Where the driveway meets the street
Long Beach Public Works reviews plans and issues permits for driveways next to the street and sidewalk. When one is required, we handle the application and meet the inspector on site.
Concrete driveway building in Long Beach CA - a slab built for the cars you park
If your driveway is cracked, sinking or holding water, we dig out the bad ground and pour a new slab that drains toward the street.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free on-site estimates.
- Replies within 1 business day.
What a new concrete driveway involves
Concrete driveway building in Long Beach means clearing out the old driveway and any soft ground, packing a firm base and pouring a new slab that slopes toward the street and away from your house and garage, so rainwater runs off instead of standing on it.
Most people call us because the old driveway has cracked, sunk at one end or started holding puddles, and they'd like to know what a new one involves before they decide. The price mostly comes down to the size of the driveway, how thick the slab needs to be for what you park, how much old concrete and soft ground has to come out, and whether the work reaches the sidewalk and the street. The schedule turns on the permit check, the weather on pour day and the wait while the new concrete hardens enough to take a car. Before I price anything, we check with the city's permit office about what your driveway calls for, and your estimate comes in writing with the work spelled out clearly.
I look at every job myself
I come out to see your driveway and write the estimate myself, with the work spelled out, so the plan comes from someone who has actually stood on your ground.
Our own crew pours it
Our own crew does the work, and I'm usually there for the pour, because that's the part of the job where a mistake gets locked into the concrete for good.
Licensed, insured and here since 2021
We're fully licensed and insured. Before starting this business in Long Beach in 2021, I spent years repairing cracked walks and tired slabs for a property management company, often after someone's shortcut.
How we build a driveway, step by step
We start by asking what you park there and how often, because that shapes the plan more than looks do. Then we break out and haul away the old driveway and dig down to the subgrade, the ground the slab will sit on, replacing any soft spots with gravel or crushed rock and packing it hard so the slab doesn't settle with the dirt. We set the forms so the slab slopes toward the street, pour it, and give the top a broom finish, a light ridged texture that gives tires and shoes some grip in the rain. We also cut control joints, shallow grooves that give the concrete a chosen place to crack as it shrinks, and we cut them on time, because joints cut late or skipped leave cracks wherever the slab decides. Then the concrete cures, slowly hardening and gaining strength, and we talk through when you can drive on it so you can arrange other parking. If a budget has to give somewhere, I'd rather you pick a plainer finish than a thinner base, because the base is buried on day one and it's the one part you can't fix later without tearing the driveway out.
A driveway often leads to other work, and doing it in the same project means one setup instead of two. If you'd like a place to sit out back, we handle concrete patio construction with the same base work, and if you'd prefer a driveway with pattern and color over a plain broom finish, our stamped concrete services can give it the look of stone or brick.
Long Beach rules that touch a driveway job
Historic districts and coastal zones
If your home sits in a Historic District, the city says to contact the Planning Bureau first. Extra requirements may apply there and in coastal zones, so please mention it when you call.
A dumpster on the street
Breaking out an old driveway fills a bin quickly. The city offers temporary occupancy permits to place a dumpster in a parking lane for up to 90 days, so the bin doesn't block the work.
Long Beach and the cities nearby
We're based in Long Beach and work across it and in many cities around it, including Signal Hill, Lakewood and Carson. Each city has its own permit office, and we check with yours.
Get a written estimate for your driveway
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set a time for me to come out. The estimate is free, done on site and written out clearly, with no obligation to book.
Tell us what you park
Let us know which vehicles use the driveway and how often, including any truck, trailer or RV, because the load decides how thick the slab and how solid the base should be.
Mention the sidewalk and curb
If the new driveway will reach the sidewalk or the curb, please say so, because that part goes through a different city office and can add a review before we pour.
Your satisfaction, guaranteed
That's our promise on every driveway, and it starts with an estimate that spells out the work, so you know what we'll do before our crew arrives.
Driveway and concrete finish examples
These photos show broom finishes, stamped patterns and driveway layouts worth talking through when I come out to look at yours.
Questions about building a concrete driveway
Here are the questions I hear most from Long Beach homeowners planning a new driveway, answered as plainly as I can.
How thick should a concrete driveway be in Long Beach?
Planning for a home driveway often starts around a 4-inch slab for passenger cars, but heavier vehicles or weak ground underneath can call for a different design. A thicker slab takes more concrete but carries a good deal more weight. If you're unsure about your soil, a soils engineer can advise, since many western states have expansive soils that need more crushed rock.
Do I need a permit to build a driveway in Long Beach?
It depends on where the work sits, and I check with the city before pricing your job. The Building and Safety Bureau requires permits for most work on a home but may exempt a private driveway up to 30 inches above the ground beside it. Work that reaches the street or sidewalk goes to Public Works, as described above.
How long before I can drive on a new concrete driveway?
Plan on at least a week before anyone drives on it, because the concrete needs that time to cure. That means parking somewhere else for at least that week after the pour, so it helps to line up a spot on the street or with a neighbor before we start.
Will my new concrete driveway crack like the old one?
Concrete can still crack, but much of what I fixed in property upkeep came from shortcuts nobody could see, like a base that was raked level instead of dug out and packed. The base work described above is how we avoid that. If you expect heavy traffic, ask about steel reinforcement, or rebar, which adds strength and helps hold any cracks together.
Who can legally pour a concrete driveway in California?
Outside a narrow exemption for small jobs, the work calls for a licensed contractor. California lets an unlicensed person take a job under $1,000 only when it needs no permit and they employ no one on the project. We're fully licensed and insured, and I'm glad to answer any questions about that when I come out.
Is it OK to pour a driveway on a hot or windy day?
It can be, but it takes more care, because fresh concrete that dries too fast at the top can turn weak and dusty later. That's mostly a summer problem, though dry air and wind can cause it on a mild day too, and a windy, sunny day needs stricter precautions than a calm, humid one. If the forecast looks rough, I'll talk with you about timing first.
Book your free driveway estimate today
Thank you for reading. Call (562) 269-3293 or send the form, and I'll come look, because your ground tells me more than a photo can.