Need a doorway, trench or cracked section cut from your slab? We check what's inside it first, then make a clean, wet cut.
Concrete cutting in Irvine means sawing a straight, clean line through a slab or wall with a diamond blade, so you can open a doorway, run a trench or remove a damaged section without cracking the concrete you're keeping.
Most of our calls are for a doorway into an addition, a trench for a plumbing line, or a cracked section of driveway or patio that needs to come out cleanly. The price depends on how far and how deep we cut, how much steel is inside and whether hauling is included. The schedule depends mostly on the scan and any permit. After I see the job, I give you a written estimate that spells out what's included.
In Irvine, the first thing I check is whether your slab holds post-tension cables, which are steel tendons stretched tight inside the concrete. The city warns that cutting them without proper design could damage the building's structure, and it tells owners to consult a qualified engineer or the Building Department before cutting. If your slab may carry them, we'll ask you to make that check, and we'll plan a scan before we book the cut.
Call (949) 518-3401 or use the form, and tell us where the cut goes and what it's for. We'll set a time for me to come out and see it myself.
I measure the cut, look for the post-tension stamp and other signs of cables, and ask what the opening or removal is for. Then you get a written estimate that shows what's included, whether that's the cut alone or the cut plus the breakout and haul-away.
If you go ahead, we take care of any permit the job needs and have the slab scanned before the saw comes out. Our own crew makes the cut, and either I or my foreman runs the job on site.
When the cut is done, we walk it with you and check that every edge sits where we marked it. Then we clear away the saw, the water and any pieces we were hired to remove.
On floors, driveways and sidewalks, the usual tool across the trade is a walk-behind saw with a large diamond blade. On walls, it's a track saw that rides a rail bolted to the wall, which is how door and window openings get cut into existing concrete. We mark the line, set the depth and let the blade do the work, because forcing it chips the edges you'll be looking at afterward.
We cut wet. California's silica dust rule calls for walk-behind saws that feed water to the blade the whole time, which keeps the dust out of the air. That water turns into a gray slurry. Orange County's stormwater guidance says it must be collected and recycled or disposed of properly, and kept out of the storm drains, so we collect it as we go.
What our concrete cutting covers:
If the damage sits in one area of a driveway or patio, cutting out that section and pouring new concrete in its place usually costs less than starting over. When cracks run through most of the slab, or the ground under it has settled all over, I'll tell you plainly that cutting won't fix it, because the trouble is under the slab. In that case, a full redo through our concrete driveway building or concrete patio construction work is the honest answer.
The biggest factors are how many feet we cut, how deep the blade has to go and whether there's rebar inside. Rebar is the steel that holds a slab together, and thicker or reinforced concrete takes longer and wears the blade harder. A wall opening needs a different saw than a floor cut. A small job is often priced more by the cost of bringing the crew and saw out than by the length of the cut, and a scan adds to the cost when the slab needs one.
I learned concrete under a strict old-school boss who made me set forms again until they were right, and I've run this business in Irvine the same careful way since 2013. On a cutting job, that means we protect the concrete and plants around the cut, do only the work the estimate describes and leave your property as tidy as we found it.
Before the saw starts, I'll explain what we're cutting and why. If something about your slab worries me, I'll tell you so, because I would sooner give you an honest no than a hopeful yes. Satisfaction guaranteed on every job.
Call (949) 518-3401 early in your remodel, so the scan and any review are done before the next trade needs the opening.
Tell us where the cut goes, what it's for, plus any drawings or post-tension records. We reply within one business day to set my visit, and the estimate is free, with no obligation.
Professional saw cutting of concrete slabs usually costs about $4 to $15 per linear foot across the US, and that's for the sawing alone, not for breaking out or hauling the pieces. I measure your cut in person, so the written estimate shows where your slab falls in that range and why.
Not always, because sawing a slab and removing it are separate jobs, and some cutters make the cuts and leave the panels in place. Breaking, hauling and disposal can add up to more than the sawing, so compare quotes on whether removal is in them. Ours says plainly either way.
Look for the words "POST TENSION SLAB IN THIS BUILDING" stamped into the concrete inside the garage door area or next to the entry, because an Irvine bulletin requires that marking on these slabs. Many homes in Irvine's newer neighborhoods sit on post-tension slabs, and office floors and parking structures often do too, so I look for the stamp when I come out.
Check the structural drawings and any post-tensioning records first, then have the slab professionally scanned before anyone cuts, drills or cores it. Drawings and visual clues help, but on their own they don't prove the path is clear. A radar scan, called GPR, can help find cables, rebar, conduit and other things buried in the concrete.
The city decides that based on the work you're planning, and its Building Permits and Inspections page offers a check of whether your project will need one. When a job does need a city permit, we prepare and file it and keep you posted on where it stands.
Look for the state contractors board's D-6 Concrete-Related Services classification, which covers concrete sawing, breaking, coring and post-tensioning work. United Irvine Concrete is licensed and insured, and I'm glad to answer any questions about that when I come out.
We're based in Irvine and cut concrete in Costa Mesa, Tustin and the other cities below. Pick yours, or call (949) 518-3401 if your city isn't listed.
