Concrete contractor in La Crescenta-Montrose, CA - slabs built solid from the base up
Built Right Pasadena Concrete is a concrete contractor based in Pasadena, CA, and we pour driveways, patios, walks, steps, retaining walls and slabs for homeowners in La Crescenta-Montrose, with the base and drainage done right underneath.
La Crescenta-Montrose as we see it on jobs
La Crescenta-Montrose isn't its own city. It's an unincorporated part of Los Angeles County, so the county, not a city hall, takes care of things like road maintenance here. The valley is shared with Glendale, which takes in the south and west side, so on a call here I start by checking which side your house is on, because that decides who you deal with for the job.
Most of our calls here come from homeowners with a driveway, walk or set of steps that has cracked, sunk or started holding water. It's the same driveway, patio and walk work we do in Altadena and out in Arcadia, but here the lot often decides more of the job than the slab does, because wherever the ground slopes, the grade and the water have to be worked out before anything is poured.
How the lots here shape your concrete job
Most of what goes wrong with concrete happens underneath, before anyone sees it. Price moves with size, tear-out, base work and finish, and the schedule turns on curing, the wait before a slab takes weight.
Where a driveway climbs from the street, we work out the slope and where the runoff goes first, so the garage doesn't catch it.
Mature trees on older lots can lift walks and driveway edges, so we look at the roots before deciding how much comes out.
A patio that falls toward the house sends water at the foundation, so we set the fall away from it before anything gets poured.
Steps and retaining walls on a sloped yard carry soil behind them, so the footing and drainage matter more than the face you see.
That's why I come out and look at your lot myself before writing anything down, and the written estimate gives you your own figure.
Where we work around La Crescenta-Montrose
We're based in Pasadena and work across the cities around it, La Crescenta-Montrose among them, along with La Cañada Flintridge and Altadena. The cities listed below have their own pages, and we work in others too.
Concrete work we do in La Crescenta-Montrose
Concrete driveway building
When an old driveway has cracked or sunk at the street, we dig out the soft base, pack new ground and pour a slab that drains.
Concrete patio construction
A backyard patio here usually needs to fall away from the house, so we set the grade first and pour a slab that sheds water toward the yard.
Stamped concrete services
Stamped concrete gives a patio or walk the look of stone or brick, poured over the same packed base, because a pattern won't hide a crack.
Concrete sidewalk building
Front walks that have heaved or split into trip edges get torn out and repoured with a broom finish, a light brushed texture that grips when wet.
Garage floor concrete
A garage floor that's cracked, stained or sloping the wrong way gets broken out and replaced, with the slab pitched toward the door so water runs out.
Decorative concrete
Colored, exposed-aggregate or scored finishes suit an older house where plain gray looks out of place, and we settle the base and drainage before we talk finish.
Concrete retaining walls
On a sloped yard, a retaining wall holds back soil that wants to move, so we size the footing and give the water a way out from behind it.
Concrete floor installation
For a workshop, a studio or a room addition, we pour interior concrete floors on a packed base so they sit flat under whatever goes on top.
Concrete pool decks
A deck around an older pool often cracks and lifts at the edge, so we replace it with a slab that drains away from the pool.
Concrete steps construction
Front steps that have pulled away from the house or settled out of level get rebuilt with rebar, the steel inside that holds the concrete together.
Slab foundation building
For a new garage, guest house or addition, we pour slab foundations on ground that's dug out, packed and checked, because everything above sits on that work.
Foundation installation
When a project calls for a raised foundation instead of a single slab, we lay out the forms and pour it to the plans you've had drawn.
Concrete parking lot building
For a small business or a multi-unit property with a cracked lot, we pour concrete parking areas thick enough for the traffic and pitched to drain.
Concrete footings
Footings carry a wall, a deck post or a patio cover into firm ground, so we dig them to the size the job needs before we pour.
Foundation raising
When part of a slab has dropped, raising it back toward level can save a tear-out, and I'll tell you at the estimate if it's worth trying.
Concrete cutting
We saw-cut concrete for a new drain line, a doorway or a bad section of slab, so only that part comes out and the rest stays whole.
Get a free written estimate for your La Crescenta-Montrose job
Send the form or call (626) 345-7318, and we'll reply within one business day to set a time. I come out to your place in La Crescenta-Montrose myself, look over the job and write the estimate out for you, free and with no obligation.
- Call
- (626) 345-7318
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 8 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 6 AM–10 PM
Why homeowners here call us for concrete
I started Built Right Pasadena Concrete in 2020 after years as the right-hand person to another concrete contractor, setting grade and running pours. Here's what that means on your job.
I write the estimate myself
I come out, measure the old slab and look at the base, the drainage and where the joints should go. If the job needs something you didn't plan on, you hear it at the estimate, not a year later.
Licensed, insured, permits settled first
We're licensed and fully insured. When a job needs a permit, we agree in writing who's pulling it before work starts, and we handle the paperwork on the ones we pull.
I run the job on site
Our crew does the work and I'm there running it, so the base gets packed and the joints get cut when they should. Your satisfaction, guaranteed. Call (626) 345-7318 to set up a visit.
Concrete questions from La Crescenta-Montrose homeowners
How do I find out who issues my concrete permit in La Crescenta-Montrose?
Look up your street address or parcel number in the Service Locator from LA County Public Works, which shows which office issues permits for that property. If you're in unincorporated La Crescenta-Montrose, the county's Public Works department issues it. Part of the valley is in Glendale, and property outside the county's jurisdiction may go to another office.
Do I need a permit for a concrete driveway in La Crescenta-Montrose?
Some concrete work here needs a county permit, so ask LA County Public Works about your driveway before anything is torn out. In unincorporated areas it issues permits for new work, additions, alterations, repairs and replacements, and its list names grading work too. When a job needs one, we sort out in writing who's pulling it before we start, and once a county permit is issued, the first inspection has to be requested within 12 months and follow-ups scheduled every 6 months to keep it active.
Does a short retaining wall need a permit in La Crescenta-Montrose?
A retaining wall is on the county's exempt list when it holds back no more than 4 feet, measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall, and it isn't carrying an added load, such as a driveway or a slope above it, or holding back flammable or combustible liquids. Exempt or not, the wall still has to be built to code. I measure it at the estimate and tell you which side of that line it falls on.
Does a concrete contractor need a license in California?
Yes, for nearly any concrete job, because California requires a current license from the Contractors State License Board for work valued at $1,000 or more in combined labor and materials. The same rule covers any job that needs a building permit and anyone using employee labor, whatever the price. A driveway, patio or retaining wall is almost always over that line.
How much does a concrete driveway cost in La Crescenta-Montrose?
There's no fair number until I've seen the lot, because tear-out, base work, size and the finish you pick set the price. A plain broom finish costs less than stamped or colored concrete, and a sloped or soft lot adds grading and forming. If the budget is tight, cut the finish before the base, because you can't fix what's under a slab once it's poured. Your written estimate gives you your own figure.
What causes a new concrete driveway to crack?
Most cracks in newer concrete come from a base that was raked level instead of dug out and packed, control joints cut late or skipped, or a pour that dried too fast and left a weak top. Concrete shrinks as it cures, so control joints, the straight cuts across the slab, give it a line to crack along instead of across the middle. Nobody can promise concrete won't crack, but we pack the base, cut the joints on time and keep weight off until it has cured, so cracks usually stay in the joints.
Call about your La Crescenta-Montrose concrete
Our hours run until 11 PM on weekdays and 10 PM on weekends, so call (626) 345-7318 after work or send the form whenever it suits you.
Mon–Fri: 8 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 6 AM–10 PM