Concrete Contractor in Sierra Madre, CA - Slabs That Drain Right on Foothill Lots
Built Right Pasadena Concrete pours driveways, patios, walks, steps and slabs for homes in Sierra Madre, CA. We're based in nearby Pasadena, and our crew builds the base and drainage right before the pour.
Sierra Madre homes, driveways and the ground under them
Sierra Madre is a small, mostly residential city tucked up against the foothills, and most of our calls there come from older homes, many with a long, narrow driveway running back to a detached garage. A lot of those drives and front walks were poured decades ago, and by now they've cracked, sunk at the low end or been pushed up by tree roots. The work is a lot like what we see next door in Arcadia and over in San Marino, with older houses, big trees and slabs that have had a long life.
What sets the job apart here is the ground. Many lots climb toward the mountains, so water crosses the yard on its way down, and a slab that isn't dug out, packed and set to drain ends up holding that water against the house.
What Sierra Madre lots do to a concrete slab
Most of what goes wrong with concrete here starts under it or around it, not on top. These are the things I look for on a Sierra Madre lot before I write a number down.
Sloped yards send water across driveways and patios, so we set each slab to fall away from the house instead of toward it.
Many older drives were poured on dirt that was raked level, not dug out and packed, which is why they've settled and cracked.
Big, old trees push roots under walks and drives, lifting panels and leaving the uneven edges people catch a toe on.
In 1954 floods and mudslides came down Sierra Madre Canyon, so we look at where uphill water runs before we set forms.
Narrow driveways and tight side yards can keep a concrete truck from backing in, which changes how we get concrete to the pour.
I'd rather walk your lot, look at the slope, the old slab and the trees, and tell you what I see than guess at it over the phone.
Sierra Madre and the cities around Pasadena
We're based in Pasadena and work across the cities around it, Sierra Madre included. The same crew takes jobs next door in Arcadia and over in Altadena, and the cities with their own page are listed below.
Concrete work we do in Sierra Madre
Concrete driveway building
When an old driveway has sunk, cracked or holds water by the garage, we tear it out, dig to firm ground and pour it to drain.
Concrete patio construction
A patio on a sloped yard has to shed water away from the house, so we set the grade before the forms go in.
Stamped concrete services
Stamped concrete gives a patio or walk the look of stone or brick for an older house, but it's only as good as the base underneath.
Concrete sidewalk building
Front walks lifted by tree roots turn into trip edges, so we take out the raised sections, deal with what's under them and pour panels that sit flush.
Garage floor concrete
Older detached garages often have cracked, sunken floors, so we break them out, rebuild the base and pour a new slab that drains toward the door.
Decorative concrete
Color, stain or an exposed stone finish can help new concrete sit well next to an older home, and we talk through upkeep before you pick one.
Concrete retaining walls
On a lot that climbs toward the hills, a concrete retaining wall holds the soil back, with drainage behind it so water doesn't push it over.
Concrete floor installation
For a workshop, studio or room addition, we pour an interior slab that's level and flat enough for the flooring that goes over it.
Concrete pool decks
A pool deck stays wet and gets walked on barefoot, so we give it a texture with grip and pitch it away from the water and the house.
Concrete steps construction
Front steps on a sloped lot get used every day, so we build them with even step heights on a solid base that holds them against the house.
Slab foundation building
For a new garage, back house or addition, we pour the slab on dug-out, packed ground, because a building is only as steady as what's under it.
Foundation installation
When an addition or rebuild needs a new foundation, we lay it out, set the steel and pour to the plans your engineer or designer drew.
Concrete parking lot building
For a small business lot or a shared drive that takes more traffic than a home driveway, we pour a thicker slab on a heavier base.
Concrete footings
Patio covers, garden walls and decks sit on footings, concrete set down into firm soil to carry the weight, and we dig and pour them.
Foundation raising
When an older foundation has settled and doors stick or floors slope, we find out why it sank before we talk about lifting it.
Concrete cutting
We saw-cut clean lines when only part of a drive or walk needs replacing, or when a drain line has to run under old concrete.
Get a free written estimate for your Sierra Madre job
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set a time. I come out to your Sierra Madre house myself, look at the old slab, the slope and where the water goes, and write the estimate out for you. It's free, and there's no obligation.
- Call
- (626) 345-7318
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 8 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 6 AM–10 PM
Why Sierra Madre homeowners hire us
I started this business in Pasadena in 2020 after years laying out forms, setting grade and running pours for another contractor. Here's what that means for your job in Sierra Madre.
I write your estimate myself
I come out to look at your Sierra Madre job and write the estimate, then I'm on site running it while our crew does the work. If the base needs more than you hoped, you'll hear it from me first.
We'd cut the finish, not the base
If money's tight, I'd cut the fancy finish before the base, because the base is buried on day one and decides whether the slab sinks. A plain broom finish, the light texture that gives grip, holds up fine on good ground.
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 and put that in writing, and we handle the paperwork on the ones we pull. Call (626) 345-7318 to set up a visit.
Sierra Madre concrete questions we hear
How do I find out if my Sierra Madre driveway or patio job needs a permit?
Check with the city's Building and Safety Division before the old slab comes out, because it issues building permits in Sierra Madre and only to a state-licensed contractor or the property owner. Its permits cover any project that alters a structure, its list names property line walls and fences, and the city's applications also include encroachment and excavation permits and grading and drainage permits. There's no all-in-one permit, so each kind of work gets its own, and we sort out in writing who's pulling any that apply before we start.
Does a concrete contractor from outside Sierra Madre need a city business license?
Yes, a business based outside Sierra Madre that works inside city limits needs a Sierra Madre business license. A contractor also has to have it before applying for any construction permit in the city. That rule covers us, since we're based in Pasadena, and it's a fair thing to ask any out-of-town contractor about at the estimate.
When does a concrete contractor need a California state license?
A contractor needs a license from the state licensing board when the job needs a building permit, uses hired workers, or costs $1,000 or more in labor and materials together. A crew of hired workers alone puts a job over that line, so someone offering to pour your driveway unlicensed is a warning sign. We're licensed and fully insured.
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Sierra Madre?
The price of a Sierra Madre driveway comes down to its size, how much old concrete comes out, how much soft dirt we have to dig out and replace with a packed base, and how close the truck can get. Steep or narrow drives, retaining edges and decorative finishes add to it, while a straight drive with a plain broom finish keeps it lower. Your written estimate gives you the figure for your own job.
How long will I be without my driveway in Sierra Madre?
You're off it from tear-out through curing, the stretch where the new concrete is kept from drying too fast so it gains strength, and you can walk on it well before you can drive on it. The schedule mostly turns on how much old concrete and bad base comes out, whether the truck can reach the pour, and whether a permit has to clear first. I'll go over the timing for your slab at the estimate.
What causes concrete driveways to crack and sink in Sierra Madre?
Most of the sinking and cracking we see comes from what's under the slab, usually dirt that was raked flat instead of dug out and packed, water running under the edges, or roots lifting it. On sloped foothill lots, water that runs toward the house instead of off the slab makes it worse. We dig to firm ground, set the fall so water leaves, add rebar, the steel inside the slab that holds cracks tight, and cut control joints, shallow grooves that give the slab a straight place to crack, early enough that cracks land where we chose.
Call about your Sierra Madre concrete job
Call (626) 345-7318 or use the form now, because settling the permit question and the city business license before tear-out keeps your driveway from sitting broken up while the paperwork catches up.
Mon–Fri: 8 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 6 AM–10 PM