Concrete contractor in Fountain Valley, CA - driveways and patios built on solid ground
United Irvine Concrete is a concrete contractor based in Irvine that pours driveways, patios, walkways, steps and short retaining walls for homeowners in Fountain Valley, with the ground under each slab dug out and packed first.
Concrete work for Fountain Valley homes
Fountain Valley sits between Santa Ana and Huntington Beach, and most of our calls here come from homeowners in quiet single-family neighborhoods who want a driveway, back patio or front walk redone. Many of these slabs have been down a long time, so a job here usually starts with tearing out old concrete and seeing what it was poured on.
The price turns on the size of the slab, how much old concrete comes out, how much base work the ground needs and the finish you choose. The schedule turns mostly on whether the city wants a permit and on curing, the days new concrete needs to gain strength before you walk or drive on it. I give you a written estimate that shows what's included, so you can see exactly what you'd be paying for. Once the old slab comes up, the soil underneath decides the rest of the job, because a driveway poured on raked dirt settles right along with that dirt, and that's why we dig out and pack the ground before anything else goes down.
What happens when you call us about a job in Fountain Valley
Call or send the form
You call (949) 518-3401 or send the form, and we set a time for me to come out to your house. It helps if you can be there so you can show me what's been bothering you.
I measure and look it over
I measure the area, check where the water runs and ask how you'll use the concrete, whether that's parking a truck or setting out patio furniture. Then you get a written estimate that lists what's included, so there are no surprises on the price.
Permit, prep and the pour
If the job needs a city permit, we prepare and file it and keep you posted, and if you're in an HOA we give you the drawings they need for approval. Our own crew digs out, packs the base, sets the forms and pours, with either me or my foreman running the job on site.
We walk the finished work
Before we leave, we walk the new concrete with you and tell you when it's ready for foot traffic and when it's ready for a car. The old concrete and our mess leave with us.
Concrete services we offer in Fountain Valley
Most Fountain Valley calls are for a driveway or back patio that has cracked, sunk or started holding water, or for walkways and steps that have pulled away from the house. Some homeowners want a broom finish, a light brushed texture that keeps the surface from getting slick, and others ask about stamped concrete for a patio.
- Concrete driveway building
- Concrete patio construction
- Stamped concrete services
- Concrete sidewalk building
- Garage floor concrete
- Decorative concrete
- Concrete retaining walls
- Concrete floor installation
- Concrete pool decks
- Concrete steps construction
- Slab foundation building
- Foundation installation
- Concrete parking lot building
- Concrete footings
- Foundation raising
- Concrete cutting
What signs say your Fountain Valley concrete needs work?
On the driveways and patios we look at in Fountain Valley, most of these signs start small, and several point to water or a soft base under the slab.
- Cracks that keep getting wider
- A slab sinking near the garage
- Water pooling after you hose it
- A patio sloping toward the house
- A chipped, dusty or flaking top
- Walkway edges lifting at a seam
Should you repair or replace concrete in Fountain Valley?
If the slab is still level and the cracks are thin and holding still, a repair or cutting out one section is usually the right call, and I'll tell you so plainly. A slab that's sinking is a different matter, because the trouble is in the subgrade, the soil the concrete sits on, and a patch on top won't stop it from moving.
When a driveway has sunk in more than one place, holds water or falls toward the house, we tear it out and start from the ground, since that's the only way to fix what's underneath. If the budget is tight, I'd sooner you pick a plain broom finish than skimp on the base, because the base is hidden on day one and it's what decides how the slab holds up for years.
Why a nearby concrete crew makes sense here
California's Contractors State License Board licenses and regulates contractors to protect homeowners, and we're licensed and insured. We've been doing this work out of Irvine since 2013, close enough that I come out to look at each Fountain Valley job myself and our own crew does the work, rather than handing it off to someone you've never met.
If something about your slab worries you down the road, you'll want to reach the people who poured it. You deal with the same people from the estimate to the final walk-through, and satisfaction guaranteed on every job is how we've run this business from the start.
Our word to Fountain Valley homeowners
We treat your yard the way we'd want ours treated, which means protecting the lawn and planters near the forms, keeping the street and sidewalk clear and hauling off the old concrete before we go. We work hard to keep the times we give you, and if something changes, I call you myself.
Before we start, I'll explain each step, sir or ma'am, from why we pack the base to why we cut control joints, the straight grooves that give a slab a planned place to crack instead of a random one. You'll know what the job involves and what you're paying for before any concrete arrives.
We do the work we wrote down, explain every step and leave your property as tidy as we found it.
Get your Fountain Valley concrete looked at
We take calls seven days a week, early mornings on weekends, so call (949) 518-3401 and tell us what your slab is doing.
A free written estimate for your Fountain Valley concrete
Tell us your address, what you'd like poured or fixed and how to reach you. We reply within one business day to set my visit, and the free on-site estimate comes with no obligation.
Fountain Valley concrete questions
How do I find out if my concrete driveway needs a permit in Fountain Valley?
Ask the city's Building Division at 714-593-4429, because the city's published rules don't settle it for a driveway or patio either way. The city's Building & Safety Division issues permits to build, alter, repair or demolish a building or structure, and its list of work that needs no permit names finish work like painting, tiling and cabinets, not flatwork such as driveways, patios and walks. If your job needs a permit, we prepare and file it and keep you posted on where it stands.
Do I need a permit for a short retaining wall in Fountain Valley?
No, not if the wall is 4 feet or less measured from the bottom of its footing to the top of the wall, because the city lists those walls as exempt. That exemption ends if the wall carries extra weight above it, such as a driveway or a slope, or holds back certain stored liquids, and any lighting or plumbing on an exempt wall still needs its own permit unless the city exempts that too. A block wall is exempt up to 3 feet high.
Does a concrete contractor need a Fountain Valley business license?
Yes, the city requires every subcontractor to have a Fountain Valley business license before starting work there. On a permitted job, the city also wants a subcontractor form turned in to the Building Department two weeks before the final inspection is requested, or the final gets delayed, so we keep that paperwork moving. Questions about a license go to the city's Business License Department at 714-593-4421.
How much can a contractor ask for as a down payment in California?
The state's Contractors State License Board says a contractor can't ask for or accept a down payment of more than $1,000 or 10 percent of the total contract price, whichever is less. The board gives that rule in its guidance on rebuilding after a wildfire or other declared disaster, and it says the rule applies to all home improvement projects. If someone wants more than that up front, ask why before you sign anything.
How much does it cost to replace a concrete driveway in Fountain Valley?
The cost of a Fountain Valley driveway comes down mostly to its size, the tear-out of the old slab and the base work under it. Slab thickness, rebar, the steel bars inside that hold the concrete together if it cracks, and the finish you choose add to it, and a stamped or colored surface costs more than a plain broom finish. I'll measure it in person and give you a written estimate that shows what's included.
What causes concrete driveways in Fountain Valley to crack and sink?
Most of the cracking and sinking we see comes from what's under the slab, not the concrete itself. A base that was raked level instead of dug out and packed settles with the dirt, water running under a slab softens it, control joints cut late or skipped let it crack wherever it likes, and a pour in midday heat can leave a weak, dusty top. We pack the base, check where the water runs and cut the joints on time, which is how a new slab avoids the old one's trouble.
Other cities we work in, and more
Pick your city below for local details, or call (949) 518-3401 if yours isn't listed, since we work across Orange County beyond these pages.