Concrete patio construction in Aliso Viejo CA - a slab built on solid ground
Patio cracked, sunken or holding water after you hose it down? We dig out, pack the base and pour a slab built to stay flat.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- Replies within 1 business day.
What does it take to build a concrete patio that lasts in Aliso Viejo?
Concrete patio construction in Aliso Viejo means forming, pouring and finishing a flat slab of concrete in your yard. Done right, it gives you a level place to eat, sit and grill that drains away from the house, and most of what makes it last is hidden underneath, in a dug-out, packed base that keeps it from settling.
Maybe you've got bare dirt off the back slider, or an old slab that's cracked, tipped and holding water, and you want to know what a new one involves before anybody hands you a contract. The price mostly moves with the size of the patio, whether there's an old slab to tear out and haul off, how much digging and base work your ground needs, how easy the backyard is to reach and the finish you pick, from a plain broom finish, the light brushed texture that keeps it from getting slick, up to stamped concrete. The schedule turns on the weather and on the curing wait after the pour, and your written estimate puts your own numbers on all of it. If the budget's tight, I'll tell you straight to save on the finish and not the base, because you can dress up a slab later, but you can't fix what's under it without tearing it out.
How do you know your patio needs replacing?
Cracks that keep growing
A crack that gets a little wider every summer usually means the ground under the slab moved, or nobody cut joints to tell it where to crack. Water gets in every time you hose it off and the edges start breaking away, so a problem that started small ends up as a full tear-out.
One side sinking or tipping
When a corner sits lower than the rest, the base under it was usually raked flat instead of dug out and packed, and it's settling with the dirt. That lip turns into a trip spot for kids and grandparents, and the low side keeps dropping as more water collects there.
Water running toward the house
Puddles that sit against your wall or run toward the slider mean the slab falls the wrong way. The longer you wait, the longer water soaks the ground right next to your foundation, which is the last place you want it.
How we handle concrete patio construction
If there's an old slab, we break it out and haul it, then dig past the loose dirt down to firm subgrade, the ground the slab actually sits on, and pack a base in layers so it holds up instead of settling with the dirt the way a raked-flat base does. I check where the water runs and set the forms so the slab falls away from your house, and where steel makes sense we lay rebar, the steel rods that hold the slab together if it does crack. On hot days we plan the pour around the heat, finish the top, cut control joints, shallow grooves that give the slab a straight line to crack along instead of wherever it wants, and then keep it covered and damp while it cures, the slow hardening that makes concrete strong. The base takes us longer than any other part of the job, and that's on purpose.
A patio rarely stands alone. If you want it to look like flagstone or tile, our stamped concrete services press a pattern and color into the slab, and it starts with the same base work. If you'll be walking out to it from the driveway or a side gate, concrete sidewalk building can happen alongside the patio so the two match.
Get a free written estimate for your new patio
Send the patio's rough size and whether there's an old slab to tear out. We get back to you within one business day to set a time for me to come measure, 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
What happens after you call about a patio in Aliso Viejo?
Here's how it goes from your first call to the day I hand the finished patio back to you.
Call and talk to me
When you call (949) 619-8302, you get me, and we set a time for me to come see the yard. It helps to have a rough size in mind and to know whether an old slab is coming out.
I measure and look around
I measure, check where the water runs and ask how you'll use the space, whether that's a table, a grill or a hot tub. You get a written estimate that spells out tear-out, hauling and the finish, so you can compare it line by line with other bids.
We build and cure it
We prep the base, set the forms, pour and keep the slab damp while it cures. The city allows construction from 7am to 8pm on weekdays and 8am to 8pm on Saturdays, with no work on Sundays or federal holidays, so our pour days land inside those hours.
Walk the finished patio together
Before we pack up, I walk the finished patio with you so you can point out anything that bugs you. I'll also go over how long to keep furniture and the grill off it while it keeps curing.
Why Aliso Viejo homeowners call All Star Aliso Viejo Concrete for patios
The owner writes every estimate
I come out to look at every job and write the estimate myself, then I'm on site working alongside our crew. The person who told you how the base would be built is the one standing there when it gets built.
Started on my dad's crew
I grew up pouring concrete with my dad and spent years on his crew before starting this business in Aliso Viejo in 2023, so we're three years in on our own. He taught me the work nobody sees matters most, which is why your base gets more of our time than the finish.
Licensed and fully insured
We're licensed and fully insured on every patio we build. That way you're not taking a chance on whoever happens to own a mixer.
Old concrete hauled out properly
The city directs construction and demolition waste to its hauler, CR&R, so when an old patio comes out, we plan the hauling around that. My dad taught me to leave a site cleaner than we found it, and I still do.
On a patio, the part you can't see after the pour decides how it holds up, so reach us on our contact page and I'll show you in your own yard how we'd build yours.
Concrete patios, walks and base work in Aliso Viejo
One Orange County cost guide says much of the county sits on expansive clay, ground that swells when it's wet and shrinks as it dries, and that it needs over-excavation and engineered fill to keep it from cracking a slab from below. That's why I look hard at the dirt in your yard before I write anything down, and if it's clay, I'll tell you what the extra digging would add and why I think it's worth it. We keep an eye out for the same kind of ground on jobs in Laguna Niguel and Mission Viejo.
Most backyards here sit behind homes with a narrow side yard, so tear-out and the pour often go through a gate, and I plan how the concrete gets back there, by wheelbarrow or pump, before pour day. We're based in Aliso Viejo and work across the cities around it in Orange County, so that's the kind of yard we're used to planning for.
Questions about concrete patios in Aliso Viejo
How much does a concrete patio cost in Aliso Viejo?
A professionally installed concrete patio in Orange County usually costs about $20 to $35 per square foot. Reinforced concrete runs a little more per square foot than plain, so ask whether each bid includes it, because that way you're comparing the same job. Whatever the size, we back it the same way, satisfaction guaranteed on every job.
How long does a new concrete patio take to cure before I can use it?
You should be able to walk on a new patio within 48 hours, but concrete takes a month to fully cure. To be safe, plan on a week before heavier loads like a loaded grill, big planters or a hot tub go on it, and set the backyard party date around that.
Will a concrete patio poured in summer hold up?
Yes, concrete poured in hot weather generally lasts about as well as concrete poured in mild weather, as long as its strength is good and curing keeps the surface from drying out. Hot weather guidance says to pour and finish outside the hottest part of the day when possible and to keep curing for at least 3 days after finishing, with wet burlap and plastic, a curing compound or water. On a warm day, ask a bidder what time they plan to pour and how they finish, since the same guidance warns against sprinkling water on the slab to make finishing easier.
Who can legally build a concrete patio in California?
In California, a patio job beyond $1,000 calls for a licensed contractor. The state's small-job exemption only goes up to $1,000, and only for work that needs no permit, done by someone who has no employees on the project.
What causes a new concrete patio to crack?
Poor base preparation is one of the main causes, because a weak base can let the slab settle, end up thicker in some spots than others and drain badly, and all of that can lead to cracks. Joints cut late or skipped are the other usual culprit, since concrete shrinks as it dries and cracks wherever it's weakest if nobody picked the spot for it.
How do I choose a concrete contractor for my patio in Aliso Viejo?
Ask each bidder exactly how they'll prepare the base, because that work affects whether the slab settles or cracks. A good answer talks about digging out and packing the ground, not just raking it level, and a written bid should show what's included so you can line the quotes up side by side.
Other concrete work that pairs with a patio
Stamped concrete services
If a gray slab feels too plain, a stamped pattern can give your new patio the look of stone, brick or tile.
Concrete sidewalk building
A patio you reach by crossing wet grass or a dirt side yard gets less use, so a poured walk from the gate or driveway ties it in.
Service areas for concrete patios in Orange County
All Star Aliso Viejo Concrete is based in Aliso Viejo, CA, and builds patios across the cities around it in Orange County. The 12 cities listed here, including Laguna Hills and San Juan Capistrano, each have their own page, and they aren't the only places we work.
Get your patio measured and priced
Getting on the schedule early gives us more room to pick a pour day that works around the heat and your own plans for the yard.
Aliso Viejo, CA