Concrete Contractor in Burbank, CA - Driveways, Patios and Walls Built on a Solid Base
Cornerstone Sierra Madre Concrete builds driveways, patios, walkways, steps and retaining walls for Burbank homes. We're based in Sierra Madre, and the parts we care most about are the base, the drainage and the joints.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free quotes on site.
- Replies within 1 business day.
Single-family homes and hillside lots across Burbank
Most of the Burbank homes we work on are single-family houses on flat streets, with a driveway running back to a garage, a patio out back and a front walk that's been there for decades. A lot of that concrete is original, and after years of cars, tree roots and settling, it's cracked, lifted or tipped toward the house. Up toward Stough Canyon the streets climb into the hills, and the lots there are steeper and tighter to work on.
We come over from Sierra Madre for this work, the same driveways and patios we pour next door in Glendale and out east in East San Gabriel. Whatever the house, the job usually comes down to what's under the old slab.
Our services in Burbank, CA
- Concrete driveway building
Older Burbank driveways often crack and sink because nobody packed the base. We dig out, compact a new base and pour a slab that sheds water away from the garage.
- Concrete patio construction
Many Burbank patios are old slabs that tip toward the back door and puddle. We slope the new patio away from the house before we pour.
- Concrete retaining walls
Burbank's hillside lots often need a wall before any of the yard can be flat. We build concrete retaining walls with drainage behind them so water doesn't push them over.
- Concrete sidewalk building
Front walks next to street trees get lifted by roots until a corner becomes a trip hazard. We cut out the raised sections and repour them on a packed base.
- Concrete steps construction
Porch steps on older houses often crumble or pull away from the house as the ground settles. We pour new steps at even heights so no step catches a toe.
- Garage floor concrete
Detached garages behind Burbank houses often have old floors that are cracked and uneven. We break them out and pour a new slab with rebar, steel that holds cracks tight.
What Burbank's older lots ask of new concrete
A lot of the old concrete we break out in Burbank was poured on dirt that was raked level and never packed, so it settled with the ground and cracked along the way. That base is the part you can't see on day one, and it's usually the first thing people want to trim from a budget. If money's tight, I'd rather cut back on the finish than on the subgrade, the packed ground the slab sits on, because a nice surface over a weak base cracks just the same. So we dig out, bring in fresh base and compact it before any forms go in, and that prep, along with the size of the job, is most of what moves your price and your schedule. I'll give you your own figure when I come out.
Water and roots finish what a bad base starts, so before we pour we check where the water off your roof and yard runs, slope the new slab away from the house and look for roots near the edges. Then we cut control joints, shallow grooves that give the slab a straight place to crack. Concrete cracks somewhere, so we pick where.
Your Burbank concrete estimate, done on site
Tell us about your Burbank driveway, patio or wall through the form or at (626) 828-0332, and we'll get back to you within one business day. I'll come out myself to look at the ground, the drainage and the old slab, then write up a free estimate with no obligation to hire us.
Concrete driveways, patios and walls
Burbank concrete questions answered
Who needs a contractor license for concrete work in Burbank?
A contractor needs a California license for concrete work in Burbank when the job needs a building permit, uses any hired workers or costs $1,000 or more in labor and materials. That's the state licensing board's rule, so it covers Burbank the same as anywhere else in California. We're fully licensed and insured, and before work starts we look into what your job needs from the city or county, handling the application as the licensed contractor when a permit applies.
When is a small concrete job in Burbank exempt from the license rule?
A small job is exempt only when it needs no building permit, uses no employees and totals less than $1,000 for labor, materials and everything else, even across more than one contract. That limit was $500 until the start of 2025, so older advice you find online may be out of date. A bigger job, like a driveway, can't be split into smaller contracts to get under the limit.
How much does a concrete driveway cost in Burbank?
Your price comes down mostly to the size of the driveway, how much old concrete we break out and haul away, how much base the ground needs and the finish you choose. A long drive back to a detached garage, a tight side yard we have to wheel concrete through or a stamped finish will raise it, and a plain broom finish, a light brushed texture that gives tires and shoes some grip, keeps it lower. I'll write up a figure for your own driveway when I come out to look.
How long does a new concrete driveway in Burbank need before I can drive on it?
You'll be walking on it well before you can park on it, because new concrete keeps curing, slowly hardening while it holds its moisture, for a good stretch after the pour. Most of the time you're without your driveway is that wait, not the tear-out or the pour, and driving on it early is how edges chip and corners crack. I'll tell you when your slab is ready for feet and when it's ready for the car.
Will a new concrete driveway in Burbank crack like my old one?
It can still get a hairline crack, but when the base is packed, the water runs away from it and the joints go in on time, it usually cracks where we planned and stays flat. Old Burbank slabs mostly fail at the base and around tree roots, which is why the prep I described above is where we spend our time.
How do I find out if my Burbank home is in a fire hazard zone?
For a specific address in an area the city is responsible for, the state fire marshal's office says to contact the local jurisdiction, which here is the City of Burbank. The state put new fire hazard maps for state-responsibility land into effect in 2024, and it has since been mapping local areas and passing those maps to cities. It's worth asking about your own address before you plan work around the house.