Concrete contractor in Irvine, CA - driveways and patios built on a solid base
Premier Placentia Concrete is a concrete contractor based in Placentia that pours driveways, patios, walkways, steps and retaining walls for Irvine homeowners, with the ground dug out and packed and the joints planned before the concrete goes in.
Concrete work in Irvine's planned neighborhoods
Irvine grew as planned neighborhoods with open space kept between them, so you see rows of similar houses beside greenbelts and trails. Most of our calls here come from homeowners who want a wider driveway, a patio off the back of the house or a front walk replaced, plus property managers looking after rentals. It's a short drive from Placentia, and we work the same way in Costa Mesa and Santa Ana next door.
Because so many houses here went up to the same plan, new concrete usually has to match what's next door, and an association may want a say in the color and finish. The same plan means the same problems repeat, like thin bases that settled and patios that fall toward the house, so most jobs start with digging out and doing the base right.
What we pour around Irvine homes
Concrete driveway building
Driveways here often crack where cars turn in at the apron, so we dig out, pack a fresh base and plan the joints before the pour.
Concrete patio construction
A back patio in a tight Irvine yard has to drain away from the house, so we set the fall and mark the low spot before forming.
Stamped concrete services
Stamped concrete gives a patio or entry the look of stone or tile, and we pick a pattern and color that sit well beside the neighbors' finishes.
Concrete sidewalk building
Front walks here often get lifted by tree roots, so we replace the bad sections with a broom finish, a brushed texture that keeps wet shoes from slipping.
Garage floor concrete
In a lot of Irvine garages, the floor doubles as a gym or workshop. We pour a new slab that's flat, sealed against oil stains and sloped to the door.
Decorative concrete
Colored, scored or exposed-aggregate finishes dress up a plain front entry. Where an association has a say, we bring samples so you can clear the look first.
Concrete retaining walls
Lots that back onto slopes and greenbelts sometimes need a wall to hold the yard level, and we plan the footing and the drainage behind it first.
Concrete floor installation
For room additions and converted spaces, we pour interior floors over a packed base with a vapor barrier, so the finished flooring stays flat and dry.
Concrete pool decks
A pool deck has to send splash water toward a drain, not the house, with a surface that stays grippy under bare feet.
Concrete steps construction
Front steps take more foot traffic than any concrete at the house. We form each rise the same height, so nobody trips on the one that's off.
Slab foundation building
Adding a room or a detached unit starts with the slab. We set rebar, the steel that holds it together if it cracks, to the approved plans.
Foundation installation
For additions and larger rebuilds, we dig and pour the foundation to the engineer's drawings, and I check the work before anything gets covered.
Concrete parking lot building
Property managers call us for parking areas at rentals and small commercial sites, where we plan the pour so tenants lose as few spaces as possible.
Concrete footings
Patio covers, block walls and posts all sit on footings, the buried concrete that carries the weight. We dig and pour them before the framing starts.
Foundation raising
When part of a house slab has sunk, we find out why it moved before we raise it, so the fix deals with the cause and not just the gap.
Concrete cutting
Cutting lets us take out one damaged section, open a slab for a new pipe or widen a driveway without tearing up the rest of it.
Let's look at your concrete job
Call (657) 226-2480 or ask for an on-site estimate, and I'll come out, look at the spot and write up what's included.
Why Irvine homeowners call us for concrete
I come out myself to look at your job and write the estimate, so the person who priced it is the one who answers for it.
Licensed and insured, every job
We're fully licensed and insured, so the work on your property is covered from tear-out to cleanup.
The base gets the budget
If the budget's tight, cut the fancy finish, not the dug-out and packed base, because nobody sees it until it fails.
A crew lead and my checks
Our crew lead runs your job with our crew, and I stop by at the steps that matter most.
Pouring concrete since 2013
We've poured driveways, patios and walls around Orange County since 2013, after years of landscaping around other people's concrete.
Doing what we said
Your satisfaction, guaranteed, because my first business taught me people come back when you do what you said.
Irvine concrete questions we hear
How do I find out if my concrete driveway or patio needs a permit in Irvine?
Call the City of Irvine Community Development Department at (949) 724-6313, because it issues permits for most construction and repair work the code covers and answers questions on whether yours needs one. Even work on the city's exempt list still has to meet the codes and every city, county and state rule. If it isn't clear for your job, we find out from the city before we price it, and when a permit is needed we handle the application and book the inspections.
Do I need a permit for a concrete retaining wall in Irvine?
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 in Irvine unless it's holding back extra load or flammable liquids. Extra load, what the code calls a surcharge, is weight pushing down behind the wall, like a sloped yard, a driveway or a building. The buried footing counts toward the 4 feet, so a wall that shows about three feet above ground can be over the line, and we measure it that way before we plan anything.
Does a concrete contractor in Irvine need a California state license?
Yes, in most cases, because the California Contractors State License Board requires one whenever the job needs a building permit, uses employees or comes to $1,000 or more in labor and materials. Irvine also requires every business working in the city to hold a city business license before it starts. On home improvement work, the state caps the down payment at $1,000 or 10 percent of the contract price, whichever is less, so a contractor asking for more up front isn't following the rule.
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Irvine?
The price of an Irvine driveway comes down to its size, how much old concrete has to be broken out and hauled off, how much base work the ground needs and the finish you pick. A plain broom finish costs less than stamped or colored concrete, and a permit or a hard-to-reach spot adds to it. I come out, measure, ask how you'll use it and put what's included in writing, so you can compare the same work side by side.
How long does a new concrete driveway take before I can drive on it?
You can usually walk on new concrete within a few days, but the car has to wait longer, because concrete gains strength slowly while it cures. Curing is that waiting time, and keeping the slab damp and off-limits through it is what gives you a hard surface instead of a dusty one. The rest of the schedule turns on tear-out, base work and any permit inspections, and we'll tell you when the car can go back on.
What causes concrete driveways in Irvine to crack?
Concrete shrinks as it dries and moves with the ground, so some cracking is normal, and I'd rather tell you that now than act surprised later. The bad cracks usually come from a base that was raked level instead of dug out and packed, joints cut late or skipped, or a pour in the midday heat. We pack the subgrade, the ground the slab sits on, cut control joints, shallow grooves that give a crack a straight line to follow, and plan the pour for the cooler part of the day.
Don't see your city? Give us a call
We pour driveways, patios and walls across the cities listed here and others close by, so pick yours or call if it isn't listed.
Get an estimate from Premier Placentia Concrete
We pick up seven days a week, so call (657) 226-2480 or send the form whenever you've got a minute to describe the job.