Concrete driveway building in Riverside CA - a slab that sits even on a packed base
Old driveway cracked, sunken or holding water? We dig out, pack the base and pour a new slab that drains and sits even.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- Replies within 1 business day.
What goes into a new concrete driveway in Riverside?
Concrete driveway building in Riverside means getting the ground ready, then forming, pouring and finishing a new slab, so you end up with a driveway that sits even and sends water away from your house. Most of the time goes into the ground work, and you'll stay off the new slab for a while afterward as it cures and gains strength.
Most people call us when the old driveway has cracked through, sunk at the edges or started holding water by the garage, and usually the trouble started underneath, with a base that was raked smooth instead of dug out and packed. The price moves with the size of the slab, how much old concrete has to come out, how much digging and base your ground needs and the finish you pick. The schedule turns on that ground work, the weather and the cure, since you can't park on new concrete until it's ready. I leave a written estimate that spells out what's in it, so you see your own number and exactly what it covers. We're licensed and insured, and a driveway is the kind of pavement and flat concrete work California's contractor board describes as a concrete contractor's job.
How we handle concrete driveway building
On a driveway, most of the work happens before the truck shows up. We break out and haul off the old slab, then dig down and grade the subgrade, the soil the slab sits on, so the driveway falls away from your house and garage instead of toward them. We lay in a gravel base and pack it in layers, because a base that's only raked level settles with the dirt and takes the slab down with it. Then we set the forms, add rebar, the steel that holds the slab together if it does crack, and in summer we plan the pour around the heat. We keep extra water out of the mix even when it's stiffening fast, since that water costs the top its strength and leaves it dusty later. We finish it with a broom finish, a light texture so tires and shoes grip when it's wet, then cut control joints, shallow grooves that give the slab a chosen place to crack, and keep it from drying out too fast while it cures.
If you'd like more than plain gray, we do stamped concrete on driveways too, though if the budget is tight I'd rather you skip the fancy finish than skimp on the base, because nobody sees the base on day one and it's the part that decides whether the slab stays flat. Plenty of owners also have us pour a concrete patio out back while the crew is already set up.
Tear out and replace
This suits a driveway that's cracked through, sunk or pitched toward the house, because patching the top won't fix a bad base. We take it down to dirt and start the ground work fresh.
Widen or extend what you have
This suits a solid driveway that's just too narrow for two cars or needs room for a trailer. We build the new section on its own packed base and set a joint where new meets old, so the two can move a little without tearing each other up.
If water pools against your garage or the slab is dropping at the edges, call (951) 589-3080 rather than waiting, since water under concrete keeps washing out the base.
What happens after you call about a driveway?
It's a short list. I do the estimate myself and run the crew on the job, so the person who looked at your ground is the same one standing there when we pour.
Call us or send the form
Tell us roughly how big the driveway is and what's there now, and we'll set a time for me to come out. We pick up until 11 PM every day, so evenings and weekends are fine.
I walk the site with you
I look at the ground, check where the water runs and ask how you'll use the driveway, whether that's two cars or a work truck. You get a written estimate that lists the tear-out, base, slab and finish, so you know what you're paying for and can compare it to another bid.
We settle permits and prep
Once you say go, we check what the city wants and, if a permit is needed, pull it ourselves or help you apply. Then we break out the old slab, grade and pack the base and set the forms.
We pour, finish and walk it
We pour, finish and cut the joints, then walk the finished driveway with you and tell you when it's ready for feet and when it's ready for cars. Satisfaction guaranteed on every job.
Get a written estimate for your new driveway
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set a time. I'll come out, look at your ground and leave a written estimate at your property. It's free, with no obligation.
(951) 589-3080Concrete driveway building on Riverside ground
Ground around here changes from one lot to the next, and the Western Riverside soil survey maps show how much weight each soil can carry and how much it swells and shrinks as it gets wet and dries out. I check what's mapped for your property and then look at the dirt itself once we dig, because a map only goes so far, and between the two we decide how deep to dig and how much base to pack.
We're based in Riverside and work in many of the cities around it in Riverside and San Bernardino counties, and we meet the same long, hot summers and the same tired, settled driveways on jobs in Jurupa Valley and Moreno Valley. If your city isn't listed, call and ask.
Concrete driveway questions from Riverside homeowners
How much does a concrete driveway cost in Riverside?
An installed two-car concrete driveway in Riverside usually runs about $2,100 to $7,500 for the job. Where yours lands depends on the size, how much old concrete comes out, how much base your ground needs and the finish you choose. I'll give you a written estimate at your property with your own number on it.
Does my soil change how a driveway is built in Riverside?
Yes, it does. Expansive clays, soils that swell when wet and shrink as they dry, need different handling than stable sandy or gravelly ground, and a gravel or crushed stone base is often added to steady things. That's why I look at your ground before I price the base.
Can you pour a concrete driveway in summer heat?
Yes, with planning. A national concrete guide says hot weather trouble can show up any time of year but mostly comes in summer, and it suggests pouring at times of day or night when the weather is kinder, since heat, low humidity and wind all speed up drying and make finishing harder. Heat also makes fresh concrete want more water, which tempts crews to add it on site, and that lowers strength and adds shrinkage, so ask any crew how they handle heat without extra water and how much summer driveway work they've done.
How long do I have to cancel a concrete driveway contract in California?
You have three business days, or five business days if you're 65 or older. California's contractor law counts building or replacing a driveway at your home as home improvement, and that's what gives you the right to cancel.
What causes a new concrete driveway to crack?
Concrete shrinks as it dries and moves with heat, so it can crack, and I tell every owner that before we start. Hairline cracks along or near the joints are normal. Cracks that keep widening, or a slab that sinks or tips, usually trace back to the ground underneath or water added to the mix, which is where we put our effort.
How do I get ready for a driveway estimate?
Have a rough size of the driveway, what's on the ground now and any soil report you have for the property. If you're thinking about a wider driveway or a different finish, decide that before I come out, since it changes the base and the price.
Concrete work that often goes with a driveway
A patio poured off the back door gets the same packed base and planned slope as your driveway, so water runs to the yard instead of the house.
Stamped concrete gives a street-facing driveway the look of stone or brick, with color and pattern pressed into the slab while it's still workable.
Get your new driveway on the calendar
Summer pours get planned around the heat, so calling (951) 589-3080 early gives us more room to book a cool morning for yours.