Concrete contractor in Pico Rivera - driveways, patios and slabs built to drain
Classic Whittier Concrete is a concrete contractor based in Whittier, and we pour driveways, patios, walkways, steps and slabs for houses and business property in Pico Rivera, from the dig-out to the final walk-through.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free on-site estimates.
- Expect a reply within 1 business day.
Pico Rivera houses and the concrete around them
Pico Rivera is right next door to Whittier, and most of our calls there come from homeowners, with some from owners and managers of business property along the main streets. The work looks a lot like what we do in Montebello and Downey, its neighbors to the north and south.
Most homes here are single-story houses on flat lots, with a driveway running past the house to a garage, a patio out back and a short walk to the front door. A lot of that concrete went in around the time the houses were built, so a job here usually starts with breaking out an old slab instead of pouring on open ground. That changes the work, because what we find under the old concrete decides what the new slab needs before we pour.
Concrete work we do for Pico Rivera properties
Concrete driveway building
Long driveways running back to a garage are common here, and when yours has cracked and sunk we break it out and pour new over a packed base.
Concrete patio construction
A backyard patio here usually sits right against the house, so we set its slope to carry water out toward the yard and away from the back door.
Stamped concrete services
Stamped concrete gives a patio or front walk the look of stone or brick, and it suits owners here who want more than gray without laying pavers.
Concrete sidewalk building
We replace walkways from the driveway to your front door when roots or settling have lifted a panel high enough to catch a toe.
Garage floor concrete
Older garage floors here are often cracked and uneven, so we break out the old slab and pour one that drains toward the door.
Decorative concrete
Color, exposed stone and saw-cut patterns let a front entry or patio stand out on the block, and we plan the joints so they're part of the design.
Concrete retaining walls
Even on the level yards here, a raised planter or a step down at the back fence can need a short concrete wall to hold the dirt back.
Concrete floor installation
We pour interior slabs for converted garages, workshops and business buildings here that need a flat, even floor for whatever goes on top.
Concrete pool decks
A backyard pool deck needs a finish that grips wet feet and a slope that carries splash water away from the pool and toward a drain.
Concrete steps construction
Front steps on older houses here often settle away from the porch, and we form new ones with every step the same height so nobody trips.
Slab foundation building
For a new garage, room addition or backyard unit, we dig out, pack the ground and pour the slab the whole building will sit on.
Foundation installation
When an addition or detached building here needs a raised foundation rather than a flat slab, we form and pour it to the plans.
Concrete parking lot building
Business lots here take steady car and truck traffic, so we build them thicker than a home driveway and plan where the water runs off.
Concrete footings
Block walls between yards, patio covers and gates all sit on footings, buried concrete that carries the weight, and we size and dig them for the job.
Foundation raising
When a corner of the house or an old slab has settled, I look at why it sank first, because lifting it without fixing the cause buys time.
Concrete cutting
We saw-cut plumbing trenches, wall openings and broken sections out of old concrete on tight lots here, so the rest of the slab can stay put.
Get a free on-site estimate for your Pico Rivera concrete job
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set a time for me to come out, look at the job and write up a free estimate, with no pressure and no obligation.
- Based in
- Whittier, CA 90602
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 6 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 8 AM–9 PM
Permits, access and pricing on Pico Rivera jobs
In Pico Rivera, the city's Building Division oversees home construction, and many projects go through zoning review, plan check or both before a permit is issued, so on a job that needs one, that review usually sets the start date more than our calendar does. When your job needs a permit, we apply for it and I'm there for the inspections. We're licensed and insured, and you're welcome to ask for the details before you sign anything. The price moves with how much old concrete comes out, how deep the base has to be dug and packed, the size and thickness of the slab, how hard it is to get concrete to the spot and the finish you choose. The schedule turns on any city review, the weather and curing, the days a new slab needs to harden before it carries weight. The estimate I write up after seeing your job gives you the figure for yours.
Getting to the work is often the harder part here. On a narrow lot the driveway is usually the only way to the back yard and cars line the curb, so before pour day we plan how the truck, the pump or the wheelbarrows reach a back patio and where a bin for the broken-out concrete can sit. It's the same puzzle we work through in Norwalk and the other cities around Whittier.
Why older driveways and patios here crack and sink
When a driveway here has sunk along one edge or broken into pieces, the cause is usually underneath it, because a lot of older slabs went down on dirt that was raked smooth instead of dug out and packed, and the dirt settled and took the concrete with it. The subgrade, the ground the slab sits on, is the part you can't see on day one and the first thing people want to cut from the budget. I'd spend the money there before I'd spend it on a fancier finish, because a stamped surface over a soft base cracks just like a plain one.
The other thing we see is water. On a flat yard, a patio or driveway that tips even slightly toward the house sends water against the wall and into the garage, so we set the slope before we pour and cut control joints, shallow grooves that give the concrete a straight place to crack as it shrinks. Some cracking in any slab is normal, and joints cut on time keep it in the lines instead of across the middle.
How a concrete job runs when you call us in Pico Rivera
From your first call to the final walk-through, here's what happens at each step and who you'll be dealing with.
Call or send us a message
Call (562) 358-3032 or use the form, and we'll set a time for me to come out to your place in Pico Rivera. Tell us what you're dealing with, like a sunken driveway or a patio that floods, so I come ready.
I come out and look
I look at the job myself, ask what the slab is for and where the water goes now, and check which office covers your address. Then I write up your estimate and tell you plainly if the base needs more work than the surface, so that cost doesn't surprise you after we've started.
We plan and pour it
Once any permit review is behind us, we pick a pour day around the weather, usually starting early so the top doesn't dry out too fast and turn weak and dusty. Our own crew forms, pours and finishes the slab, and I'm on site while we work.
Walk the finished job together
When the slab is done, we walk it with you and go over how to look after it while it cures. Satisfaction guaranteed.
Questions about concrete work in Pico Rivera
Do I need a permit for a concrete patio in Pico Rivera?
Plan on it, because the city lists patios with sheds, pools and porches as accessory structures that go through zoning review, plan check or both before a permit is issued. The city's online permit page explains those reviews, and I'll tell you at the estimate what your patio has to go through.
Do I need a permit to replace my driveway apron in Pico Rivera?
Yes, the driveway approach, the sloped piece where your driveway meets the street, needs a Public Works plan check before the permit is issued, and grading does too. Public Works also handles excavation and encroachment permits for things like a roll-off bin parked in the street, which we often use to haul out old concrete, so I sort out at the estimate which parts of your job touch the street.
How long does a building permit last in Pico Rivera?
A building permit expires one year after it's issued if construction hasn't started or the work isn't moving forward. Approved plans expire six months after approval if no permit has been issued, according to the city's permit FAQ, so we schedule the pour soon after the paperwork clears instead of letting it sit.
How much does it cost to replace a concrete driveway in Pico Rivera?
The cost of a driveway here comes down mostly to how long it is, how much old concrete has to come out and how much work the base needs, so I give you a written figure after I've seen it. An apron that needs a Public Works plan check and a stamped or colored surface add to the total, while a broom finish, the plain brushed texture that gives shoes and tires grip, keeps it lower.
How long do I have to stay off a new concrete driveway?
You can walk on a new driveway well before you can park on it, and I give you both dates for your slab because the cure runs faster or slower with the weather. Keeping weight off until then lets the concrete reach its strength, so the first car doesn't chip the edges or start a crack.
What is the best way to choose a concrete contractor in Pico Rivera?
Pick one who looks at the job in person, asks where your water runs and tells you plainly what they'll do about the base and the joints, because those decide whether the slab lasts. Ask whether they're licensed and insured and whose crew will do the pour, since a contractor who hands the work off can't tell you how the base was packed.
Get your Pico Rivera concrete job looked at
Call (562) 358-3032 or send the form now, because water that gets into cracks keeps softening the base under them, and the more base we have to rebuild, the bigger the job.