Concrete Contractor in Lennox, CA - Driveways and Slabs Built on a Packed Base
What Lennox driveways, patios and slabs need from us
Lennox is an unincorporated part of Los Angeles County. It sits between Century Boulevard, the 405 and the 105, with Inglewood across Hawthorne Boulevard and Prairie Avenue to the east. Because it isn't a city with its own building office, the county handles permits here, which I cover in the questions below.
We're a concrete contractor based in Hawthorne, CA, and the homes we see in Lennox look a lot like the ones next door in Lawndale. Most are modest single-family houses on compact lots, with driveways and back patios that have been poured, patched and added onto over the years. That shapes the job in two ways, because narrow side yards mean I plan how the old concrete comes out and the new goes in before pour day, and an old slab often hides a base that was never packed.
What concrete in Lennox runs into
Driveways that sank
Many older slabs sit on raked dirt that was never packed, so the edges sink. We dig down to firm subgrade, the ground the slab rests on, and compact a base before pouring.
Water running toward the house
A patio that tilts the wrong way sends water toward the foundation and leaves puddles by the back door. We check where water runs before forming and set the slab to carry it off.
Tight side yards
Narrow side yards leave little room to break out old concrete and bring in new. I plan the removal and the pour route at the estimate, so pour day goes as written.
Cracks in random places
Patched and added-on slabs often crack wherever they like because joints were cut late or skipped. Our control joints are grooves we cut on schedule so the slab cracks along a line we chose.
Should you repair or replace a cracked slab in Lennox?
Thank you for asking that before anyone sells you a new slab. If the concrete is still level, drains away from the house and has only fine cracks, a repair usually makes sense, and sometimes we can cut out one bad section and pour just that piece. When the slab has sunk, tips toward the foundation or is broken through, the trouble is underneath, and a patch on top usually won't last.
If you replace, the place to spend is the base, not the surface. Nobody sees a dug-out, packed base on day one, which is why it's the first thing cut from a tight budget and why so many older slabs here are sinking. Once the base is right, a broom finish, the light texture that keeps feet from slipping, or decorative concrete with color or a pattern can go on top.
Concrete services in Lennox
- Concrete driveway building in Lennox, CA
- Concrete patio construction in Lennox, CA
- Stamped concrete services in Lennox, CA
- Concrete sidewalk building in Lennox, CA
- Garage floor concrete in Lennox, CA
- Decorative concrete in Lennox, CA
- Concrete retaining walls in Lennox, CA
- Concrete floor installation in Lennox, CA
- Concrete pool decks in Lennox, CA
- Concrete steps construction in Lennox, CA
- Slab foundation building in Lennox, CA
- Foundation installation in Lennox, CA
- Concrete parking lot building in Lennox, CA
- Concrete footings in Lennox, CA
- Foundation raising in Lennox, CA
- Concrete cutting in Lennox, CA
Questions about concrete work in Lennox
Who issues permits for concrete work in Lennox, CA?
LA County Public Works issues building permits in Lennox, because Lennox is an unincorporated part of Los Angeles County rather than a city with its own building office. You can confirm the office for your address with the county's Service Locator on its building and safety permits page. If your job needs a permit, I tell you at the estimate, and we handle the application with the county and arrange the inspections.
Do I need a permit to pour a concrete patio or driveway in Lennox?
A patio usually does, since the county generally requires permits for patios and retaining walls, along with repairs, replacements and grading. The county's list doesn't spell out every kind of flatwork, our word for driveways, walks and patios poured flat on the ground, so I check your exact job at the estimate rather than guess. A permit can only be issued to a properly licensed contractor, to the owner in certain cases, or to someone authorized to act for either.
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Lennox?
Your price comes from the size of the slab, how much old concrete we break out and haul away, how much digging and packing the base needs, and the finish you choose, so I work it out for your driveway after I've measured it. The schedule turns on the same things, plus any county permit and inspection and the curing time, which is the wait while the concrete gains strength before you walk or drive on it. Your written estimate lists what's included and what isn't, line by line.
When does a contractor need a California license for concrete work?
In California, a contractor needs a license from the Contractors State License Board when the project needs a building permit, uses any additional workers, or costs $1,000 or more in labor and materials. A larger job can't be split into pieces under $1,000 to get around that rule. You can look up any contractor on the state licensing board's site, and we're fully licensed and insured.
How do I keep a new concrete slab from cracking like the old one?
Start under the slab, because the cracking we're usually called about comes from a base that settled, water running the wrong way, or joints that were cut late. We dig out and pack the base, set the slab to drain away from the house, add rebar, the steel inside that keeps cracked pieces from pulling apart, where the job calls for it, and cut control joints on time. We also schedule the pour so the top isn't being finished in the worst of the midday heat, which is what leaves a weak, dusty surface later. Concrete can still crack, but on a slab built this way it usually cracks along those joints, where you'll hardly notice it.
How do I check if my Lennox property is in an earthquake hazard zone?
Type your address into the state's EQ Zapp lookup, which shows whether the property lies in one of the state's mapped earthquake hazard zones or whether that area hasn't been evaluated yet. It's worth doing before you plan a foundation, footings or a retaining wall, so please bring what it shows to the estimate and I'll go over it with you.
Not in Lennox? Call us about your city
Pick another city below for its own page, or call (424) 307-8166 if yours isn't listed, since we work in many of the cities around Hawthorne.
Tell us about your Lennox concrete job
Tell us what you'd like poured or replaced and where. We'll reply within one business day, and I'll come out for a free, no-obligation estimate in writing.