Concrete contractor in Fountain Valley, CA - driveways and patios on a packed base
Premier Costa Mesa Concrete pours driveways, patios, walks, steps and garage floors for homes and rentals in Fountain Valley, CA, and replaces the sunken, cracked slabs that were never built on solid ground.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- Replies within 1 business day.
Fountain Valley homes, driveways and backyard slabs
Most of our calls in Fountain Valley come from homeowners with a driveway out front, a garage, a backyard patio and block walls along the property lines. Property managers and small building owners call too, about rentals and shops, and the work there is the same flat slab work: walks, patios, steps and parking areas. It's a short run from our jobs in Huntington Beach and Westminster, and the calls are much the same.
A lot of the slabs we look at here have been down for years, and when one has sunk or split, the problem is usually under it. That's why most of our work here starts with a shovel, not a mixer.
Concrete work we do on Fountain Valley properties
Concrete driveway building
When a Fountain Valley driveway has sunk at the garage or cracked across the middle, we break it out, dig and pack the base, and pour new.
Concrete patio construction
Backyard patios here often tip toward the house or hold water after the sprinklers run. We set the new slab to drain away from your walls and doors.
Stamped concrete services
Stamped concrete gives a patio or walk the look of stone or brick. We build the base first, because a pattern won't hide a settling slab.
Concrete sidewalk building
Side yard and front walks that have heaved into a trip edge get torn out and repoured flat, with joints cut so new cracks stay in line.
Garage floor concrete
Older garage floors are often cracked, stained and low near the door. We replace the slab or the worst section and finish it smooth for parking.
Decorative concrete
Colored concrete, scored patterns and pebble finishes dress up a front entry or courtyard. We help you pick one that suits your house and how much upkeep you want.
Concrete retaining walls
Where a yard steps down or a planter bed pushes against a walk, a concrete retaining wall holds the soil back so the walk stays put.
Concrete floor installation
For a converted garage, workshop or small commercial space, we pour an interior floor that's flat and level, so flooring or equipment sits right on it.
Concrete pool decks
A deck around a backyard pool takes bare feet and splashing. We pour it with a textured finish for grip and slope it so water runs off.
Concrete steps construction
Front steps that have cracked, chipped or pulled away from the porch get rebuilt on proper footings, with every step the same height so nobody catches a toe.
Slab foundation building
For a backyard unit or a new garage, we pour the slab foundation a building sits on, over ground we've dug out and packed.
Foundation installation
When an addition needs footings and short concrete walls under the framing, not just a slab, we form and pour a foundation sized for what goes on top.
Concrete parking lot building
Property managers and small building owners call us for parking areas behind shops and apartments, where a thicker slab and a solid base carry cars every day.
Concrete footings
Patio covers, block walls and posts sit on a footing, a concrete pad buried under them, and we dig and pour it to the right size so they don't lean.
Foundation raising
When one corner of a slab or a small structure has dropped, we look at why it settled, then raise and support it rather than pour over it.
Concrete cutting
We saw clean openings in an existing slab for a new drain, a doorway or a planter, and cut out a damaged section without breaking up the rest.
Get a free on-site concrete estimate in Fountain Valley
Send the form and we reply within one business day to set a visit. I come out myself and write you a free estimate with each part of the job spelled out, and there's no obligation.
(949) 543-1664- Mon–Fri: 6 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 7 AM–11 PM
- service@costamesaconcrete.com
- Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Working in Fountain Valley: permits, licenses and price
Permits here come from the city's Building & Safety Division, which issues them for building, altering, repairing or tearing down a structure. The city's list of work that skips a building permit doesn't name driveways or patios, so when a job isn't clearly covered we check with the Building Division at 714-593-4429 before we start, and if a permit's needed, we pull it and handle the filing. Before you hire anyone, check two things: a state license, since the Contractors State License Board licenses and regulates construction work in California, and a Fountain Valley business license, which the city says every subcontractor needs before starting work here. The city's business license office takes questions at 714-593-4421, and for the record, we're licensed and fully insured.
We're a concrete contractor based in Costa Mesa, CA, and Fountain Valley sits on the same run as our jobs in Newport Beach and the other cities around it. What moves the price is mostly the size of the slab, how much old concrete has to come out, how much base the ground needs and the finish you pick. The schedule turns on whether the city needs to see the job, our crew's calendar and the curing wait after the pour, and the estimate spells out each part so you see it before you decide.
Why Fountain Valley slabs sink, crack and hold water
A slab that's sunk at one end or split clean across usually sat on a subgrade, the dirt it rests on, that was raked flat instead of dug out and packed, so it settled as the dirt did. We dig past the loose soil, bring in base rock and compact it before anything is poured. That base is hidden on day one, so it's the first thing people want to cut, and it's the one I won't, because most of what I tore out in my old maintenance job failed right there. If the budget's tight, I'd rather pour a plain finish over a good base than a fancy surface on raked dirt.
Water standing on a patio or running toward the house usually means the slab went in flat or tipped the wrong way. We check where the water goes before we set any forms and pitch the slab away from your walls.
What to expect when you hire us in Fountain Valley
Here's how a job goes from your side, from the first call to the day you can use the new concrete.
Call or send us a message
Call (949) 543-1664 or use the form, and we get back to you within one business day to set a time for me to come out. Tell us what you're seeing, like cracks, sinking or water sitting on the slab, so I know what to look at.
I come out and look
I check the old slab, the ground and where water runs, and ask how you'll use the concrete. You get a free estimate with each part of the job spelled out, so you can see where the money goes before you commit.
We schedule it and file paperwork
Once you say go, we put the job on the calendar and take care of the city paperwork if it needs a permit. Any city review comes before the pour, so that's the one part of the schedule we don't set.
Our crew pours, I'm there
Our own crew digs out, packs the base, pours and finishes, and I'm on site when the concrete goes in. You don't need to be home for the pour, and we clean up before we leave.
Questions about concrete work in Fountain Valley
(949) 543-1664Do I need a permit to build a retaining wall in Fountain Valley?
Not for a wall up to 4 feet tall, measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall, based on the city's list of work exempt from a building permit. That exemption ends if the wall carries extra weight above it, like a driveway or a loaded slope, or holds back certain classes of liquid, and any electrical or plumbing tied to it can still need its own permit. When a wall is close to the line, we check with the city before we dig.
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Fountain Valley?
I give you that number after I've seen the site, because the cost here turns more on what's under and around the slab than on the concrete itself. Breaking out and hauling the old driveway, how deep we dig and pack the base, how thick the slab is, whether it gets rebar, the steel inside that holds it together if it cracks, and whether a truck can reach the spot all move it. A broom finish, the light texture that gives tires and shoes grip, costs less than stamped or colored concrete.
How long will I be without my driveway in Fountain Valley?
You're off it from tear-out until the new slab has cured enough to take a car, and curing, the wait while concrete gains strength, is the longest part. You can walk on it well before you can drive on it, and I'll tell you both at the pour. If the job needs a city permit, that review happens before we break anything out, so you're not parked on the street waiting on paperwork.
Will my new concrete patio crack like the old one?
It can still crack, because concrete shrinks as it dries, but we work to keep cracks small and where we chose. We cut control joints, shallow grooves that give the slab a straight line to crack along, on time instead of late, and put rebar in where the slab needs it. The bigger cause on old patios is the ground under them, which is why the base gets our time first.
Do subcontractors need a business license to work in Fountain Valley?
Yes, the city says every subcontractor needs a Fountain Valley business license before starting work there. On a permitted project, the city also wants its subcontractor form in for approval two weeks before the final inspection is requested, or the final inspection gets delayed. Our own crew does the work, and on permitted jobs we handle the filing.
How much can a contractor ask for up front on a home project in California?
The state licensing board says a contractor can't ask for or take a down payment of more than $1,000, and on a smaller contract the cap is lower because it's tied to the contract price. The board says that rule covers home improvement projects in general, not just rebuilding after a disaster, so it's worth knowing before you sign with anyone.
Costa Mesa, CA
Get your Fountain Valley concrete looked at
Call (949) 543-1664 or send the form, and I'll tell you straight whether that slab needs replacing now or can wait, even if the answer is you don't need us yet.