Concrete Contractor in San Clemente, CA - Slabs That Drain Right on Sloped Lots
All Star Aliso Viejo Concrete is a concrete contractor based in Aliso Viejo, CA, pouring driveways, patios, walks, steps and foundations for San Clemente homeowners on a base we dig out and pack first.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- Replies within 1 business day.
San Clemente homes, from hillside lots to beach streets
San Clemente is a beach city with a lot of hills, and most of what we pour there is for homes. That means driveways, back patios, side-yard walks, steps and now and then a retaining wall. The houses range from older places nearer the water to newer neighborhoods up the slopes, and plenty of lots tip toward the street or fall away out back. We see the same kind of ground in San Juan Capistrano and Laguna Niguel, so a steep driveway or a narrow side yard doesn't throw us.
That slope shapes almost every job here. Water always finds somewhere to go on a hillside lot, and if a slab isn't pitched to carry it away from the house, it heads for the garage or the back door, so we check where the water runs before we set a single form.
Concrete work we do on San Clemente homes
Concrete driveway building
Long, sloped driveways on San Clemente's hillside lots need a base dug out and packed, plus a finish that grips when the drive runs steep.
Concrete patio construction
We pour backyard patios sloped away from the house, so rain and hose water run to the yard instead of pooling at your door.
Stamped concrete services
Stamped concrete gives a patio or entry the look of stone or tile that fits a lot of the houses here, on one solid slab underneath.
Concrete sidewalk building
We replace walks and side-yard paths that have heaved or sunk into trip edges, setting them on a packed base so each section sits level with the next.
Garage floor concrete
A cracked, stained garage slab can come out and go back in level, with a smooth finish that's easy to sweep and a slight fall toward the door.
Decorative concrete
Color, exposed aggregate and scored patterns let a front walk or courtyard match the house, and we'll tell you which finishes hold up to sand and bare feet.
Concrete retaining walls
Hillside yards here often need a wall to hold back a slope and open up flat ground, set on a footing sized for the soil behind it.
Concrete floor installation
For a converted garage, a studio or a new room, we pour an interior floor on a packed base with steel inside, ready for tile or flooring.
Concrete pool decks
Pool decks take wet feet and hot sun, so we pick a grippy, cooler finish and slope the deck so water drains off instead of puddling.
Concrete steps construction
On sloped lots, front and garden steps get heavy use, so we form each rise the same height and give the treads a finish that grips when wet.
Slab foundation building
For an addition, ADU or detached garage, we pour the slab foundation to the engineer's plans, with the base and steel checked before any concrete arrives.
Foundation installation
New foundations on hillside lots start with digging to firm ground, then footings and walls that carry the house the way the plans call for.
Concrete parking lot building
Small lots for shops, offices and multi-unit buildings need thicker concrete where cars turn and park, plus drainage planned so water doesn't sit in the stalls.
Concrete footings
Patio covers, garden walls and room additions sit on footings, and we dig them to the depth and width the job needs so the load reaches solid ground.
Foundation raising
When a slab or foundation has settled and doors stick or floors slope, we find out why before we lift and support it.
Concrete cutting
We saw-cut clean openings for drains, utility lines and doorways, and cut out cracked sections of an old driveway so only the bad part gets replaced.
Get a free on-site concrete estimate in San Clemente
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day to set a time. I come out to look at the job myself, the estimate is free, 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
Permits, licenses and pricing for San Clemente jobs
In San Clemente, the Building and Safety Division issues permits for new construction, additions and remodels, and it's their call whether your job needs one, not mine or yours. When it does, nothing gets poured until the permit's issued, so I check with them before we put a start date on the calendar, and we handle the paperwork if one's needed. While you're comparing bids, ask each contractor for their state license and their city business license, because the city requires one from anyone doing business in San Clemente.
We're licensed and fully insured, and San Clemente is one of the cities we cover from Aliso Viejo, along with places like Lake Forest. Price here mostly comes down to the size of the job, how much old concrete gets torn out and hauled off, how much digging the base needs and the finish you choose, and on steep or tight streets, whether the truck can get close or we have to pump or wheel the concrete in. The schedule turns on the permit if there is one, the weather and curing, the days fresh concrete needs to harden before it takes weight, and your written estimate is where you get your own number.
Why San Clemente slabs crack, sink and need replacing
A lot of the driveways and patios we look at here were poured years ago, and the cracks usually trace back to what's underneath. When a crew just rakes the dirt level instead of digging it out and packing a base, the subgrade, the ground the slab sits on, keeps settling, and the slab sinks and cracks right along with it. If your budget has to give somewhere, I'll put the money into the base before a fancy finish, because you can redo a surface later, but you can't fix a bad base without tearing the whole thing out.
The rest is older concrete that's simply done its time, like a heaved section at the street or a patio that's dropped away from the house. Sometimes the smart fix is cutting out one bad section instead of replacing everything, and I'll tell you when that's the better deal.
How a concrete job runs when you call us in San Clemente
From the first call to the final walkthrough, you deal with me, and you'll know what's included and when the crew can be on site.
Call and talk with me
Call (949) 619-8302 and you'll get me, not an answering service, and we'll find a time for me to come look at the job. If you'd rather write it out, the form works too.
I measure and write it up
I measure, look over the ground and drainage, and ask how you plan to use the space, so it helps if you're home. 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 and I work right alongside them through the pour and the cure, which takes a few days before you can walk on the slab and longer before you drive on it. The city allows construction Monday through Friday from 7 am to 6 pm, subject to your permit's conditions, with none on Sundays or city-recognized holidays.
Walk the finished job together
Before we pack up, I walk the job with you and point out the joints, the drainage and what to keep off the slab while it finishes curing, and we leave the site cleaner than we found it. Satisfaction guaranteed on every job.
Questions about concrete work in San Clemente
Do I need a permit for a concrete driveway in San Clemente?
The city's reference list exempts driveways up to 30 inches above the ground beside them, unless the driveway sits over a basement or a story below or is part of an accessible route. Permits are generally required for structural work, and the city's permit list is a guide, not a ruling, so the Building and Safety Division makes the final call on your project. I check with them on each job before we schedule the pour.
Does a retaining wall in San Clemente need a permit?
Usually yes once the wall holds back more than four feet of earth, measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall, because that's where the city's no-permit list stops. That means a wall that looks three feet tall can count as more once you add the footing. The exemption also ends if the wall carries a surcharge, extra weight like a driveway or a slope above it, or holds back certain flammable or combustible liquids, and on hillside lots that surcharge comes up a lot.
How do I get a building permit for a concrete project in San Clemente?
Either you pull it yourself as an owner-builder or a California licensed contractor pulls it for you. If you're doing the work yourself, you fill out the city's owner-builder verification form first. When we take the job, we handle the paperwork and tell you up front whose name the permit goes under, so there's no surprise about who's responsible for it.
Does a concrete contractor need a state license to work in San Clemente?
Yes, for almost any driveway, patio or wall, the contractor needs a license from the California Contractors State License Board. The state requires one when the job needs a building permit, uses any additional workers or costs $1,000 or more in labor and materials, and nearly every concrete job clears that bar. You can look up any contractor on the state licensing board's site before you sign.
How much does a concrete driveway or patio cost in San Clemente?
There's no single price, because each job is priced on its own size, thickness, steel, finish and site, and you get your figure from a written estimate after I see it. A plain broom finish, the brushed texture that gives shoes and tires grip, costs less than stamped or colored work, and a thicker slab with rebar, steel bars set inside to hold it together, costs more but stands up better to a loaded truck. If the city wants a permit for your job, that adds to the cost and the wait too.
What causes concrete to crack, and will my new slab crack like the old one?
Most bad cracks come from a soft base, water getting under the slab, or joints cut late or skipped, and those are the things we control. Concrete shrinks as it dries, so we cut control joints on time, shallow grooves that give the slab a straight line to crack along, and we plan the pour around midday heat, which can leave a weak, dusty top. A hairline crack can still show up, but with a packed base and a proper cure it should land in a joint instead of across your driveway.
Tell us about your San Clemente project
Describe the job when you call or send the form and ask me which permits apply, so we both know what the city will want before I come out.
Aliso Viejo, CA