Concrete Contractor in Covina, CA - Driveways and Patios on a Packed Base
Modern Covina Concrete is a concrete contractor based in Covina, CA. We tear out and pour driveways, patios, walkways, steps and retaining walls for homeowners here, and we dig out and pack the base before any concrete goes down.
Covina as we see it from the driveway
I started Modern Covina Concrete here in 2021, and most of our calls still come from Covina homeowners, plus neighbors in Charter Oak and Citrus. Covina is mostly streets of single-family houses in the East San Gabriel Valley, with a small downtown, schools and shopping mixed in, and a lot of the homes we work on still sit on the driveway, walk and back patio they were built with. Decades of cars, tree roots and garden water have worked on those slabs, so by the time you call, the concrete is usually cracked through, sunk at one end or holding a puddle by the garage.
That's why most Covina jobs start under the old slab. We break it out, dig past the soft dirt and loose fill it was poured on and pack a new base, because new concrete over the same tired ground tends to settle the same way.
Services in Covina, CA
Concrete driveway building
Older Covina driveways crack and sink when nobody packed the base. For concrete driveway building, we break out the old slab, pack new base and pour.
Concrete patio construction
Many back patios here were poured flat and hold water by the house. We slope the new one away and broom the surface so wet feet grip.
Concrete sidewalk building
Covina front walks heave where roots run under them, leaving a lip that trips people. We cut out the lifted sections, rebuild the base and pour flush.
Concrete retaining walls
Sloped yards here lose ground when an old wall starts leaning. We build concrete retaining walls on proper footings, with steel sized for the soil behind them.
Concrete steps construction
Front steps on older houses often pull away from the porch as the ground settles. We tear them out and pour new ones with even risers.
Garage floor concrete
Garage floors in older Covina houses are often cracked and stained from decades of cars. We break out the slab, repack the base and pour a new floor.
Working in Covina: the address, the permit and what moves the price
Before I price anything in Covina, I check the address, because several pockets inside the city are actually Los Angeles County land, and there the county handles building and LA County Public Works issues the permit. Everywhere else, the City of Covina's Building & Safety Division issues it, and that office won't take a West Covina address even though the names sound alike. Inside the city, walls and other exterior work need Planning approval before they reach Building & Safety, and anything that isn't a quick over-the-counter permit will likely go to plan check, where the city reviews the drawings, so the paperwork can set the start date more than the pour does. A contractor pulling a city permit has to show a current state contractor's license, a current Covina business license and workers' comp coverage, and you can look up any contractor's state license yourself with the Contractors State License Board.
We're licensed and fully insured, and when a job needs a permit, we apply for it as the licensed contractor and set up the inspections, so you're not the one standing at the counter. The price moves with the size of the slab, how much old concrete has to come out and get hauled off, how deep we dig to reach solid ground, how thick the slab is, how much rebar goes in to keep cracks from pulling apart, the finish you pick and whether the work reaches the street. The schedule turns on the permit path and on curing, the days new concrete needs to harden before you walk or drive on it. I put all of it in a written estimate so you can see what's included, and the work is backed by our satisfaction guarantee.
What we see on Covina houses and lots
On the older houses here, the slab by the garage or the back door has often sunk just enough to tip toward the house, so rain and sprinkler water run back against the walls and pool by the garage door. Patching the surface won't change where that water goes. We break out the bad section, regrade the ground and set the new slab to fall away from the house, toward the yard or the street.
Covina also has condos and townhomes where the walks and patios belong to everyone. For work on a condo building's common area or exterior, the city wants a letter of authorization signed by the HOA president with the permit, so we ask for it early and keep it from holding up the start.
Get a written concrete estimate for your Covina home
We reply within one business day, and the estimate is free, done on site and comes with no obligation. After you send the form, I come out to your Covina address myself, measure and check which office handles the permit, then send you a written estimate that spells out what's included.
How a concrete job runs when you call us in Covina
Call or send your address
Call (626) 412-8842 or use the form and tell us the address and what you want poured. A few photos of the old slab help me get a first look.
I come out and measure
I come out myself, look over the site, measure and confirm whether your address falls under the city or LA County. Point out where water pools or the slab has sunk, because that tells me what's going on underneath.
Get your written estimate
I send a written estimate that spells out what's included, from tear-out and base work to the finish. You can go through it line by line before you decide.
We handle permits and inspections
Once you say go, we apply for any permit as the licensed contractor and set up the inspections. If the city's Planning approval or plan check comes first, that review sets the start date, and I'll keep you posted on where it stands.
Pour, cure and walk through
Our crew digs out, packs the base, sets forms and steel and pours with me on site, and we keep the neighbors' driveways clear and clean up before we leave. Once the slab has cured enough to use, I walk the finished job with you.
Covina concrete questions we hear most
How much does it cost to replace a concrete driveway in Covina?
Your price is set by the driveway you need and the ground under it, and I'll give you that number in a written estimate after I've seen the site. The one cut I'd push back on is skimping on the base to pay for a stamped or colored finish, because the base is the part nobody sees on day one and it decides whether the driveway stays flat. If the budget's tight, a plain broom finish on a properly packed base is the better buy.
How do I find out if my Covina address is in the city or LA County?
Look it up with the city's address jurisdiction check, or give us the address and I'll check it before I come out. Don't go by your water bill, because some county-pocket addresses get Covina Water while their building and planning still sit with the county. Getting this right first sends the permit to the right office.
Do I need city approval to build a retaining wall or block wall in Covina?
Yes, the city requires a Planning Wall and Fence approval for every wall and fence, whatever its height or location, and after that the city's building official issues the building permit. Retaining walls, and taller walls too, also need structural plans, so we build time for those drawings into the schedule. The city's building and safety FAQ lays out the steps.
Does a new concrete patio or driveway need approval from the City of Covina?
Yes, the city's permit handout says flatwork, the slabs on the ground like patios, walks and driveways, still needs Planning Division approval, so we don't treat a pour as something you just go ahead and do. If the work reaches the public right of way, or runs close to a front property line with no sidewalk, it starts with a check-in with the city's engineering staff. Some building permits are only issued once an encroachment permit, the city's OK to work in the street area, comes through.
How big a down payment can a contractor ask for on a home project in California?
The state licensing board says a down payment can be no more than $1,000 or 10 percent of the total contract price, whichever is less. After that, payments are listed in the contract and based on work done or materials delivered, and the board says this applies to all home improvement projects. If someone asks for more up front, that's a reason to slow down.
What causes a concrete driveway or patio to crack and sink?
Most cracking and sinking starts under the slab, usually with dirt that was raked level instead of dug out and packed, so the concrete settles right along with it. Skipped or late control joints, the grooves cut so the slab cracks along a line we chose, and a pour in the heat of the day that leaves a weak, dusty top add to it. We dig down to a solid subgrade, the ground the slab sits on, pack the base, cut the joints on time and pour early in the day, and while concrete can still crack, on a slab built that way the cracks usually land in the joints.
Send us your Covina address and plans
Call (626) 412-8842 or use the form, because a written estimate with every item spelled out is the easiest way to compare us with anyone else you're talking to.