Concrete contractor in West Covina, CA - slabs that drain and hold up on sloped lots
Monrovia Concrete is a concrete contractor based in Monrovia that pours driveways, patios, walks, garage floors and retaining walls for homeowners in West Covina, from flat streets near the 10 to lots climbing into the hills.
West Covina as we see it from the driveway
West Covina sits in the middle of the San Gabriel Valley, and most of what we pour here is for single-story houses on quiet residential streets. The busy strip along the 10, around Plaza West Covina and Eastland Center, brings the odd call for a parking lot or a shop floor too. It's the same flatwork we do a few miles west in El Monte, which is our word for driveways, patios, walks and floors that lie on the ground.
As the streets climb into the San Jose Hills, the lots slope with them, and plenty of driveways on the flatter blocks have been down a long time. On both kinds of lot the job comes down to the ground under the slab and where the water goes.
Working in West Covina: permits, licenses and what sets the price
The city's Building Division issues permits for private building work in West Covina, so when a job needs one, your start date waits on the city and not on us. The city also requires any business working in West Covina to hold a city business license, so that's a fair thing to ask any contractor you're weighing. We're fully licensed and insured, and we settle the permit question before anything goes on the calendar.
Price here turns mostly on what's out of sight on day one, like how much old concrete comes out and gets hauled and how much digging and packing the base needs. Access matters too, because getting a concrete truck close on a steep hill street can mean pumping or wheeling the concrete in, which we handle the same way we do in Glendale. The schedule follows the city's answer, the weather and the curing time, and your written estimate spells out what's included so you know what the price covers.
What we run into on West Covina houses and lots
When an older driveway here has sunk at a corner or cracked across, it's usually because the subgrade, the dirt and base the slab sits on, was raked level instead of dug out and packed, so it settled with the dirt. We dig out and pack the base before anything else. If you need to trim the budget, I'd trim the finish before the base, because nobody sees the base on day one but it decides whether the slab stays flat. Older garages show the same problem on the inside, which is where garage floor concrete comes in, and I'd rather tell you a patch won't last than sell you one.
On the sloped lots, water runs downhill with the yard, so we check where it goes and set the slab to fall away from your house. We cut control joints, shallow grooves that give the slab a straight place to crack, early enough that it doesn't crack where nobody chose. Summer pours start early in the day, because concrete placed in the midday heat dries too fast on top and turns weak and dusty later.
Get a free on-site estimate for your West Covina concrete job
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set a time for me to come out to your West Covina property. I'll measure, ask how you'll use the concrete and give you a written estimate that spells out what's included, like removal and hauling. It's free, and there's no pressure to book.
(626) 879-0614How it goes when you call us about a West Covina job
Call or send a message
Call (626) 879-0614 or use the form and tell us what you've got, like a sinking driveway or a new patio. We'll set a time to come look at it.
I come out and measure
I look at the job myself, measure it and ask how you'll use the concrete. It helps if the cars are out of the driveway so I can see the whole slab and where the water runs.
You get a written estimate
The estimate spells out what's in the price, like tear-out and hauling. You decide when you're ready.
We check, dig and form
Once you say go, we check with the city on your address before setting a date. Then our crew digs out, packs the base and sets the forms.
Pour, cure and walk through
The crew I trained does the pour, and I'm usually there that day. Then it cures, the wait while the concrete gains strength, and I walk it with you before we pack up and tell you when you can walk and drive on it.
Examples of finished concrete flatwork
West Covina concrete questions we hear
Do I need a permit to replace my concrete driveway in West Covina?
The city's list of work that doesn't need a building permit includes driveways and walks that sit no more than 30 inches above grade, aren't over a basement or a room below, and aren't part of an accessible route. A job can still need a plumbing permit, for example if a defective drain line gets replaced, and Planning can still weigh in, so we check with the city on your address before we set a date.
Does a concrete retaining wall in West Covina need a permit?
The city leaves retaining walls off its building permit list when they hold back no more than 4 feet, measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall, and don't carry extra load above them, like a driveway or a slope, or hold back liquid. A taller wall, or one with weight pushing on it from above, goes through the city, and we find out which yours is before we draw it up.
How do I know if my patio needs Planning approval in West Covina?
Ask the city's Planning Division, because a project that needs no building permit can still need its approval. In some cases Planning can limit where something goes and how tall it is, and set design requirements. Its public counter is at City Hall, and the number is (626) 939-8422.
How do I apply for a building permit in West Covina?
You apply through the city's One Stop Building Permit Center or in person at the Building Counter at City Hall, Monday through Thursday, 7:30 am to 5:30 pm, since the city no longer takes applications by email. Questions go to the Building Division at (626) 939-8425. When one of our jobs needs a permit, we sort out who pulls it and have it in hand before work starts.
Does a concrete contractor need a city business license to work in West Covina?
Yes, the city requires any business operating in West Covina, contractors included, to get a city business license. It's due within fifteen days of starting business in the city, and the Finance Department is the city office that handles business licensing.
What affects the cost of a concrete driveway in West Covina?
Size, tear-out and base work set most of the price, and a few choices you make move it from there. A thicker slab or rebar, the steel bars set inside that hold the concrete together if it cracks, costs more, and so does a decorative finish over a plain broom finish, the light texture dragged across the top so it isn't slick when wet. On a sloped lot, building up the low side or adding a drain adds to it, and your written estimate shows each piece.
Get your West Covina concrete job measured
Call (626) 879-0614 any day of the week, well into the evening, or send the form, and you'll have a written estimate in hand to compare before you commit to anyone.