Concrete Contractor in Santa Ana - Driveways and Patios Built on Solid Ground
AJ Anaheim Concrete Contractors pours driveways, patios, walks and foundations for homes and small properties in Santa Ana, CA. We tear out old cracked concrete, dig and pack the ground, and pour new slabs that drain away from the house.
Our concrete work in Santa Ana
Santa Ana is a short drive south of our base in Anaheim. Many of our calls here come from older neighborhoods where the original driveway or front walk has been patched for years, with houses set close together and cars parked along the street. We also hear from small property owners who need a lot repoured, footings set or a slab poured behind a shop or an apartment building. It's the same mix we see next door in Orange and Garden Grove, and a little farther south in Costa Mesa.
Older houses and tight lots shape the job here, because a narrow side yard or a driveway boxed in by street parking changes how we break out the old slab and get the truck close for the pour. What usually moves the price is how much old concrete comes out, the size and thickness of the new slab, how much work the ground needs and the finish you pick. The schedule mostly turns on whether the city wants a permit and on curing, the wait while new concrete hardens before anyone walks or drives on it. When I come out, I measure the job and give you a clear price for it.
What we pour in Santa Ana
Concrete driveway building
Plenty of older driveways here have cracked and settled over the years, so we break out the old slab, dig out and pack the base, then pour.
Concrete patio construction
Backyards here are often tight, and a new patio still has to fall away from the house, so we check where the water runs before we set forms.
Stamped concrete services
A stone, brick or tile pattern pressed into the wet slab gives a small front yard some character, with no loose pavers to reset later.
Concrete sidewalk building
Walks from the street to the front door take years of wear on older lots. We repour them with a broom finish, a light texture that grips when wet.
Garage floor concrete
Cracked, stained garage floors in older homes get broken out and repoured on a packed base, with control joints, shallow cuts that tell cracks where to go.
Decorative concrete
Colored concrete, exposed aggregate and custom borders suit homeowners who want the yard to look finished, and they go on the same dug-out, packed base.
Concrete retaining walls
Where a yard steps up or down, a wall has to hold the soil and let water drain out behind it, so we plan the drainage before we form.
Concrete floor installation
Interior slabs for additions, workshops and small commercial spaces get set level with rebar, the steel inside that keeps a cracked slab from pulling apart.
Concrete pool decks
A backyard pool deck has to shed water away from the pool and the house and stay safe underfoot, so we slope it and give it grip.
Concrete steps construction
Front steps on older houses often settle and pull away from the porch. We pour new ones with even risers and a finish that won't get slick.
Slab foundation building
An addition or a new structure on a city lot sits on a slab built to your architect's or engineer's plans, and we tell you early if you'll need them.
Foundation installation
Small property owners call us for foundations under new buildings, and we dig, form and pour them to the approved drawings.
Concrete parking lot building
Small lots behind shops and apartment buildings get torn out and repoured with the slope worked out, so rain heads for the drains instead of the doors.
Concrete footings
Footings are the concrete under a wall, post or column that spreads its weight, and we pour them into trenches we dig and check against the plans.
Foundation raising
When part of a slab or foundation has dropped, we look at what's underneath first, because lifting it without fixing the cause only buys time.
Concrete cutting
Clean saw cuts through driveways and slabs make room for a new walk, a utility line or a partial replacement while the rest of the concrete stays put.
Talk to us about your concrete
Call (657) 347-3028 or ask for an estimate, and I'll come out to walk and measure your job.
Why Santa Ana homeowners call us
You get a straight answer from the person who looks at your job, and a crew that puts its effort into the ground under the slab.
The estimate comes from me
I walk your property, measure it and price it myself, then work alongside our crew on the build and the pour.
The base gets dug out
We dig out and pack the subgrade, the ground the slab sits on, because a base that's only raked level settles later.
Water runs away from the house
We check where the water goes before forming, so the new slab falls toward the street and not your foundation.
Pours timed for the heat
We pour early in the day when it's warm, because a midday pour can leave a weak, dusty top.
Your satisfaction, guaranteed
We're licensed and insured, and if your job needs an architect's or engineer's plans, we tell you early and build to them.
Questions from Santa Ana homeowners
Do I need a permit for a new concrete driveway in Santa Ana?
You might, so check with the city before you pour. Santa Ana requires permits to construct, alter, repair or demolish a building and to install code-regulated plumbing, gas, electrical or mechanical systems, and the Building Safety Division is the office that issues building permits. The Planning Division has to approve most building permit applications before they go to the building side. If the city wants a permit for your job, we pull it and handle the paperwork with the city's office.
How do I get a building permit in Santa Ana for concrete work?
The property owner or an authorized agent applies to the building official before work starts, and many permits can be issued to the owner, an agent or a licensed contractor. A few simple permits go out the same day over the counter, such as patio covers and swimming pools, while other projects need plans submitted for review first. The city also requires every contractor working there to hold a current City of Santa Ana business license, so it's fair to ask about it.
Is a retaining wall under 4 feet exempt from a permit in Santa Ana?
A retaining wall 4 feet tall or less, measured from the bottom of the footing to the top, is exempt from a Santa Ana building permit unless it holds up extra weight above it, like a slope or a driveway, or holds back flammable or combustible liquids. An older city handout says fences and walls, including retaining walls, go through Planning Division review, so we check with the Planning Division before we form a wall.
How long does a Santa Ana building permit stay valid?
A permit becomes invalid if work doesn't start within 180 days after it's issued. It also lapses if the work is suspended or abandoned for 180 days after it starts, so we schedule the pour once the permit's in hand instead of letting it sit.
How much does concrete work cost in Santa Ana?
The biggest swings in price come from tearing out and hauling away the old slab, how hard the spot is to reach on a tight lot, and the finish you choose, since a plain broom finish costs less than stamped or colored concrete. Base work and rebar add cost you won't see once the concrete is down. If the budget's tight, I'd rather you skip the stamped pattern than skimp on the base, because a nice top on a bad base usually cracks and sinks.
What causes a concrete driveway to crack and sink?
Most cracking and sinking starts under the slab, with a base that was raked level instead of dug out and packed, or water running under the concrete and softening the ground. Concrete also shrinks as it cures, so we cut control joints on time to give it a place to crack. With the base done right and the joints cut, the cracks you do get should stay in the joints.
Outside Santa Ana? Give us a call
We also work in the cities listed here and the ones around them, so pick yours, or call if your city isn't on the list.
Get an estimate from AJ Anaheim Concrete Contractors
Our phone hours run until 11 PM on weekdays and 10 PM on weekends, so call (657) 347-3028 after work or send the form anytime.