Concrete Contractor in San Marino, CA - Driveways and Patios Built Right Underneath
Built Right Pasadena Concrete is a concrete contractor based in Pasadena that builds driveways, patios, walks, steps and slabs for San Marino homes, with the base, drainage and joints done right before any finish goes on.
San Marino concrete as we find it on the job
San Marino is mostly houses, many of them older, on good-sized lots with long driveways and trees that have had decades to grow. Most of our calls here are for flatwork, the driveways, walks, patios and steps that lie on the ground. A lot of that concrete has been down a long time, and it shows in the cracks, the sunken corners and the water that sits where it shouldn't.
We take the same kinds of calls in South Pasadena and up in La Crescenta-Montrose. On an older San Marino property, the job usually starts with what's under the old slab and how the yard drains, and the new surface comes after that.
Why older San Marino slabs crack and sink
Most of what we replace in San Marino failed from underneath, not on top. Here's what we usually find when I look at an older driveway, walk or patio in the city.
Big, older trees send roots under driveways and walks, lifting the edges and cracking slabs in places nobody planned for.
A lot of older concrete sits on dirt that was raked level, not dug out and packed into a firm subgrade, the ground the slab rests on, so it settles.
Long driveways on large lots give water a long way to run, and a slab that falls toward the house sends it straight to the foundation.
Older slabs often have few control joints, the grooves cut so concrete cracks along a line we chose, so their cracks wander across the whole surface.
Patios, walks and steps added over the years were usually poured separately, so they move at different rates and leave trip edges between them.
Roots, old concrete to break out and base work move both the price and the schedule, and I check all three when I come out for the estimate.
Where we work around San Marino
We're based in Pasadena and work across the cities around it, San Marino included, along with Arcadia and Sierra Madre. The cities below have their own pages, and they aren't the only places we go.
Concrete work we do for San Marino homes
Concrete driveway building
When your driveway is cracked, root-lifted or holding water by the garage, we break it out, rebuild the base and pour it to drain away from the house.
Concrete patio construction
A new patio for a big backyard, or a replacement for one that's sunk or cracked, built on a packed base and sloped so water runs off it.
Stamped concrete services
Stamped concrete gives a patio or driveway the look of stone or brick, and we press the pattern in only after the base and joints are planned.
Concrete sidewalk building
Front walks and side paths that roots have heaved into trip edges, replaced on a deeper base with joints placed where the next root is likely to push.
Garage floor concrete
Older garage floors that have cracked, gone dusty or sunk at the door, broken out and repoured on a packed base and sloped toward the opening.
Decorative concrete
Colored, exposed-aggregate or polished concrete for entries, walks and patios on older homes where a plain gray slab would look out of place.
Concrete retaining walls
Where a yard steps down or a slope pushes against a driveway, a reinforced concrete wall with drainage behind it holds the ground back.
Concrete floor installation
Interior concrete floors for additions, workshops and pool houses, poured level over a prepared base so the finished floor has something flat to sit on.
Concrete pool decks
Pool decks that have cracked or pulled away from the pool's edge, rebuilt with a finish that isn't slick underfoot and a slope that sheds splash water.
Concrete steps construction
Front and garden steps with uneven heights or crumbling edges, formed and poured so every step matches and the whole run sits on solid footing.
Slab foundation building
Slabs for additions, guest houses and garages, with rebar, the steel that holds a slab together if it cracks, set and checked before the pour.
Foundation installation
New foundations for additions and rebuilds on established lots, laid out and poured to the plans so the framing starts on something square and level.
Concrete parking lot building
Parking areas and motor courts for larger properties, built with a heavier base and slab so they carry cars for years without settling into ruts.
Concrete footings
Footings for garden walls, posts, patio covers and additions, dug down to firm soil and sized to the load so whatever sits on top stays put.
Foundation raising
When part of a slab or foundation has dropped, we find out why it moved first, then raise and support it based on what we find.
Concrete cutting
Clean saw cuts for new drains, utility lines, root removal or a partial replacement, so we take out only the concrete that actually has to go.
Get a free written estimate for your San Marino concrete
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day. Then I come out to your San Marino property myself, look at the old slab and what's under it, and write the estimate. It's free, it's written out, and there's no obligation.
- Call
- (626) 345-7318
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 8 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 6 AM–10 PM
Why San Marino homeowners call us for concrete
We're licensed and fully insured, in business since 2020, and most of what we do differently happens under the concrete, where you won't see it. Your satisfaction, guaranteed.
I write your estimate myself
I spent years running pours for another contractor before starting this business. I come out, measure the job and write the estimate, and I'm on site while our crew builds it.
Bad news at the estimate, not later
If your yard drains toward the house or the old base has failed, I'll tell you at the estimate, because finding it out a year after the pour costs you a lot more.
The base gets the budget first
When a budget gets tight, I'll trim the finish before I'll thin the base, because a plain slab on good ground outlasts a fancy one on raked dirt. Call (626) 345-7318 to set up a visit.
San Marino concrete questions we hear most
Who issues building permits for concrete work in San Marino?
In San Marino, the Community Development Director serves as the Building Official, so permit questions go to the city's Planning and Building Department. That department keeps the city's Building Code available for anyone to look at, and it's the place to ask whether your driveway or patio needs a permit. When a job does need one, we settle who's pulling it before we start, put that in writing and handle the paperwork on the ones we pull.
How do I know if my concrete job in San Marino needs a licensed contractor?
Under state rules, the work needs a contractor licensed by the Contractors State License Board when the project needs a building permit, uses employee labor or costs $1,000 or more in total. A bigger job can't be split into smaller contracts to get under that line. Contractors working in San Marino also need a city business license renewed every year, which asks for their state license number, and you'll usually see that number on their ads.
How much can a concrete contractor ask for as a down payment in California?
The state caps a home improvement down payment at $1,000, or less on a smaller contract. Any other payments have to be spelled out in the contract and tied to work finished or materials delivered. That rule covers driveways, patios and every other home improvement job.
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in San Marino?
The price of a driveway here turns mostly on its size, how much old concrete we break out and haul off, and how much base work the ground needs. Roots that have to be cut back, a long run from the street and a stamped or decorative finish all add to it, while a broom finish, the light brushed texture that gives tires and shoes grip, keeps it down. I measure it when I come out and give you the figure in writing.
How long does a new concrete driveway take to cure before I can drive on it?
A new driveway needs more time before cars than before feet, and we give you both dates before the pour. Curing is the wait while the concrete hardens all the way through, and driving on it early is how fresh edges chip and slabs crack. Plan on parking on the street for a while, and I'll tell you how long when we schedule.
What causes new concrete driveways in San Marino to crack?
New driveways usually crack because the joints were cut late or skipped, the pour went down in midday heat or the base was never packed. Concrete almost always cracks some, so the goal is to make it crack inside the control joints instead of across the middle. We cut joints on time, pour early in the day so the top doesn't dry weak and dusty, and put the work into the base so the slab has nothing soft to sink into.
Book your San Marino concrete estimate
Call (626) 345-7318 or use our form, and we're picking up evenings and weekends too, until 11 PM on weekdays and 10 PM on weekends.
Mon–Fri: 8 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 6 AM–10 PM