Concrete Contractor in Santa Ana - Driveways, Patios and Slabs on a Packed Base
Premier Costa Mesa Concrete is a concrete contractor from Costa Mesa, CA, building and replacing driveways, patios, walkways, steps and retaining walls for homes and rental properties across Santa Ana. We start with the ground underneath.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- Replies within 1 business day.
Santa Ana concrete jobs, from older driveways to rentals
Most of our calls in Santa Ana are for concrete that's been down a long time. That means driveways cracked and dropped at the street, walks lifted by a tree, back patios that hold water by the door and steps that have pulled away from the house. We hear from homeowners here, and from property managers and small building owners with a few units who want the flatwork done once and left alone. It's the same mix we see next door in Orange and over in Tustin.
On an older lot, what's under the slab usually matters more than the slab. When we break out old concrete here we tend to find years of settling, old roots and a subgrade, the dirt the slab actually sits on, that was only raked flat, so we plan to dig down to firm ground and pack a new base before any forms go up.
Concrete services for Santa Ana homes and rentals
Concrete driveway building
Older Santa Ana driveways often crack and sink near the street. We break out the old slab, dig to firm ground, pack a new base and pour.
Concrete patio construction
For back patios that tip toward the house and hold water after rain, we reset the slope so water runs out to the yard instead of the door.
Stamped concrete services
Stamped concrete gives a patio or entry the look of stone or brick in one pour. It only holds up as well as the base under it.
Concrete sidewalk building
Walks lifted by roots or broken into trip edges get repoured on a packed base, with control joints cut so cracks follow a planned line.
Garage floor concrete
Garage floors in older houses here are often cracked, stained and low at the door. We replace them so the floor sits level and sheds water.
Decorative concrete
We pour colored, stained and exposed-aggregate finishes for front walks and yards on the same dug-out, packed base as a plain slab, because a finish can't fix bad ground.
Concrete retaining walls
Where a yard steps down or soil is pushing against a fence or slab, a poured retaining wall holds the ground back on a footing set in firm soil.
Concrete floor installation
Interior slabs for garage conversions, workshops and additions, set on a packed base at a thickness that fits what the room will carry.
Concrete pool decks
Pool decks that have cracked, heaved or turned slick get replaced with a textured surface that's easier on bare feet and drains away from the pool.
Concrete steps construction
Front and back steps that have pulled away from the house or settled out of level get rebuilt with even steps on a solid footing.
Slab foundation building
Slab foundations for additions and detached structures, with the ground dug out, packed and checked before the steel goes in and the concrete is poured.
Foundation installation
New foundations for additions and rebuilds on older lots, where we check the soil and old fill first so new work isn't sitting on someone's old shortcut.
Concrete parking lot building
Parking areas for small apartment buildings and shops, laid out so water runs where it should and the slab is thick enough for daily traffic.
Concrete footings
Footings for walls, posts, patio covers and additions, dug down so the weight rests on firm soil instead of loose fill near the surface.
Foundation raising
When a slab or section of foundation has dropped, we raise it back toward level and deal with why it sank, which is usually the ground.
Concrete cutting
Saw-cutting for new plumbing runs, wider driveways, door openings and damaged sections, so we take out only what has to go and leave the rest whole.
Get a free on-site concrete estimate in Santa Ana
We reply within one business day and set a time for me to come out. I look at the site, then give you a free estimate with each part of the job spelled out, with 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 Santa Ana with the city's permit offices
In Santa Ana, the Building Safety Division issues building permits, reviews plans and inspects the work it permits, and most applications need Planning Division approval before they reach the division. That two-step review is what can stretch a schedule here, so when a job needs a permit we pull it, handle the filing and build the wait into the start date, and if it's unclear we check with the city before we start. The city also requires every business working inside city limits to hold a city business license, and its permit pages say a contractor needs a current one, so that's a fair thing to ask anyone you're comparing. We're licensed and fully insured.
We come up from Costa Mesa, so Santa Ana is an easy drive for estimates and pour days. The price turns mostly on things you can't see yet, like how much old concrete comes out, how deep we dig before we hit firm ground, how far the truck has to reach on a tight lot, and whether you want a plain broom finish, the light brushed texture that keeps it from getting slick, or something stamped or colored. The schedule turns on the permit, the weather and the plant, and the estimate puts each of those on paper for your job.
Why older Santa Ana slabs crack, sink and hold water
Most of the concrete I tore out in my property management days didn't fail because of the concrete. It failed because the base was raked level instead of dug out and packed, so the dirt settled and the slab went with it, or because nobody checked where the water ran and the slab fell back toward the house. On older Santa Ana properties we see both, plus joints that were cut late or skipped, which is why the cracks wander wherever they like.
So we spend the money where you can't see it on day one. I'd rather trim a fancy finish than the base, because a plain slab on good ground outlasts a stamped one on loose fill, and on hot days we pour early so the top doesn't dry out weak and dusty.
How a concrete job runs when you call us in Santa Ana
Here's how it goes from your first call to the day you can use the new concrete, with me on site for the parts that count.
Call or send a message
Call or use the form and tell us what's going on with the concrete, and we set a time for me to come out. You don't need to be home if I can see the area from outside.
I walk the site
I look at the old concrete, where the water goes and how you'll use the space. Then you get a free estimate with removal, base, finish and any permit listed as their own lines.
We schedule and handle permits
Once you say go, we put it on the schedule and take care of the city paperwork if the job needs it. The city's review sets the start date on permitted jobs, and I'll tell you which path yours is on.
Dig out, pour and cure
Our crew breaks out the old slab, digs to firm ground, packs the base and sets forms, and I'm there when the concrete goes in. Then it cures, the time it needs to harden before it takes weight, and I'll tell you when you can walk on it and when you can drive on it.
Questions about concrete work in Santa Ana
(949) 543-1664How do I find out if my concrete job needs a permit in Santa Ana?
Ask the city, because its permit list doesn't settle it for driveways or patios. The city's permit FAQ says a permit is needed to build, alter, repair or demolish a building, and it lists finish work like tile and counters as exempt, but it doesn't spell out flatwork either way. When it's unclear, we check with the city before we start, and if your job needs one, we pull it.
Is a retaining wall or fence exempt from a permit in Santa Ana?
A retaining wall up to 4 feet tall, measured from the bottom of the footing to the top, is exempt from a building permit under the city's FAQ unless it carries extra load, like a driveway or slope on top of it. Fences up to 7 feet are exempt too, but a front-yard fence needs its own permit from the Planning Division, and an older city handout says fences and walls, retaining walls included, go through Planning review. So even a short wall gets a call to the city before we pour.
Can I get a concrete permit the same day in Santa Ana?
Sometimes, because the city issues some permits over the counter the same day, but its examples are things like water heaters, patio covers and pools, not driveways. Other projects go in for plan review, so we set the start date around whichever path your job ends up on.
How long does a Santa Ana building permit stay valid?
A permit expires if work doesn't start within 180 days of being issued, and it also lapses if work stops for 180 days after it starts. That's why it makes sense to pull it once the job is lined up, not months ahead.
What does a new concrete driveway cost in Santa Ana?
There's no fair number until I've seen the lot, because on an older Santa Ana driveway the price turns mostly on what's under the old slab. Roots, soft fill or a base that was never packed means more digging and more base before we can pour, and a stamped or colored finish costs more than a plain one. The free estimate breaks all of that out for your driveway.
Will a new concrete driveway in Santa Ana crack like the old one?
It shouldn't crack the way the old one did, because most old driveways here crack from settling and missing joints, and those are exactly the parts we fix. Any concrete can still get hairline cracks, so we cut control joints to keep them in straight lines and set rebar, the steel that holds the pieces together if a crack forms, where the slab needs it.
Costa Mesa, CA
Ask about your Santa Ana concrete project
The base is the cheapest part to fix before the pour and the most expensive after, so it's worth a look before you settle on a plan.