Old patio cracked, sinking or slick when it's wet? We pour a new slab with a finish that fits your yard and cure it properly.
At First Choice South Whittier Concrete, concrete patio construction in South Whittier means we break out any old slab, dig out and pack a solid base, then form, pour and finish a new slab that gives you a flat, usable place to sit, eat or walk in the yard.
Most people call us because the old patio has cracked, sunk toward the house or holds water after it rains, or because they're tired of bare dirt out back. Patios are flatwork, the flat slabs like walks and driveways, and most of the trouble with them starts underneath, in the subgrade, the ground the slab sits on, or in the first few days after the pour.
Your price mostly comes down to the size of the patio, whether an old slab has to be broken out and hauled away, how much digging and base work the ground needs, how easy it is to get equipment into the yard, and the finish you pick. The schedule turns on the weather, any permit step your address needs and the curing time before you can use it, and I'll put your own price in writing after I've walked the yard.
Here's who you'll hear from and what you'll have in hand at each stage, so you know what's coming before any concrete shows up.
I spent years patching walks, steps and slabs for a property management company before I started this business in 2013, so I know what to look for in an old patio and the ground under it. On the visit I walk you through your options and what each one means for cost and upkeep.
After the visit I write up the estimate so you can see what you're paying for, from the base to the finish. If any part of it isn't clear, ask, because I'd rather explain it twice than have you guess.
We're licensed and insured, and the people pouring your patio are our own crew. I stop by along the way, and when it's done we walk the finished patio together. Your satisfaction, guaranteed.
We start by asking how you'll use the patio, because that decides the finish. A broom finish, fine ridges dragged across the top while it's still wet, is the common practical pick where you want grip, and a smooth trowel finish looks cleaner but can get too slick when it's wet unless the spot is small, covered or hardly walked on. If the budget gets tight, I'll steer you toward a plainer finish before I'll cut corners on the base, since the base is hidden on day one and it's what keeps the slab from settling with the dirt later. Once the slab is poured, we stay with it through curing instead of walking away the minute it looks done.
Patios often tie into other work. If you'd like a pattern that looks like stone or brick, stamped concrete presses that texture into the slab while it's fresh, and if the patio needs a path to the driveway or side gate, we can pour a concrete sidewalk on the same job so the two meet cleanly.
Every patio goes through the same four stages, and the ones you can't see on day one matter most.
Before we dig, we look at where rain runs off the roof and yard so the new slab falls away from your house instead of toward it. Then we dig out the soft soil and pack the subgrade firm, because a base that's only raked level settles with the dirt and takes the slab with it.
We set the forms and add rebar, steel bars that hold the concrete together, where the slab needs it. A ready-mix trade group advises pouring early in the morning on hot days and placing and finishing quickly to limit shrinkage cracks, and the concrete supplier can suggest a mix made for the heat, so a summer pour is worth planning around an early start.
We place the concrete, level it and put on the finish you picked. Control joints, shallow cuts that give the slab a planned place to crack as it shrinks, go in on time, because joints cut late or skipped leave cracks wherever the slab decides.
Curing means keeping the fresh concrete protected from dry air, wind and big swings in temperature while it gains strength. Skip it and you can end up with shrinkage cracks and a top that flakes, so curing is part of the plan we agree on, and I'll tell you when it's ready for foot traffic and furniture.
Call (562) 358-3037, email sales@concretesouthwhittier.com or send the form, and we'll reply within one business day to set up a free on-site estimate with no obligation. I'll come out, walk the yard with you, go over your options and then write up the estimate. It helps if you have your address, a rough patio size, the finish you're leaning toward and a few photos of any old patio ready.
(562) 358-3037Ask before you pour, because the county's permit list doesn't settle it either way. LA County Public Works issues permits to build, remodel, demolish or relocate structures, and its list names pools, retaining walls and demolition, not patios. The county tells applicants to contact their local office and ask what their project requires, which can include a plan check, a review of the plans against safety, building and environmental standards. When a job does call for a permit, we help you find the office that handles your address, help with the paperwork and plan the work around the inspections.
Only on a very small job. California allows unlicensed work up to $1,000, and only when the job needs no permit and the person has no one working for them, so anyone bringing a crew or charging more than that needs a contractor's license. The state licensing board defines a concrete contractor as one who forms, pours, places and finishes flat concrete, so ask anyone you're comparing for their license before they start.
A good bid spells out the whole job, not just a price per square foot. Before comparing numbers, check whether each one covers removing the old patio, digging, base preparation, reinforcement, the finish, any equipment needed to reach the yard, drainage and any approvals the job needs. I go over each of those on the site visit, so you can line our estimate up against anyone else's.
The first thing to settle is which office covers your address, because county Public Works issues permits for property in unincorporated LA County and another office may handle property outside it. The county's South Whittier District Office is at 12440 Imperial Hwy in Norwalk, and its main number is (562) 946-1390. If your patio means moving soil or reshaping a slope, ask about a grading permit too, since the county issues those for work that changes the land.
We're based in South Whittier and work across the cities around it, including Norwalk, Whittier, Pico Rivera and Downey. A lot of the patio calls we get are for older backyards where the slab has cracked, sunk or started holding water against the house, and if you don't see your city listed, call and ask.
Call (562) 358-3037 or use the form, because getting on the schedule early gives us room to pick a cooler day for your pour instead of squeezing it into a heat wave.
If you've got a question about your patio, send it over and I'll walk you through it.
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