because nobody sees it on day one and it's the first thing people want to cut. We dig down to firm ground and pack the subgrade, the dirt and rock the slab sits on, instead of raking it level and hoping. Back when I was a helper, the finishers drilled that into me, since a nice finish on a soft base settles right along with the dirt.
Slope comes next, and I set it before anything else so water heads for the street instead of your garage. Control joints, straight lines we cut or tool into the slab, give it a planned place to crack as it shrinks, and an isolation joint separates it from the sidewalk, garage floor or other pavement. Concrete cracks, and the joints decide where. Ask for a jointing plan in your written proposal and you'll see it.
Most driveways get a broom finish, a light texture dragged across the wet surface so tires and shoes grip in the rain. Steel rebar inside the slab helps hold it together if it does crack. If the driveway runs back into the yard, we can plan a concrete patio at matching levels so water keeps moving away from the house.
Concrete driveway questions from San Fernando homeowners
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in the Los Angeles area?
A new concrete driveway in the Los Angeles area usually costs about $6 to $12 per square foot installed, or about $2,500 to $7,500 for a two-car driveway. That's the going rate around here, not our quote, and where yours lands depends on the size, the tear-out, the base work and the thickness. I'll measure it on site and put the figure for your own driveway in writing.
How thick should a concrete driveway be?
Going from a 4-inch to a 5-inch slab adds roughly 20% to the concrete cost but gives the driveway nearly 50% more load-carrying capacity. That's a lot of extra strength for the money, especially if heavy vehicles park on it. If you're weighing strength against cost, I'll price both thicknesses so you can compare them side by side.
How long does a new concrete driveway take before I can drive on it?
Plan to keep cars off it for at least a week while it cures. Curing means keeping the fresh concrete from drying out too fast so it hardens properly, and skipping it right after finishing can, in extreme cases, cut its strength by up to half and leave surface defects. I'll tell you when it's safe to park on it.
Which San Fernando office handles driveway approach permits?
The City of San Fernando issues construction permits for work in the public right-of-way, including the driveway approach that runs from the sidewalk down to the street, through the Public Works Counter at City Hall. Those permits require liability insurance that names the city, and we're licensed and insured, while the city's Building and Safety Division reviews plans and inspects permitted work. When your job needs a permit, we pull it and handle plan check and inspections with the city.
What causes cracks in a concrete driveway, and will a new one crack too?
Most cracks come from a base that settled, joints that were cut late or skipped, or a top that dried too fast on a hot day. A new slab can still crack, but on a packed base with joints where they belong, the cracks usually stay in the joints. Random cracks are generally not a structural problem and won't shorten the driveway's life, though they can be an eyesore.
What is the best time to pour a concrete driveway in San Fernando?
Hot weather can cause trouble for fresh concrete any time of year, but most often in summer, and wind makes high heat and low humidity worse. One concrete group advises pouring early in the morning whenever possible, dampening the forms and the ground first and asking the supplier about hot-weather mixes, so on a hot day, expect an early start. Tell me your preferred season when you call and we'll plan around it.
Other concrete work around your driveway
Concrete patio construction
If your backyard turns to mud or the slab out back is cracked, a new patio poured to match the driveway ties the yard together.
Stamped concrete services
When plain gray isn't what you want out front, stamped concrete gives the driveway or walkway a pattern and color that looks like stone or brick.
Get your new driveway measured and priced
Call (818) 806-6170 any day of the week from 8 AM to 9 PM, or use the form, and have the driveway's rough size, whether it meets the sidewalk or street, and your preferred season ready.
Mon–Sun: 8 AM–9 PM