Concrete Contractor in Costa Mesa, CA - Driveways, Patios and Slabs on a Solid Base
Premier Costa Mesa Concrete is a concrete contractor based in Costa Mesa, CA. Our own crew pours driveways, patios, walkways, steps, garage floors and foundations for homeowners, property managers and small building owners across the city.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- Replies within 1 business day.
Costa Mesa homes and the concrete around them
I started this business in Costa Mesa in 2017, after years of patching cracked walks, sunken slabs and broken steps on rentals for a property management company. Most of our calls in the city come from single-story houses where the driveway, the side walk and the back patio are often as old as the house. The rest come from property managers and small building owners who want their flatwork, the driveways, walks, lots and other slabs on the ground, done once.
We do the same work next door in Newport Beach and Huntington Beach. On houses this age, the job usually starts with breaking out an old slab, and nobody knows what's under it until it's up.
Concrete work we do in Costa Mesa
Concrete driveway building
Older Costa Mesa driveways often crack, sink or lift near the street. We tear out the old slab, pack a new base and pour fresh.
Concrete patio construction
Plenty of backyards here have a small original patio that tips toward the house. We pour a new one that sheds water toward the yard.
Stamped concrete services
Stamped concrete gives a patio or entry the look of stone or brick in one pour. It suits the courtyards and front walks on remodeled homes.
Concrete sidewalk building
Side yard and front walks here get lifted by roots and cracked by years of foot traffic. We replace the broken sections so the walk sits flat again.
Garage floor concrete
Older garage floors here are often pitted, stained and cracked through. We break out the old slab and pour a new one that drains toward the door.
Decorative concrete
Color, exposed stone and saw-cut patterns let a plain slab match the house. We use them on entries, courtyards and patios where people actually look at the concrete.
Concrete retaining walls
A concrete retaining wall holds back soil where a yard slopes or steps up. We set each one on a footing sized for the load.
Concrete floor installation
Workshops, studios and small commercial spaces here need floors that stay flat under shelving and carts. We pour interior slabs finished for how the room gets used.
Concrete pool decks
Pool decks here see bare feet, splashing and chlorinated water every summer. We pour them with a textured top for grip and slope them away from the pool.
Concrete steps construction
Front steps on older houses here settle, chip at the edges and pull away from the porch. We rebuild them with even step heights so nobody misjudges one.
Slab foundation building
Room additions, backyard units and new garages here usually sit on a slab foundation. We dig out, pack the base and set the steel before the pour.
Foundation installation
An addition or rebuild on an older house needs a new foundation that carries the walls above. We form, reinforce and pour it to the plans.
Concrete parking lot building
Apartment buildings and small commercial lots here need parking that holds up to daily traffic. We pour it thick enough for cars and pitched toward the drains.
Concrete footings
Patio covers, block walls and decks need footings, the concrete base that carries their weight into the ground. We dig them to the depth your plans call for.
Foundation raising
Raising a settled slab on an older Costa Mesa house can save tearing it out. We find out why it sank before we lift anything.
Concrete cutting
Replacing a sewer line or widening a driveway means cutting through the old concrete. We saw clean, straight edges so the patch looks planned.
Get a free on-site estimate for your Costa Mesa concrete job
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day to set a time. I come out myself, look at the site and give you a free estimate, with no obligation to go ahead.
(949) 543-1664- Mon–Fri: 6 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 7 AM–11 PM
- service@costamesaconcrete.com
- Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Working in Costa Mesa: permits, licenses and price
Building permits in Costa Mesa come from the city's Building Safety Division, and that's who to ask if you're not sure your job needs one. When a job does need one, it has to clear before we pour, so it can set the start date. Any contractor bidding your job should already hold a license from the Contractors State License Board, and you can ask whether they have a Costa Mesa business license too, which the city's Finance department handles. We're licensed and fully insured.
When your job needs a permit, we pull it and handle the filing, and if it's unclear, we check with the city before we start. The price moves with the size of the area, how much old concrete comes out, how much base work the ground needs and the finish you pick. The schedule turns on any permit, the weather and curing, the days fresh concrete needs to gain strength before you put weight on it, and the estimate I write spells out each part for your job. We work the same way in Irvine and Santa Ana, with each city's own permit office.
Old slabs here fail from what's under them
Most of the concrete I tore out in my old job didn't fail because of the concrete. It failed at the subgrade, the dirt the slab sits on, because somebody raked it level instead of digging it out and packing it, so it settled and took the slab down with it. We see the same thing under a lot of older driveways and patios in Costa Mesa. The base is the part you can't see once we pour, and it's the first thing people want to cut from a budget. I'd rather change the plan or tell you no than skimp there, so if money's tight, I'll steer you to a plain broom finish, the light texture that gives shoes and tires some grip, before I touch the base.
The other question is whether the new slab will crack like the old one. Concrete shrinks as it cures, so we cut control joints, shallow grooves that give it a place to crack, before it picks its own spots. Where the slab needs it we add rebar, steel inside that keeps a crack from spreading apart, and we pour early instead of in the midday heat that leaves a weak, dusty top.
What to expect from a Costa Mesa concrete job
From your first call to the day you can use it, here's how a job goes with us. Nothing gets scheduled until you've seen the estimate and said go.
Call or send us a message
Call (949) 543-1664 or use the form, and we get back to you to set a time for me to come out. Tell us what you're seeing, like cracks, sinking or pooling water, so I know what to look at.
I look at the site
I come out myself and look at the ground, where the water runs and how you'll use the concrete, then write up the estimate. Each part of the job is spelled out, so you see what the tear-out, the base and the finish each cost before you decide.
We schedule and file permits
Once you say go, we put the job on the schedule and handle the city paperwork when the job needs a permit. If it does, the city's review has to finish before we start, and I'll keep you posted on where it stands.
I'm on site for the pour
Our own crew digs out, packs the base, pours and finishes, and I'm there when the concrete goes in. After that you stay off it while it cures, and we'll tell you when it's ready to walk on and when it's ready to drive on.
Questions about concrete work in Costa Mesa
(949) 543-1664Do I need a licensed contractor for concrete work in Costa Mesa?
Yes, in most cases, because California requires a state contractor's license when a job needs a building permit, uses hired workers, or adds up to $1,000 or more in labor and materials. The exception is a small job with no permit, no hired workers and a total under that amount, and the state licensing board won't let a bigger job be split into smaller contracts to get under $1,000.
How do I apply for a building permit in Costa Mesa?
You apply online through TESSA, the city's permit system, where all the application information gets entered directly. The city ignores paper forms and sends incomplete applications back, so have your plans and details ready before you start. On jobs we do, we pull the permit and handle the filing for you.
Which projects can get an Insta-Permit in Costa Mesa?
The city's Insta-Permits cover simple residential jobs like HVAC, re-pipe, water heater, EV charger, panel upgrade and re-roof work, each in one version for licensed contractors and one for owner-builders. Concrete work isn't on that list. That doesn't settle whether your driveway or patio needs a regular building permit, so it's worth asking the city before anyone starts digging.
What are the penalties for contracting without a license in California?
Contracting without a license is usually a misdemeanor on a first offense, with up to six months in jail, a $500 fine or both. The state can add an administrative fine of $200 to $15,000. Those penalties land on whoever did the work, and anyone willing to risk them is a contractor I'd pass on.
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Costa Mesa?
A new driveway here is priced on its size, the tear-out and haul-off of the old one, how much base work the ground needs and the finish, so I give you the number after I've seen the site. Rebar, a thicker slab for a truck or RV, and a spot a concrete truck can't reach all add to it. The estimate breaks out each part, and our concrete driveway page covers the work in more detail.
What causes water to pool on a concrete patio in Costa Mesa?
Water usually pools because the slab was poured too flat or has settled into a low spot, so the water has nowhere to run. On a new patio we check where water runs off your yard before we set forms, and we slope the slab away from the house. An old slab with a low spot usually has to come out, because a patch on top rarely fixes the slope.
Costa Mesa, CA
Get your Costa Mesa concrete job looked at
A sinking or cracked slab usually gets worse, and a look now tells you whether a section can be fixed or the whole thing has to come out.