Concrete Floor Installation in Pico Rivera CA - A Flat Slab Planned Before the Pour
Old floor cracked, uneven or bare dirt? We plan the base, joints and any moisture barrier before the pour, so your slab comes out flat.
Get your new concrete floor measured
Call (562) 271-1038 or use the form, and have the floor size, your address and whether you'll ever cover it handy so the first visit covers everything.
What goes into a new concrete floor in Pico Rivera?
Concrete floor installation in Pico Rivera means we get the ground ready, then pour and finish a new flat slab that becomes the floor of your garage, shop, addition or room.
Most people who call us about a floor are building something new, like a shop or a room addition, or replacing an old slab that's cracked, sunk or chipping. The price moves with the size of the floor, how much digging and base work it takes to reach firm ground, whether the slab needs rebar, the steel set inside to hold cracks tight, and whether you want a moisture barrier under it. The schedule turns on curing, the time the concrete spends gaining strength before you use it, and on any permit, which we pull and handle with the city or county for you when the job needs one. Your own numbers come in the written estimate I put together after I've seen the site.
Why Pico Rivera homeowners call Standard Pico Rivera Concrete for floors
The owner measures and runs it
I come out to look, measure and write the estimate, then run our own small crew on site. So the person who answered your questions is the one making the calls on pour day.
In business full-time since 2017
I learned the trade beside older finishers on side jobs for neighbors here in Pico Rivera. That's why I still walk you through the job before anything gets poured.
Licensed and fully insured, every job
We're licensed and fully insured. The state licensing board lists flat concrete work under the concrete contractor trade, so that's the trade a floor falls under when you compare bids.
On a floor, most of what matters is decided before the truck shows up. Tell us about your floor or call (562) 271-1038, and I'll come out and take a look.
How we handle concrete floor installation
We dig out to firm ground and pack the subgrade, the layer the slab sits on, because a floor poured over raked dirt settles right along with it. Before we set forms, I look at where water runs around the site so it heads away from the house and not toward the slab. If there's any chance you'll put flooring over the slab someday, tell me before the pour so we can talk about a moisture barrier underneath, since that's the only time it can go in. I'll also walk you through where the control joints go, the grooves cut into the surface, because a few small cracks are normal on any floor and the joints keep them in lines we picked. Then we pour, finish and cure it. If the budget gets tight, I'd rather spend it on the base than on a fancier surface, because you can redo a finish, but a bad base means breaking the floor out.
A new floor often ties into other work. If it sits higher or lower than the yard or a side door, we can build concrete steps that line up with it, and if a pool is going in out back, we pour concrete pool decks with the same care for the base.
Smooth troweled finish
A smooth, hard surface suits garages, shops and indoor rooms, because it sweeps clean and gives flooring a flat surface to go on. It can get slick when wet, so it's better kept indoors.
Broom finish
A broom finish, the fine lines left by dragging a broom across the fresh concrete, gives your feet some grip. It suits covered patios, side yards and work areas that get wet or hosed down.
How do you know it's time for a new concrete floor?
Cracks that keep widening
Hairline cracks are normal, but cracks that open wider or leave one side higher usually mean the base moved. Waiting lets water and dirt work in, and the edges start breaking off.
Floor sinking or tilting
If a chair rolls on its own or a level shows a dip, part of the slab has likely settled. The longer it goes, the more it pulls joints apart and catches toes.
Water pooling or seeping
Puddles that sit in one spot, or damp patches coming up through the floor, point to drainage or moisture trouble. Left alone, it ruins flooring laid on top and stains the concrete.
Surface chipping and dusting
A top that flakes, chips or leaves gray powder on your broom usually means it was finished or cured poorly. It keeps wearing down, and patches rarely hold on a weak surface.
What happens after you call about a new floor?
Call and set up a visit
We set a time for me to come out, look at the site, measure and answer your questions. Then I send a written estimate listing each part of the job.
We prep, pour and finish
Once you say yes, we dig out and pack the base, set the forms, pour and finish the slab, and cut the joints we marked out together.
Walk the finished floor together
Before we pack up, we walk the floor with you and go over how long to wait before using it. Then we clean up and haul off the forms.
Questions about new concrete floors
These are the questions I hear most when someone in Pico Rivera is planning a new floor. If yours isn't here, call and ask about your own job.
How much does a new concrete floor cost per square foot in Pico Rivera?
A new concrete slab in the Los Angeles area usually costs about $5 to $14 per square foot. Reinforced slabs cost more per square foot than plain pads, and those prices don't include staining or stamping. For your own floor, the written estimate breaks the price out part by part.
How long does a new concrete floor take before I can walk on it?
A new slab should be walkable within about 48 hours. Concrete takes 28 to 30 days to fully cure, so it's safest to wait a week before putting heavier loads on the floor, and we'll go over what that means for your floor at the walkthrough.
Will my new concrete floor crack?
Probably a little, because some random cracking is expected in any concrete floor, even one with closely spaced joints. The joints are there so most shrinkage cracks form at planned spots, which is why a few small cracks don't mean something went wrong. Our work is backed by our satisfaction guarantee.
Do I need a moisture barrier under a concrete floor?
If the slab is indoors and might ever get tile, wood, carpet or another covering, a vapor retarder, a sheet laid under the slab to slow moisture coming up, may be necessary. It can also raise the chance of early surface cracking, so it's a decision to make with your contractor before the pour.
What causes a new concrete floor to curl at the joints?
Slab edges curling at the joints is a normal result of the concrete drying unevenly, not a sign the floor was poured wrong. It can make some floor coverings harder to lay in the months after the pour, so if flooring is in your plans, schedule it with that in mind.
Do I need a permit for a new concrete floor in Pico Rivera?
The city decides that, and Pico Rivera's Building Division is the office that enforces the rules for building homes, businesses and industrial structures here. It answers plan check and construction questions at (562) 801-4360, by email or in person, 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and if we're not sure what your address needs, we check with it before we start. State guidance says people developing property in a seismic hazard zone may be required to study that hazard during local permitting, and the state's EQ Zapp map shows whether your address is in a mapped earthquake hazard zone or in an area not yet evaluated. We're based in Pico Rivera and do the same work in Downey, Whittier, Norwalk, Montebello and other cities nearby.
Get a written estimate for your floor
Tell us the floor size in square feet, your address and whether you might cover it someday. We'll reply within one business day to set up a visit, and the free written estimate that follows comes with no obligation.
Concrete floors and slabs
Other concrete work we do
Concrete pool decks
A pool deck takes splashing every day, so it needs a surface with grip and a slope that sends water away from the pool and house.
Learn moreConcrete steps construction
When your new floor sits higher or lower than the yard or driveway, solid steps with even risers make getting in and out safer every day.
Learn more