Concrete Contractor in Long Beach, CA - Driveways and Patios Built on a Solid Base
Superior Compton Concrete is a concrete contractor based in Compton that builds driveways, patios, walkways and steps for Long Beach homeowners. We dig out, pack the base and set the drainage before we pour, then finish and clean up.
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Long Beach's older blocks and tight lots
Long Beach sits just south of Compton, with Carson to the west and Paramount to the north, and it's a much bigger city than most of the ones around it. On our jobs here we see a bit of everything, from small bungalows and older two-story houses closer to the water to tract homes on wider lots farther inland, plus duplexes, small apartment buildings and shops along the main streets.
A lot of these houses still have the driveway or walk they were built with, and many have tight side yards or garages off an alley, so we often work with little room for a truck. In the lower parts of town the ground tends to stay wet longer after rain, and that changes how much base we put down and where we send the water.
Working in Long Beach: permits, licenses and what moves 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, while some minor work may be exempt as the Building Official decides. The center only issues permits to a contractor with a valid California contractor's license and an active Long Beach business license, so those are two things to ask anyone you're thinking of hiring, us included. If your house is in a historic district or the coastal zone, the city can add requirements, and any permit review sets the start date, so we check with the center for your address early and handle the permit side when one is needed.
What moves the price on a Long Beach job is mostly the size, how much old concrete we break out and haul off, how much base your ground needs and how we get to the pour, since a truck at the curb goes faster than wheelbarrows down a narrow side yard or an alley. The schedule turns on the permit, the weather and curing, the days new concrete needs to harden before you put weight on it, and my written estimate lays out what's included for your job. It's the same work we do around Compton and up in Downey, but the alleys and tight lots here make access a bigger part of the plan.
What do Long Beach driveways and patios need most?
Parts of Long Beach could flood in a major rainstorm, and on a low lot that water goes wherever the concrete sends it. A patio or driveway that falls toward the house sends it right at your foundation, so before we pour we check where the water runs on your lot and set the slab to carry it away from the walls.
Most of the cracked, sinking driveways we look at here were poured on dirt that was raked level instead of dug out and packed, so the slab settled right along with the dirt. We dig down to firm subgrade, the ground the slab sits on, pack a base on top of it and pour on that. If the budget's tight, I'd rather you go with a plain broom finish, a light swept texture that gives your shoes grip when it's wet, than skimp on a base nobody sees on day one, because the base is what decides whether the slab still looks right years from now.
- Call (424) 400-7244
- Mon–Fri: 7 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 6 AM–10 PM
- Compton, CA 90220
Concrete work we do in Long Beach
Concrete driveway building
Older Long Beach driveways often crack and sink because the base was never packed. We tear out, dig to firm ground, compact it and pour a new slab.
Concrete sidewalk building
Walkways lifted by tree roots turn into trip edges along the path to the door. Our concrete sidewalk building replaces them with a level walk that sheds rain.
Concrete patio construction
Many Long Beach backyards are small, so the patio is the yard. We pour it with a slight fall away from the house so rain runs off.
Concrete steps construction
Porch steps on older houses settle and pull away from the porch over time. We pour steps on footings, each the same height, so nobody catches a toe.
Garage floor concrete
Garage floors off the alley in older blocks are often cracked and sunk at the door. We break out the old slab and pour on a packed base.
Concrete retaining walls
Old planter and yard walls along Long Beach driveways often lean as the dirt pushes on them. We pour new walls on footings with drainage behind them.
What happens after you call us about a Long Beach job
Call or send us a request
Call (424) 400-7244 or use the form and tell us what you've got, like a cracked driveway or a new patio. We get back to you to set a time for me to come out.
I measure and look it over
I come out myself, measure, check where the water runs and ask how you'll use the space, so it helps if you're home to walk it with me. You get a written estimate that spells out what's included, so you know where the money goes before anything starts.
We check permits and prep
We check with the Development Permit Center for your address and handle the permit when one's needed, and the city's review sets our start date. Then our crew breaks out the old concrete, digs down to firm ground and packs the base.
We pour, finish and walk it
Our own crew pours, finishes and cuts the joints with me on site. Before we pack up I walk the job with you and tell you when it's ready to walk on and when you can drive on it.
Get a written concrete estimate for your Long Beach home
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day to set a time for me to come out to your Long Beach address. I'll measure, look the site over and give you a free written estimate, with no obligation to go ahead.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Phone
- (424) 400-7244
- Location
- Compton, CA 90220
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 7 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 6 AM–10 PM
Questions about concrete work in Long Beach
Do I need a permit for a concrete retaining wall in Long Beach?
Not for a short wall in most cases, since the city says a retaining wall or planter box no more than four feet tall, measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall, needs no building permit. That exemption doesn't cover a wall holding back sloping ground or extra load on the ground behind it, or a wall of any height on ground steeper than a 20 percent slope. I look at the slope and what's behind the wall when I come out, and we handle the permit if yours needs one.
How do I get my own permit for concrete work on my house in Long Beach?
You can pull one yourself if you live in the house or will live there, because the city lets an owner get a permit for construction, alteration or repair on their own house and its accessory buildings, like a garage. The city also limits owner permits to certain kinds of homes, so check the city's permit questions page or ask at the Development Permit Center before you count on it. When we do the work, we take care of the permit ourselves.
When does a concrete contractor need a California state license?
A contractor needs a license from the Contractors State License Board when the project needs a building permit, uses any additional workers, or when labor and materials on one or more contracts for the project add up to $1,000 or more. That takes in most driveway, patio and wall jobs, so ask for the license on any bid you get. We're fully licensed and insured.
Do I need a permit for a dumpster when replacing my driveway in Long Beach?
Only if the dumpster sits in the street or on the sidewalk, which takes a Public Works permit you apply for at the Public Works counter in the Development Permit Center at City Hall. A bin on your own property needs no Public Works permit. When I come out, we work out where the bin goes so it doesn't hold up the tear-out.
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Long Beach?
I can't give you a fair number until I've seen your site, because the price turns mostly on what's under and around the slab. Beyond size and tear-out, it moves with how thick the slab is and whether it gets rebar, steel bars that hold the pieces together if it cracks, whether we have to fix the slope so water drains away, and whether you want a broom finish or a stamped or colored one. My written estimate spells out each of those, so you can see what you're paying for.
What causes a concrete driveway to crack, and will a new one crack too?
Most cracks we see come from a base that settled, joints that were cut late or skipped, or a slab poured in the midday heat that dried too fast and left a weak, dusty top. Concrete can still crack, and I won't tell you otherwise, but we cut control joints, shallow grooves that give a crack a straight line we chose, and we keep the pour out of the worst heat. With the packed base we talked about above, that keeps any crack where you'd want it.
Book your Long Beach concrete estimate today
Call (424) 400-7244 or send the form, and you'll have a written estimate you can hold up next to other bids, base work and all.
Request an estimateCall (424) 400-7244