Concrete contractor in Lake Forest, CA for driveways and patios built on a packed base
All Star Aliso Viejo Concrete is a concrete contractor working in Lake Forest, CA. We pour driveways, patios, walks and steps, and take on foundation work, digging out and packing the ground before any concrete goes in.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- Replies within 1 business day.
Lake Forest driveways, yards and the ground under them
Lake Forest is mostly neighborhoods of single-family homes and townhouses, with shopping centers and business parks along the bigger roads, and longtime residents will remember it as El Toro, the name the community went by before. A lot of the driveways and patios I look at here are older slabs poured when the house was built, and they've had years of sun, sprinklers and tree roots working on them. By the time someone calls, it's usually a crack that keeps growing or a panel that's dropped at the garage.
Out toward the hills the yards get steeper, and that changes the job. A slab on a slope needs the ground cut and packed so it holds, and the water planned so it runs away from the house. We do the same work in Fountain Valley, where the ground's flatter and getting the pitch right on a driveway matters just as much.
Concrete work we do on Lake Forest homes
Concrete driveway building
When an original Lake Forest driveway has cracked or dropped at the garage, we tear it out, pack a new base and pour a slab built for parking.
Concrete patio construction
A backyard patio here takes sun and sprinkler runoff, so we slope it away from the house and cut control joints, planned lines that tell cracks where to go.
Stamped concrete services
Stamped concrete suits a front walk or patio where you want the look of stone or brick, poured over the same packed base as any plain slab.
Concrete sidewalk building
Walks along the side yard and up to the front door lift where roots and settling push them. We replace the uneven panels so the walk sits flat again.
Garage floor concrete
An older garage floor with cracks, chipping or a low spot that holds water can be broken out and repoured level, with a smooth finish that sweeps clean.
Decorative concrete
Colored, exposed-aggregate or scored finishes give an entry or courtyard some character, and we'll tell you when plain concrete is honestly the better buy for the money.
Concrete retaining walls
On sloped yards here, a retaining wall holds back the hill for a flat patio spot, with drainage behind it so water doesn't push against it.
Concrete floor installation
For a new room, workshop or shed, we pour an interior floor over a packed base with a vapor barrier underneath to slow moisture coming up from the ground.
Concrete pool decks
Pool decks here get sun, splash and bare feet all summer, so we give them a textured finish for grip and slope them so water runs to the drains.
Concrete steps construction
Front steps on a sloped lot see the most traffic on the property. We form each riser even and tie them to the walk with rebar, steel bars set inside the concrete.
Slab foundation building
For an addition, ADU or detached garage, we pour a slab foundation over dug-out, packed ground, with steel inside and thicker edges where the walls bear down.
Foundation installation
When a new structure needs more than a slab, we set footings and foundation walls to the plans, digging down to ground that can carry the load.
Concrete parking lot building
Small business lots and shared parking areas along the commercial streets need heavier concrete and good drainage, because cars and delivery trucks turn on them all day.
Concrete footings
Footings carry the weight of a patio cover, wall or post into firm soil, so on a slope we dig past loose fill to ground that holds.
Foundation raising
If part of a slab or foundation has dropped, we look at why first, usually water or soft fill, before deciding whether raising it is worth the money.
Concrete cutting
We saw-cut concrete for a drain line, a wider driveway or a clean seam where old and new slabs meet, keeping the dust down with water.
Get a free on-site concrete estimate in Lake Forest
Send the form and I'll get back to you within one business day to set a time to come out. The estimate's free, done on site, and there's no pressure to book.
- Based in
- Aliso Viejo, CA 92656
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 8 AM–10 PM, Sat–Sun: 7 AM–9 PM
Working in Lake Forest and what we check first
On every Lake Forest job I check with the city's building office whether your work needs a permit, and if it does, we handle the paperwork and tell you up front whose name it goes under, because waiting on a permit can push back the day we break ground. Any contractor you hire here should hold a state license from the Contractors State License Board, which licenses and regulates construction work across California, and you can look anyone up there, us included. We're licensed and fully insured. A business license is a different thing that runs through a city, since Orange County sends each business to the city it's located in. As for your price, it moves with the size of the slab, how much old concrete comes out, how much base your ground needs and the finish you pick, and the schedule mostly turns on permits, weather and curing, the wait while the concrete hardens before you use it. Your written estimate spells out what's included.
Most of our work here is on residential streets, so we plan the tear-out, the concrete truck and any pump around parked cars, neighbors and HOA rules if you have them. Lake Forest is a short drive from our base in Aliso Viejo, and we do the same kind of work next door in Laguna Hills and Mission Viejo.
Why Lake Forest driveways and patios wear out
When an older slab here settles and cracks, the trouble is usually underneath it, dirt that was raked level instead of dug out and packed, so the concrete sank right along with the ground. When we replace one, we dig down to firm subgrade, the ground the slab actually sits on, and compact a fresh base, because new concrete poured over the same soft spot cracks the same way the old one did.
On sloped yards, water is the other culprit, since runoff that gets under a slab washes out the base or pools against the house. We check where the water runs before we set a single form, and in summer we pour early, because midday heat dries the top too fast and leaves it weak and dusty.
How a concrete job runs when you call us in Lake Forest
Here's how a job goes from your first call to the final walkthrough, so you know who you'll talk to and what you'll have in hand.
Call and talk with me
When you call, you get me, and we set a time for me to come out. It helps if you're home so you can tell me how you use the space.
I measure and look around
I measure, check the slope and where the water runs, and ask what you need the slab to do. You get a written estimate that spells out tear-out, hauling and the finish, so you can line it up against other bids.
We form, pour and cure
Our crew sets the forms, packs the base and pours, and I work on site right alongside them. Then the slab cures, and I'll tell you when it's ready to walk on and when it's ready to drive on.
Walk the finished job together
Before we pack up, I walk the finished job with you so you can look it over and ask anything. We haul off the debris and leave your place cleaner than we found it.
Questions about concrete work in Lake Forest
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Lake Forest?
Your price gets set on site, once I've seen how much old concrete comes out and how much base your ground needs, and the free estimate puts that figure in writing. If the budget's tight, I'd rather you go with a plain broom finish, the light texture that gives tires and shoes some grip, than cut corners on the base. Nobody sees the base on day one, but it's what decides whether the slab settles.
How much can a contractor ask for as a down payment in California?
On a home improvement job, the state board caps the down payment at $1,000 or 10 percent of the contract price, whichever is less. Any other payments have to be listed clearly in the contract and based on work already done or materials already delivered to your home. The board says these rules apply to all home improvement projects, so a driveway or patio in Lake Forest is covered.
Which building code applies to concrete work in Lake Forest in 2026?
California's building code, Title 24, covers projects in Lake Forest, and its 2025 edition took effect on January 1, 2026. The state's list of local ordinances also shows ordinance 382 beside Lake Forest, so the city is the place to ask what it means for your job. We check with the city's building office on every job, so you don't have to sort that out alone.
How do I find out if my Lake Forest home is in a fire hazard zone?
Ask the city, because the State Fire Marshal's office sends people to their local jurisdiction for a specific address. The Fire Marshal identified the zones for Lake Forest, and a map dated March 2025 shows them.
How long before I can drive on a new concrete driveway?
You can walk on a new driveway well before you can drive on it, because concrete keeps curing and gaining strength for a while after it looks dry. I'll give you both dates for your pour, since weather moves them, and parking on it too early is one of the easiest ways to crack a brand-new slab.
What causes concrete driveways to crack, and will a new one crack too?
Concrete shrinks as it cures, so some cracking is normal, and the goal is to make it happen where we choose instead of where it wants. We cut control joints on time, set rebar to keep a hairline crack tight, and pour over the packed base I talked about above. That's what keeps a new slab from cracking and sinking the way the old one did.
Plan your Lake Forest concrete job with me
Calling before an old slab sinks any further usually means less base to rebuild, so call (949) 619-8302 or send the form and we'll set a time to look.
Aliso Viejo, CA