Concrete contractor in Pasadena, CA - driveways and patios that drain right
Monrovia Concrete is a concrete contractor based in Monrovia that builds and replaces driveways, patios, walks, steps and garage floors in Pasadena, plus retaining walls and foundation work, with drainage and cracks planned before we pour.
Pasadena's older neighborhoods and foothill streets
Pasadena has a lot of older houses, and a good share of the city sits in neighborhoods it has designated historic. On those streets we usually find long, narrow driveways running back to a detached garage, and patios that were added later without much thought about where the water goes. North of the 210 and up around the Arroyo Seco, the streets climb toward the foothills and the driveways get steeper. We take the same kinds of calls next door in Arcadia, plus the odd owner with a shop or a small lot to pave, but Pasadena's older lots tend to be tighter to work on.
That shapes the job before anything gets poured, because the old slab often has to come out in pieces with small equipment, and the new one has to meet a garage floor, a porch or a property line we can't move.
Working in Pasadena: permits, licenses and what sets the price
Pasadena's Permit Center issues building permits for most construction, and work that doesn't need one can still need a Zoning Permit, so on a job here the permit comes before the pour date. We check with the city before we put you on the calendar, sort out who pulls the permit and have it in hand before work starts. On any contractor you're weighing, you can check two things, a California contractor's license and a current City of Pasadena business license, which the city requires contractors to show when they pull a permit.
Price here turns on the size of the job, how much old concrete we break out and haul away, how much base work the ground needs, and how hard it is to get concrete to the back of a long, narrow lot on an older street. The schedule turns mostly on the permit and the weather. I put what's included in the written estimate, so you can see what you're paying for and compare it with anyone else's. It's the same way we run jobs in West Covina and across the valley.
Why Pasadena houses call us for new concrete
A lot of what we see here is old driveways and front walks that have cracked, heaved or started holding water against the house. Old slabs were often poured thin and without rebar, the steel bars that keep a cracked slab from spreading apart, so we usually tear them out instead of patching them, because I'd rather tell you that than sell you a patch that won't last. We set the new grade so water runs away from the house, and we cut control joints, shallow grooves that give the slab a straight line to crack along instead of a random one. A tired front walk gets the same treatment through our concrete sidewalk building work.
If you're rebuilding after the Eaton Fire, the city lists an optional earlier code set for those rebuilds alongside the current codes. Ask your designer which one your plans follow, and we'll build the foundation and slab to match.
Get a free on-site concrete estimate in Pasadena
We reply within one business day to set a time, and I come out to your Pasadena property myself to measure and ask how you'll use the concrete. You get a written estimate that spells out what's included, like removal and hauling, and there's no obligation to book.
(626) 879-0614What happens after you call us about a Pasadena job
Call us or send the form
Tell us what you've got and where it is, and we'll set a time to come look. A photo or two of the old slab helps me plan the visit.
I measure and ask questions
I come out myself, measure the area and look at where the water runs off your lot. I'll ask how you'll use the concrete, because a driveway that takes a truck gets built differently than a patio for a table.
You get a written estimate
The estimate spells out what's included, like breaking out and hauling away the old slab, so you know what the price covers. Take your time with it.
We line up the permit
Once you say go, we check with the city on what your address needs and get any permit in hand before we set a pour date. Permit time is the part of the schedule nobody can rush, so the pour date follows it.
We prep, pour and walk it
The crew I trained digs out, packs the base, sets the forms and pours, and I'm usually there on pour days, so plan to keep the cars and the dog clear. Before we pack up I walk the job with you and tell you when it's ready to walk on and when to drive on it, since curing, the slow hardening that gives concrete its strength, needs time.
Concrete work from base to finish
Pasadena concrete questions we hear most
Do I need a permit to replace my concrete driveway in Pasadena?
Yes, in a residential zone the city lists driveways and other paving among the work that needs a Zoning Permit, which checks the work against Pasadena's zoning rules. Some jobs need a building permit as well, so we check your address with the city and get whatever it needs in hand before we pour.
Do I need a permit for a short retaining wall in Pasadena?
Yes, a retaining wall up to 4 feet high, measured from the footing, is on the city's list of work that needs a Zoning Permit. The footing is the buried concrete base the wall stands on, so a wall that looks shorter from the yard can measure taller, and for anything bigger we ask the city what it needs before I draw the job up.
How do I check that a concrete contractor is licensed in California?
Look the contractor up with the Contractors State License Board, which licenses anyone building or altering structures on a job that needs a building permit, or any job using employee labor or totaling $1,000 or more in labor and materials. Pasadena's permit staff check the license through the board too, and contractors must carry workers' compensation insurance. We're fully licensed and insured.
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Pasadena?
We price each Pasadena driveway after a free visit, because tear-out, base work and access change the number more than the square footage does. If the budget is tight, save on the finish, since a plain broom finish, the light brushed texture that keeps tires and shoes from slipping, costs less than stamped and holds up fine. Don't save on the base, because nobody sees it on day one and it decides whether the slab settles.
What causes a concrete driveway to crack and sink?
Usually it's the ground under it, because a slab poured on dirt that was raked level instead of dug out and packed settles as that dirt settles. Water running under the edge and missing control joints make it worse, so we dig down to a firm subgrade, the packed ground the slab sits on, slope it off the house and pour early on hot days so the top doesn't dry out weak and dusty.
What happens if my patio was poured without a permit in Pasadena?
It can come up when you sell, because the city's Occupancy Inspection Program researches the property, inspects the site and reports illegal construction. An owner with illegal construction may be forced to tear it down, which is why getting the paperwork right before the pour costs far less than ripping out a finished slab later.
Book your Pasadena concrete estimate today
We're open until 11 PM on weekdays and 10 PM on weekends, so call (626) 879-0614 after work or send us the form.