Slab foundation building in Aliso Viejo CA - built for the soil under your home
Got plans for a new house or addition and need the concrete underneath done right? We pour slab foundations built to your engineer's design.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- Replies within 1 business day.
What goes into building a slab foundation in Aliso Viejo?
Slab foundation building in Aliso Viejo means forming, pouring and finishing the concrete base your house sits on, built from your engineer's plans so it holds up on the ground underneath it.
Most folks who call me have plans for a new house, an addition or an ADU, and they want to know what the concrete part involves before they sign anything. The price moves with the size of the slab, the design your engineer picks for your soil, how much dirt has to come out and how easy it is to get a truck to the lot, and the schedule turns on the plans being finished, the inspections and the cure. You'll get your own figure in the written estimate after I've seen the site. If your project only needs concrete footings for a wall or a deck, that's a smaller job we do too.
How do you know it's time for a new slab foundation?
Plans that show a slab
Your architect or engineer has handed you drawings for a new house, an addition or an ADU with the floor sitting right on the ground. That makes the concrete the first big trade on site, and booking it late can leave your framers standing around waiting.
Cracks you can fit a coin in
An old slab under a garage or an addition has wide cracks, and the two sides no longer sit at the same height. That usually means the ground moved or the base was never packed, and the longer it goes, the more the floors, walls and doors above it follow along.
Floors that slope or dip
A marble rolls to one corner, or the tile over the slab has cracked in a straight line. Sometimes foundation raising can bring it back, but when the slab itself has broken up, a new one is usually the honest answer, and I'll tell you which I think it is before the damage spreads to what's built on top.
How we handle slab foundation building
We build slab foundations from the engineer's stamped plans, and I keep the plans, the inspections and the pour lined up so nothing gets poured before it's been checked. First we lay out the slab, dig out the subgrade, which is the soil the slab sits on, down to firm ground and pack it, because a base that's just raked level settles right along with the dirt. Then we dig the footings, set the forms, place the steel the plans call for, either rebar or cables that hold the concrete together when the ground pushes on it, and lay the moisture barrier. I'll go over that barrier with you, since it's what protects the floors that go on the slab. We pour early in the day so the heat doesn't leave a weak, dusty top, finish it flat for the framers and let it cure, the wait while the concrete gains strength, keeping it damp so it doesn't dry out too fast. The base is the part nobody sees once the walls go up, so it's the first thing people want to cut from the budget, and it's the one place I won't skimp, because a nice surface can't save a slab that's settling.
Some houses need more than a slab. If your plans call for stem walls, a raised floor or another kind of base, that's our foundation installation work, and if the project includes paved parking for a small building or a shared lot, we handle concrete parking lot building as well.
Get a free on-site estimate for your slab foundation
Once you send the form, we get back to you within one business day to set a time for me to visit the lot. The estimate is free and done on site, with 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 slab foundation?
Here's how a slab foundation runs with us, from the first call to the final walk-through, so you know who you'll talk to and what you'll get.
Call and talk with me
When you call (949) 619-8302, you talk to me, not a call center. We pick a time for me to come out to the lot.
I measure and look around
I measure, look over the site and ask how you plan to use the house. You get a written estimate that spells out what's included, like tear-out, hauling and the finish, so you can compare it with other bids.
We form, inspect and pour
We set the forms and steel, have the city inspect before the pour, then pour and cure the concrete. The city books inspections scheduled before 4pm for the next business day unless it says otherwise, and it allows construction 7am to 8pm weekdays and 8am to 8pm Saturdays, with none on Sundays or federal holidays.
Walk the finished slab together
Before we pack up, I walk the finished job with you. That way you see what your house will sit on and can ask about anything while we're still there.
Why homeowners hire us for slab foundations in Aliso Viejo
The owner on every slab
I come out to every job, write the estimate myself and then work on site alongside our crew. The person who answered your questions is the one watching your pour.
Taught on my dad's crew
I grew up pouring concrete with my dad and worked his crew for years before I started this business in Aliso Viejo in 2023. He taught me the work nobody sees matters most, and on a foundation that's the base and the cure.
Ask every bidder about licensing
We're licensed and fully insured. The state contractor licensing board has a concrete contractor class for people who form, pour, place and finish concrete, so it's fair to ask anyone bidding your foundation which licence they hold.
Cleaner than we found it
Satisfaction guaranteed on every job. My dad taught me to leave a site cleaner than we found it, and I still do, so your framers walk onto a clean slab.
If you're holding plans or still weighing a slab design, send me the details or call (949) 619-8302 and I'll come out to the lot.
Slab foundations and footings on Aliso Viejo ground
The city says expansive soil, the kind that swells when it's wet and shrinks as it dries, is common in Aliso Viejo, and its residential checklist calls for footings set to a minimum depth below undisturbed soil, the ground nobody has dug or filled. The city also says high sulfate levels are common here, and sulfates eat at concrete, so any concrete touching the soil has to meet a set minimum strength. On top of that, the checklist calls for a moisture barrier with a layer of sand above and below it. We dig the footings to the depth on your plans, order the mix they call for and lay the barrier and both sand layers before anything gets poured.
We're based in Aliso Viejo and work across the cities around it in Orange County. Many of the building sites we see have been graded and filled at some point, so we dig through loose fill to firm ground before the forms go in, the same way we do on jobs in Laguna Niguel and Mission Viejo.
Questions about slab foundations in Aliso Viejo
How much does a concrete slab foundation cost in Orange County?
A reinforced concrete slab in Orange County usually costs about $8 to $14 per square foot, and that's the going rate around here, not a quote from us. Where your job lands depends on the slab size, the design your engineer calls for and how much digging the lot needs. I'll put your number in writing after I've walked the site.
Which slab foundation is best for expansive soil in Aliso Viejo?
The Post-Tensioning Institute, a trade group, says a post-tensioned slab is a cost-efficient choice on shrink-swell soil, because the squeeze built into it resists the ground moving, and it says those slabs perform better than a plain one. On ground that moves less, the group says builders use a slab of even thickness, where any extra concrete is offset by lower labor and equipment costs. Your engineer makes the call for your lot, and I'm happy to walk you through what they picked and why.
Who has to design my house foundation in Aliso Viejo?
In Aliso Viejo, a licensed architect or engineer has to design any part that changes or affects an engineered building, and that includes structural and seismic parts like the foundation. Plan for that design step and its cost before construction starts, since the plans set the slab type, the steel and the footing depths we build to.
How do I keep moisture from coming up through a slab and ruining my floors?
The best protection is a moisture barrier under the slab, laid with the sand layers the city calls for, as covered above. Concrete industry guidance says water vapor moving up through a slab can make flooring glues and coatings fail, leaving floors loose, warped or stained, creating trip hazards and possibly leading to fungal growth and odors. That's a lot of trouble to save on a layer you'll never see again.
What causes cracks in a new concrete slab foundation?
Most new slabs crack a little as the concrete shrinks while it dries, and ground moving underneath adds to it. The Post-Tensioning Institute says post-tensioning reduces cracking and keeps any cracks that do form tight, which keeps insects out and lets in less water that can damage flooring and cause mold. A packed base and a careful cure help any slab, which is why we don't rush either one.
How long does it take to build a slab foundation in Aliso Viejo?
Most of the time goes into getting the plans finished and the inspections passed rather than into the pour itself, so how far along your design is sets the pace. After the pour, the concrete has to cure before framing goes on top, and I'll lay out the schedule for your job when I write the estimate.
Related services for building from the ground up
Foundation installation
Some lots and plans need footings and walls under a raised floor instead of a slab, and we build those to the engineer's drawings as well.
Concrete parking lot building
A new building often needs somewhere for cars to go, and we pour parking areas with the slope and thickness to carry traffic and shed rain.
Service areas for our slab foundation work
All Star Aliso Viejo Concrete is based in Aliso Viejo, CA, and builds slab foundations across the cities around it in Orange County. That includes Laguna Hills and Irvine, among the 12 cities with their own page here, and they aren't the only places we work.
Get your slab foundation estimate on the books
Have the lot address, the slab size and any engineer's plans ready when you call (949) 619-8302 or send the form, so I can walk the site with your design already in mind.
Aliso Viejo, CA