Concrete driveway building in Hawthorne CA - a slab built for the cars you park
What goes into building a new concrete driveway in Hawthorne?
Liberty Hawthorne Concrete builds concrete driveways in Hawthorne by digging out and packing a solid base, then forming, pouring and finishing a slab thick enough for the vehicles you park. I come out first to look at your lot and talk through how the driveway gets used, so the estimate matches what we build.
Most calls start with a driveway that's cracked, sinking or holding water after a rain. The fix usually means breaking out the old slab and starting over at the subgrade, the ground the slab sits on, because that's where most failures begin. If the budget gets tight, I'd rather keep the money in a dug-out, packed base than a fancier surface, since you can't add a good base later.
Before I price a driveway, I ask what you park on it and whether you have any soil notes, because how hard it gets used and what's underneath set how thick it should be. We're fully licensed and insured, and California's contractor licensing board has a concrete contractor class for forming, pouring and finishing flat concrete like driveways and concrete patios.
Much of the West has expansive soil, ground that swells when it gets wet, and it can lift, tilt or push a driveway sideways. The usual answer is crushed rock under the slab, more of it as the soil gets more expansive, with a soils engineer's advice when it's unclear. Your home buyer's disclosures, the local building department or a soil engineer can tell you whether your lot has it.
What a driveway takes
- Breaking out and hauling the old slab
- Digging out and packing a firm base
- Sloping toward the street, not the house
- Setting forms and any steel
- Pouring and finishing the surface
- Cutting joints where cracks should go
What to weigh before booking a concrete driveway
What sets the price
The driveway's size, the thickness your vehicles need, any steel, the old concrete we break out and the soil underneath all move the price, and your written estimate lists each one.
What the schedule turns on
The schedule turns on the weather on pour day and on curing, the wait while new concrete gains enough strength to carry a car, so plan where you'll park until it's ready.
Broom finish or stamped
A broom finish, light ridges dragged across the wet surface, gives tires and shoes grip, and if you'd rather have stamped concrete, decide while we draw up the plans.
Concrete driveway questions from Hawthorne
How much does a new concrete driveway cost near Hawthorne, CA?
A two-car concrete driveway of 400 to 600 square feet, installed, usually costs about $2,500 to $7,500 in the Los Angeles area. That's the area's going rate, not our price, and thickness, steel, removing the old slab and your soil all decide where your lot lands. I'll write your estimate on site, with what's included and what isn't.
Should my concrete driveway be thicker than 4 inches?
It's worth considering if you park anything heavy, because going from 4 to 5 inches thick adds about 20% to the concrete cost and nearly 50% to the weight the slab can carry. That's why I ask what you park before we price the job, and your estimate shows the thickness we've written in.
Does rebar stop a concrete driveway from cracking?
No, rebar, the steel bars set inside the slab, won't stop concrete from cracking, but it helps hold cracks together. It adds strength and matters most when a driveway sees heavy traffic, so we decide on it with you based on what you drive and park.
How long does a new concrete driveway need to cure before I can drive on it?
Plan on at least a week before you drive on new concrete, because it keeps gaining strength while it cures. Line up somewhere else to park for that week, and if your schedule is tight, tell me at the estimate so we can plan the pour around it.
What causes a concrete driveway to crack and sink?
Most often it's the base, dirt raked level instead of dug out and packed, so the slab settles along with the ground. Late or skipped joints are the other usual cause, which is why we cut control joints, shallow grooves that give the slab a chosen place to crack, and driveway guidance adds an isolation joint where it meets the garage floor or sidewalk. We stand behind the work with satisfaction guaranteed on every job.
How do I keep water from pooling on my concrete driveway?
Slope the driveway toward the street and away from the house and garage, which is the standard recommendation and keeps water from standing on the finished slab. Before we set the forms I look at where water runs on your lot, because a slab that falls toward the house sends rain where you don't want it.
Concrete driveways near you
We're based in Hawthorne and build driveways in many of the cities around it, including Inglewood and Gardena. Pick your city below, or call (424) 307-8166 if you don't see it.
Other concrete work
- Concrete patio construction
- Stamped concrete services
- Concrete sidewalk building
- Garage floor concrete
- Decorative concrete
- Concrete retaining walls
- Concrete floor installation
- Concrete pool decks
- Concrete steps construction
- Slab foundation building
- Foundation installation
- Concrete parking lot building
- Concrete footings
- Foundation raising
- Concrete cutting
Get a free estimate for your driveway
Send your driveway's size, the vehicles it carries and any soil notes. We reply within one business day, and I come out to write a free estimate, no obligation.