Concrete driveway building in Covina CA - a slab poured and cured the right way
Cracked, sinking or chipping driveway? We tear it out, form it, pour it and cure it so the new one holds up.
What does it take to build a new concrete driveway in Covina?
Building a concrete driveway in Covina, CA means we form, pour and finish a new slab of flat concrete, then cure it, which is the wait while the concrete gains strength before you put weight on it. At Modern Covina Concrete, the job usually starts with breaking out the old driveway.
Most driveway calls we get start with cracks, a sunken section or water pooling by the garage, and once it's that far along, replacing the slab is usually the honest answer. The price mostly comes down to the size in square feet, how much old concrete we haul off, the finish you pick and whether the work reaches the approach, the part that meets the street, or the sidewalk. The schedule turns on that same question, plus the weather on pour day and the wait while the slab cures. When the job touches the approach or the sidewalk, that's work outside your property, so we check with the city first and pull the permit as the licensed contractor. Your written estimate spells out what's included for your driveway.
What happens after you call us about a driveway?
Call or send a message
Call (626) 412-8842 or use the form, and we get back to you to set a time for the visit. Tell us if the driveway runs into the sidewalk or the street so I know what to look at.
I measure and write it up
I come out myself, look over the site and measure the driveway. Then I send you a written estimate that spells out what's included, so you can compare it line by line.
We handle permits and inspections
Once you say go, we take care of any permit your job needs and set up the inspections. For approach or sidewalk work, the city's Public Works inspectors check before work starts and again at the end, and the first inspection has to be requested at least a week ahead, so that week goes into your start date.
We pour and walk it together
I'm on site with our crew while the work gets done, and we keep your neighbors' driveways clear and leave the site clean. When it's finished, I walk the new driveway with you.
How we build a concrete driveway, and the work around it
We start by looking at where the water runs on your lot, because a driveway that tips toward the house sends water right at your foundation. Then we break out and haul off the old concrete, set the forms and lay in rebar, the steel inside the slab that holds it together if it does crack. That's the work nobody sees once the concrete's down, and if a budget has to give somewhere, I'd rather it come out of the finish than the forms and the steel, because you can live with a plain surface but you can't fix what's inside the slab without tearing it out. We place and finish the concrete with a broom finish, the light texture that gives tires and shoes some grip, and we cut control joints, shallow grooves that give the slab a straight place to crack, before the concrete picks its own spot. Then the slab cures.
Driveway jobs often spread into the rest of the yard. If you've been wanting a slab out back too, concrete patio construction fits in easily while we're already set up at your house. If you'd like more than a broom finish, our stamped concrete services press a pattern and color into the surface while it's still wet.
Get a written estimate for your new driveway
We reply within one business day, and there's no obligation. I come out to look at your driveway myself, measure it and send you a free written estimate that spells out what's included.
Covina driveway questions we hear most
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in the Los Angeles area?
A concrete driveway in the Los Angeles area usually costs about $4.10 to $10 per square foot, which is the going rate across the market, not a quote from us. Where yours lands depends on things like tearing out the old slab, approach or sidewalk work and the finish you choose, and my written estimate shows your number with what's included. Our work is backed by our satisfaction guarantee.
What is the best time to pour a concrete driveway in summer?
Early morning is the best time, because hot weather problems with concrete generally show up in summer, and wind on a hot, dry day makes them worse. A concrete trade group advises early morning pours whenever possible, with the concrete delivered and finished promptly, so if your driveway falls in summer, plan on an early start.
Who is allowed to build a concrete driveway in California?
A driveway job that needs a permit or uses a hired crew has to go to a licensed contractor, because the state's minor work exemption for small jobs under $1,000 covers only work with no permit and no hired help. In Covina, the permit for work outside your property also has to be pulled by a state licensed contractor. We're licensed and fully insured, and we pull those permits ourselves.
What does Covina require for driveway approach work?
You need a city permit, because Covina requires one for all work in the public right-of-way, the strip outside your property, and its driveway approach permits cover widening, rebuilding, removing or adding an approach and building a circular driveway. If you're removing or adding an approach or going circular, the city's Planning Division has to approve it before the permit application goes in, so that step comes first on your schedule. The city also asks owners to check in with its engineering staff when work reaches past the property, or when there's no sidewalk and the work is close to the front property line, and we take care of that check and the permit application for you.
How do I take care of a new concrete driveway while it cures?
Treat it the way the curing method calls for, because each method changes how the slab is handled after the pour. A concrete trade group advises starting the cure right after placement with a curing compound, seven days of continuous soaking, a wet burlap or plastic cover, or curing paper. Before we leave, I tell you which one we're using and how to treat the slab until it's ready.
Does the City of Covina issue permits for every Covina address?
No, the city's Building & Safety Division only takes applications for addresses inside the City of Covina, so a West Covina address or a county area with a Covina mailing address goes to a different office. That's why I check your address first to see whether the city or LA County handles your permit. We're based in Covina and work in the cities around it, and if you're not sure we come out your way, call and ask.
Other concrete work that often goes with a driveway
Concrete patio construction
Planning a back patio? Pouring it around the same time as the driveway lets both slabs share a look and keeps the mess to one stretch.
Stamped concrete services
A stamped border or full pattern gives a plain driveway the look of brick or stone, and it's worth weighing before the pour since it can't be added afterward.
Get your driveway estimate on the calendar
Call (626) 412-8842, email contact@covinaconcretecontractor.com or use the form with your address, a rough size in square feet and whether the work reaches the sidewalk or the street, so I know what to check before I come out.