Concrete patio construction in Redondo Beach CA - a patio that drains away from the house
Old patio cracked, sinking or holding water by the back door? We dig out, pack the base and pour a slab that sheds water away.
What goes into a patio that stays flat?
Concrete patio construction in Redondo Beach, CA starts below the surface. We dig out the soft dirt, pack a firm base and pour a slab sloped so rain runs away from your house. Built that way, you get a patio that stays flat and doesn't hold puddles by the back door.
Most calls start with an old patio that's cracked through, sunk at one corner or pooling water against the back wall, or with bare dirt where you'd like room for a table and a grill. The price mostly turns on the size, whether there's an old slab to break out and haul away, how much soft ground has to come out before we build the base, and how easy it is to get concrete from the street to your backyard. The schedule turns on the dig and the base, the weather on pour day, the wait while the slab cures, and a permit if the city says your patio needs one. I'll walk the yard, measure it and write down exactly what's included, so you're working from your own number instead of a guess.
How we build a concrete patio
On a patio I want to know where the water goes, so the first thing we do is mark out the slab and check which way rain runs now, because a patio that falls toward the house sends every storm against your wall. Then we dig out the topsoil and any soft spots down to firm subgrade, the native ground the slab sits on, and bring in gravel that we pack with a roller, plate or tamper so it doesn't settle with the dirt. We set the forms with a steady fall away from the house and show you where the joint lines will run before we pour, since those lines are where we want any cracks to go. We pour early in the day, before afternoon heat can dry the top too fast and leave it weak and dusty, then give it a broom finish, a light ridged texture that keeps your feet from slipping when it's wet, and cut the joints on time. If the budget's tight, cut somewhere other than the base, because it's buried on day one and it's the part that decides whether your patio stays flat.
A lot of patios need a walk that connects them to the driveway or side gate, and we pour that with the same packed base and slope as our concrete sidewalk building work. If you'd rather have a pattern pressed into the surface than a plain finish, that's our stamped concrete services, built on the same ground prep.
Tear out and repour
This suits an old patio that's cracked, sunk or tipped toward the house. We break it out, haul it away and rebuild the base underneath, because a bad base is usually why the old one failed.
New patio on open ground
This suits a yard with dirt or tired lawn where you want a place to sit. We dig out, build the base from scratch and plan the slope from the start, so the water has somewhere to go on day one.
Concrete patio construction rules and ground in Redondo Beach
Before any pour in Redondo Beach there's a planning step on paper. The city's zoning rules spell out what kinds of projects your property's zone allows and what permits they need, and the city's Building Division keeps permit records for private property, so it can tell you what's already been approved on your lot. Whether a new patio needs a permit is the city's call, not mine, so we check with them before we start. If it does, we tell you up front and take care of the paperwork.
Plenty of older backyard patios here were poured on raked dirt with no packed base, and over the years they've sunk at a corner or tipped back toward the house. We find the same thing on jobs in Hermosa Beach and Torrance, and the fix is the same, a real base and a fall away from the house.
Patios and backyard slabs
Why call us for your patio
I walk the job and pour it
I come out to look at your yard myself, and I work alongside our crew when we build it. The person who showed you where the water and the joint lines will go is there making sure they do.
Licensed and insured for patios
We're licensed and insured. In California, anyone who builds or alters a structure needs a license from the Contractors State License Board when the job needs a building permit, uses additional workers, or totals $1,000 or more in labor and materials, so it's fair to ask that of anyone bidding your patio.
Trained on a city concrete crew
I learned concrete pouring sidewalks, curbs and driveway aprons on a city public works crew, and I've run this business in Redondo Beach since 2023. Those jobs taught me that slabs fail from the dirt up, so the ground under your patio gets as much care as the surface you see.
On a patio, the ground under it and where the water goes matter most, and that's what I look at first. Ask for a site visit and I'll set a time to come out.
(424) 402-3940Get a written patio estimate at your house
We reply within one business day to set a time for me to come out. The estimate is free, done at your property and comes with no obligation. I measure the space, check where the water runs and write down what's included.
Concrete patio questions in Redondo Beach
How much does a concrete patio cost in Redondo Beach?
A concrete patio in Los Angeles usually costs about $5 to $10 per square foot, which is a fair general guide for Redondo Beach homes, not a quote from us. Where yours lands depends on what has to come out and what has to go in under the slab. I'll give you a written figure once I've measured and looked at the ground.
Will a new concrete patio crack, and how do you control it?
Most likely somewhere, because all concrete tends to crack and nobody can pour a completely crack-free slab. What you can control is where cracks go and how wide they get, with joints that give them a planned line to follow and reinforcement placed where it belongs in the slab. That steel or wire mesh won't stop cracking, but it can keep cracks narrower, which is the reason to pay for it.
What are the lines cut into a concrete patio for?
They're control joints, planned lines that let the slab move with heat, cold and moisture and crack along the line instead of across the middle. They're saw cut or tooled into the slab, and they only work if they're done at the right time. When the crew will cut them is a fair question to ask any contractor.
Who handles patio permits in Redondo Beach?
The city's Building Division handles plan review, permits and inspections for work on private property. Applications go through the city's online portal, and if your patio needs a permit, we take care of that paperwork for you.
How long does a new concrete patio need to cure?
Curing should start as soon as the surface is finished, and the usual guidance is at least 3 days under a sprayed-on curing compound or damp burlap kept moist. That wait lets the concrete harden properly instead of drying out at the top. When you can move furniture back depends on the weather that week, and I'll tell you before we leave.
What is the best way to compare concrete patio quotes in Redondo Beach?
Compare how each contractor will prepare the ground and which way the water will run, not just the total. Topsoil and soft spots should come out and the slab should be sloped for drainage, so ask each bidder to walk you through both. A quote that skips that work to come in lower usually shows it a few years later.
Plan your patio and the walk to it
Call (424) 402-3940 or send the form with your patio's rough size and a few yard photos, so I arrive knowing what to check.
