Concrete Contractor in Long Beach, CA - Driveways and Patios Poured in the Right Order
Premium Carson Concrete is a concrete contractor based in Carson that pours driveways, patios, steps, garage floors and slabs in Long Beach, CA, from the tear-out and base work through the pour, the joints and the cleanup.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
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Long Beach homes and lots as we see them
Long Beach is right next door to our home base in Carson, so it's some of the closest work we do. Most of the calls I get here are older single-family houses on narrow lots, many with a garage off the alley out back, mixed in with duplexes, small apartment buildings and shops along the main streets. We also pour in Signal Hill, which sits inside Long Beach, and a lot of what we see there looks the same.
Narrow lots and alley access shape a Long Beach job from the start, because when the truck can't back up to the pour, we pump the concrete or wheel it in, and the old slab comes out the same tight way.
Concrete work we do on Long Beach properties
When an older driveway has cracked or sunk, we break it out, dig and pack the subgrade, the ground the slab sits on, and pour new.
Small backyards here often make the patio most of the yard, so we set its slope to carry rainwater away from the house and the doors.
For a front walk or patio that should match an older house's look, stamped concrete gives the pattern of stone or brick in a single pour.
Walks to the door lifted by tree roots or cracked into trip edges are common on older lots, and we replace the broken panels on a packed base.
Older detached garages off the alley often have cracked, dusty floors, and we break out the old slab and pour a new one you can sweep clean.
Color, exposed stone and saw-cut patterns let a new slab suit an older bungalow's front instead of looking like a plain gray square.
On lots with a grade change or a raised planter, a poured wall holds the soil back, with drainage behind it so water doesn't push on it.
For workshops, storage buildings and commercial spaces, we pour interior floors flat and level so racks, machines and finished flooring sit right.
Around a backyard pool, we pour a deck that sheds splash water away from the house and gets a texture that isn't slick under wet feet.
Raised porches on older houses here often have crumbling or uneven steps, and we form and pour new ones with even step heights so nobody catches a toe.
For an ADU, addition or new building on an infill lot, we pour the slab foundation to the plans after the ground is dug out and packed.
Builders and property owners call us to form and pour foundations for new homes and additions, set to the engineer's plans and ready for the inspector.
For apartment buildings and small businesses, we pour lots and drive aisles thick enough for daily traffic and sloped so water reaches the drains.
Patio covers, block walls and additions need footings, the concrete base under a wall or post, dug to depth and poured before anything goes on top.
When part of an older house has settled and doors stick or floors slope, we look at what's under it before we talk about lifting it back.
When you need a clean opening for a new drain line, a door or a section of driveway, we saw-cut the slab so the rest stays whole.
Get a free written estimate for your Long Beach concrete job
Send the form and we reply within one business day to set a time. I'll usually come out, measure and look the site over, then you get a free written estimate with no obligation to book.
(424) 528-1319- Based in
- Carson, CA 90745
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 6 AM–9 PM, Sat–Sun: 8 AM–10 PM
Working in Long Beach: permits, licenses and what sets the price
In Long Beach, permits for building work on private property come from the city's Development Permit Center, and the city says most construction on a house needs a permit and inspections, repairs and replacements included, unless the Building Official rules a minor job exempt. The city only issues those permits to a contractor with a valid California contractor's license and an active Long Beach business license, so those are the two things to check before you hire anyone, us included. When your job needs a permit, we take care of the application and the inspections, and I put the review and inspection dates on the schedule before the pour date goes on it.
The price here moves with how much old concrete comes out, how much digging and packing the base needs, how far the concrete has to travel from the truck and the finish you choose, and your written estimate lists each of those so you can see what's included. The schedule turns on the permit, if there is one, and on getting the truck and pump in on a day the street and alley can take them, which is the same planning we do on tight lots in Inglewood.
Why driveways and slabs here crack and hold water
The city says some parts of Long Beach can flood in a major rainstorm, and a slab that slopes toward the house sends that water straight to the foundation and under the garage door. Before we set any forms, we look at where water runs on your lot now, and we slope the new slab so it carries water to the street, the alley or a drain instead of back at your walls.
Many of the older driveways and walks we break out here were poured on dirt that was raked flat instead of dug out and packed, so they've settled with the ground and cracked into pieces. We dig down to firm soil, pack the base and add rebar, steel bars that hold the slab together, because the base decides whether the new slab stays flat.
What happens when you call us about a Long Beach job
Here's the order we work in, from your first call to the day the crew packs up, so you always know what comes next.
Call or send a request
Call (424) 528-1319 or use the form and tell us what you're dealing with, a sunken driveway, a new patio or a slab for an addition. We set a time for me to come out to the site.
I look the site over
I usually come out myself to measure, check where water runs and how a truck gets in, ask what you have in mind and answer what I can right there. You get a written estimate that shows what's included, so you can see where the money goes before you decide.
We schedule and handle permits
Once you say yes, we set the order of work and handle the permit if your job needs one, with the city's review and inspections lined up ahead of the pour. Before the crew shows up, I walk you through pour day and the care the slab needs after it.
Our crew pours and finishes
Our crew lead and crew dig out, pack the base, form, pour and finish, and you don't need to be home as long as we can reach the work. We clean up and haul off the old concrete, and the slab stays off-limits until curing, the slow hardening that gives it strength, has gone far enough to walk on and later to drive on.
Questions about concrete work in Long Beach
Do I need a permit for a concrete retaining wall in Long Beach?
Under the city's guidance, a retaining wall or planter box four feet tall or less, measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall, doesn't need a building permit. That doesn't cover a wall holding back sloping ground or extra weight such as a driveway above it, or any wall on ground steeper than a 20 percent slope, so we check your wall against the city's permit guidance before we price it.
How do I get my own permit for a concrete project in Long Beach?
The city lets a homeowner get a permit and do construction, alteration or repair on their own house and accessory buildings, as long as they live there or will live there. The city also limits owner permits to certain kinds of homes, so check yours on the city's building permits page before you plan the work yourself.
When does a concrete contractor need a state license in California?
A contractor needs a license from the Contractors State License Board when the job needs a building permit, when they use any other workers, or when the labor and materials on the project come to $1,000 or more. Nearly any driveway, patio or slab passes that mark, and we're licensed and fully insured, so you're welcome to check before you sign.
Do I need a permit for a dumpster in front of my house in Long Beach?
You need a Public Works permit to put a dumpster in the street or on the sidewalk, but not to set one on your own property. Those applications go through the Public Works counter at the Development Permit Center in City Hall, and on a tear-out we decide where the old concrete goes before demo day, because on a narrow lot that often means hauling it off by truck as we go.
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Long Beach?
Your cost comes from the size, the finish and how much prep the site needs, and I won't put a number on it until I've measured. A broom finish, a light brushed texture for grip, costs less than stamped or colored concrete, a slab for heavier vehicles needs more thickness and steel, and pumping concrete back to an alley garage adds to the bill. The one place I won't cut to save money is the base, for the reason above, because it's hidden on day one and it's what you'll notice in five years.
What causes concrete driveways to crack in Long Beach?
Most cracks come from concrete shrinking with no planned place to crack, a top that dried too fast in midday heat, or a base that settled underneath. We pour early in the day and cut control joints, shallow grooves sawn across the slab, soon after the pour, so if the slab cracks, the crack follows the groove instead of wandering across the middle.
Carson, CA
Get your Long Beach concrete job scheduled
We're open until 9 PM on weekdays and 10 PM on weekends, so you can call (424) 528-1319 after work or send the form tonight.