Concrete Contractor in Aliso Viejo, CA - Driveways and Patios Built to Drain
Blue Collar Fountain Valley Concrete pours driveways, patios, walkways, steps and footings for homes in Aliso Viejo, CA. We dig out and pack the base, work out where the water goes, then form, pour and finish the slab.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- Replies within 1 business day.
Aliso Viejo homes and the concrete work they need
Aliso Viejo is a planned city, and a lot of our calls there come from homeowners in tract neighborhoods who want a cracked driveway replaced, a patio poured out back or a walk run down the side yard. The houses are mostly stucco with tile roofs on tight lots, many of them graded into the hills, and there's some commercial work too, from small business lots to the walks around them.
We're a concrete contractor based in Fountain Valley, and we work here the same way we do closer to home and in Irvine next door. On graded lots like these, how a slab holds up comes down to what's under it and which way the water runs, so that's where we start.
Concrete services for Aliso Viejo homes and properties
Concrete driveway building
When an Aliso Viejo driveway has cracked or settled, we tear it out, pack a new base and pour a slab that drains toward the street.
View service Concrete driveway buildingConcrete patio construction
Backyards here are often small and close to a hillside, so we set the patio to slope away from the house before any forms go in.
View service Concrete patio constructionStamped concrete services
Stamped concrete gives a front walk or patio the look of stone or brick in one pour, which suits the stucco-and-tile homes common in Aliso Viejo.
View service Stamped concrete servicesConcrete sidewalk building
Side-yard walks catch roof runoff and plenty of foot traffic, so we pack the base well and pitch each walk so the water runs off.
View service Concrete sidewalk buildingGarage floor concrete
A garage slab that's cracked, stained or low near the door can be cut out and repoured, with the surface sloped so water runs out, not in.
View service Garage floor concreteDecorative concrete
Colored concrete, exposed aggregate and borders help new work sit well next to an existing entry, so it looks like it belongs to the house.
View service Decorative concreteConcrete retaining walls
On sloped lots, a concrete retaining wall can hold back the hill for a flatter yard, with drainage behind it so water doesn't push on it.
View service Concrete retaining wallsConcrete floor installation
For an addition, a converted garage or a workshop, we pour interior floors flat and level so the flooring goes down cleanly over them.
View service Concrete floor installationConcrete pool decks
Pool decks get bare feet and splash water much of the year, so we texture the surface for grip and slope it so water drains off.
View service Concrete pool decksConcrete steps construction
Front steps often settle or pull away from the house, so we rebuild them on a solid footing, with every step the same height.
View service Concrete steps constructionSlab foundation building
For an addition, a casita or a detached garage, we form and pour the slab foundation to the plans, with the ground prepped before the concrete arrives.
View service Slab foundation buildingFoundation installation
When a new structure needs a raised foundation rather than a slab, we lay it out, dig it and pour it to the engineer's drawings.
View service Foundation installationConcrete parking lot building
For small business lots and shared drives, we pour heavier slabs built for delivery trucks and graded so the water heads for the drains.
View service Concrete parking lot buildingConcrete footings
Patio covers, block walls and gates sit on footings, the buried concrete that holds them up, and we dig them to suit the ground they're in.
View service Concrete footingsFoundation raising
If part of the house has dropped and doors stick or floor cracks spread, we find out why it settled before we talk about lifting it.
View service Foundation raisingConcrete cutting
We saw-cut openings for new drain lines, trim back a driveway to widen it or cut out one broken panel so only that part gets replaced.
View service Concrete cutting
Get a free estimate for your Aliso Viejo concrete job
We reply within one business day to set a time. Then I come out to your property myself and write up a free estimate on site, with no pressure and no obligation to go ahead.
- info@concretefountainvalley.com
- Based in
- Fountain Valley, CA 92708
- Hours
- Mon–Sun: 7 AM–11 PM
Working in Aliso Viejo: permits, hauling and what sets the price
In Aliso Viejo, permits come through the city's Building & Safety department, and whether your job needs one is the city's call, so we check with them before we start. When it does, we take care of the paperwork and the inspections, and on bigger jobs the city can want sign-offs from other departments, such as Public Works, before the final inspection, which is one more thing the schedule waits on. Before you hire anyone, it's fair to ask whether they've registered with the city, which starts with the city's business registration form. We're fully licensed and insured, and I'm glad to go over that with you at the estimate.
What moves the price here is mostly the work around the concrete. That's how much old slab comes out and how it gets hauled, how much base the ground needs, how far the forms step down a slope, whether the truck can reach the pour or we have to pump it, and the finish you pick. The schedule turns on the permit if there is one, the inspections, the weather and the cure, and the estimate is where you get your own figure. We run jobs here the same way we do in Newport Beach and Costa Mesa, with me on site while the crew forms and pours.
Why Aliso Viejo slabs settle, crack and hold water
Most of the cracked and sunken driveways we look at here have the same story underneath. On graded lots, part of a yard can sit on loose fill, and when a slab goes down on a base that was only raked level, it settles with the dirt and cracks where it bends. We dig down to firm ground and pack the base in layers, set rebar, the steel that holds a slab together if it does crack, where the job calls for it, and cut control joints, shallow grooves that give the concrete a chosen place to crack. Concrete still cracks, but this way it usually cracks in a straight line inside a groove instead of across the middle of your driveway.
The city designs building work for rain coming down as hard as 2 inches an hour, and a storm like that on a patio that tips toward the house puts water against your stucco or under the door. We check where the water runs before we form anything, and we set the slab to carry it toward the yard drains or the street.
How a concrete job runs when you call us in Aliso Viejo
Here's how a job goes from your first call to the finished slab, and what you'll know before you decide anything.
Call or send us a message
Call (657) 329-2134 or use the form, and we'll get back to you to set a time for me to come out. A few photos of the area help if you have them handy.
I look at your site
I come out myself, check the ground, the slope and where the water goes, and listen to what you want, so it helps if you're home. Then I write up an estimate that spells out the prep, the concrete work and anything that isn't included, so you know what you're paying for.
We schedule, pour and finish
If you go ahead, we line up the schedule and any city paperwork, then our crew forms, pours and finishes with me on site, inside the city's construction hours listed below. We cut the control joints right after the pour, because a joint cut late doesn't catch the crack it was meant for.
Walk the finished slab together
We walk the job with you and go over how to look after it while it cures, the stretch where the concrete gains its strength. Usually you can walk on it in a day or two and drive on it after about a week.
Questions about concrete work in Aliso Viejo
When does a concrete job in Aliso Viejo need a Water Quality permit?
The city's permit application calls for a Water Quality permit when a project disturbs 250 cubic feet or more of soil or hard surface, covers 250 square feet of flatwork, meaning flat pours like concrete or pavers, or stockpiles dirt in front of the property. Plenty of driveways and backyard patios come in over that size, so I measure it at the estimate, and when the permit applies we take care of it.
What hours can construction crews work in Aliso Viejo?
The city's Building & Safety page lists construction hours as Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., with no work on Sundays or federal holidays. We book pours inside those hours, and in summer we start as early as they allow so the finishing is done before the afternoon heat dries the top out weak and dusty.
How do I book or cancel a building inspection in Aliso Viejo?
You book inspections through the city's online Customer Self-Service portal with an account, and requests made before 4 p.m. are set for the next business day unless you ask otherwise. To cancel, you call the Building Department at 949-425-2540 between 7:30 and 8:30 a.m. When we're handling the permit, we book and meet the inspections ourselves, so you don't have to.
Who is responsible for the permit on a concrete job in Aliso Viejo?
The permit holder is, and the city issues a permit in the name of either the licensed contractor or the property owner. Whoever holds it is responsible and liable for the construction, so it's worth settling before work starts, and I'll go over it with you at the estimate.
How much does a new concrete driveway or patio cost in Aliso Viejo?
I can't give you a fair number until I've seen the site, because the size, the tear-out and the base work decide most of it and the finish decides the rest. Stamped and colored concrete cost more than a plain broom finish, the light brushed texture that gives your shoes some grip. If the budget's tight, I'd keep the money in the base and go plain on top, because nobody sees the base on day one, but it's what keeps the slab from settling, and fixing it later means tearing everything out.
How do I get rid of old concrete after a tear-out in Aliso Viejo?
CR&R is the only hauler the city permits to haul construction waste out of Aliso Viejo, so that's who takes it. For residential work, the city also requires a Construction and Demolition permit when total waste runs over 3.4 pounds per square foot of construction area, and a concrete tear-out adds weight fast. We work the hauling into the job, and when that permit applies it goes in with the rest of the paperwork.
Other service areas
Fountain Valley, CA
Plan your Aliso Viejo concrete job with us
Call (657) 329-2134 or send the form before you lock in a finish or a date, so the slope, the drainage and any city paperwork get sorted before a concrete truck is ever booked.