Concrete Contractor in San Marino, CA - Driveways and Patios on a Solid Base
San Gabriel Concrete is a concrete contractor working in San Marino, CA. We tear out and replace driveways, patios, walks, steps and pool decks, with the base dug out and packed before anything is poured.
Get an estimate for your San Marino concrete
I walk the slab with you, check where the water runs and measure what's coming out.
Request an estimateSan Marino: big lots, old trees, long drives
San Marino is almost all houses, and most of the calls we get here are for the concrete around them: long driveways, front walks, back patios and the decks around pools. A lot of these homes have been standing a long time, and so has the concrete, so we're usually replacing a slab that's done its years rather than fixing something new. The streets and yards are full of mature trees, and their roots are behind a good share of the lifted walks and split patios we see.
Bigger lots mean longer pours and more ground to get ready, and on an older property we often don't know what's under the old slab until it's out. That's why we dig down to firm ground and pack the base before we pour, the same way we work next door in Pasadena.
Working in San Marino: permits and licenses first
If your job needs a building permit, it goes through the city's Planning and Building Department, where the Community Development Director serves as the Building Official, and the pour waits until that's settled. Before you hire anyone, check two things. The contractor should hold a license from the California Contractors State License Board, which the state requires on any project that needs a building permit, and a current San Marino business license, which runs one year and has to be renewed before the contractor starts work in the city. We're licensed and insured, and before work starts we settle with you who handles any permit the city asks for and what it needs from us.
What moves the price here is mostly the size of the slab, how much old concrete comes out, how much base work the ground needs, how easy it is to get a truck to the back of a long lot and the finish you pick. The schedule turns on the permit if there is one, the weather on pour day and curing, the wait while the slab hardens before it can take weight. Your own number comes from the estimate, once I've seen the job, and it's the same work we do across the valley, from East San Gabriel to Temple City.
Services in San Marino, CA
Concrete driveway building
Older San Marino driveways often crack and sink where the base was never packed. We dig out, compact a new base and pour the slab over it.
Concrete patio construction
Backyard patios here often sit under old trees whose roots lift and split the slab. We replace the broken sections with a patio that drains away from the house.
Concrete pool decks
Decks around older pools here tend to chip and hold water. We pour concrete pool decks that shed water away from the pool, with a textured top for grip.
Concrete steps construction
Front steps on older houses settle and pull away from the porch over the years. We rebuild them with steel inside and even risers, so nobody catches a toe.
Concrete sidewalk building
Front walks on bigger lots crack and shift as the ground under them moves. We replace bad panels and cut joints so future cracks follow a straight line.
Concrete retaining walls
Sloped yards here need walls that hold soil back without bowing. We pour retaining walls on footings with drainage behind, so water doesn't push them over.
An on-site concrete estimate for your San Marino home
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set up a visit. I come out to your San Marino property myself, look at the job and talk it through with you, and then our crew does the work with me running it. The estimate is free, and there's no pressure to book.
- Phone
- (626) 816-3530
- Location
- San Gabriel, CA 91776
- Hours
- Mon–Sun: 7 AM–11 PM
- Credentials
- Fully licensed and insured.
What San Marino homeowners can count on
We've been a concrete contractor in San Gabriel, CA since 2021, covering 16 services across 12 service areas, San Marino included. Every estimate starts with a visit to the property.
- Based in
- CA
- San Gabriel
- Services
- 16
- Service areas
- 12
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free on-site estimates.
- Replies within 1 business day.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in San Marino?
Your price depends on your driveway, and you get the number after I've walked it with you, because the size, the tear-out, the ground and the finish all move it. The one place I tell people not to save money is the subgrade and base, the packed dirt and rock the slab sits on. It's buried on day one, so it's the first thing a low bid trims, but if it settles the slab goes with it and the only fix is tearing it out. If the budget's tight, spend on the base and pick a simpler finish.
When does a concrete job in San Marino need a licensed contractor?
The state licensing board requires a license when the project needs a building permit, when it uses employee labor, or when the contracts on it add up to $1,000 or more. A job can skip the license only when it needs no permit, uses no employees and comes in under $1,000 in all, and a bigger job can't be split into smaller pieces to get under that line. Licensed contractors have to put their license number on their ads, so that's an easy first thing to look for.
Where can I see the building code San Marino uses for concrete work?
The city's Planning and Building Department keeps San Marino's Building Code for the public to look at. The city uses the California Building Code with some local changes and deletions of its own, so the state code alone isn't the whole picture here.
How long does new concrete take to cure before I can drive on it?
You can walk on a new slab well before you can drive on it, and I'll tell you both dates before the pour, because they depend on the mix and the weather that week. Curing is the wait while the concrete hardens and gains strength, and a car on it too early is how a brand-new driveway gets cracks and dents. On hot days we pour early, since a slab that dries too fast in midday heat ends up with a weak, dusty top.
What causes concrete driveways to crack and sink in San Marino?
Most cracking and sinking comes from under the slab, either a base that was raked flat instead of dug out and packed, or water running underneath because nobody checked which way it drains. Tree roots do the rest on a lot of older properties here. Concrete does crack, so we cut control joints, grooves that give it a straight line to crack along, and set rebar, the steel bar inside the slab that helps hold the pieces together.
Is San Marino near the Raymond Fault, and does it change concrete work?
Yes, San Marino is among the cities closest to the Raymond Fault. The published description covers the fault itself and doesn't mark a hazard zone for any property, so it says nothing specific about your yard. On our side, we put steel in the slab and cut joints so cracks land where we planned them, which is how we pour anywhere in the valley.
Call us about your San Marino driveway or patio
We keep our trucks out of your neighbors' way and leave the site clean when we're done.