Concrete Contractor in Anaheim - Driveways and Patios Built on a Solid Base

The city says most improvements need a permit before construction starts and only cosmetic work goes without, so a new driveway, patio or wall should be checked with Anaheim's Building Division, which reviews plans and inspects the work. An older city handout lists retaining walls up to 4 feet tall, measured from the bottom of the footing, among work that needs no permit, unless the wall holds back extra weight above it such as a driveway, but your own project should still be confirmed with the city. Where a permit applies, we help with the application, and if we're unsure what applies, we ask the city before any work begins.

Yes, for almost any concrete job, because the California Contractors State License Board requires a license when a project needs a building permit, uses hired workers or comes to $1,000 or more in labor and materials. The city also asks any business working in Anaheim, including one based outside the city, to hold an Anaheim business license. We're fully licensed and insured, and it's fair to ask any contractor about both before you sign.

Projects submitted to the city now are reviewed under the 2025 California building codes along with Anaheim's own amendments, which the city wrote for its local terrain, climate and ground. A project submitted before 2026 stays under the earlier 2022 codes. On a permitted job, we build to what the approved plans and the city's inspection call for.

The cost depends most on the size of the driveway, whether the old one has to be broken out and hauled away, how much digging and packing the base needs, and the finish you pick. A plain broom finish costs less than stamped or colored concrete, and a tight side yard adds labor. If the budget is tight, my advice is to keep the money in the base and choose a simpler finish, because nobody sees the base on day one but it decides how long the slab stays flat, though the choice is yours.

Plan around winter, because on average about 64% of Anaheim's roughly 13.5 inches of yearly rain falls in December, January and February, while June through August bring only about 2%. We can pour between winter storms if we watch the forecast and move the date when heavy rain is coming. In summer the concern is heat, so we start early and keep the slab damp while it cures, the days concrete needs to gain strength before you use it.

Most cracking and sinking comes from a base that was raked level instead of dug out and packed, from water running under the slab, or from joints that were cut late or skipped. Any concrete can crack, so we pack the base, set the slope so water runs off and cut the joints on pour day, which means a crack that does form follows the groove instead of wandering across your driveway.