Concrete Contractor in Downey, CA - Driveways and Patios Built to Drain
Standard Pico Rivera Concrete is a concrete contractor pouring driveways, patios, stamped concrete, steps and footings for Downey homes, and parking lots for apartments and small businesses there. Our own small crew does the work.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- Expect a reply within 1 business day.
Concrete work for Downey homes and lots
Downey is mostly single-family streets, with apartments, condos and commercial blocks mixed in, and our calls there cover all of it. At the houses, it's usually a driveway that's cracked or lifted, a front walk and steps that have settled, or a backyard patio that's been patched more than once. On the apartment and business side, it's parking areas and walkways that take traffic every day.
We're a concrete contractor based in Pico Rivera, CA, a short drive away, and we work through Downey and into Norwalk the same way. Because most homes here are well established, the job usually starts with breaking out an old slab and seeing what it was sitting on, and that tells me how much base work your yard needs.
Concrete services for Downey properties
Concrete driveway building
Many Downey driveways are older slabs, cracked and lifted by tree roots. We tear them out, dig to firm ground, pack a new base and pour.
Concrete patio construction
Plenty of Downey backyards have an old patio that's sunk and now sends rain toward the house. Our concrete patio construction sets the new slab to drain away.
Stamped concrete services
On Downey's single-family streets the driveway is what neighbors see first, and stamped concrete gives it pattern and color. We stamp it while it's soft and seal it after.
Concrete steps construction
Front steps on older Downey homes tend to settle and chip until they trip people. We break them out and pour new steps reinforced with steel.
Concrete footings
Additions, garages and block walls on Downey lots all start below ground. We dig and pour the footings they rest on, sized for the load.
Concrete parking lot building
Downey has plenty of apartments, condos and small businesses with lots that crack under cars and trash trucks. We pour thicker, reinforced slabs and plan where water drains.
What Downey driveways and yards need
A lot of the concrete we break out in Downey failed from underneath. It was laid on dirt that was raked level instead of dug out and packed, so it settled as the ground did, and roots and years of runoff did the rest. That's why I put the money into the subgrade, the packed ground the slab sits on, before anything else, even if it means a plainer finish, because a nice surface on a soft base cracks just the same. We check where your water runs before the forms go in so the new slab falls away from the house, we pour early so the top doesn't dry out weak in the afternoon heat, and we cut control joints, the grooves that give the slab a straight place to crack, the same day.
On price, the big movers are the size of the slab, how much old concrete comes out, how much base the ground needs and whether you want stamping or color. The schedule mostly turns on the weather and the city's permit step, which I explain in the questions below, and after I measure, you get a written estimate that lists what's included so you see your own figure.
Get a free written estimate for your Downey concrete job
Call (562) 271-1038 or send the form and tell us about the driveway, patio or slab at your Downey home. We reply within one business day, and I come out to look, measure and write a free estimate that lists what's included. There's no obligation to go ahead.
Downey concrete questions
These are the questions Downey homeowners ask us most, from permits to curing. If yours isn't here, call or send the form and ask about your own job.
Do I need a permit to pour a concrete driveway or patio in Downey?
Usually yes, because the city's own wording is that generally any new construction, alteration or repair needs a permit, and hardscapes, the paved work around a house, are on its list. Permits come from the city's Building and Safety Division, at the Building counter in City Hall or through the city's online portal, and that office is who to ask about an unusual case. If your job needs one, we pull it and deal with the city for you.
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Downey?
It depends on your driveway, so I don't give a number until I've seen it and measured. The size, how much old concrete we break out and haul away, and how much digging and base the ground needs move the price most. Stamping and color raise it, while a plain broom finish, the light texture that keeps it from getting slick, keeps it lower.
How do I pull my own concrete permit in Downey as a homeowner?
You can take out the permit as an owner-builder if you live in the single-family home the work is on, and the city's permit information page explains how to apply. For duplexes, condos, townhomes, apartments and commercial property, the city issues permits only to California licensed contractors. A permit goes void if work doesn't start within 12 months of issuance or stops for 180 days, so one pulled too early can run out.
Does a concrete contractor need a Downey business license?
Yes, the city requires a business license for anyone doing business in Downey, including contractors with offices outside the city, like us in Pico Rivera. A contractor pulling a permit there needs a current city business license, and it can be paid when the permit is issued. It's a fair question to ask anyone you're comparing.
How long does a new concrete driveway take before I can drive on it?
Longer than it takes before you can walk on it, because concrete keeps hardening for days after the pour. That wait is called curing, and driving on the slab too early is one of the easiest ways to crack it. I'll walk you through the wait for your slab when I come out.
Do I need a permit for a low block wall in Downey?
Not a building permit if the wall or fence is 42 inches tall or less, but it still needs approval from the city's Planning side and possibly Engineering. Anything taller needs a permit from the Building Division on top of that approval. We check what your wall needs with the city before we dig the footings.
Driveways, patios and slabs
Other cities we work in
If you're outside Downey, check the list for your city or call (562) 271-1038 and ask whether we can get to you.