Concrete Contractor in Hawthorne, CA - Driveways and Slabs Built on Solid Ground
Redondo Beach Concrete Company is a concrete contractor working in Hawthorne, CA. We pour and replace driveways, patios, walks, steps, garage floors and slabs for homeowners and property owners, starting with the ground underneath.
Older homes, narrow lots and long side driveways
Hawthorne is a busy, built-up city, and most of the houses we work on are older homes, many of them single-story, on narrow lots with a driveway running down the side to a garage in back. Those driveways have usually been poured, patched and poured again over the years, and plenty of them are cracked or lifted by tree roots. You find the same kind of streets as you cross into Lawndale and Del Aire.
That layout shapes the job before anything gets poured. A long, narrow side drive usually means breaking out the old slab in a tight space, hauling it out the same way and getting fresh concrete back to the garage without tearing up the yard.
What we've learned working in Hawthorne
Hawthorne has its own Department of Building and Safety, which processes permits and plans for construction in the city, so whether your driveway, patio or slab needs a permit is the department's call. I check with them before we set a start date, and if you need one, we tell you up front and handle the paperwork. That review and the wait before you can use the new slab are what usually set the schedule, and the price follows the size, the tear-out, the base work and how hard the spot is to reach, all spelled out in your written estimate. We're licensed and insured, and since the city's Licensing Department issues business licenses to companies based outside Hawthorne too, it's fair to ask any contractor you're weighing whether they have one.
A lot of streets here are lined with parked cars and most lots have a single drive, so before the pour we work out where the truck parks, whether we need to pump the concrete back to the slab and where your car goes in the meantime. We do the same planning on jobs in Gardena and Carson, working out from our base in Redondo Beach.
Concrete services in Hawthorne
- Concrete driveway building
- Concrete patio construction
- Stamped concrete services
- Concrete sidewalk building
- Garage floor concrete
- Decorative concrete
- Concrete retaining walls
- Concrete floor installation
- Concrete pool decks
- Concrete steps construction
- Slab foundation building
- Foundation installation
- Concrete parking lot building
- Concrete footings
- Foundation raising
- Concrete cutting
Old base work is behind most of the trouble here
Most of the old slabs we break out here were poured on dirt that was raked level instead of dug out and packed, so the ground settled and the concrete went with it, often tipping so rain runs toward the house. When we replace one, we dig down to firm subgrade, the soil the slab actually rests on, pack a proper base on top and slope the new surface so water runs away from your house instead of pooling against it. Nobody sees that part once the pour's done, and it's the part I won't cut corners on, because a smooth new top over the same soft base will crack and sink just like the last one.
Hawthorne also has a lot of apartment buildings and small commercial properties, where the call is usually a shared driveway, a parking pad or a walk that tenants use every day, so we plan the work in sections to keep a way in and out. Behind some of those buildings there's a workshop or storage space that needs a new slab, which is concrete floor installation work we do as well.
Get a free written concrete estimate for your Hawthorne property
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day to set a time. I come out to your place in Hawthorne myself, walk the job, measure it and write down what's included, at no charge and with no obligation.
How it works when you call us in Hawthorne
Call or send the form
Call (424) 402-3940 or use the form and tell us what's going on, whether it's a cracked driveway, a new patio or a slab for a garage or shed. If the old concrete has been patched before, mention it, since that changes what we'll find when it comes out.
I walk the site myself
I come out to measure, see how water runs off the lot and how a truck can get in, and ask how you'll use the concrete. Knowing whether cars park on it or it only gets foot traffic tells me how thick it needs to be.
You get a written estimate
The estimate spells out the prep, the joints and the finish, not just a total, so you can see what's going under the slab. That also makes it easy to compare against any other bid line by line.
Permit and utility lines first
Before we start, we sort out any permit with the city and get underground utility lines marked so nobody digs into a gas or water line. The city's permit office is closed on Fridays, so we plan any paperwork with them for Monday through Thursday.
We dig, pour and clean up
We dig out and pack the base, pour, give the surface a broom finish, a light dragged texture that keeps it from getting slick when wet, and cut the joints, with me working right beside the crew. Then we haul away the old concrete and leave your site clean.
Driveways, patios and steps
Hawthorne concrete questions we hear
Can I apply for a building permit online in Hawthorne?
Yes. The city's Citizen Self Service portal lets you apply for permits and plans, check where a record stands and review plan submittals. If your concrete job needs a permit, we take care of the application, and you can use the portal to follow its status.
How do I schedule a building inspection in Hawthorne?
You schedule it through the same online portal the city uses for permits. For a permit issued before July 2022, the city asks you to call the office to schedule at (310) 349-2990 instead. When we're handling your permit, keeping the inspection lined up with the pour is part of the paperwork we take care of.
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Hawthorne?
The price comes down to the size, how much old concrete we break out and haul away, how much digging and packing the base needs, and how easy it is to get concrete to the spot. Rebar, steel bars set inside the slab to hold cracked pieces together, adds cost where cars park, and so does a decorative finish. If the budget's tight, keep the money in the base, because you can't fix it later without tearing the slab out.
Will a new concrete driveway in Hawthorne crack like the old one?
It may get a hairline crack somewhere, because all concrete cracks, but it shouldn't break up and sink the way the old one did. We cut control joints, shallow grooves across the slab, on time so the cracks follow lines we chose instead of wandering, and the base underneath keeps the pieces level. I'll show you where the joints go before we pour.
What is the best way to fix a sunken driveway in Hawthorne?
If a section has dropped or tipped, cutting it out and repouring it on a properly packed base is usually the fix that lasts, because filling the crack does nothing about the ground that let it move. When the rest of the driveway is still level and draining, we replace only the bad sections. Fine cracks on a slab that hasn't moved usually aren't worth tearing out, and I'll tell you that straight.
How long does new concrete need before I can drive on it?
You can usually walk on new concrete after a few days, but a driveway needs more time before a car goes on it, because the slab is still curing, slowly hardening and gaining strength. Driving on it too soon is one of the quickest ways to crack a good pour. Since most houses here have one driveway, we talk through where your car will go before we set the pour date.
Talk to us about your Hawthorne concrete job
We take calls into the evening and on weekends, so call (424) 402-3940 or send the form whenever that old slab is on your mind.