Concrete cutting in Fullerton CA - clean, planned cuts and no slurry in the gutter
Need a trench or a section of driveway cut out? We check what's inside the slab first, then cut it straight and clean up.
I measure your cut myself
I come out to see the job, measure it and write the estimate myself. Then our own crew does the cutting and I run it on site, so the person who planned the cut is there when the blade goes in.
Trained on a city public works crew
Before I started this business in 2020, I poured sidewalk, curb and driveway aprons for a city public works crew. That's where I learned to respect the line where a private lot meets the street.
Licensed, insured and a straight answer
We're licensed and fully insured, and I'd rather give you a fast, honest no than a slow maybe if a cut doesn't make sense. Call (657) 354-1060 or send the contact form and tell me what you need cut.
Planned concrete cutting in Fullerton
Concrete cutting in Fullerton means sawing or coring through a slab, wall or curb so you can remove a section, run a line or open a doorway. It helps homeowners redoing a driveway or patio, adding a utility trench, or fixing a section that's cracked or sunk.
Most of what we cut is flatwork, the driveways, patios and walks that sit on the ground, so a floor saw does the long straight lines and a core drill bores round holes for pipe or conduit. Walls and tight corners call for a wall saw or a hand saw. What you pay depends on how long and how deep the cut runs, how thick the slab is, what's inside it and how easy it is to reach.
The schedule usually turns on two things, whether the slab needs a scan before we cut and whether the cut reaches the sidewalk or curb, where the city's permit comes first. I'll tell you which applies when I look at the job, and you get the estimate in writing. California licenses concrete sawing and coring as its own kind of concrete work, so it's fair to ask anyone who cuts your slab what license they hold.
Concrete cutting, scanning and the work around it
Finding out what's in the slab
Before we cut, we find out what's inside the slab, because a blade can't tell rebar, the steel bars that hold a slab together, from a water line or conduit. If there's any chance yours is post-tensioned, built with steel strands pulled tight inside it, we stop and have it scanned. A scan with ground-penetrating radar, which one cutting company's guide calls a reliable way to map steel and utility lines without damaging the concrete, lets us plan the cut around what's there.
Clean cuts for new driveways and patios
A lot of our cutting comes before new concrete, so when you're replacing part of a driveway or adding onto a patio, we saw a straight, clean line where the old slab ends and the new pour begins. That edge matters on concrete driveway building and concrete patio construction jobs alike, but the base under the new section matters more, because it keeps the new slab from settling away from the old one. We cut wet and vacuum up the slurry, the gray mud of water and cuttings, so none of it runs toward the gutter.
Cuts at the sidewalk, curb and approach
Cuts near the street take the most checking. In Fullerton, the city's right-of-way usually includes the sidewalk in the parkway strip behind the curb, and it usually runs behind the curb even where there's no sidewalk, so a cut that looks like it's in your yard can be on city land. Widening or replacing a driveway approach, the sloped piece that meets the street, needs the city engineering division's approval first. We're based in Fullerton and do this work across the cities around it, and the FAQ below covers the permit.
Get a written estimate for your concrete cut
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day to set up a visit. I come out, look at where you want the cut, and give you a free written estimate with no obligation.
(657) 354-1060How a concrete cutting job goes
You call or send the form
Call (657) 354-1060 or use the contact form and tell us where the cut goes, roughly how long it runs and what kind of slab it's in, if you know. We take calls seven days a week, until 11 PM.
I look it over
I come out myself, look at the slab, measure the cut and tell you on the spot what I'd do and why. If it needs a scan or sits on city land, I'll say so then, and you get the estimate in writing.
We prep, cut and clean up
We line up any city paperwork and the scan if it's needed, then mark the line, cut and haul out the pieces. If new concrete follows, we prep the ground, form, pour and finish, and we leave the street and gutter clean.
Concrete cutting questions from Fullerton homeowners
How much does concrete cutting cost in Fullerton?
Professional concrete cutting across the US usually costs about $3 to $10 per linear foot, and that's a national figure, not a quote from us. Your own price depends on the depth, the steel inside and whether the job needs a scan, so I measure on site and give you the estimate in writing.
Do I need a permit to cut a sidewalk in Fullerton?
You usually do, because most work in the public right-of-way needs an encroachment permit from the City of Fullerton Public Works Department Engineering Division. A property owner or a contractor can apply, and whoever applies is on the hook for finishing any work they start. When your job needs one, we pull it ourselves and keep you posted.
Why do concrete cutters use water, and where does the slurry go?
Water cools the blade and keeps the dust down by turning the cuttings into slurry, but that slurry has to be caught before it runs off. The county's guidance says saw-cutting slurry and debris must be collected and recycled or properly disposed of, and none of it should reach the storm drain. That's what the vacuum beside our saw is for.
Why does a post-tensioned slab need extra care when cutting?
A post-tensioned slab holds steel strands pulled tight, and coring or drilling into it after it's built can damage them and cause tendon failure, a strand letting go. One cutting company's guide says cutting through a tensioned strand can shatter concrete, injure someone and weaken how much load the slab can carry. That's what the scan above is for.