Liberty Hawthorne Concrete
Request an estimate

Concrete Contractor in Gardena, CA - Driveways and Slabs Built on Packed Base

Request an estimate(424) 307-8166
Circular stamped-concrete patio with a stone fire pit, four chairs, and a curving path through landscaped gardens.
  • Fully licensed and insured.
  • Free on-site estimates.
  • Expect a reply within 1 business day.

What Gardena homes need from a concrete crew

Gardena is next door to Hawthorne, where we're based, and its streets look a lot like ours, with rows of single-story houses on flat lots and shops and small workshops along the busier roads. Much of the concrete around those houses has been there for decades, so the calls we get are usually for driveways that have dropped at the garage, patios split into rocking pieces and front walks with a lip that catches your toe. It's the same work we do just south in Torrance.

Flat ground sounds easy, but it means water only goes where we slope it, and the old base under a tired driveway rarely holds up a new one. Most of a Gardena job is the digging, packing and grading you won't see once the slab is in.

What concrete runs into in Gardena

  • Old slabs that sank

    Older driveways here were often poured over raked dirt, not packed base, so they sank as it settled. We dig out and pack the subgrade, the ground the slab rests on, before we pour.

  • A mapped fault zone

    The city's earlier general plan shows a known active fault zone in northeast Gardena, near El Segundo Boulevard and Vermont Avenue. Near it, I check the ground closely before writing up the base.

  • Water toward the house

    On flat lots, water goes wherever the slab sends it, and an old driveway tilting toward the house sends it to your foundation. We check where water runs and slope the new slab away.

  • Cracks nobody planned

    Old slabs often crack in jagged lines because control joints, the grooves that tell concrete where to crack, were cut late or skipped. We cut them on time so cracks land where we chose.

Should you repair or replace your Gardena driveway?

If the slab is still level and the cracks are thin, a repair is usually the better buy, and I'll tell you so at the estimate. Once a driveway has sunk, tilted toward the house or broken into pieces that rock underfoot, the trouble is the ground under it, and patching the top only covers that for a while. In that case we take it out and start again from the base.

When the budget is tight, the base is the last thing I'd cut, because nobody sees it on the day we pour and everybody sees it when the slab sinks. I'd sooner you choose a plain broom finish, the light texture that keeps shoes and tires from slipping, and add stamped concrete to a patio later than save money on the ground underneath.

Concrete services in Gardena

Questions about concrete work in Gardena

  • Do I need a permit for a concrete driveway in Gardena?

    The city lists open driveways and walkways among its most common exceptions to a building permit, but any work on the public sidewalk, alley or street, such as a new driveway apron at the curb, needs a permit from the city's Public Works engineering office. Retaining walls are exempt only when they're low, measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall, and not holding back an added load like a driveway or a slope. I check your job against the city's Building Services rules at the estimate, and if it needs a permit, we handle the application and arrange the inspections.

  • Does a concrete contractor need a license to work in Gardena?

    Yes, the state contractor board requires a current license from anyone who contracts for work that needs a building permit, uses employees, or totals $1,000 or more in labor and materials, which covers almost any driveway or patio. The City of Gardena also requires a business license from anyone doing business in the city, even a contractor based outside it. We're fully licensed and insured, and I'm glad to answer any questions about it at the estimate.

  • How long does it take to get a permit in Gardena?

    The city says typical over-the-counter permits, like fences and water heaters, are usually turned around in three business days. The city also quadruples the fees when permit work starts before the permit is issued, so we don't break ground until it's in hand. I'll tell you at the estimate whether your job needs one and plan the schedule around that wait.

  • How much does a concrete driveway cost in Gardena?

    Your price comes from the size and thickness of the slab, how much old concrete we break out and haul away, how much base the ground needs and the finish you choose. A permit for work at the curb and tight access to the back of the lot can add to it as well. I come out, measure and give you a written estimate that lists what's included and what isn't, so the job we build is the one on the paper.

  • Will my new concrete driveway crack like the old one?

    It can crack, because concrete shrinks as it cures and moves a little with the ground, but it shouldn't sink or break apart the way the old one did. We pack the base, add rebar, the steel bars that keep a cracked slab from pulling apart, and cut the joints on time, so any cracks stay tight and run along the joints instead of across the middle.

  • How long before I can drive on a new concrete driveway?

    Usually a few days before you walk on it and closer to a week before you drive on it, because concrete keeps gaining strength while it cures. Driving on it early can chip the edges or mark the surface. When I write your estimate, I'll go over the wait for your slab so you can plan where to park.

Don't see your city? Call us

Choose a city below for its page, or call (424) 307-8166 if yours isn't listed, because we work in many of the cities around Hawthorne.

Get a free written estimate in Gardena

Describe the job and any permit questions, and we'll reply within one business day. I'll then come out to give you a free on-site estimate in writing, with no obligation.

(424) 307-8166