Concrete contractor in Azusa, CA - driveways and patios on a packed base, sloped to drain
Covina Concrete is a concrete contractor based in Covina. We build driveways, patios, walkways, steps, retaining walls and foundations for homes, rentals and small businesses in Azusa, on flat lots and sloped hillside yards.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- We respond within 1 business day.
Azusa concrete work, from flat streets to foothill yards
The short answer: Covina Concrete handles concrete work across Azusa. Most of it is driveways, patios and the flatwork around a house, meaning the walks, pads and steps that sit at ground level. We're based in Covina and work in the cities around it across the San Gabriel Valley, so Azusa is regular ground for our crew.
Azusa sits right up against the San Gabriel Mountain foothills, and you notice it fast on a job. Lots toward the north end of the city tilt up toward the hills. The flatter streets farther south feel a lot like the work we do next door in Glendora.
We see a mix of houses here. Some older homes still have their first driveway. Newer ones have wider garages and bigger back patios. There are also apartments and small shops, where landlords and business owners call us about walks and parking. Across all of them, a lot of the real work on an Azusa job happens before the pour, when we dig out, pack the base and get the grade right.
What slopes and older slabs mean for your concrete
On a sloped lot, storm water comes down the yard fast. If a slab tips even slightly toward the house, it sends that water straight at the foundation and the garage door. Before we set a single form, I check where the water runs now and where it needs to go. Then we grade the base and pitch the slab so it drains to the yard or the street.
Many of the driveways we replace here were poured on dirt that was raked level and never packed, so they've settled at the edges and cracked in random places. We dig those out to firm ground and pack new base before we pour, because a new slab on the old dirt would settle the same way.
Concrete services we offer in Azusa
Concrete driveway building
When an old driveway has sunk or split, we dig out the soft base, pack new rock and pour a slab that sheds water away from the garage.
Concrete patio construction
For a backyard that's bare dirt or old pavers, we pour a patio graded so rain off the roof runs to the yard instead of the back door.
Stamped concrete services
If you want a stone or brick look without loose pieces that shift, we press the pattern into a single slab and seal it.
Concrete sidewalk building
When a walk has lifted at a seam or trips people, we pour an even path with a broom finish, a brushed texture that grips wet shoes.
Garage floor concrete
When a garage floor has cracked and settled at the door, we cut it out and repour it on a packed base so it sits level again.
Decorative concrete
Color, exposed stone and custom borders help when you want the front walk or patio to match the house instead of looking like a city sidewalk.
Concrete retaining walls
On a sloped yard, a concrete wall holds the dirt back from the patio or the house. We add drainage behind it so water doesn't push it out.
Concrete floor installation
For a workshop, a converted garage or a new room, we pour an interior floor flat enough for the finish flooring that goes on top.
Concrete pool decks
Around a pool, the deck needs to drain away from the water and give bare feet grip, so we slope it and give it a textured finish.
Concrete steps construction
When front steps have pulled away from the porch or rock underfoot, we tear them out and rebuild them with even step heights and steel tied in.
Slab foundation building
For a new addition, garage or backyard unit, we pour the slab foundation the plans call for, with the steel and footings inspected before the pour.
Foundation installation
When a building needs more than a flat slab, such as short stem walls under a raised floor, we form and pour the foundation to the plans.
Concrete parking lot building
For a small business or rental property, we pour parking areas built for daily traffic and sloped so rain runs to the drains, not the doors.
Concrete footings
Block walls, patio covers and posts need footings, the buried concrete that spreads their weight. We dig and pour them to the size the job calls for.
Foundation raising
When part of a slab has dropped and doors start sticking, we check whether the low section can be lifted back toward level before talking about tearing it out.
Concrete cutting
When you need a trench for new plumbing, a drain or a doorway, we saw-cut the concrete cleanly so the patch meets a straight edge.
A free written estimate for your concrete job in Azusa
We get back to you within one business day to talk through your Azusa job and set a time for me to come out and measure. The estimate is free and written, and you're under no obligation to go ahead.
What we know from pouring concrete in Azusa
In Azusa, permits come from the city's Building Official. The city issues a separate permit for each building, structure or grading project, so a garage slab and a tall retaining wall on one lot would each get their own. When a job needs a permit, we pull it as the licensed contractor and set up the inspections. Nothing gets poured until the permit is issued, so a job that needs one starts later than one that doesn't. Before any of that, I check whether your address is under the city or the county, because that decides which office we work with. The city also requires a business license from every business working inside its limits, including businesses based elsewhere like us. You can look up any contractor's state license with the Contractors State License Board. We're fully licensed and insured.
The price of an Azusa job turns mostly on three things: the size of the slab, how much old concrete comes out and how much work the ground needs before we pour. The schedule turns on the permit and the weather, since new concrete needs several days of curing to harden before it can take weight. On the steeper streets toward the hills, where the truck can park matters too, because a long reach from the street means a pump or a lot of wheelbarrow trips. It's the same work we do in Baldwin Park and across the valley. The written estimate I give you lists what's included, so you can see what you're paying for.
How the job goes when you call us about Azusa concrete
This is how a concrete job in Azusa goes with us, from your first call to the walk-through at the end, so you know who you'll talk to and when.
- Step 01
Call or send the form
Call (626) 412-8840 or send us the form. We'll talk through the job, what's there now and what you want poured.
- Step 02
I measure and write it up
I come out to look at the job and measure it myself. You get a written estimate that says what's included, so you can compare real line items. It helps if you're home so we can walk the yard together and see where the water goes.
- Step 03
Permit, then the pour
If the job needs a permit, we take care of it before anything gets scheduled. I'm on site on pour day while a crew I've worked with for years forms, pours and finishes the slab.
- Step 04
Walk the finished job together
We walk the finished job with you before we call it done. I'll also tell you when it's safe to walk on and when you can start parking on it, since the slab is still curing.
Questions Azusa homeowners ask about concrete work
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Azusa?
You get your number in the written estimate I write after measuring. On an Azusa driveway, the cost comes mostly from four things: the size, the thickness, how much old concrete gets broken out and hauled off, and how much base work the ground needs. A stamped or colored finish costs more than a plain broom finish, and a steep lot adds grading and forming. If something has to give, I'd cut the finish before the base, the packed rock the slab sits on. Nobody sees the base on pour day, but it's what keeps the slab from settling, and fixing it later means tearing the concrete out.
Do I need a permit for a retaining wall in Azusa?
A retaining wall 4 feet tall or less doesn't need a building permit, measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall. The exception is a wall that holds up extra weight, like a driveway or a slope above it, or one that holds back flammable liquids. That's from the city's list of exempt work. A taller wall, or one with that extra load behind it, needs a permit. I'll tell you which side of the line yours falls on when I measure.
Does a small backyard shed in Azusa need a building permit?
A one-story detached shed or playhouse of 120 square feet or less is on the city's exempt list, so the shed itself doesn't need a building permit. Running power or water out to it can still take a separate electrical or plumbing permit, because the city requires those even for work that doesn't need a building permit. When we pour the pad for a shed, I check with the city first rather than assume the slab is exempt too.
When does a concrete contractor need a California license?
A contractor needs a state license if the job needs a building permit or uses employees. The license is also required if labor and materials add up to $1,000 or more, on one contract or several. Ask to see the license before you sign, not after.
How do I find out if my Azusa property is in a fire or earthquake zone?
Parts of Azusa fall inside a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, and the city points you to Cal Fire to check whether your address is in one. The city's building design requirements page also notes that parts of the city sit in earthquake fault zones or in areas prone to landslides or liquefaction, where loose, wet ground goes soft in a quake. If your lot is in one of these zones, tell me when I come out about a foundation or a wall, so it's part of the plan from the start.
What causes a concrete driveway to crack, and how do you stop it from happening again?
Concrete shrinks as it dries, so some cracking is normal. The cracks that break up a driveway usually come from a base that was raked flat instead of dug out and packed, or from joints that were cut late or skipped. Control joints are the grooves we cut so that when the slab does crack, the crack runs down the groove instead of across your driveway. On hot days we pour early, because a slab that dries too fast in the afternoon sun ends up with a weak, dusty top.
Call about your Azusa concrete job
We're open seven days a week until 11 PM, so you can call (626) 412-8840 after work or send the form tonight.