Concrete contractor in Azusa, CA - flatwork that drains right on foothill lots
Monrovia Concrete pours driveways, patios, walks, garage floors and retaining walls for homeowners in Azusa, CA, and we take on foundation work too. We're based nearby in Monrovia and plan where the water goes before anything gets poured.
Azusa as we see it on our jobs
Azusa sits in Los Angeles County right up against the San Gabriel Mountain foothills, and you notice that on most jobs here because a lot of the ground runs downhill toward the valley. Most calls we get are from homeowners with a driveway, patio or walk that's cracked, sunk or holding water, plus the odd owner with a lot or a shop to pave. It's the same kind of work we do next door in Duarte and over in West Covina.
On a foothill lot, the grade sets the job before the concrete does. Where the water runs, how much base the ground needs and whether a slope needs a wall are the first things I look at here.
Working in Azusa: permits, licenses and what moves the price
In Azusa, permits come from the city's Building Official through the Building Division. Grading gets its own permit, separate from a building permit, so a job that needs one waits until the permit is issued. We check your address with the city before we set a date, and if the job needs a permit we sort out who pulls it and have it in hand before work starts. We're fully licensed and insured, and you can check two things on any contractor, us included, which are a state contractor license and an Azusa business license. The city asks for that business license even from companies based outside it, like ours in Monrovia.
The price here turns on the size of the job, how much old concrete we tear out and haul off, how much digging and base the ground needs, and the finish you pick. A plain broom finish is cheaper than stamped work, and the light texture brushed into the surface keeps it from getting slick when it's wet. The schedule mostly turns on whether a permit is needed and how much prep the ground takes, and your written estimate spells out what's included so you know what the number covers. If you're adding a room, our foundation installation work goes through the same permit check before any digging starts.
What foothill lots and old slabs do to concrete here
Because Azusa backs up against the foothills, a lot of yards here slope, and storm water runs across driveways and patios on its way down. If a slab falls toward the house, that water sits against the foundation and soaks in under the edge of the concrete until the ground softens and the slab sinks. So before we form anything, I check where the water goes and set the slab to drain away from the house, toward the street or a drain. On steeper lots that sometimes means a retaining wall or steps instead of one big slab.
Most cracked driveways I tear out failed underneath. The old base was raked level instead of dug out and packed, so the subgrade, the ground the slab sits on, settled and took the concrete down with it. Base work can't be seen once the slab is poured and it's the first thing people want to cut, and I won't cut it, because a nice finish on a soft base still cracks. We also cut control joints, shallow grooves that give the slab a planned place to crack, so the cracks show up where we chose.
Get a free on-site concrete estimate in Azusa
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set a time to come out to your place in Azusa. I come out myself, measure and give you a written estimate. There's no pressure to book.
(626) 879-0614How a concrete job in Azusa goes from call to pour
Call or send a message
Call (626) 879-0614 or use the form and tell us what's going on, like a cracked driveway or a patio that holds water. We get back to you to set a time to look at it.
I walk and measure it
I come out myself, measure, and ask how you'll use the concrete, because a driveway for two trucks is a different job than a patio for a table and chairs. If you can show me where water runs or pools when it rains, that helps.
You get a written estimate
The estimate spells out what's included, like tearing out and hauling away the old concrete, so you know what the price covers. Take your time with it.
We check with the city
Once you say go, we check your address with the City of Azusa before anything goes on the calendar. Any permit the job needs is in hand before we start.
We prep, pour and walk it
The crew I trained digs out, packs the base, forms and pours, and I'm usually there on pour day. When it's finished I walk it with you before we pack up.
Examples of concrete flatwork
Concrete questions from Azusa homeowners
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Azusa?
Your price comes from the driveway's size, how much old concrete has to come out, how much base the ground needs and the finish you choose, so I give you a number once I've measured it. On sloped Azusa lots, the work to get water off the slab can add to the job. The estimate is free and written, and it lists what's included.
Do I need a permit to pour a concrete patio or driveway in Azusa?
The city's list of exempt work names things like small sheds, low fences and short retaining walls, not patios or driveways, so we check your job with the city before we set a date instead of guessing. Azusa requires a building permit any time a structure is built, altered, repaired or torn down, and grading gets its own permit. You can read the list on the city's building permit page.
Does a retaining wall need a permit in Azusa?
On the city's list, a retaining wall 4 feet tall or less, measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall, doesn't need a building permit, unless it carries extra load from above, like a slope or a driveway, or holds back flammable or combustible liquids. Taller walls, or walls carrying that extra load, need one. That kind of load is common on foothill lots, so I look at what sits above the wall before we plan it.
Does a contractor from outside Azusa need a city business license?
Yes. The city requires every business working in Azusa to get a city business license before doing business there, including companies based outside the city limits. We're based in Monrovia, so it's a fair thing to ask us or anyone else you're talking to.
How do I know if my concrete contractor needs a California license?
A contractor needs a license from the state licensing board when the job needs a building permit, when they use employees, or when labor and materials come to $1,000 or more on one contract or several. Most driveway, patio and wall jobs reach that easily. Ask any contractor for their license before you sign.
What causes concrete to crack and sink in Azusa?
On most Azusa slabs, cracking and sinking start underneath, with water getting under the concrete or a base that was never packed. The ground matters too, because parts of the city lie in earthquake fault zones and in areas the city maps as prone to landslides or liquefaction, where wet soil goes soft in a quake. Nobody can stop the ground from moving, but rebar, the steel grid inside a slab, helps hold the pieces together if it cracks.
Call about your Azusa concrete project
Our phone hours run until 11 PM on weekdays and 10 PM on weekends, so you can call (626) 879-0614 after work, or send the form whenever it suits you.