Concrete driveway building in Santa Maria CA - a slab built for what you park
Old driveway cracked, sunk or chipping? We dig it out, pack a solid base and pour a new driveway that holds up.
Building a concrete driveway means digging out, forming, pouring and finishing a new slab, then curing it, which is the wait while it hardens before it can take your car. Most people in Santa Maria call us when the old driveway has cracked through, sunk in spots or started chipping on top. Usually the trouble started underneath, where nobody packed the base.
The price comes down to the size, how thick it needs to be for what you park, whether steel goes in and whether an old driveway has to come out first. The schedule turns on the pour and the cure after it, since nobody drives on it until it's ready. My written estimate spells out each of those. If you're thinking about a concrete patio too, I can price both on the same visit.
How we build a concrete driveway
- Built for what you park. Before I price it, I come out myself and ask what you park, since a work truck or RV changes the thickness. It can call for rebar, steel that holds the slab together.
- A base that's dug and packed. We dig out the subgrade, the ground the slab sits on, and pack it hard, because a base that's only raked level settles and takes the concrete down with it.
- Our own crew on the pour. Our own crew forms, pours and finishes the slab, then gives it a broom finish, a light texture dragged across the top so tires and shoes grip when it's wet.
- Joints cut on time. We cut control joints, straight grooves that give the slab a planned place to crack, early enough that any cracks usually land there instead of wandering across the middle.
- Licensed and insured. We're licensed and insured. We've been in business since 2017, and flatwork, the flat pours like driveways, patios and walks, is what we're known for.
What goes wrong with old driveways
| Problem | What it looks like | Usual fix |
|---|---|---|
| Sunken or tipped sections | What it looks like: Sections dropped or tipped, with gaps opening along the edges | Usual fix: Tear out, dig down and pack a new base |
| Cracks in random places | What it looks like: Cracks wandering across the slab instead of along the cut lines | Usual fix: New slab with control joints cut on time |
| Dusty, flaking top | What it looks like: Surface that powders, chips or peels away in thin flakes | Usual fix: Replace the slab and cure the new one right |
| Broken under heavy loads | What it looks like: Breaks and cracks right where the truck or trailer parks | Usual fix: Rebuild thicker, with steel where the weight sits |
Patch it, replace it or upgrade it
- Replace one section. If one section failed and the rest is solid, we cut it out and pour it back, though new concrete won't match the old color exactly.
- Full tear-out. When cracks run everywhere or the slab has sunk, we tear it all out and start over with a packed base, because patching over a bad base just buys time.
- A decorative finish. Stamped concrete adds pattern and color on top. When money's tight, put it into the base first, because nobody sees the base on day one but it's what holds everything up.
How your driveway job runs
- You call. You call or send the form, and we get back to you to set a time for me to come see the site.
- Site visit and estimate. I measure, look at the ground and the access for the concrete truck, and send a written estimate that lists each part of the job.
- Permits and forms. Once you say go, we line up any permit work, then set the forms and look them over with you before anything gets poured.
- Pour and cure. Our crew pours and finishes the slab and cuts the joints, then it cures, and I let you know when it's ready for cars.
- Clean-up. We pull the forms, haul off any old concrete and leave the site swept, so all that's left is the wait to drive on it.
Keeping your driveway sound down the road
Most of what keeps a driveway sound is done before you park on it, in the base, the joints and the cure. After that, keep heavy trailers off the edges, where a slab has the least support, and clean up oil before it soaks in.
We work for homeowners and small property owners across the Santa Maria Valley, including Orcutt, and the cities around it, from Nipomo and the rest of southern San Luis Obispo County down to Lompoc and Buellton. If your driveway is due, call (805) 268-7763 or send the form to ask for an estimate.
Tell us about your driveway
Send the rough size, any old driveway to remove and what you park on it. We'll reply within one business day to set a time to see it.
(805) 268-7763- Free, on-site estimate
- Written out line by line
- No obligation to go ahead
Driveway questions we hear most
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Santa Maria?
One Santa Barbara cost guide puts a concrete driveway at about $7 to $14 per square foot, not counting removal of an old one. The same guide says reinforced concrete costs more than plain, and tearing out an old driveway adds to it too. Our work is backed by our satisfaction guarantee.
How long does a new concrete driveway need to cure?
Curing typically runs 3 to 7 days, starting right after the slab is poured and finished, so plan on the job lasting past pour day. We keep the new slab damp, because concrete left to cure dry can lose as much as 50 percent of the strength it would have gained kept moist.
How thick should a concrete driveway be for a truck or RV?
For heavier vehicles like trucks or RVs, one Santa Barbara cost guide suggests six to eight inches, compared with the four to five inches it calls standard and typically enough for regular cars. Mention any work truck, trailer or RV when you call, so the estimate is built around it.
Can an unlicensed handyman pour a driveway in California?
Only if the whole job is $1,000 or less, needs no permit and the person has nobody working for them. Anything bigger, or done with a crew, needs a licensed contractor, and the state licensing board's concrete class covers forming, pouring and finishing flat concrete work like driveways.
Do I need a permit for a new driveway in Santa Maria?
Some driveway jobs do, and when yours calls for one, we handle the application with the city and set up the inspections. The city's Building Division checks that work underway has the permits it needs, and the Public Works Engineering Division handles encroachment permits for work that reaches into city streets and sidewalks.