Concrete Contractor in Pasadena, CA - Driveways and Patios Built Right Underneath
Built Right Pasadena Concrete is a concrete contractor based in Pasadena, CA. We pour and replace driveways, patios, walks, steps, slabs and footings across the city, and I come out to look at each job myself.
Pasadena concrete work, from old driveways to new slabs
Pasadena is our home base, and most of our work here is flatwork, the flat slabs like driveways, patios and walks, on older houses. Many sit in the city's historic neighborhoods, where the driveway runs narrow to a detached garage out back. We get the same calls in Glendale and Altadena.
The price here usually turns on the tear-out and the work underneath, more than on the finish. The schedule turns on the permit and the wait while new concrete cures, and your written estimate gives you your own figure. On these older lots, what's under the old slab decides the job, so we dig down to a firm subgrade, the ground a slab sits on, and pack a new base before we pour.
Pasadena houses and lots change how we pour
A slab in Pasadena deals with old pours, big trees, summer heat and tight lots. Here's what we usually find when we walk a property here, and what we do about it.
Many houses here still have their original driveway or walk, often thinner than a new slab and worn through at the edges.
Big street and yard trees push roots under the concrete, which is why so many walks and drives here lift and crack along one side.
Older lots often drain toward the house or garage, so we check where the water runs before we set the grade on a new slab.
Summer heat here dries a fresh slab fast, so we schedule pours early in the day to keep the top from turning weak and dusty.
Long, narrow side drives to detached garages limit access, so getting old concrete out and new concrete in takes planning.
I'd rather see these things on your lot than guess at them, so every estimate starts with me walking the slab and checking the ground and the drainage.
Where we work in and around Pasadena
We're based in Pasadena and spend most days here, and we do the same work across the cities around it, like South Pasadena and San Marino. Each city below has its own page, and we work beyond these too.
Concrete services for Pasadena homes and properties
Concrete driveway building
Older Pasadena driveways are often thin and cracked, so we tear them out, pack a new base and pour a slab that sheds water away from the house.
Concrete patio construction
Backyard patios here bake in the sun and sit near trees, so we slope them away from the house and cut the joints where cracks should go.
Stamped concrete services
Stamped concrete suits the older homes here when you want the look of stone or brick on a patio or walk without setting each piece by hand.
Concrete sidewalk building
Front walks lifted by tree roots turn into trip hazards, so we replace the raised sections on a packed base and keep them level with what stays.
Garage floor concrete
Detached garages behind older Pasadena houses often have cracked, sunken floors, and we break them out, pack the base and pour a new slab at the right height.
Decorative concrete
Colored, exposed or textured finishes let new concrete sit well beside an older house, and we match the finish to how the space actually gets used.
Concrete retaining walls
Sloped yards toward the foothills need walls that hold the ground back and let water through, so we build the footing and drainage in from the start.
Concrete floor installation
For workshops, additions and other interior spaces, we pour floors on a packed, level base so the finished floor stays flat under whatever goes over it.
Concrete pool decks
Pool decks here take sun and splash all summer, so we give them a textured finish for grip and slope them so water runs off instead of pooling.
Concrete steps construction
Older front steps here often crack or pull away from the porch, so we tear them out and pour new ones on a proper footing with even rises.
Slab foundation building
For new garages and additions on Pasadena lots, we pour slab foundations on a dug-out, packed base built to the plans the city has approved.
Foundation installation
When a new structure or addition goes up, we form and pour the foundation to the approved plans and set the grade so water drains away from it.
Concrete parking lot building
Property owners with small lots and apartment parking get concrete built for daily traffic, with a heavier base and the drainage planned before the pour.
Concrete footings
Footings carry walls, posts and additions, so we dig them to the depth on the plans and pour them on firm ground rather than loose fill.
Foundation raising
When a slab or foundation has settled on an older Pasadena house, we figure out why it sank before we talk about lifting it back up.
Concrete cutting
We cut openings, trenches and clean lines in existing concrete here, for a new drain, a plumbing repair or a section of driveway that's being replaced.
Get a written estimate for your Pasadena concrete
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set a time. I come out to your Pasadena property, look at the slab and the ground under it, and write the estimate myself. It's free and written out, with no obligation to go ahead.
- Call
- (626) 345-7318
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 8 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 6 AM–10 PM
Reasons Pasadena homeowners hire us for concrete
Most of what makes a slab last gets done before the concrete truck shows up. Here's how we handle the parts you won't see, and who you'll deal with from the estimate to cleanup.
I write your estimate myself
I spent years running pours for another contractor before I started this business in Pasadena in 2020. I still come out to look at the job and write the estimate, and I'm on site while our crew does the work.
The base gets the budget first
The base is buried the day we pour, so it's the first thing people want to cut. I'd rather trim the finish than the base, because no surface looks good on a slab that settles with the dirt under it.
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.
Pasadena concrete questions we hear most
Do I need a permit to replace a concrete driveway in Pasadena?
Yes, in a residential zone the city requires a zoning permit for driveways and other paving. A zoning permit checks that the work meets the city's zoning rules and is separate from a building permit, which comes from the city's Permit Center, where applications and fees go. We work out which ones your job needs before we start.
Does a concrete contractor in Pasadena need a California state license?
Yes, the Contractors State License Board requires a license when the project needs a building permit, uses employee labor, or comes to $1,000 or more in labor and materials together. Pasadena's permit staff check the license with the board and require workers' comp insurance, and a contractor pulling permits also has to show a current City of Pasadena business license.
What affects the cost of a concrete driveway in Pasadena?
Size, thickness and finish set most of the cost once the tear-out and base work are counted. A plain broom finish, the light texture that gives tires and shoes grip, costs less than stamped or colored concrete, and a long, narrow drive to a back garage takes more labor to break out and pour. Your written estimate shows your own figure.
How long does a new concrete driveway take to cure in Pasadena?
You'll usually be off a new driveway for several days, and you can walk on it well before you can drive on it. Curing, the time concrete takes to harden and gain strength, can't be rushed, and in Pasadena's heat we keep the slab from drying out too fast. On pour day we tell you when it's ready to walk on and when it's ready for the car.
What causes concrete to crack and sink around older Pasadena homes?
Most of it comes from a base that was raked flat instead of dug out and packed, so the slab sank as the dirt under it did. Tree roots, water running under the slab, and control joints, the cut lines that give a crack a planned place to go, cut late or skipped all make it worse. Any slab can crack, so on yours we pack the base, plan the drainage, use rebar, the steel that holds the pieces together, where the slab needs it, and cut the joints on time.
Do I need a permit for a concrete retaining wall in Pasadena?
A lower retaining wall needs at least a zoning permit from the city, because Pasadena lists those walls among the work with zoning requirements. For a taller wall, we check with the Permit Center which permits it needs before we dig, and we build the footing and drainage in either way.
Call about your Pasadena concrete job
You can reach us at (626) 345-7318 until 11 PM on weeknights and from 6 AM on weekends, or send the estimate form whenever it suits you.
Mon–Fri: 8 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 6 AM–10 PM