Concrete contractor in Orange, CA - driveways and patios built from the base up
Blue Collar Fountain Valley Concrete is a concrete contractor working in Orange, CA. We pour driveways, patios, walks, steps and foundations, and we dig out and pack the base and plan the drainage before any concrete shows up.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- Replies within 1 business day.
Orange homes, from Old Towne to newer neighborhoods
Like everywhere we work, most of what we do in Orange is driveways, patios and additions for homeowners, plus walks, lots and foundation work for property owners. Around the Plaza and through Old Towne, the streets hold many homes from the city's early days. Away from the old center the neighborhoods are newer, with wider driveways and room out back for a patio or a pool deck. It's much the same mix of work we do in Santa Ana and Garden Grove.
On those older lots, an old walk or driveway often went down close to the house on whatever dirt was there, so I plan the tear-out and the base carefully before I price anything. On the newer streets the job is more often a slab that's cracked or settled, and the first thing I check is where the water goes.
Concrete work we do on Orange properties
Concrete driveway building
For a sunken or cracked driveway, we tear out the old slab, dig and pack the base, and set rebar, steel that holds cracks tight, before the pour.
View service Concrete driveway buildingConcrete patio construction
A backyard patio here gets set with a slight fall away from the house, so rain runs off into the yard instead of pooling against your walls.
View service Concrete patio constructionStamped concrete services
Stamped concrete gives a patio or front walk the look of stone or brick, and next to an older house it often sits better than plain gray.
View service Stamped concrete servicesConcrete sidewalk building
When roots or settling lift a front walk into a trip edge, we replace that run with a broom finish, a texture for grip when it's wet.
View service Concrete sidewalk buildingGarage floor concrete
An older garage floor that's cracked, stained or sloping the wrong way gets broken out and repoured, with the slope set so water runs out the door.
View service Garage floor concreteDecorative concrete
Decorative concrete means color, exposed stone and patterned borders, for a front entry or patio that matches the style of your house.
View service Decorative concreteConcrete retaining walls
Where a yard steps up or down, a concrete retaining wall holds the soil back, and we plan the drainage behind it so water doesn't push it over.
View service Concrete retaining wallsConcrete floor installation
For a shop, workroom or addition, we pour an interior floor flat and level on a packed base, ready for whatever goes on top.
View service Concrete floor installationConcrete pool decks
Around a backyard pool, we pour a deck with a textured finish that's easier on bare feet and pitch it so splash water drains away from the pool.
View service Concrete pool decksConcrete steps construction
Older front steps that have settled away from the porch or chipped at the edges get rebuilt with even risers, so each step feels the same underfoot.
View service Concrete steps constructionSlab foundation building
When you're adding a room or a detached garage, we form and pour the slab foundation it sits on, with the ground prepared under it first.
View service Slab foundation buildingFoundation installation
New foundations for additions and outbuildings get formed to the plans and poured with the steel in place, ready for the framing crew.
View service Foundation installationConcrete parking lot building
For a small business or apartment lot in Orange, we pour concrete parking areas thick enough for daily traffic and sloped so rain doesn't sit in the stalls.
View service Concrete parking lot buildingConcrete footings
Patio covers, block walls and posts need footings, the concrete pads or trenches they stand on, sized and dug before anything is built on them.
View service Concrete footingsFoundation raising
When part of a slab or foundation has dropped, foundation raising brings it back up, and I'll tell you at the estimate if replacing makes more sense.
View service Foundation raisingConcrete cutting
Concrete cutting opens a slab for a new drain line or doorway, or takes out a section cleanly, so the rest of the slab stays put.
View service Concrete cutting
Get a free on-site concrete estimate in Orange
Send us the details and we'll get back to you within one business day to set a time. I'll come out to your place in Orange, look at the site and write up a free estimate, with no obligation.
- info@concretefountainvalley.com
- Based in
- Fountain Valley, CA 92708
- Hours
- Mon–Sun: 7 AM–11 PM
Working in Orange: the permit office and what to check
In Orange, the city's Building Division takes every permit application, and the city's building and safety staff review plans and inspect the work, so on a job that needs a permit the pour date waits on that review and inspection, not just on our calendar. The city also requires a city business license from any business that comes into Orange to work, and it says a business may need a state license from the Department of Consumer Affairs for its type of work. Those are two fair things to ask any contractor about, and we're fully licensed and insured.
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. What moves the price here is mostly what's already on the lot, like how much old concrete comes out, how much the base needs and how close a truck can get to the forms, and the written estimate spells out the prep, the concrete work and anything that isn't included. We're a concrete contractor in Fountain Valley, CA, and we drive up for these jobs the same way we head over the county line to Norwalk and Downey.
Why slabs on Orange properties crack and sink
Most of the cracking and sinking we tear out comes from the part you can't see. On a lot of older flatwork, which is the driveways, patios and walks that sit on the ground, the subgrade, the dirt the slab rests on, was raked level instead of dug out and packed, so it kept settling and took the concrete down with it. We dig to firm ground, pack the base and slope the slab away from the house, because a slab that falls toward your walls sends water right where you don't want it.
The other common cause is cracks nobody planned for. Control joints are the shallow grooves that give a slab a straight place to crack, and when they're cut late or skipped, the cracks wander, so we cut them on time and pour early in the day before the heat dries the top into a weak, dusty surface.
How a concrete job runs when you call us in Orange
Here's how it goes from your first call to the walkthrough, with me on the job from the estimate through the finish.
Call or send us the form
Call (657) 329-2134 or send the form with what you're planning, and we'll set a time for me to come out to your place in Orange.
I walk the site myself
I look at the old slab, where the water runs and how a truck gets in, and it helps if you're home so we can talk it through. Then I write up the prep, the concrete work and anything not included, so you know what you're paying for before you decide.
We schedule, permit and pour
If you go ahead, we line up the schedule and any city paperwork, and on a job that needs a permit the pour date follows the city's review and inspection. Our crew forms, pours and finishes with me on site.
Walk the finished job together
We walk the new concrete with you and go over how to look after it while it cures, the stretch where it hardens before it's ready for feet and then cars. Mostly that means keeping traffic off it until it's ready.
Questions about concrete work in Orange
How do I get a building permit for concrete work in Orange, CA?
Permit applications in Orange go to the city's Building Division, which accepts every permit application for the city, and building and safety staff inspect the work. The city also keeps a residential permit exemptions document, so whether your driveway or patio needs a permit depends on the job, and we check that with the city before we start.
Does a contractor from another city need an Orange business license?
Yes, the City of Orange requires any business coming into the city to work to apply for a business license, and an Orange license only covers work in Orange. The city renews these licenses every year on each license's anniversary date, so it's fair to ask whether a contractor's is current.
Is my home in Orange's historic town site?
If you live around the Plaza, where Chapman Avenue meets Glassell Street, you may well be, because the Plaza and most of the original one square mile town site are on the National Register of Historic Places. That listing covers that area, not the whole city, so tell me at the estimate if your house sits in the old town site and I'll check with the city before we plan anything.
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Orange, CA?
The price of a driveway in Orange comes down to its size and thickness, how much old concrete comes out, how much the base needs and the finish you pick, so your number comes from the written estimate after I've seen the site. If the budget's tight, I'd rather you go with a plain broom finish over a well-built base than stamped concrete over a weak one, because a nice top won't save a slab that settles.
How long does a new concrete driveway take to cure before I can drive on it?
Plan on staying off it for a while after the pour, because concrete needs longer curing to carry a car than it does to carry people. Walking comes first and driving comes later, and at the walkthrough I'll give you the days for your slab, since the mix and the weather that week change it.
Will a new concrete driveway in Orange crack like my old one?
It may still get a fine hairline crack, because all concrete shrinks and moves, but it shouldn't break up and sink the way a slab on a raked-level base does. The packed base, the slope and the control joints I described above keep any cracking small and in lines we chose, and I'll be straight with you at the estimate about what concrete can and can't do.
Other service areas
Fountain Valley, CA
Tell us about your Orange concrete project
We pick up every day until 11 PM, so you can call after work, tell us what you're planning and ask about the permit steps for your job.