Concrete contractor in West Covina - driveways, patios and walls on solid ground
Cornerstone Sierra Madre Concrete builds and replaces driveways, patios, walkways, steps and retaining walls for homeowners in West Covina, with the base dug out and packed, the drainage checked and the joints cut where they belong.
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Houses, yards and driveways in West Covina
West Covina sits in the middle of the San Gabriel Valley, between Los Angeles, Orange and San Bernardino counties, and most of what we pour here is for houses. Many neighborhoods are single-story ranch homes on their own lots from the decades after the war, with a driveway out front, a patio out back and often a pool. The flats near the 10 carry the city's shopping and traffic, while streets in the south end climb into the San Jose Hills, where yards slope and a wall or a set of steps has real work to do.
We're a concrete contractor based in Sierra Madre, and we do this same work around Arcadia and as far out as Burbank. Here, the age of the house and the slope of the lot decide more of the job than the size of the slab does.
Our services in West Covina, CA
- Concrete driveway building
Older driveways here often crack and sink where the base under them was thin. We tear it out, dig to firm ground, pack a new base and pour.
- Concrete patio construction
Patios here take roof runoff, and a slab tipped toward the house sends it to your back door. We set the slope away from the house before we pour.
- Concrete retaining walls
Sloped yards near the San Jose Hills often need a wall to hold the grade. We build on a footing with drainage behind it, so water doesn't push it over.
- Decorative concrete
When a ranch house gets remodeled, a plain gray entry can look tired. Our decorative concrete adds color and texture over the same packed base as any slab.
- Concrete pool decks
Plenty of backyards here have a pool, and the decks have often cracked or lifted. We pour new decks with a grippy finish, sloped to drain away from the pool.
- Concrete steps construction
Front steps on older houses here often settle away from the porch and leave a trip edge. We rebuild them on proper footings with a textured top for grip.
What West Covina ground asks of a slab
On any West Covina job, the first thing I want to see is what's under the old slab. The ground changes between the flats and the hillside streets, and we usually don't know exactly what we've got until it's open. Either way, the subgrade, the ground the slab sits on, gets dug out to firm soil and packed, because concrete laid on raked dirt settles right along with the dirt, the same way a water trough set on soft ground tips after the first wet spell. Where a slope sends water across the lot, we check where it runs so the new slab sheds it away from your house, not toward it. Does that make sense?
Many of the original driveways and patios here have been down for decades, and mature trees have had all that time to push roots under them, which is where a lot of the lifting and cracking starts. Your price mostly turns on the tear-out, how much base the ground needs and the finish you pick, and the schedule turns on the weather and the curing, the wait while new concrete gains strength. I'll go through both with you on site.
Get your West Covina concrete estimate
Send the form or call (626) 828-0332, and we'll get back to you within one business day to set a time. I'll come out to your West Covina house myself, look over the job and write you a free estimate, with no obligation to hire us.
Examples of finished concrete work
West Covina concrete questions answered
Do I need a building permit for a concrete driveway or retaining wall in West Covina?
The city exempts driveways, walks and low retaining walls from a building permit, within set limits. Its list of permit-free work says driveways and walks qualify when they're no more than 30 inches above the ground, over no basement or story below and not part of an accessible route, the path kept clear for wheelchair access. Retaining walls qualify when they hold back no more than 4 feet, measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall, unless they carry a surcharge, extra weight like a driveway or slope above them, or hold back certain liquids. Drain or other plumbing work tied to the job can still need its own permit, so before work starts we look into what yours needs, and when a permit applies, we handle the application as the licensed contractor and walk you through it.
How do I apply for a building permit in West Covina?
You submit it through the city's One Stop Building Permit Center, or in person at the Building Counter at City Hall, 1444 West Garvey Avenue South, Monday through Thursday, 7:30 am to 5:30 pm. The Building Division no longer takes applications by email, and you can call it with questions at (626) 939-8425. When your job needs a permit, we file it as the licensed contractor and tell you what's happening at each step.
Does concrete work that doesn't need a building permit still need Planning approval in West Covina?
It can, because a project that needs no permit from the Building Division may still need approval from the Planning Division. In some cases Planning can limit where something goes and how tall it is, and set design requirements. You can ask at its public counter in City Hall, Room 208, or call (626) 939-8422, and we look into this along with the permit before anything gets scheduled.
Does a contractor working in West Covina need a city business license?
Yes, the city requires any business operating in West Covina to get a business license, due within fifteen days of starting business there. The Finance Department handles business licensing. It's a fair question to ask any contractor before you hire, us included.
What affects the cost of concrete work in West Covina?
The biggest factors are tearing out and hauling off the old concrete, how much base work your ground needs, the size and thickness of the slab, and the finish. A slope, tight access down the side of the house or added steps and walls raise it, while a broom finish, a light texture brushed in for grip, costs less than stamped or colored work. If the budget is tight, cut the finish before the base, because you can redo a surface later but you can't fix what's under a slab without tearing it out. I'll give you your own figure when I come out to look.
What is the best way to pour concrete in hot West Covina weather?
Pour early in the morning and keep the new slab damp while it cures, so the top doesn't dry out before the inside hardens and leave a weak, dusty surface. That's how we handle summer pours here, and we cut control joints, shallow grooves that give the slab a planned place to crack, as soon as the surface can take it. No slab is crack-proof, but joints cut on time keep the cracks in lines we chose instead of across the middle. You'll be off a new driveway for several days while it cures, and I'll tell you when you can walk on it and when you can park.