Concrete Contractor in Tustin, CA - Flatwork Built on Solid Ground
United Irvine Concrete is a concrete contractor based in Irvine that pours driveways, patios, walkways, steps and slabs for homeowners in Tustin, CA, with the ground under each slab dug out and packed before any concrete goes in.
Concrete work for Tustin homes
Tustin is a short drive for our crew, and the Tustin Legacy area even reaches across into Irvine, where we're based. Around Old Town, where the buildings on Main Street and El Camino Real go back to the 1880s, the neighborhoods are older, and so are a lot of the driveways and walks. Tustin Legacy mixes homes with shops, parks and schools, and the houses there are mostly newer. We do the same work in Irvine and down in Mission Viejo.
On older lots we usually start by breaking out and hauling away the old concrete, and a narrow side yard can mean wheeling the pour back to a patio by hand. On newer homes the job is more often fitting new concrete against what's already there and matching the heights at the garage and the front door.
What happens when you call us in Tustin
Call or send us a message
Call (949) 518-3401 or use the form, and we'll get back to you to set a time for me to come out to your place in Tustin. You don't need anything ready but a rough idea of what you'd like done.
I look the site over myself
I measure, check where the water runs and what the old slab sits on, and ask how you'll use the concrete, and it helps if you're home to walk it with me. You get a written estimate that shows what's included, and the price mostly turns on the size, how much has to be dug and hauled out, and the finish you choose.
We handle the permit and plans
When the job needs a permit, we prepare the plans, file them with the city, which reviews them before any work starts, and keep you posted while they're under review. That review is usually what sets the start date, and once it's issued, a permit stays good for 180 days, or until the job's done as long as the work keeps moving.
Our crew pours, then we walk it
Our own crew digs out, packs the base, sets the forms and pours, with me or my foreman running it on site. When we're finished, we walk the work with you and tell you when it's ready for feet and when it's ready for a car.
Concrete work we do in Tustin
Most Tustin calls we get are for flatwork, our word for driveways, patios, walkways and other slabs that lie flat on the ground, along with concrete steps up to the front door. Older houses usually need a tired slab torn out and replaced, and newer ones more often want a patio or a wider driveway.
- 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 mean your Tustin concrete needs attention?
Many Tustin driveways and walks have been down for decades, and these are the things I look for first, since each one usually points to trouble in the base underneath.
- Cracks that keep getting wider
- One section sunk below the next
- Water pooling against the house
- Surface chipping or turning dusty
- Trip edges along the walkway
- Steps pulling away from the house
Repair or replace your Tustin concrete?
A thin crack in a slab that's still level and still drains away from the house can usually be cleaned out and sealed, and I'll tell you so before I'd sell you a new driveway. Some cracking is normal in concrete, which is why we cut control joints, shallow grooves that give the slab a straight place to crack where nobody notices it.
When a slab has sunk, tilted toward the house or broken into pieces, a patch only covers the problem, because the dirt underneath has already moved. That's when we tear it out, dig down to firm ground, pack a new base and pour fresh.
Hiring a local concrete crew in Tustin
A concrete job is mostly decided before the truck shows up, in the digging, the base and the forms, and that's the part a crew in a hurry skips. I learned under a strict boss who made me tear out forms and set them again until they were right, and I've run this business out of Irvine the same careful way since 2013.
When a budget gets tight, the base is usually the first thing people ask to cut, since nobody sees it on day one. I'd rather you save on the surface with a plain broom finish, the lightly brushed texture that keeps feet from slipping, because a fancy finish on a poor base cracks just the same.
Our promise to Tustin homeowners
I'll explain every part of your job before we start, from what goes under the slab to how we'll keep water moving away from the house, and the written estimate says plainly what you're paying for. If something changes once the old concrete is up, I'll tell you and explain why before we go any further.
Our crew does exactly what we said we'd do, keeps the mess inside the work area and cleans up before leaving, so your property is as tidy as we found it. We're licensed and insured, with satisfaction guaranteed on every job.
You can count on a written estimate that says what you're paying for, and a base dug out and packed before we pour.
Call us about your Tustin concrete job
We answer seven days a week, so call and tell us about your driveway, patio or steps.
Get a free written estimate for your Tustin concrete
Tell us what you'd like poured or fixed and where, and we'll reply within one business day to set a time for me to come out. The on-site estimate is free, with no obligation.
Questions we hear in Tustin
Do I need a permit for a concrete patio or driveway in Tustin?
A covered patio needs a building permit in Tustin, and for a plain open slab or driveway we confirm the current rule with the city before we start. An older City guide listed open, unroofed concrete patios and driveways that aren't over a basement or a room below among the work that didn't need a permit, but the City's FAQ treats patio covers and decks differently, so Tustin's Building Division has the current answer. If your job needs a permit, we prepare and file it and keep you posted.
When does a project in Tustin need a grading permit?
Tustin requires a grading permit when more than 50 cubic yards of earth is moved, when one foot of fill is used, or when a cut slope is more than 5 feet high. A raised patio built up on fill or a retaining wall cut into a hillside is where that usually comes up, and the City wants grading plans and soil reports before that kind of work begins. I'll measure it at the estimate, and if it applies, we handle the filing.
How do I pay permit fees safely in Tustin?
Pay Tustin permit fees only through the City's online Citizen Self Service portal or in person at the Finance counter at City Hall. The City reports that fraud tied to permit fees is on the rise, and it doesn't ask for a bank routing number or wire number. The City's permits process page explains both ways to pay.
How much does a concrete driveway cost in Tustin?
Your price comes from a written estimate after I've measured the driveway and seen what's under the old one, because two driveways the same size can cost quite differently from one Tustin house to the next. Breaking out and hauling an old slab, building a weak base back up, curves and steps, and a stamped or colored surface all add to it, while a plain finish keeps it down.
How long does a concrete job in Tustin take from start to finish?
Most of the wait falls on either side of the pour, in any city plan review before we start and the curing time after, which is the stretch while new concrete hardens enough to take foot traffic and later a car. I'll go over the schedule for your job at the estimate, and when we finish we tell you when it's ready for walking and when it's ready for driving.
What causes concrete driveways in Tustin to crack and sink?
On the older Tustin driveways we break out, most sinking and wide cracking comes from a base that was raked level instead of dug out and packed, so the slab settled as the loose dirt under it shifted. Water running toward the house or under the slab, a pour in the heat of midday that leaves a weak, dusty top, and control joints cut late or skipped cause most of the rest, and we plan around all four before we pour.
Other cities we serve, and nearby ones
We pour driveways, patios and walks across Orange County, so pick your city below, or call (949) 518-3401 if yours isn't listed.