Driveway cracked, sinking or pooling water by the garage? We pour a new slab on a packed base, built for what you park.
Building a concrete driveway in Irvine means taking out the old slab or soft ground, packing a firm base and pouring a new slab graded so water runs away from your garage. Most of the work happens before the concrete arrives, and the slab needs time to cure afterward before it carries a car.
Most calls start with cracks, a corner that's sunk or water pooling by the garage door. Usually the concrete isn't the whole story, because the ground under it moved or nobody checked where the water would run. So I look at the subgrade, the soil the slab sits on, as closely as the slab itself, and I ask what you park on the driveway, since that shapes how we build it.
The price moves mostly with the driveway's size, whether the old one comes out and how heavy a slab your vehicles need. The schedule turns on HOA approval, any permit and curing, the days the new slab is kept damp so it hardens properly. When a job needs a city permit, we prepare and file it and keep you posted, and my written estimate shows what's included so nothing is left to guess.
Call (949) 518-3401 or use the form, and we get back to you to set a time for me to come out. It helps to know roughly how big the driveway is and whether the old one is coming out.
I come out myself, take measurements, check where the water runs now and ask what you park and how you use the driveway. You get a written estimate that shows what's included, so you can set it beside any other quote and compare.
If you go ahead, we handle any permit, then our own crew digs out, packs the base, sets the forms and pours, with me or my foreman running the site. We cut control joints, planned lines that give the slab a place to crack, so any crack follows a line we chose instead of wandering.
Before we leave, we walk the finished driveway with you and clean up the site. We also talk through when it's ready for your car, so you can plan your parking.
The part that decides how a driveway holds up is the part you never see. We dig out roots, topsoil and loose fill, pack the ground and any old utility trenches firm, and set an even grade that falls away from the garage, so water doesn't sit at the door, in low spots or along the edges. A slab poured on raked dirt settles right along with the dirt.
Then we build the slab for what you park. A standard slab is generally enough for ordinary cars, while trucks, RVs or weak ground can call for a thicker one, so that's an option worth asking about when you compare quotes. Rebar, the steel set inside the slab, goes in when the job calls for it. We also do concrete patio construction and stamped concrete services if you'd like those priced at the same visit.
What a new driveway job includes:
If the cracks are narrow and the slab still sits level and drains, a repair or cutting out one bad section is often enough, and I'll tell you so. When the driveway has sunk, broken into many pieces or tips water back toward the garage, the ground under it has usually given way. Patching the top then leaves the new concrete on the same soft base, so that's when I'd recommend tearing out and starting over.
Beyond size and tear-out, the cost depends on how much digging and grading the site needs to drain properly, how thick the slab is, whether it's reinforced, and how easy it is to get equipment in. Curves and tight spots add labor. When the budget is tight, people are tempted to save on the base because nobody sees it on day one. I'd sooner trim the size than skimp there, because the base is what keeps the slab flat.
I learned this trade under a strict boss who made me tear out forms and set them again until they were right, and I've run this business the same way since 2013. That means doing exactly what the estimate says, explaining each step before we take it and telling you plainly if something you've asked for won't work well.
Our crew protects what sits next to the pour, keeps the mess contained and cleans up before we leave, so your property looks the way we found it, apart from the new driveway. We stand behind every job with one plain promise, satisfaction guaranteed on every job. When you're ready, call (949) 518-3401 or send the form below.
When you call, have the rough size, what you park, whether the old driveway comes out and any HOA rules handy.
Tell us about the driveway and how to reach you. We reply within one business day to set a time for me to come out, and the on-site estimate is free with no obligation.
A new concrete driveway in Orange County usually costs about $7 to $14 per square foot, not counting removal of an old driveway. Breaking out and hauling away an existing slab adds to that. I measure on site and give you a written estimate that shows what's included, so you know your own number before you decide.
Check it against Irvine's list of work that doesn't need a permit, which includes driveways no more than 30 inches above grade that don't sit over a basement or a story below. Work on that list still has to meet the building codes and city, county and state rules, and the city answers permit questions at (949) 724-6313. If you're in an HOA, the city also advises checking that the project is allowed under your association's CC&Rs, its own rules, and we'll give you the drawings and details they need.
It's worth considering, because reinforcement helps control how wide cracks get and keeps the slab together after one forms. It costs a little more per square foot than a plain slab, and it still needs a well-packed base and good joints to do its job. I'll talk it through with you once I know what you park.
Not right away, so plan on parking somewhere else at first, because concrete keeps gaining strength well after it's firm enough to walk on. The edges and corners need the most protection from early traffic, and a slab that looks hard or has its full color isn't proof it can take the weight of a car. We'll talk with you about the right time for your vehicles before we leave.
Hot-weather guidance calls for curing a slab for at least 3 days, keeping it covered or wet the whole time so it doesn't dry out. That can be done with wet burlap under plastic sheeting, a liquid curing compound or plain water, so it's fair to ask which one a crew plans to use. The same guidance says to place and finish the concrete outside the hottest part of the day when possible, and to finish it without sprinkling water on the surface.
In nearly every case, yes, because the state allows unlicensed work only on jobs under $1,000 that need no permit, where the person doing it employs no one on the project. The state licensing board describes a concrete contractor as one who forms, pours, places and finishes pavement and flat concrete work, which is what a driveway is. We're licensed and insured.
We're based in Irvine and build driveways in Costa Mesa, Tustin and other nearby cities. Pick your city below, or call (949) 518-3401 if yours isn't listed.
