Concrete Contractor in Mission Viejo, CA - Slabs Built for Hillside Lots
United Irvine Concrete is a concrete contractor based in Irvine that builds driveways, patios, walkways, steps and retaining walls for homes in Mission Viejo, with our own crew doing the prep and the pour.
Concrete work in Mission Viejo's hillside neighborhoods
Mission Viejo is mostly planned neighborhoods of single-family homes on curving streets, and a good share of them sit on hillside lots where the yard was graded into levels, so driveways climb and patios sit off the back of the house. Many homes here belong to an HOA, and the Lake Mission Viejo Association by itself counts over 25,000 homes, so if your association needs to approve the work, we'll give you the drawings and details for it. We do the same kind of work next door in Lake Forest and in Irvine, where we're based.
That ground shapes nearly every job here. On a slope, water runs to the low side and under any slab in its way, carrying dirt with it until the concrete settles, so I spend as much time on the base and on where the water goes as on the pour itself.
What happens after you call us from Mission Viejo
Call or send the form
Call (949) 518-3401 or use the form below and tell us what's going on with your driveway, patio or yard. We get back to you to set a time for me to come out, since I look at every job myself.
I measure and look it over
I check the slope, where the water runs and what's under the old concrete, ask how you'll use the new slab, and then give you a written estimate that shows what's included. The size, the tear-out, the base work and the finish move the price most, and the permit, any HOA approval and the time the concrete needs to harden set the schedule.
We file, prep and pour
If the job needs a permit, we file it with the city and book the inspections, which the city does the next business day when the request goes in before 4:00 PM the day before. Our own crew digs out, packs the base, sets the forms and pours, with me or my foreman running it.
We walk the finished work together
Before we leave, we walk the job with you, so it helps to be home that day, and we clear away our mess. Then the slab needs time to cure, which is the slow hardening it does while it stays damp, so we'll tell you when you can walk on it and when you can drive on it.
Concrete services for Mission Viejo homes
Homes on Mission Viejo's graded lots mostly need driveways replaced after the ground under them moved, patios and pool decks that shed water away from the house, and steps and retaining walls where the yard changes level. We also handle slab foundation building for additions and garages, and every service we offer is listed here.
- 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
When does concrete in Mission Viejo need a look?
On sloped lots, water and settling ground show up in the concrete first, so these signs are worth a look, especially on slabs that have been down since the house was built.
- Cracks you can fit a coin in
- One slab sitting lower than the next
- Water pooling after the sprinklers run
- Patio sloping back toward the house
- Flaking or dusty top surface
- Steps pulling away from the door
Should you repair or replace concrete in Mission Viejo?
If the slab is sitting level and the cracks are thin, I'll usually tell you to leave it or fix only the bad section, because a small crack on a sound base isn't hurting anything. We can cut out one damaged panel along its joints and pour a new one, though the new concrete won't match the old color right away, and I'll tell you that up front.
Replacement makes sense when the slab has sunk, tilted toward the house or broken in several places, because that usually means the ground gave way, and new concrete over the same loose dirt will go the same way. In that case we tear it out, dig down to firm ground, pack a new subgrade, which is the bed the slab rests on, and pour on that.
Hiring a local concrete contractor in Mission Viejo
A local crew knows a pour here has to be planned around the weather. On warm days we start early so the concrete is placed and finished before the afternoon sun gets on it, because a top that dries too fast turns weak and dusty later, and being based in Irvine means we can be on your street at first light.
When a budget gets tight, the first thing people want to trim is the base, because nobody sees it on the day the job is done. I won't cut that, sir or ma'am, because the base decides whether the slab stays put. I'd sooner talk you into a plain broom finish, the light brushed texture that keeps the surface from getting slick when it's wet, than skimp on the ground underneath.
Our word to Mission Viejo homeowners
I learned concrete under a strict boss who made me tear out forms and set them again until they were right, and I've run United Irvine Concrete the same careful way since I started it in Irvine in 2013. We're known for flatwork, meaning driveways, patios and walks, that stays put, and for quotes that say plainly what you're paying for.
On your property, we keep the work area contained and leave it as tidy as we found it. I'll explain each step before we take it, and if something you've asked for won't hold up, I'll tell you so plainly. Satisfaction guaranteed on every job.
You can count on us to do what we put in writing, explain the reason behind each step, and clean up before we go.
Ask about your Mission Viejo concrete job
Call (949) 518-3401 any day of the week, and have a few photos of the problem ready when you do.
Get a written estimate for your Mission Viejo concrete
Tell us your address, what you want poured or fixed and how you'll use it. We reply within one business day to book my free on-site visit, and the estimate carries no obligation.
Mission Viejo concrete questions
Do I need a permit for a concrete driveway or patio in Mission Viejo?
Some concrete work needs a city permit and some doesn't, because the city's building official issues permits to build, alter, repair or demolish a building or structure, and the city's code exempts some work. All permits and inspections go through the city's Building Services online, and the owner or someone acting for the owner has to apply before work starts, so on our jobs we prepare and file the permit and keep you posted. The city also adjusts the building codes it uses for local climate, ground and terrain, so Mission Viejo's version is the one that counts here.
Does Mission Viejo require a business license for contractors?
No, the city doesn't require a business license, so there's no city license to ask a contractor for. The license that tells you more is the state contractor's license, covered in the next answer, and we're licensed and insured.
How do I check a concrete contractor's license in Mission Viejo?
Call the California State License Board at 800-321-CSLB, which is where the city sends homeowners to check whether a contractor is licensed. Do that before you sign with anyone, us included, because a few minutes on the phone settles it.
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Mission Viejo?
The price comes down to the size of the driveway, how much old concrete we tear out, how much work the ground needs and the finish you choose, and I put your number in a written estimate after I've seen the site. Sloped lots here often add grading and drainage work, a reinforced slab costs more than a plain one, and a stamped or colored finish costs more than a broom finish.
What causes concrete driveways to crack in Mission Viejo?
Most bad cracks start underneath, from a base that was raked level instead of dug out and packed, or from water running downhill under the slab and washing the dirt away. Concrete also shrinks as it cures, so we cut control joints, shallow grooves that give the slab a straight place to crack where you won't notice it, and we cut them while the concrete is fresh. Where the job calls for it, we set rebar, steel bars inside the slab that hold any crack tight so the pieces don't spread apart.
How long will I be without my driveway after a new pour in Mission Viejo?
You'll usually be able to walk on a new driveway within a few days, but driving has to wait longer, because the concrete keeps gaining strength as it cures and a car on it too soon can crack an edge. I'll give you the dates for your slab before we pour, so you can plan where to park in the meantime.
Working in another city? Call us
If you're in another city, choose it below, or call (949) 518-3401 if yours isn't listed, since we work across Orange County, not only in these cities.