Concrete Contractor in Fountain Valley, CA - Driveways and Patios Built on a Solid Base
Blue Collar Fountain Valley Concrete is a concrete contractor based in Fountain Valley, CA. We build driveways, patios, walkways, steps, garage floors and foundations here, and we work out the base and the drainage before any concrete arrives.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- Replies within 1 business day.
Fountain Valley homes and the concrete around them
Fountain Valley is mostly single-family neighborhoods, street after street of tract homes with a two-car driveway out front, a walk to the door and a patio out back, with shopping centers and business parks along the main roads. A lot of these houses still have their original concrete, so a good share of our work here is tearing out tired slabs and building them back right. The housing is a lot like what we see next door in Huntington Beach and Westminster.
The lots here are flat, which sounds easy but means the slab has to move the water, because the yard won't. We set the slope away from the house before the forms go in, and on backyard jobs we plan around narrow side yards where the truck can't reach and the concrete has to be pumped or wheeled in.
Concrete services we offer in Fountain Valley
Concrete driveway building
Many original driveways here have cracked or sunk at the garage. We tear them out, pack a proper base and slope the new slab toward the street.
View service Concrete driveway buildingConcrete patio construction
Older patios here often hold water against the house. We build new ones that drain away, with a broom finish, a light texture for grip.
View service Concrete patio constructionStamped concrete services
For a front walk or patio that looks like stone or brick, we press the pattern into fresh concrete laid over the same packed base as any slab.
View service Stamped concrete servicesConcrete sidewalk building
Side-yard and front walks here often heave or sink into trip edges. We replace them on a packed base so the new panels sit level with each other.
View service Concrete sidewalk buildingGarage floor concrete
Older garage floors here collect cracks, oil stains and low spots. We break out the worn slab and pour a new one that sheds water toward the door.
View service Garage floor concreteDecorative concrete
Color, a scored pattern or a pebble finish can dress up a plain tract-home entry or backyard. We plan the finish once the base is worked out.
View service Decorative concreteConcrete retaining walls
Raised planters and grade changes at the back fence need a wall that holds. We pour retaining walls on a proper footing sized for what's behind them.
View service Concrete retaining wallsConcrete floor installation
For an addition or garage conversion on a tract home here, we pour interior concrete floors flat and level, ready for tile, flooring or a sealed finish.
View service Concrete floor installationConcrete pool decks
Many backyard pools here are ringed by decks that have cracked or pulled away from the pool edge. We pour new ones that drain away and grip underfoot.
View service Concrete pool decksConcrete steps construction
Porch steps pulling away from the house or chipping at the edges are a common call here. We form and pour new ones that are even underfoot.
View service Concrete steps constructionSlab foundation building
Room additions here usually start on a slab foundation. We pack the base and set the rebar, the steel that ties the slab together, before the pour.
View service Slab foundation buildingFoundation installation
When an addition or rebuild needs more than a simple slab, we dig, form and pour the foundation the plans call for, through the city's inspections.
View service Foundation installationConcrete parking lot building
Shopping centers and business parks along the main roads here need lots that drain and stand up to daily traffic. We pour new lots and replace broken sections.
View service Concrete parking lot buildingConcrete footings
Patio covers, block walls and posts all need a footing, the buried concrete that spreads the weight. We dig and pour them as deep as the plans require.
View service Concrete footingsFoundation raising
When part of an older slab here has dropped and left a gap at a doorway, we find out why it sank before raising it back toward level.
View service Foundation raisingConcrete cutting
Adding a doorway, running a new drain line or removing a damaged section often means cutting existing concrete. We saw clean, straight lines and leave the rest alone.
View service Concrete cutting
Get a free on-site estimate for your Fountain Valley project
We reply within one business day. I come out to your property myself and write up a free estimate covering the prep, the concrete work and what isn't included, with no obligation to go ahead.
- info@concretefountainvalley.com
- Based in
- Fountain Valley, CA 92708
- Hours
- Mon–Sun: 7 AM–11 PM
Working in Fountain Valley: permits, licenses and what sets the price
When a concrete job in Fountain Valley needs a permit, it comes from the city's Building & Safety Division, and the owner or contractor has to apply before the work starts, so on those jobs the city's timing sets ours. Before you hire anyone, check two things: the contractor's license with the Contractors State License Board, the state office that licenses and regulates contractors, and that they hold a Fountain Valley business license. We're fully licensed and insured, and we're glad to have you check.
We check with the city before we start, and when a job needs a permit we take care of the paperwork and inspections as part of our work, so you're not the one filing it. Your price mostly comes down to what's under and around the slab: tearing out and hauling the old concrete, how much base has to be dug out and packed, the size and thickness of the new slab, and any color, stamping or decorative finish you choose. The schedule turns on the permit, if there is one, and on getting the old slab out, and your estimate spells out the prep, the concrete work and anything not included. We run jobs in Costa Mesa the same way, checking that city's rules first, because every city sets its own.
Why concrete here cracks, sinks or gets replaced
Most of the cracked and sunken driveways we look at here are the original pour, and some of them went down on a base that was raked level instead of dug out and packed. Over the years the dirt underneath settles, the slab follows it, and you end up with a lip at the garage, a crack across the middle or a panel that tips toward the house. Patching rarely holds on a slab like that, so we usually talk about tearing it out and starting over at the subgrade, the ground the slab sits on.
A lot of our other calls here come from homeowners adding on, whether that's a room addition, an enclosed patio, a new pool deck or a whole backyard redo. Each of those has to meet the concrete that's already there at the right height and slope, so we work out where the new slab ties in and where the water goes before we price it.
How a concrete job runs with us in Fountain Valley
Here's how a job goes from your first call to the final walk-through, and the points where it helps to have you home.
Call or send a message
Call us or use the form, tell us what you have in mind, and we'll get back to you to set a time for the visit. Photos help, but you don't need measurements.
I look at the site
I come out myself, look at the old concrete, the grade and where the water runs, and listen to what you want, so it helps if you're home. The written estimate spells out the prep, the concrete work and anything that isn't included, so you can see what you'd be paying for before you decide.
We schedule, form and pour
If you go ahead, we line up the schedule and any city paperwork, then our crew digs out and packs the base, sets the forms, pours and finishes with me on site. You don't need to be home on pour day, but plan on keeping cars and feet off the new slab until we say it's ready.
Walk the finished job together
We walk the finished job with you and go over how to look after it while it cures, the stretch when it's still gaining strength. On a permitted job the city wants the full subcontractor list two weeks before the final inspection is requested, or the final gets pushed back, so we get it in early.
Questions about concrete work in Fountain Valley
How do I find out if my concrete project needs a permit in Fountain Valley?
Ask the city's Building Division at 714-593-4429, because the city's list of work that doesn't need a permit covers things like painting, tiling, small sheds and fences, and flatwork like driveways and patios isn't on it. We check with the city before we start, and when a permit is needed we take care of it for you.
Does a concrete retaining wall need a permit in Fountain Valley?
A retaining wall 4 feet or shorter, measured from the bottom of its footing to the top, is on the city's permit-free list, unless it's holding up extra load like a driveway or slope above it or holding back stored liquids. Lights or plumbing run to the wall can still need their own permits, and a taller or loaded wall isn't exempt, so we handle the permit on those.
Do subcontractors need a Fountain Valley business license?
Yes, the city requires every subcontractor to have a business license before starting work in Fountain Valley. If you want to confirm one or ask about the rule, the city's Business License Dept. takes questions at 714-593-4421.
How much can a contractor ask for up front on a home improvement job in California?
No more than $1,000 or 10 percent of the contract price, whichever is less, according to the state licensing board. The board lays this out in its guidance on rebuilding after a declared disaster, and says the rule covers all home improvement projects.
What drives the cost of a concrete driveway in Fountain Valley?
The biggest pieces are the size of the slab, tearing out and hauling the old one, and how much base work the ground needs, with color, stamping or other finishes on top of that. The base is the first thing people want to cut because nobody sees it, and it's the last place I'd cut, since a thin, loosely packed base is what has you replacing the slab again. Your estimate lists the prep and the concrete work separately so you can weigh it yourself.
What causes new concrete to crack, and will mine crack like the old one?
Concrete shrinks as it sets, so some cracking is normal, and the honest goal is to control where it happens rather than promise it won't. We cut control joints, straight grooves that give the slab a planned place to crack, while the concrete is still fresh, and we slope the slab away from the house so water doesn't soak the base. Keeping cars and feet off it until it's cured matters too, because early use is how a lot of good slabs get damaged.
Other service areas
Fountain Valley, CA
Plan your Fountain Valley concrete job with us
Call (657) 329-2134 or send the form before you settle on a finish, because the base and the drainage are easiest to get right when they're the first thing we plan.