Concrete contractor in East Los Angeles - driveways and patios set on a packed base
Optimum Alhambra Concrete is a concrete contractor based in Alhambra that pours driveways, patios, garage floors, steps and footings for homes and small properties in East Los Angeles. We set the base, joints and drainage first.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free on-site estimates.
- We respond within 1 business day.
East Los Angeles houses, lots and older concrete
Much of East Los Angeles is older single-family houses on narrow lots. Many have a long driveway running past the house to a garage at the back and a small yard behind it. Along the main streets the mix turns commercial, with shops and small parking lots packed close together. It's right next to Monterey Park and a short drive from our base in Alhambra, so the houses look a lot like the ones we already pour for.
On lots this old, the concrete has usually been patched more than once, and the ground under it is often softer than it looks. We plan to dig past that ground instead of pouring over it.
Concrete work we do on East Los Angeles properties
Concrete driveway building
Narrow driveways running back to a detached garage are common here, so we dig out the old slab, pack the base and slope it toward the street.
Concrete patio construction
Small backyards here get daily use, so we slope a patio gently away from the house and keep the step down from the back door even.
Stamped concrete services
For a front walk or patio that looks like stone or tile, we press the pattern into fresh concrete over a base packed as firmly as a driveway's.
Concrete sidewalk building
Walks from the street to the porch on older lots often heave or settle in sections, so we replace the broken run and cut joints where cracks belong.
Garage floor concrete
Older detached garages here often have thin, cracked floors, so we break out the old slab and pour a new one thick enough for a car and a workbench.
Decorative concrete
Colored concrete and scored patterns suit the front yards and courtyards here, and we lay them out on paper with you before anything is poured.
Concrete retaining walls
Where a yard steps up from the driveway or the lot next door sits higher, we build a concrete wall with drainage behind it to hold the soil.
Concrete floor installation
For a back house, workshop or room addition on a small lot, we pour an interior floor flat enough for tile or flooring to go right on top.
Concrete pool decks
On small lots a pool deck sits close to the house and fence, so we slope it to shed splash water and use a finish that grips when wet.
Concrete steps construction
Many houses here sit a few steps above the walk, and we replace crumbling front steps with even risers and a landing that drains.
Slab foundation building
When a back unit or addition goes in behind the main house, we pour the slab foundation to the plans, with the layout checked before the truck arrives.
Foundation installation
For new construction or a rebuild on a tight lot, we set forms and steel for the foundation and pour it once the layout matches the plans.
Concrete parking lot building
Shops and small businesses on the commercial streets need lots that carry delivery trucks, so we build a thicker slab with steel inside and drainage to the street.
Concrete footings
Patio covers, block walls and additions all sit on footings, the concrete pads that carry the load, so we dig and pour them to the plans.
Foundation raising
When an older house has settled and doors stick or floors slope, we find out why the ground moved, then raise and support the low section.
Concrete cutting
To add a drain line, widen a driveway or remove a broken section without tearing out the whole slab, we saw-cut clean edges and haul the pieces away.
Your free written estimate for East Los Angeles concrete
We reply within one business day to set a time. Then I come out, measure and give you a written scope you can compare line by line. It's free, and there's no obligation.
(626) 597-0288- Based in
- Alhambra, CA 91801
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 8 AM–10 PM, Sat–Sun: 7 AM–9 PM
Working in East Los Angeles under county permits
East Los Angeles isn't a city of its own, so your permit comes from the county, not a city hall. LA County Public Works issues permits here, and any review it asks for happens before the pour, so that review sets the earliest date we can start. Before you hire anyone, ask for their California contractor's license. The state licensing board requires one whenever a job needs a building permit, uses any additional workers or comes to $1,000 or more in labor and materials, and a contractor has to hold it before bidding. The county's business license is a separate thing, and it covers businesses located in its unincorporated areas that do certain listed kinds of work. We're licensed and fully insured, and if your job needs a permit, we handle the application and keep you posted on where it stands with the county.
Most streets here are lined with parked cars and the driveways are narrow. Before pour day we plan where the mixer truck parks, whether we pump the concrete back to the yard, and how the broken slab gets hauled out. Around Whittier Boulevard and the other commercial streets, we time deliveries for the quieter hours so a loaded truck isn't sitting in traffic while the concrete starts to set. What moves the price is that access, the amount of old concrete to break out, the thickness and steel the slab needs, and the finish you pick. What moves the schedule is the county's review and the curing time, which is the days fresh concrete needs to harden before you use it. Your written estimate spells out each of those parts, the same way it does on our jobs across the San Gabriel Valley, from Alhambra up to Pasadena.
East Los Angeles slabs that crack, sink or pool
Most of the cracked and sinking driveways we see on older houses here were poured over a base that was raked level instead of dug out and packed, so the slab settled as the dirt under it did. We dig the subgrade, the soil the whole slab rests on, down to firm ground and pack it before any gravel goes in, because no finish on top can make up for a soft base. We also check where the water runs. An old slab that falls toward the house sends water back against the foundation.
Lots here are tight, and many owners are adding a back unit, converting a garage or building a wall where the yard changes level. That work sits on footings and foundations that have to match the plans, so I check the layout against the drawings before the truck backs in, the way every pour got checked on the commercial crews I came from.
How a concrete job runs when you call us from East Los Angeles
From your first call to the final walk-around, here's how a job runs and where the county's permit steps fit in.
Call and set a visit
Call (626) 597-0288 or send the form, and I come out myself to walk the job and measure. I'll ask what the concrete has to carry and what's going on top of it, so it helps if you're home to answer.
Get your written estimate
You get a written estimate that lists each part of the job, from tear-out and base to finish, so you can see where the money goes before you decide. If a permit's involved, we handle the application, and when we apply, the county tells us whether a plan check, its review of the drawings, is needed before work starts.
Pour day and final walk
Our crew forms, pours and finishes, and I'm on site checking the work as it goes. When we're done, I walk the job with you before we call it finished.
Questions about concrete work in East Los Angeles
Do I need a permit for a concrete patio or driveway in East Los Angeles?
Patios are on the county's list of permit items here, along with pools, retaining walls and grading, so plan on asking about one for a patio. A driveway isn't named on that list, which doesn't settle it either way, so check with the county's East Los Angeles Building and Safety Office at 4801 E. 3rd St. Work that turns out not to need a permit still has to meet the building code and any approvals other agencies require, and we sort out which applies when I come out.
How long do I have to get the first inspection on a county permit in East Los Angeles?
You need to request the first inspection within 12 months of getting the permit. After that, follow-up inspections every 6 months keep the permit active. We keep those dates on our calendar as part of keeping your paperwork moving with the county.
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in East Los Angeles?
Your price comes from the written estimate after I measure, and the biggest choices you control are the finish and the width. A broom finish, a light texture brushed into the top for grip, costs less than stamped or colored concrete, and widening the driveway adds tear-out and base work. If the budget's tight, cut the finish before the base, because the base is the one part you can't fix later without tearing the slab out.
How long before I can drive on a new concrete driveway?
You can walk on a new driveway well before you can drive on it, and I'll tell you the day for each once your slab is poured. Concrete keeps hardening for days after we finish it, so a car on it too early can crack the edges even when the top looks dry. If it's your only driveway, we work out where you'll park before pour day.
What causes new concrete driveways to crack in East Los Angeles?
Most cracks come from a soft base, water running under the slab and control joints that were cut late or skipped. Control joints are straight grooves cut into the slab so that when concrete shrinks, it cracks along a line we chose instead of across the middle. Nobody can honestly promise a slab won't crack, but packing the base, finishing the top before it dries out and cutting the joints on time usually keeps the cracks inside those grooves.
What is the best way to keep water from pooling on a patio in East Los Angeles?
Slope the patio away from the house before it's poured, because you can't add fall to concrete once it's hard. We check where the water from your roof and yard runs, then set the forms so the patio drains toward the yard or a drain. Where the lot is too flat to shed water on its own, we add a drain line.
Alhambra, CA
Book your East Los Angeles estimate today
We're open until 10 PM on weekdays and 9 PM on weekends, so call (626) 597-0288 after work or send the form when you have a minute.