Concrete contractor in Temple City - driveways and patios that drain right
Monrovia Concrete is a concrete contractor based in Monrovia. We build driveways, patios, walks, steps and garage floors for homeowners in Temple City, and we take on retaining walls and foundation work there too.
Temple City as we see it from the driveway
Temple City is mostly houses, block after block of single-family lots on quiet streets, with shops and restaurants along the busier roads. Most of our calls here come from homeowners, and the work looks a lot like what we do next door in East San Gabriel and Arcadia. It's mostly driveways, back patios and the walks that tie them together.
Plenty of houses here have a long, narrow driveway running beside the house to a garage in back, and it's often the only way into the yard. Getting forms, base rock and concrete back there shapes the job as much as the size of the slab does.
What to know before concrete work starts in Temple City
In Temple City, the city's Building & Safety office issues permits for all types of construction, including encroachment permits for work in the public right-of-way, and the same office reviews plans and does the inspections. When a job needs a permit, nothing gets poured until it's issued, so the permit can set your start date more than our calendar does. Before you hire anyone here, check two things. The contractor should hold a California contractor's license and a Temple City business license, which is filed at City Hall and asks for that state license number. We're fully licensed and insured.
What moves the price here is mostly what's underneath and what's in the way. Breaking out and hauling the old slab, digging down to firm ground and wheeling concrete down that narrow driveway all come before anyone touches the surface. Thickness and rebar, the steel inside that holds the slab together if it cracks, matter more on a driveway than on a walk, and a stamped or colored finish costs more than a broom finish, the light dragged texture that keeps concrete from getting slick when it's wet. If something has to give, cut the finish and keep the base, because nobody sees the base on day one but it decides whether the slab settles with the dirt. Time-wise, the job turns on the permit, if there is one, and on curing, the wait while the concrete hardens before you put weight on it. My written estimate lists what's in the price, like removal and hauling, so you know what you're paying for.
When Temple City homes need new concrete
A few years back, the city reported fewer big projects like new houses and a big jump in smaller ones, such as additions and backyard units, the ADUs. Each of those usually needs concrete around it, like a walk from the driveway to the new door, a small patio, or new concrete steps where the floor sits higher than the yard. We set the new work so water runs away from both buildings instead of into the gap between them.
The other call we get is for a slab that's already failing, cracked through, sinking at one end or holding a puddle by the house. Most of the concrete I tear out failed because water sat where it shouldn't or the cracks had no planned place to go, so we dig down to firm subgrade, the ground the slab sits on, pack the base, slope the surface away from the house and cut control joints, shallow grooves that give the slab a straight line to crack along instead of across the middle.
Get a free on-site estimate for your Temple City job
We reply within one business day to set a time, and then I come out to your place in Temple City, measure and talk through how you'll use the concrete. The estimate is free and in writing, and there's no pressure to book.
(626) 879-0614What happens when you call us about a Temple City job
Call or send us a message
Call (626) 879-0614 or use the form, and we'll get back to you to set a time to look at the job. A couple of photos of the cracks or the puddles help me know what to look for.
I come out and measure
I come out myself, measure, and ask how you'll use the concrete, whether that's parking a truck, holding a patio table or getting to a back unit. Move the cars off the driveway that day if you can so I can see the whole slab.
Go over your written estimate
The estimate spells out what's in it, like breaking out and hauling the old concrete. Read it over and ask about anything that isn't clear.
We check with the city
Once you say go, we check with the city office that covers your address before we set a date. If the job needs a permit, we sort out who pulls it and get it in hand before work starts, and if it needs plan review, the city's Planning Division has to approve it first.
Prep, pour and walk it together
The crew I trained digs out, packs the base, sets the forms and pours, and because Temple City inspections run Monday through Thursday, we line up any stage that needs an inspection with those days. I'm usually there on pour day, and I walk the finished job with you before we pack up.
Finished driveways, patios and walks
Temple City concrete questions, answered
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Temple City?
Your price comes from a free written estimate after I've measured, because the things that move it don't show up in a photo. Beyond size and tear-out, a small job costs more per foot than a big one since the setup and the trip are the same, matching the color and finish of concrete you're keeping takes extra work, and a tree root under the old slab means more digging. Call (626) 879-0614 and I'll come look.
When does a concrete contractor need a California state license?
A project needs a contractor licensed by the Contractors State License Board if it requires a building permit, uses employee labor, or has one or more contracts that total $1,000 or more in labor and materials. A bigger job can't be split into smaller contracts under $1,000 to get around that, so ask for the license number and look it up on the board's site before you sign.
How do I book a building inspection in Temple City?
Call the city's inspection line at (626) 656-7327 to request one. Inspectors come out at different stages of the job, not only at the end, so a permitted project can see more than one visit.
How long is a Temple City building permit good for?
Once the city issues a permit, it's good for six months, and an approved plan check is good for one year from when it was submitted. The city says both can be extended, and you can look up your permit and project records or check plan check status on the city's Permit & Project Portal.
Will a new concrete driveway crack like my old one did?
It can still crack, because concrete shrinks as it dries, but it shouldn't break up the way a slab with a soft base and no joints does. We cut the control joints while the concrete is still fresh so the cracks land in them, and the rebar keeps any crack tight instead of letting the pieces shift. We also avoid finishing a slab in the heat of midday when we can help it, since that's what leaves a weak, dusty top a few years later.
How long until I can drive on a new concrete driveway?
You can walk on a new driveway well before you can park on it, because concrete keeps getting stronger long after it looks dry. When I walk the finished job with you, I'll tell you when it's ready for feet and when it's ready for a car. Until then, keep cars, trash bins and heavy pots off it, since an early load is what cracks a new slab.
Get your Temple City concrete job started
We're open until 11 PM on weekdays and 10 PM on weekends, so call (626) 879-0614 after work or send the estimate form whenever the puddle by your garage reminds you.