Concrete contractor in Duarte, CA - driveways and patios that drain right
Monrovia Concrete is a concrete contractor working in Duarte, CA, from our base next door in Monrovia. We pour driveways, patios, walks and garage floors, and we build walls, steps and footings for Duarte homes.
Duarte as we see it on our jobs
We're a concrete contractor based in Monrovia, CA, and Duarte is right next door, so a job there is a short drive for our crew. Most of our calls here come from single-family streets with a driveway out front, a walk down the side of the house and a patio out back. We also pave for owners with a shop or a small lot along the main roads. We work the same way in Sierra Madre and Azusa, so you get the same crew and the same habits.
A lot of the concrete we're called about in Duarte has been down a long time, with big trees growing beside it the whole while. That shapes the job more than the finish does, because a slab is only as good as the ground and the roots under it.
Permits, licenses and price on Duarte jobs
In Duarte, building permits come from the City's Building & Safety Division. I check with that office before we set a date, because if your job needs a permit, we sort out who pulls it and get it in hand before we start. Waiting on a permit is the one thing that can move a start date. You can check two things on any contractor here. One is the state license. The other is the City business license, which the City requires of every person or company doing business in Duarte, registered and paid before the work starts. We're fully licensed and insured, and our work is backed by our satisfaction guarantee.
Price comes down to the size of the slab, tearing out and hauling the old concrete, how deep the base has to go, the steel inside, the finish you pick and how close a truck can get to the forms. The schedule turns on any permit and on the curing wait before you use the slab. I write each of those into the estimate, so you see what your number covers. It's the same work we do in Monrovia and Arcadia, and the same crew handles concrete floor installation for garages and shops.
What Duarte yards and driveways do to concrete
Big trees are part of a lot of Duarte yards, and their roots are the most common reason we find a driveway or walk lifted and cracked. Often we can cut the slab back, route the new pour around the roots or give the tree more room, and I'd rather do that than fight the tree. If the fix means removing the tree, oak or not, or trimming more than a quarter of its foliage, the City requires a Tree Permit. Get that settled before we pour.
Many older driveways we look at here have broken into pieces that rock when you drive over them, usually because the base was raked flat instead of dug out and packed. Patching that rarely lasts, so I'll tell you straight when it needs to come out down to the base.
Get a free on-site concrete estimate in Duarte
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day to set a time for me to look at your Duarte job. The estimate is free and done at your property, and there's no pressure to book.
(626) 879-0614How a Duarte concrete job goes once you call
Call or send a message
Call (626) 879-0614 or use the form and tell us what's going on with the slab. We get back to you and set a time for me to come out.
I come out and measure
I come to your Duarte property myself, measure, and ask how you'll use the concrete, whether that's parking cars, setting a grill or walking to the side gate. It helps if you show me where water sits after a rain or when the hose runs.
Get a written estimate
You get a written estimate that spells out what's included, like removing and hauling the old concrete. Nothing is scheduled until you say go.
We check permits and prep
We check with the office that covers your address, and if a permit is needed, we sort out who pulls it and have it before work starts. Then our crew digs out and packs the subgrade, the ground the new slab sits on, and sets the forms.
Pour, finish and walk through
The crew I trained pours and finishes the slab, I'm usually there on pour days, and we cut control joints, the grooves that give the slab a planned place to crack. I walk the job with you before we pack up and tell you how long it has to cure, the wait while it hardens enough to take weight.
Concrete driveways, patios and walls
Concrete questions from Duarte homeowners
Does a concrete driveway or patio in Duarte need a city permit?
The City's Building & Safety Division makes that call, and its list of examples doesn't name driveways or patio slabs, so we ask before we book your job. The list names work like roofs, windows, stucco and enclosing a patio. The City says grading and drainage work need their own separate permits. If the work reaches into the City right-of-way, like the sidewalk or the apron at the curb, a licensed contractor has to pull a Right of Way Permit from the Public Works Division.
Is my Duarte address under City or County building rules?
You're under the City of Duarte unless your home is one of the addresses with a Duarte mailing address that sit inside L.A. County boundaries. The City says those are generally west of Mountain Avenue and south of Duarte Road. The City sends those owners to the L.A. County Department of Building and Safety at 626-574-0941, and the City's FAQ is the place to check. I'll confirm which office covers you before we set a date.
Does my concrete contractor need a California state license?
Yes, if the job needs a building permit, uses employee labor or costs $1,000 or more in labor and materials, under the state licensing board's rules. A home improvement contractor has to hold that license before bidding. A bigger job can't be split into smaller bills to get under $1,000. Ask for the license before you take any bid, ours included.
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Duarte?
Your price comes from your measurements, the tear-out and the base your ground needs, and I put it in writing after I walk the job. If the budget is tight, cut the fancy finish before you cut the base. A plain broom finish, the light brushed texture that gives shoes and tires grip, over a dug-out and packed base will outlast a stamped pattern on dirt that was only raked flat.
How do I keep a new concrete driveway from cracking like the old one?
Give the cracks a planned place to go, because concrete shrinks and moves and will crack somewhere. We cut the control joints on time so cracks land in those grooves. We add rebar, the steel inside the slab that holds the pieces tight if a crack opens. We also avoid pouring in the worst midday heat, because that can leave a weak, dusty top.
What causes water to pool on a concrete patio next to the house?
Usually the slab was set with too little fall away from the house, or the base under it settled and left a low spot. Water that sits there wears the surface and can run back toward your walls. Before we form a new patio, we check where the water runs from the roof and the yard. Then we set the slab so it drains away from the house.
Call or message us about your Duarte slab
We answer into the evening on weekdays and early on weekends, so you can call (626) 879-0614 after work or send the form when it suits you.