Concrete Contractor in Covina, CA - Driveways and Patios Built on a Solid Base
Covina Concrete is a concrete contractor based in Covina, CA. We build driveways, patios, walkways, steps, walls and foundations for homes here, and we tear out and replace the cracked or sunken slabs that came with the house.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- We respond within 1 business day.
Concrete work in Covina, from the base up
The short answer: Covina Concrete is a Covina concrete contractor, and this is home. I come out to look at each job myself, measure it and write the estimate, and our crew forms, pours and finishes driveways, patios, walks, walls and foundations across the city.
I ran a landscape installation business first and kept hiring out the concrete, until I learned it from the finishers I was paying and switched over full time in 2013. Most of our calls come from homeowners, with some from landlords and small business owners who need a lot or a walkway redone. We work the cities around Covina too, so a job in Glendora or Baldwin Park gets the same crew and the same way of working.
Most jobs here start with concrete that's already there. Usually it's a driveway cracked across the middle, a patio that's sunk away from the back door or a walk lifted at one joint. That means tear-out and a hard look at the ground underneath, because whatever let the old slab move will move the new one too.
Why Covina driveways and patios crack and sink
When a slab sinks or cracks down the middle, it's usually the subgrade, the dirt and gravel the concrete sits on. A lot of older work was poured on ground that was raked level instead of dug out and packed, so it settled right along with the dirt. We dig down to firm ground, bring in base and compact it before a single form goes up, because that's the part that decides how long the slab lasts.
Pooling water and cracks in odd places come from two other misses. If nobody checks where the water runs, a slab can end up falling toward the house, so we set the slope away from your foundation before we pour. Concrete also cracks as it shrinks, so we cut control joints, shallow grooves that give the crack a straight line to follow, early enough that the slab doesn't pick its own spots.
Concrete services we offer Covina homeowners
Concrete driveway building
When your driveway is cracked across, sinking at the garage or breaking up at the street, we tear it out, rebuild the base and pour new.
Concrete patio construction
For a back patio that's sunk toward the house or holds water after you hose it off, we pour a new slab sloped to drain away.
Stamped concrete services
If you want a patio or walk that looks like stone or brick, stamped concrete presses that pattern into the surface, over the same packed base.
Concrete sidewalk building
When a front walk or side path has lifted at a joint and become a trip hazard, we replace the sections that moved or the whole run.
Garage floor concrete
A garage floor that's cracked, deeply stained or uneven where the car sits can be broken out and repoured level, with a smooth finish that sweeps clean.
Decorative concrete
When plain gray isn't what you want, decorative work adds color, borders or a scored pattern to a driveway, patio or entry without changing what's underneath.
Concrete retaining walls
If a sloped yard keeps pushing dirt onto your patio or walk, a concrete retaining wall holds the ground where you want it, built on a proper footing.
Concrete floor installation
For a new room, workshop or shop space that needs a concrete floor, we prepare the ground, set the steel and pour it flat and ready for flooring.
Concrete pool decks
When the deck around your pool has cracked or settled away from the pool's edge, we replace it with a slip-resistant finish that drains away from the water.
Concrete steps construction
Front or back steps that have cracked, tipped or pulled away from the porch can be rebuilt with even step heights so nobody catches a toe.
Slab foundation building
For an addition, a garage or a backyard unit, we pour the slab foundation with rebar inside, steel that keeps the slab from pulling apart if it cracks.
Foundation installation
When a new structure needs more than a slab, we dig and pour the foundation it calls for, working from the approved plans for that building.
Concrete parking lot building
For a small business or rental property with a broken-up lot, we pour concrete parking areas laid out to drain and to handle daily traffic.
Concrete footings
Posts for a patio cover, a block wall or a deck need footings dug deep enough to carry them, because that buried concrete keeps them from sinking.
Foundation raising
When part of a house or slab has settled and left doors sticking or floors uneven, we check whether raising it back makes more sense than replacing it.
Concrete cutting
If you need a clean opening for a drain or a doorway, or one section of driveway taken out, we saw-cut it straight so the rest stays put.
Get a free written estimate for your Covina concrete job
Tell us your Covina address and what you want poured, and we'll get back to you within one business day. I come out myself to look at the job and measure it, then you get a free written estimate that lists what's included, with no obligation to go ahead.
Working in Covina: city addresses, county pockets and permits
Before I price a Covina job, I check whether the address is under the City of Covina or Los Angeles County, because 11 county pockets sit inside Covina and the county handles building and planning there. City addresses go through the city's Building & Safety Division, county addresses get their permits from LA County Public Works, and the city's office only takes Covina addresses, so a West Covina job goes elsewhere too. Changes to the outside of a property need Planning approval before Building & Safety will look at them, which adds a step to the schedule. To pull a city permit, a contractor has to show a current state contractor's license and pocket card, proof of workers' comp insurance and a current City of Covina business license, and work in a county pocket calls for a Los Angeles County business license. We're fully licensed and insured, and you can check any contractor's state license with the Contractors State License Board.
The price on a Covina job moves with the size of the slab, how much old concrete comes out and gets hauled off, how much base the ground needs, how thick the slab is and whether it gets rebar. The finish matters too, from a plain broom finish, the light texture that keeps concrete from getting slick, to stamped or colored work. The schedule turns on whether the job needs a permit or approval and on getting the base right before the truck shows up. Your written estimate spells out what's included for your job, so you can compare it line by line.
How a concrete job goes when you call us in Covina
Here's how a job runs from your first call to the final walk-through. I'm the one you'll see at the estimate and on pour day, and a crew I've worked with for years handles the forming and finishing.
- Step 01
Call and talk it through
You call (626) 412-8840 or send the form, and we talk through what you want poured and where. Then we set a time for me to come out.
- Step 02
I measure and write it up
I walk the job, measure, check where the water runs and look at what's coming out, then you get a written estimate that lists what's included. You see what the work costs and what's in it before you commit to anything.
- Step 03
Permit before the schedule
If the job needs a permit, we pull it and set up the inspections before anything goes on the calendar. Concrete work usually isn't the kind the city issues over the counter, so expect a plan check, which adds time before we can start.
- Step 04
Pour day and walk-through
Our crew forms and pours with me on site, then the slab cures, the wait while concrete gains strength, before anyone uses it. When it's finished, we walk the job with you before we call it done.
Covina concrete questions we hear most
How do I find out if my Covina address is in a county pocket?
Use the city's address jurisdiction check, because a county-pocket address goes through a different office than a city address. Don't go by your water bill, since an address in a county pocket can still be served by Covina Water. Send us the address and I'll check it before I write the estimate.
Do I need a permit to replace a concrete driveway in Covina?
Plan on at least Planning Division approval, because the city requires it for flatwork. If the driveway reaches the street, or runs close to a front property line with no sidewalk, the job starts with a check-in with the city's engineering staff, and some permits are only issued once an encroachment permit, the city's OK to work in the public right of way, is in hand. We sort out which of these your driveway needs at the estimate.
How do I get approval for a concrete retaining wall in Covina?
Start with the city's Planning Wall and Fence approval, which Covina requires for every wall and fence regardless of height or where it sits. After that, the city's building official issues the building permit, and a retaining wall needs structural plans to get there. We pull the permit as the licensed contractor once Planning has signed off.
Do I need HOA approval to pour concrete at my Covina condo?
Yes, if the work is in the common area or on the outside of the building, the city wants a letter of authorization signed by the HOA president with the permit. Backup such as the HOA minutes goes with it, or the city may consider authorization from all the condo owners instead. Get that letter started early, since we can't pull the permit without it.
How much can a contractor ask for as a down payment in California?
The state licensing board says a down payment can be no more than $1,000 or 10 percent of the total contract price, whichever is less. The board says that rule applies to all home improvement projects, and later payments should be listed in the contract and tied to work done or materials delivered.
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Covina?
The biggest swing on a Covina driveway is what's under it, meaning how much old concrete comes out and how much base the ground needs, and after that the finish you pick. If the budget's tight, I'll tell you to keep a plain broom finish and spend the money on the base, because a nice top on a bad base cracks just the same. Your written estimate breaks out what's included so you can see where the money goes.
Tell us what's cracking in Covina
Call (626) 412-8840 any day of the week until 11 PM, or use the form, and tell us what's cracking or sinking so I come out ready to look at the right thing.