Redondo Beach Concrete Company

Concrete contractor in Palos Verdes Estates, CA - slabs built on packed, graded ground

Redondo Beach Concrete Company is a concrete contractor working in Palos Verdes Estates, CA. We build driveways, patios, walks, steps, retaining walls and footings for homes here, and we dig out and pack the ground before we pour.

An empty garage has a smooth gray concrete floor divided by expansion joints and concrete walls along the lower perimeter.

Sloped lots and long driveways shape the work here

Palos Verdes Estates is mostly single-family homes on roomy, often sloped lots. Malaga Cove Plaza is its commercial heart, and the bluff-top trails along Paseo Del Mar run to the south end of the city. Most of what homeowners here call us for is a driveway, a patio, a walk, a set of steps or a wall holding back the yard. It's a short drive up the hill from our base in Redondo Beach, and we do the same kinds of jobs next door in Torrance.

So much of the ground here slopes that the job usually comes down to the base and to where the water goes once the slab is in. On a hillside lot I look at the grade before anything else, because a slab that falls toward the house, or one poured on loose dirt, moves with the ground.

What we deal with on jobs in Palos Verdes Estates

In Palos Verdes Estates, the city's Department of Building and Safety enforces the building code, and its Public Works office issues encroachment permits through an online portal. When a job needs city review, that review usually sets the start date more than the pour does, and the city says having your documents ready can help shorten it. Its list for Public Works permit applications includes a contractor's license and a City Business License, so ask any contractor you're considering for both. We're licensed and insured, and if your job needs a permit we tell you up front and handle the paperwork. The city makes the call on what's needed, so I check with them before we start.

What moves the price here is mostly the ground and the access. Off Palos Verdes Drive North and West the streets wind and plenty of driveways climb, so I look at where a truck can park, whether we'll pump the concrete or wheel it in, and how much old slab and dirt has to come out. Thickness, rebar and the finish you pick count too, and my written estimate spells out the prep, the joints and the finish so you can see where the money goes. We do the same work down the coast in Manhattan Beach, but on these slopes more of the budget goes into the ground before the pour.

Concrete work in Palos Verdes Estates

Sloped ground is the hardest thing on concrete here

A cracked, sunk or puddling driveway is the usual reason someone here calls. On sloped ground that almost always goes back to the subgrade, the dirt the slab sits on, which got raked flat instead of dug out and packed, so it settled and took the slab with it. We dig down to firm soil, pack the base in layers and set the grade so water runs away from the house. Then we cut control joints, shallow grooves that give the concrete a place to crack in a straight line instead of wherever it wants. Concrete cracks, and I'd rather show you where the joints will steer it than pretend it won't. If the budget's tight, spend it on the base before the finish, because you can redo a surface later but you can't get under a slab once it's poured.

Older slabs here wear out in other ways too, like a walk chipping at the surface or a garage floor cracked from years of cars on a thin base. Some can be cut out and replaced in sections and some need to come out whole, and I'll tell you which once I've seen how the slab is moving.

Get a free on-site concrete estimate in Palos Verdes Estates

Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day to set a time. I come out to your Palos Verdes Estates property myself, walk and measure the job, and write down what's included. There's no obligation to go ahead.

(424) 402-3940

How a concrete job runs in Palos Verdes Estates

  1. Call us or send the form

    Tell us what you're dealing with, whether it's a cracked driveway, a new patio or a wall, and send a photo if it's handy. We'll set a time for me to come out.

  2. I walk and measure the site

    I look at the slope, the old slab and where the water runs, and I ask how you'll use the concrete. The written estimate spells out the prep, the joints and the finish.

  3. We sort out permits and utilities

    If the job needs a city permit, we handle the paperwork before we schedule anything. We also get the utility lines marked so nobody digs into one.

  4. We dig out and pack the base

    Our crew digs to firm ground, packs the base and sets the forms and rebar, the steel that keeps the slab tied together if it cracks. The city's posted construction hours are Monday to Thursday 7 AM to 7 PM, Friday 7 AM to 5:30 PM and Saturday 9 AM to 5:30 PM, so we plan our days inside them.

  5. Pour, finish and clean up

    We pour early in the day so the top doesn't dry too fast, then finish it, often with a broom finish for grip, and cut the joints. We clean up and tell you when you can walk on it and when you can drive on it, because curing, the slow hardening, takes days before the slab takes weight.

Palos Verdes Estates concrete questions

How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Palos Verdes Estates?

It depends on the size, the slope and how much has to come out before we pour, so I give you a figure after I've walked it. Tearing out an old slab, pumping concrete up a steep drive and a stamped or colored finish push the price up. A plain broom finish on an open, gently sloped spot keeps it down. The estimate is free and lists the prep, joints and finish.

Do I need Homes Association approval for concrete work in Palos Verdes Estates?

Most likely, because the city says Palos Verdes Homes Association approval is required for most projects. Plan for it alongside any city permit, since it can decide when the work starts. We'll talk it through at the estimate so it's lined up before we set a pour date.

Does a second story addition in Palos Verdes Estates need neighborhood compatibility review?

Yes. In the R-1 zone the city requires neighborhood compatibility review for a second story addition, whole or partial, and for any new structure or addition of 1,000 square feet or more. A remodel that removes half or more of the existing exterior walls or foundation counts as a new structure too, which matters if you're replacing a foundation. We pour footings and slabs for additions once the city has signed off.

How do I schedule a building inspection in Palos Verdes Estates?

Call (310) 791-8400 ext 112 by 4 PM, and an inspector comes out the following working day. Inspections run Monday through Thursday only, so an inspection asked for on Thursday afternoon waits until the next week. On jobs where we handle the permit, we make that call and plan the pour around it.

Do wildfire code rules apply to my home in Palos Verdes Estates?

They do if your property is in one of the city's designated Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones, where the California Wildland-Urban Interface Code applies to all buildings and structures. If your parcel is only partly in a mapped zone, the city's Building Official decides. We check with Building and Safety before we build a wall or a structure.

How do I find out if my concrete project needs a permit in Palos Verdes Estates?

Ask the city before work starts. It advises checking with its Planning and Building Departments before new construction, additions, remodeling, and walls and fences. The city's Planning Department notes that grading or coastal development review can come up, and that structures within setback areas often need approval. If yours needs a permit, we handle it.

Where we work

Call about your Palos Verdes Estates concrete job

Call (424) 402-3940 or send the form early, since city and Homes Association approval usually come before we can set a pour date.

Request an estimate(424) 402-3940
(424) 402-3940Request an estimate