Concrete Contractor in Altadena, CA - Driveways and Patios Built on Solid Ground
Built Right Pasadena Concrete is a concrete contractor working in Altadena, CA. We build driveways, patios, walks, steps, slabs and foundations, and the part we care about most is the base, the drainage and where the joints go.
Altadena concrete work as we see it
Altadena has no city hall. It's an unincorporated community, so Los Angeles County acts as its local government, and that's who you deal with on permits for work at your house. Since the Eaton Fire reached Altadena in January 2025, a lot of the driveways, walks and foundations here are part of a rebuild.
The rest of Altadena is mostly older houses on deep lots, and the county counts the community rich in historic homes and landmarks, so owners usually want new concrete that looks like it belongs. The driveways and walks on those lots were often poured long ago on whatever dirt was there, and big trees and the rise toward the mountains have been working on them ever since. We see the same kind of house in South Pasadena and Sierra Madre, and the job starts the same way in all three. We dig out the old base, pack a new one and set the slope so water runs away from the house.
Why Altadena driveways and slabs crack, sink and hold water
Most of the concrete trouble we see on Altadena properties starts under the slab, not on top of it. These are the things I look for first when I walk a driveway or patio here.
Older slabs here often sit on raked dirt rather than a dug-out, packed subgrade, the ground a slab rests on, so they sink and crack.
On sloped lots, a driveway or patio that falls toward the house sends water against the foundation instead of out to the street.
Depending on location, the county protects oak and other native trees, and work inside a protected tree's zone normally needs a permit.
Old driveways on these lots are often thin and have no rebar, the steel that holds a cracked slab together, so the pieces drift apart.
Those are also what move the price and the schedule here, so I check the base, the slope and any trees before I write your estimate.
Concrete work in Altadena from our Pasadena base
We're a concrete contractor based in Pasadena, CA, and Altadena is a short drive for our crew. We also work in La Cañada Flintridge, Glendale and across the cities around Pasadena.
Concrete services for Altadena homes and lots
Concrete driveway building
When an old Altadena driveway has sunk, cracked or heaved over roots, we tear it out, pack a new base and pour it with steel inside.
Concrete patio construction
A patio behind an older house here has to fall away from the walls, so we set that slope before the pour and the water heads out to the yard.
Stamped concrete services
Stamped concrete gives a patio or walk the look of stone or brick, which suits a lot of Altadena's older homes, and it still needs a solid base.
Concrete sidewalk building
Front walks lifted by tree roots turn into trip hazards, so we take out the broken sections and pack a fresh base for the new walk.
Garage floor concrete
Older detached garages here often have a cracked, uneven floor, and we pour a new slab that's thick enough for a car and pitched toward the door.
Decorative concrete
Color, exposed stone and saw-cut patterns let a driveway or patio match an older Altadena house, and we keep the finish grippy where people walk.
Concrete retaining walls
On sloped lots here, a retaining wall holds the yard back from the house and driveway, and we put drainage behind it so water doesn't push it over.
Concrete floor installation
For an added room, a shop or a garage conversion, we pour an interior concrete floor on a packed base, flat enough for whatever finish floor goes on top.
Concrete pool decks
Around an Altadena backyard pool, the deck has to drain away from the water and the house, so we pitch it and give it a textured top.
Concrete steps construction
Older front steps on a sloped lot often sink or pull away from the porch, so we pour new ones on footings with every step the same height.
Slab foundation building
When an Altadena house, garage or addition needs a slab foundation, we dig down to firm ground, pack the base and set the steel before the pour.
Foundation installation
A lot of older Altadena houses sit on a raised floor, and when one needs a new or added foundation, we form and pour it to the plans.
Concrete parking lot building
For a small business, church or apartment lot in Altadena, we build a parking area thick enough for its traffic and sloped so water drains off.
Concrete footings
Footings carry the weight of a wall, a post or a porch, so on Altadena's slopes we dig them to firm ground before anything gets built on top.
Foundation raising
When part of an older Altadena house has settled and doors stick or floors slope, we raise the low section back toward level and support it from below.
Concrete cutting
We saw-cut old concrete on Altadena lots to take out a damaged section, open a trench for a new line, or leave a clean edge where new meets old.
A free written estimate for your Altadena concrete
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set a time to come out. I visit your Altadena property, look at the base, the slope and the drainage, and write the estimate out myself, free and with no obligation.
- Call
- (626) 345-7318
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 8 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 6 AM–10 PM
Why hire us for concrete work in Altadena
I started this business in Pasadena in 2020 after years running pours for another contractor. Here's what that means for a driveway, patio or slab at your Altadena house.
I write every estimate myself
I come out, measure the job and look at the base and the drainage before I write anything down. I'd rather tell you now what your slab needs than have you find out a year from now.
Built right under the slab
We dig out and pack the base instead of raking it level, plan where the water goes, and cut control joints, the grooves that tell a slab where to crack, while the concrete is still young.
Licensed, insured, permits in writing
We're licensed and fully insured. When a job needs a permit, we settle who's pulling it before we start, put that in writing and handle the paperwork on the ones we pull. Call (626) 345-7318 to set up a visit.
Questions about concrete work in Altadena
How do I find out who issues permits for concrete work in Altadena?
Los Angeles County Public Works issues building permits in Altadena. Enter your street address or parcel number on the county's permit site and click Find Services to see which office handles your property. The county's permit list names patios, retaining walls, pools, grading, and repairs or replacements, so check there before any work starts.
What counts as a like-for-like rebuild in Altadena after the Eaton Fire?
The county calls a rebuild like-for-like when it's the same size, in the same location and for the same use as the legally built structure that stood there. It can approve changes that add no more than 10% or 200 square feet, whichever is greater, to the floor area, size, height or footprint, and a rebuild past those limits has to meet current county standards, including Altadena's own, with a front yard setback of at least 20 feet. The county's One-Stop Permit Center offers residents a free virtual appointment on rebuild plans, permits and inspections.
What does a fire rebuild contract in Altadena have to include?
It has to be a fixed-price contract, because the state licensing board treats rebuilding after a wildfire as a home improvement project, and the contractor can't ask for or accept a down payment of more than $1,000 or 10 percent of the total price, whichever is less. Like any home improvement job over $500, it also has to be in writing, say who will get the permits and give a date of completion. Look for those lines before you sign anything.
Do I need a licensed contractor to redo the concrete at my Altadena house?
Not if you're doing the work yourself on the home you live in and you meet every one of the state licensing board's conditions for homeowners. You have to have lived there for the 12 months before the work is finished, do the work before any sale, and not have used this exemption on more than two structures in any three-year period. If you'd rather not run a pour yourself, that's the work our crew does.
How much does a new concrete driveway or patio cost in Altadena?
The price comes down to the size, how much old concrete and soft base has to come out, how much the lot slopes, and whether trees or a permit are part of the job. Thickness, rebar and the finish move it too. If the budget is tight, I'd keep the money in the base and go with a plain broom finish, the light brushed texture that gives tires and shoes grip, because you can dress up a surface later but a bad base only gets fixed by tearing it out. The written estimate gives you the figure for your own job.
How long does it take to replace a concrete driveway in Altadena?
Your time without a driveway usually turns on three things: a county permit if the job needs one, how much old concrete and soft base has to come out, and the cure after the pour. Curing is the wait while new concrete hardens and gains strength, and you can walk on it well before you can drive on it, because a car on a young slab can crack it. If a permit is needed, it's the first thing we line up, before any demolition.
Call us about your Altadena concrete job
If the concrete is part of a rebuild, call (626) 345-7318 or use our estimate form early, so the slab, the drainage and the joints get planned with the house instead of after it.
Mon–Fri: 8 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 6 AM–10 PM