Concrete Contractor in Whittier, CA - Driveways and Patios Built on a Solid Base
Standard Pico Rivera Concrete is a concrete contractor based in Pico Rivera that pours driveways, patios, walkways, steps and footings for homes in Whittier, CA, with the owner on site and our own small crew doing the work.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- Expect a reply within 1 business day.
Concrete work for Whittier homes
Whittier is right next door to Pico Rivera, so it's one of the easiest drives we make. It's a city of older houses on tree-lined blocks near uptown, with newer tracts and hillside streets farther north, and we work the same way here as we do in West Whittier-Los Nietos or over in East Los Angeles.
The calls we get here are mostly for driveways, front walks and steps that have cracked or sunk, and for new patios and walls on lots that were never quite level. A lot of the original concrete on the older blocks was poured thin over dirt that was raked level instead of dug out and packed, so it went down with the ground. That means a Whittier job usually starts with tearing out and rebuilding what's underneath, and that's where I spend the time before anything gets poured.
What we pour in Whittier
Concrete driveway building
Many Whittier driveways are narrow, decades-old strips that cracked long ago. We break out the old slab, haul it off and rebuild from the ground up.
Concrete patio construction
Many Whittier backyards have patios added on in pieces, each sinking its own way. We tear them out and pour one slab on a packed base.
Decorative concrete
On older houses, plain gray concrete can look out of place next to brick or tile. Our decorative concrete work adds color and texture that suits the house.
Concrete retaining walls
Hillside lots here often need a wall to hold back a cut bank. We pour a solid footing and give water a way out behind the wall.
Concrete steps construction
Front steps on older homes settle and pull away from the porch. We tear them out, pack the ground and pour new steps with even risers.
Concrete cutting
Old trees lift sections of walks and driveways in Whittier. We saw out just the broken piece instead of the whole slab, then pack and pour it back.
What Whittier lots ask of a slab
A lot of Whittier isn't flat, and on a sloped lot, water decides how long concrete lasts. When rain runs under a driveway or patio, it softens the subgrade, the ground the slab sits on, and the low corner starts to sink and crack. So before we set forms, I walk the lot to see where the water goes, and we set the slab to shed it away from the house and out toward the street or the yard. The base work I mentioned is the part I won't cut when a budget gets tight, because a fancy finish looks good on day one but the ground under it is what's still holding it up years later.
This part of Los Angeles County is more prone to earthquakes and high winds than many other areas in California, so we don't treat a slab as just a layer of concrete. We usually put rebar, steel bars set inside the slab to hold the pieces together if it does crack, in driveways and anything that carries weight. On your job, the price mostly follows how much old concrete comes out and how much ground work sits under the new slab, and the schedule follows any permit and the curing, which I'll go over when I come out to measure.
Get a free written estimate for your Whittier concrete job
Send the form or call (562) 271-1038, and we'll reply within one business day to set a time. I come out to your Whittier property myself, measure and write up an estimate that lists what's included. It's free, and there's no obligation to book.
Whittier concrete questions
These are the questions Whittier homeowners ask us most before a pour. If yours isn't here, call or send the form and I'll answer it about your own job.
Do I need a permit for concrete work in Whittier?
Work that builds, alters or repairs a building in Whittier needs a permit from the city's Building & Safety Division, and for a driveway, patio or wall we check with that office about your address before we start. If your job needs one, we pull it and deal with the city for you, and once it's issued, city inspectors come out as needed to make sure the work matches what was approved. Homes in South Whittier-Sunshine Acres and West Whittier-Los Nietos are unincorporated county communities, so the permit there comes from LA County Public Works.
When does a concrete contractor need a California license?
A contractor needs a state license when the project needs a building permit, uses any extra workers, or the labor and materials on it come to $1,000 or more in total. That's the state licensing board's rule, and it's worth checking before anyone breaks ground at your house. We're licensed and fully insured, and you're welcome to ask me about it when I come out.
How do I hire a concrete contractor in Whittier?
Start with one who holds a California license and a Whittier business license, because the city requires a business license from anyone doing business there, even a contractor based in another city. The city checks the contractor's state license number when they apply. Then ask them to walk you through the base, the joints and the drainage before you sign, and if they can't explain it plainly, keep looking.
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Whittier?
Your cost comes from the written estimate after I measure, and beyond the tear-out and base work, the biggest swings are access and the finish you pick. A narrow driveway where we can't get equipment close takes more hand work, which adds to it. A broom finish, the light texture brushed in so tires and shoes don't slip, costs less than stamped or colored work, so the surface is the easiest place to save.
What causes concrete driveways to crack in Whittier?
Most cracks we see here come from roots pushing up, a base that moved, or a slab with no joints to tell it where to crack. Concrete shrinks as it dries, so we cut control joints, shallow grooves that give the slab a straight place to crack instead of a random one, and we cut them on time instead of skipping them. In summer we pour early in the day, because a slab that dries too fast in the afternoon heat ends up with a weak, dusty top.
How long does a new concrete driveway take to cure before I can use it?
Curing, the stretch where fresh concrete gains strength before it can carry weight, takes days, and that wait is most of your time off the driveway, not the pour. You'll walk on it well before you park on it, and I'll give you the days for your slab when I measure, since thickness and weather change them. If your job needs drawings, the city's planning staff look at it first, then the building staff check the plans, so that adds to the calendar too.
Examples of concrete work
Other cities we work in
Look for your city here, or call us if you don't see it, since we work in more places than these pages cover.