Concrete Contractor in Costa Mesa - Driveways and Patios Built on Solid Ground
Custom Tustin Concrete Company is a concrete contractor based in Tustin, CA, and we pour driveways, patios, steps, walkways and slabs for homes and small properties across Costa Mesa, starting with the ground underneath.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free on-site estimates.
- We reply within 1 business day.
Concrete work for Costa Mesa homes
Costa Mesa is a short drive from our base in Tustin, and the calls I get there usually come from homeowners whose driveway, patio or front walk has been down for many years. Many streets have older single-story houses with newer townhomes, apartment buildings and small shops mixed in, so we pour for property managers and small building owners here too. The price of a job here usually turns on how much old concrete has to come out, how much base the ground needs and the finish you choose. The schedule turns on any permit and the weather on pour day, so I put your own figure and plan in a written estimate after I've seen the site.
We do the same work in Garden Grove and Fountain Valley, and the ground tells a similar story. When an old slab here has sunk or cracked, the dirt under it usually was never dug out and packed, or water has been running beneath it, so I look at the ground and the drainage before we talk about finishes.
- A base dug out and packed
- Water that runs away from your house
- Joints cut where cracks should go
- Plain answers from first call to finish
Our concrete services in Costa Mesa
Here is the work we do for Costa Mesa homeowners, property managers and small building owners, with a note on what we see on these properties.
Concrete driveway building
Older Costa Mesa driveways often crack where the ground settled, so we dig out and pack the base and set rebar, the steel that holds the slab together.
Explore Concrete driveway buildingConcrete patio construction
Patios in Costa Mesa backyards usually sit against the house, so we slope them away from your walls and cut control joints, grooves that tell cracks where to run.
Explore Concrete patio constructionStamped concrete services
Stamped concrete gives an entry the look of stone or tile, and on older Costa Mesa lots the base under it gets the same care as any slab.
Explore Stamped concrete servicesConcrete sidewalk building
Walkways lifted by tree roots are a common call in Costa Mesa. We tear out the raised sections, pack the base and pour a level, even path.
Explore Concrete sidewalk buildingGarage floor concrete
Garage floors in older Costa Mesa homes are often pitted or cracked. We break out the old slab, firm up the subgrade, the ground underneath, and pour new.
Explore Garage floor concreteDecorative concrete
Colored and textured concrete suits the newer townhomes and remodeled houses here, and I'll walk you through which finishes hold up to sun and foot traffic.
Explore Decorative concreteConcrete retaining walls
On Costa Mesa lots with a grade change, a retaining wall holds the soil back, and we plan drainage behind it so water doesn't push on the wall.
Explore Concrete retaining wallsConcrete floor installation
Small shops and commercial units around the city often need a new interior floor, and we pour it flat and level so tile, epoxy or equipment sits right.
Explore Concrete floor installationConcrete pool decks
Pool decks here see bare feet and splashing, so we give them a broom finish, a light brushed texture for grip, and slope them away from the pool.
Explore Concrete pool decksConcrete steps construction
Front steps on older homes here tend to settle away from the porch or crack. We rebuild them with even step heights and a solid footing.
Explore Concrete steps constructionSlab foundation building
For a room addition or detached garage here, we pour the slab foundation on a packed base, with the steel and thickness the plans call for.
Explore Slab foundation buildingFoundation installation
When a Costa Mesa home or building needs new foundation work, we dig, form and pour to the engineer's plans and keep the site tidy for the neighbors.
Explore Foundation installationConcrete parking lot building
Costa Mesa's mix of apartments and small shops means parking areas that see daily traffic, so we grade them to drain and build the base to carry cars.
Explore Concrete parking lot buildingConcrete footings
Costa Mesa patio covers and block walls sit on footings, the concrete pads that carry the weight, and we dig them to the depth your plans call for.
Explore Concrete footingsFoundation raising
If a corner of an older house here has dropped, I'll look at the cause first, usually water or soft ground, before we talk about lifting and leveling.
Explore Foundation raisingConcrete cutting
When a Costa Mesa remodel needs a trench or a cracked section taken out, we saw-cut clean edges so the rest of the slab stays intact.
Explore Concrete cutting
Ask for your Costa Mesa estimate
Tell us what you'd like poured or replaced, and we'll reply within one business day to set a time for your free on-site estimate, with no obligation.
What Costa Mesa homes ask of concrete
Most of the concrete I'm asked to replace in Costa Mesa failed underneath first, so the work here is mostly about ground, water and joints on lots that have been lived on for years.
Sunken driveways and walks
When an old driveway has sunk or tipped, the dirt under it usually wasn't packed, so we dig to firm ground and compact a new base before forming.
Water pooling by the house
Pooling at the foundation is a common sign here, so I check where the yard drains before we set forms and slope the new slab away from your walls.
Warm days at pour time
A pour that bakes in midday heat can leave a dusty top, so we start early on warm days and keep it damp while it cures and hardens.
Your city not listed? Call us
We're based in Tustin and work in Costa Mesa and the cities around it across Orange County and nearby. If you're in one of the other cities listed here, choose it to see what we run into on jobs there.
If your city isn't listed, please call (714) 361-0137 anyway. The cities with their own page are only some of the places we work, and I'll gladly tell you whether we can come out to you.
From your call to a finished Costa Mesa slab
I keep the estimate simple because you should know what you're paying for before you decide, so I come out myself and put everything in writing.
You get in touch
Thank you for calling. We'll set a time for me to come out to your Costa Mesa property and hear what you have in mind.
I visit the site
I measure, look over the ground, drainage and access, and listen to how you use the space so the plan fits it.
Your written estimate
I send a written estimate that spells out what's included. If the job needs a permit, we help with the application and work with the city's permit office.
Ground, pour, walkthrough
Our crew prepares the ground, forms and pours while I check in, and we keep you posted, then walk the finished job with you.
Costa Mesa concrete questions
How much does concrete work cost in Costa Mesa?
Your price comes from the written estimate I write after measuring the site, because the cost here turns mostly on tear-out, access and finish. Breaking out and hauling an old slab adds to it, so do tight side yards where we can't bring a truck close, and stamped or colored finishes cost more than a plain broom finish. If the budget is tight, I'd suggest a simpler finish before a lighter base, because the base is hidden on day one but decides whether the slab stays flat.
Does my concrete job in Costa Mesa need a licensed contractor?
It does if the job needs a building permit, uses employee labor or comes to $1,000 or more in labor and materials, because that's when California's Contractors State License Board requires a license. A bigger job can't be split into smaller contracts to stay under that line, and a first offense for contracting without a license is usually a misdemeanor that can carry up to six months in jail, a $500 fine or both, plus administrative fines of $200 to $15,000. We're fully licensed and insured.
How do I apply for a concrete permit in Costa Mesa?
You apply online through TESSA, the city's permit system, and the city's Building Safety Division issues the permit. Paper forms aren't used and incomplete applications are sent back, so everything has to go in complete the first time, and for a retaining wall the division also posts a handout on wall specifications. If you're not sure your driveway or patio needs a permit, the division is the place to ask, and where one's needed we help with the application.
Which jobs can get an Insta-Permit in Costa Mesa?
The city offers Insta-Permits for simple jobs with a limited scope, and the ones it lists are residential HVAC, re-pipe, water heater, EV charger, panel upgrade and re-roof work. Concrete isn't on that list, and the list doesn't say whether your job needs a regular building permit, so when I'm unsure what applies I ask the city before work begins.
What causes concrete driveways in Costa Mesa to crack and sink?
Most of the cracked, sunken driveways I see here sit on a base that was raked level instead of dug out and packed, so the slab settled as the dirt did. Water running under the slab or toward the house makes it worse, and joints cut late or skipped let cracks land wherever they like. Concrete can still crack, so we pack the base, slope the slab away from your house and cut control joints on time so any crack follows a line we chose.
How long before I can drive on a new concrete driveway in Costa Mesa?
You can usually walk on a new driveway well before you can drive on it, because curing keeps going after the surface feels firm. When we schedule your pour, I'll tell you when it's ready for walking and when it's ready for your car, so you can plan where to park in the meantime.
Get a Costa Mesa concrete estimate
Call (714) 361-0137 or send the form while you're still planning, since drainage and base choices are easiest to settle before the layout is fixed.