Concrete cutting in Whittier CA - straight cuts with the dust kept down
A broken panel, or a pipe that has to pass through your slab? We cut straight and wet, and plan where the water goes.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free on-site estimates.
- Expect a reply within 1 business day.
What does concrete cutting involve, and what changes the price?
Concrete cutting in Whittier is how we open up a driveway, patio, slab or wall that's already in place. We saw straight lines or drill round holes so a pipe, drain or conduit can pass through, or so a damaged section can come out cleanly.
Most people call us because something has to get through or out of concrete that's already there, like a drain line under the patio, a broken driveway panel or a pipe through a wall. The price depends on how many feet we cut, how thick the concrete is, whether there's rebar, the steel bars that strengthen a slab, how easy the spot is to reach and whether we haul the pieces away. The schedule depends on the weather and on whether we have to check what's inside the slab first. I write up an estimate after seeing the cut, and that gives you your own figure.
How do you know when a slab needs cutting?
Water pooling with nowhere to go
A puddle on the patio or along the driveway that sits for days after rain or the sprinklers usually means the water needs a drain line. Cutting a narrow trench lets one go in without tearing out the whole slab. Waiting lets the water keep soaking and loosening the dirt underneath.
One broken or sunken section
Sometimes one panel has cracked, dropped or lifted while the rest of the driveway still looks fine. A clean saw cut lets us take out just that piece and pour new concrete against a straight edge. The longer a raised edge sits there, the more feet and tires it catches.
A pipe that has to pass through
A new drain, line, conduit or plumbing repair may have to go through a slab or wall you already have. A round hole from a core drill or a sawed opening gets it through cleanly. Breaking concrete out by hand usually cracks a lot more of it than the job needed.
How we handle concrete cutting
I start by asking what the cut is for and marking exactly where it runs, because the spot decides which saw we bring. If the cut goes through a structural or post-tensioned slab, one with steel cables pulled tight inside it, we check what's inside before we cut. Scanning may be needed to find rebar, those cables, pipes and conduit before a blade touches them. We cut wet, with water running on the blade, because that cuts the dust way down around your house. We also plan where the slurry, the gray cutting water, is going to go. Your estimate says plainly whether we haul away the cut pieces, because some cutters only saw the lines and leave the slabs where they were.
A cut is often the first step of a bigger job. When we take out a broken panel, the new concrete that goes back in is the same work as concrete driveway building, with a base that's dug out and packed so it doesn't settle. Cutting a path for a drain through a backyard slab often leads into concrete patio construction, where we set the slope so water runs away from your house.
Flat sawing for driveways and patios
This suits straight cuts in a slab you walk or drive on, like taking out a broken panel or trenching for a drain line. The saw rides along the surface, so it needs room to run the full length of the cut.
Wall sawing for vertical concrete
This suits openings in a concrete wall or a steep surface, like a new doorway or a pass-through in a retaining wall. The saw runs on a track fixed to the wall, and that keeps the cut straight.
Hand sawing in tight spots
This suits small openings and places a bigger saw can't reach, like against a house wall or in a narrow side yard. It's slower on long cuts, so we use it where the bigger saws won't fit.
Core drilling for round holes
This suits a pipe, drain or conduit that has to pass through a slab or wall. The hollow bit cuts out a clean round plug and barely disturbs the concrete around it.
Get a free estimate for your concrete cut
We reply within one business day. Then I come out, look at the cut, ask what it's for and write up a free on-site estimate. There's no pressure and no obligation.
- Based in
- Whittier, CA 90602
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 6 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 8 AM–9 PM
What happens when you call about concrete cutting in Whittier?
Here's how a cutting job runs from your first call to the final walk-through, and what you'll know at each point along the way.
Tell us about the cut
Call (562) 358-3032 or send the form. Tell us where the cut is, whether it's in a slab or a wall and what it's for, and we'll set a time for me to come out.
I look at it on site
I ask what the cut is for, where the water runs now and whether the slab is structural. Your written estimate names the saw, the price and whether hauling the pieces away is included.
We plan and make the cut
We schedule around the weather, and our own crew does the cutting with water on the blade. The slurry gets caught as we go, not hosed down the driveway.
Walk the finished job together
When the cutting is done, we clean up and walk the job with you. You see the edges, the openings and where everything went before we leave.
Why Whittier homeowners call Classic Whittier Concrete for cutting
I come out to every job
I look at every job myself, and I'm on site while our crew works. The person who asked where your pipes run is standing there when the blade goes in.
Licensed and insured for this work
We're licensed and insured. That matters when a saw is running a few feet from your house, your utility lines and your neighbor's fence.
Known for the tricky jobs
We're based in Whittier, we've been in business since 2020, and we're best known for the jobs other people call tricky, like tight yards, slopes and old slabs that need cutting. On those jobs the planning matters more than the saw.
On a cut, what matters most is knowing what's inside the slab and where the water goes before anything starts. Tell us about your cut and I'll come take a look.
Concrete cutting and the work around it in Whittier
California has a dust rule for construction crews that covers silica, the fine dust that comes off concrete when it's cut. It applies to repair and removal work like this, not just new buildings. That's one reason we keep water on the blade from the first pass to the last. It's also worth asking any cutter how they'll handle dust when the work is close to your windows, your yard or your neighbor's car.
A California stormwater handbook says saw-cut slurry should stay out of storm drains and creeks, and most driveways here slope down toward the gutter at the street. So before we start, I look at where the water will run, and we set up to catch the slurry before it gets there. We do the same on jobs in South Whittier and Hacienda Heights.
Questions about concrete cutting in Whittier
How much does concrete cutting cost per foot in Whittier?
Across the US, professional saw cutting of an accessible concrete slab usually costs about $4 to $10 per linear foot. That's a national range, not our price. Reinforced or thicker slabs commonly cost more per foot, and removing the pieces may or may not be included. I'll give you your own price after I look at the cut on site.
How do I know which saw my concrete cutting job needs?
Mostly it comes down to where the cut is, because slabs, walls and tight corners each take a different saw. For very thick or heavily reinforced sections, a wire saw can get through where a regular blade won't reach. I'll tell you which tool your job needs when I see it.
Does the price of cutting concrete include removing the pieces?
Not always. Sawing concrete and hauling it off are separate jobs, and some cutters cut the lines and leave the panels where they are. Ask every company you get a quote from whether removal is included, so you're comparing the same work. Our estimate spells it out either way.
What do I need to do before core drilling through my slab?
You need to mark where the holes go and know what's buried near them. One trade group's sample core drilling contract makes the owner responsible for three things. The owner marks the spots and anything set in the concrete nearby, finds the utility lines in or next to the structure and has those services shut off, and agrees ahead of time on how the slurry is collected and disposed of. We can go through each of those with you at the estimate.
Is it safe to cut concrete inside a basement or garage?
It can be, as long as the saw isn't running on gasoline in a closed space, because gas saws put out carbon monoxide indoors. OSHA has documented a basement job where workers died from it. For any indoor cut, ask what powers the saw before the work is booked.
What license does a concrete cutting contractor need in California?
California's D-6 Concrete-Related Services class covers concrete sawing, breaking and coring. You can look up any contractor's license with the state licensing board before you hire them.
Work that often follows a concrete cut
Concrete driveway building
If the section you're cutting out is part of a bigger problem, like a cracked or sinking driveway, a new pour on a packed base may serve you better than a patch.
Concrete patio construction
Once a drain line or pipe runs through, the patio around it may need new concrete poured and sloped so water runs away from the house.
Service areas for concrete cutting around Whittier
Classic Whittier Concrete is based in Whittier, California, and cuts concrete across the cities around it, including Pico Rivera and La Habra. Our site has pages for 12 cities. If you're nearby and don't see yours, just ask.
Send us photos of the concrete to cut
A few photos, plus whether it's a slab or a wall, let me show up with the right questions and a good idea of which saw fits.