Concrete driveway building in Fullerton CA - a flat slab that drains to the street
Driveway cracked, sinking or holding water? We fix the soft ground, pack the base and pour a new slab that sits even and drains.
The owner prices and runs your job
I come out myself to look at the job, measure it and write your estimate. Our own crew does the pour, and I run it on site, so the person who priced it is there when it's built.
Trained on city sidewalks and curbs
I learned concrete on a city public works crew, pouring sidewalk, curb and driveway aprons, where a driveway meets the street, day after day. I started this business in Fullerton in 2020 to bring that same careful work to homeowners.
Licensed and fully insured on every job
We're licensed and fully insured for the work we do at your house. Call (657) 354-1060 or send the form on this page to set up a visit, and tell us the driveway's rough size and whether the old one is coming out.
Concrete driveway building in Fullerton
Concrete driveway building is forming, pouring and finishing the slab you park on, plus the ground work under it. It's for Fullerton homeowners replacing a cracked or sinking driveway, or adding one, who want a slab of even thickness on solid support.
The price mostly comes down to size, whether an old driveway has to be broken out and hauled off first, how thick we pour and whether we add steel. Replacing a driveway costs more per square foot than pouring a new one, because the demolition sits on top of the new work. Soft ground we have to dig out and replace adds to it too, and the estimate after my visit puts a figure on your driveway.
The schedule turns on the city side at the curb and on the wait after the pour, since new concrete needs time before it can take a car. Prep is where a driveway holds up or doesn't, so we don't rush it to hit a date. Forming, pouring and finishing pavement is what California's licensing board counts as concrete contractor work, and it's what our crew does every day.
Driveway building, from the base to the curb
Packing the ground before we pour
Most of a driveway's work happens before any concrete shows up. We dig down to the subgrade, the soil the slab sits on, replace soft spots with gravel or crushed rock and compact the base so it's firm and even across the whole driveway. Even support is what keeps a slab from settling and cracking. It's also the first thing people want to trim, since nobody sees it on day one. If you want stamped concrete on top, we can do that, but the base comes first, because a pattern can't hide a slab that's sinking.
Thickness, steel and where cracks go
I go over thickness and steel with you at the visit, because those two choices decide how much weight the slab can carry. Rebar, the steel set inside the slab, adds strength and matters most if a truck or work van parks on it. It holds a crack together if one forms, but concrete can still crack. We cut control joints, shallow grooves in the surface, on time so any crack follows a line we picked instead of wandering across the middle.
Sloping the water off and sorting the apron
A driveway should fall toward the street and away from your house and garage, so rain runs off instead of standing on the slab. We check where the water goes before forms go in, and if a concrete patio ties in, we slope both together. The bottom end is different, because the city's right-of-way, the public strip along the street, usually starts behind the curb and takes in the parkway sidewalk. The city's Engineering Division can tell you exactly where it falls on your lot, and I sort out the city side early so the apron isn't a surprise.
Get a written estimate for your driveway
We get back to you within one business day, and I come out to measure and look the job over before I price anything. The estimate is free, done on site, and there's no obligation.
(657) 354-1060What happens on a Fullerton driveway job
Call and I come out
Call or send the form, and we set a time for me to come out. I walk the driveway, check how the water runs, measure, and tell you on the spot what I'd build and why, then you get the estimate in writing.
City paperwork and ground prep
When the apron or sidewalk is part of the job, we pull the city permit ourselves and keep you posted. Underground Service Alert gets called at least two working days before we dig, then we break out the old slab, fix the base and form.
Pour, finish and clean up
We pour and finish it, usually with a broom texture that gives tires and shoes grip, then cut the control joints. Then it cures, the wait while concrete gains strength, and we leave the street and gutter as clean as we found them.
Driveway questions we hear in Fullerton
How much does a concrete driveway cost in Orange County?
A concrete driveway in Orange County usually costs about $7 to $13 per square foot without steel, not counting breaking out an old driveway. That's the going rate around the county, not our price. Your own figure comes in writing after I've looked at the job.
Is a 5-inch concrete driveway worth it over 4 inches?
Usually, yes, because the extra inch buys a lot more strength than it costs. A state concrete association puts it at about 20% more in concrete cost for nearly 50% more load-carrying capacity going from 4 inches to 5. I'll tell you at the visit which one I'd pour for yours.
Do I need a city permit for my driveway apron in Fullerton?
Usually, yes, since Fullerton requires an encroachment permit, its permit for work on public ground, for most work in the right-of-way at the curb. Widening or replacing the driveway approach at the curb also needs the city's approval. Whoever applies is responsible for finishing the work they start, and a contractor applying needs a Fullerton business license.
How soon can I drive on a new concrete driveway?
Plan on at least a week before anyone drives on it, because new concrete needs that long to cure. Line up another place to park for that stretch. We'll tell you at the pour when it's ready for foot traffic and when it's ready for the car.