Concrete Contractor in Downey, CA - Driveways and Patios Built on a Solid Base
Complete Montebello Concrete Company builds and replaces concrete driveways, patios, walks, steps and foundations for homes and properties in Downey, CA. We're based nearby in Montebello, and I come out to look at every job myself.
Concrete work on Downey homes
Downey is mostly single-family houses on flat streets, with apartments and condos mixed in, and our calls here run from a cracked front driveway to a parking area behind a building. It's the same work we do in Pico Rivera next door and up in El Monte.
A lot of the driveways and patios we look at here have been down a long time, and they've cracked, sunk or started holding water by the house. Usually the cause is under the slab, a base that was raked level instead of dug out and packed, so the concrete settled with the dirt. On flatwork, the slabs you walk and drive on, the price moves mostly with the size, how much old concrete comes out and the finish you pick, and the schedule turns on whether the city needs a permit and on curing, the wait before new concrete can take weight. On flat lots like these, drainage is the part we settle first, because water that can't run off will sit against your house.
What we pour in Downey
Concrete driveway building
Downey driveways we replace have usually cracked or sunk where the base gave out, so we dig out, pack a new base and set the fall toward the street.
Concrete patio construction
Backyard patios here sit on flat ground. We slope each one away from the house, so rain runs into the yard instead of pooling by the back door.
Stamped concrete services
If you want a patio or walk that looks like stone or brick, stamping puts the pattern in the concrete itself, poured over the same packed base as plain work.
Concrete sidewalk building
Front walks on older houses here often heave or chip at the seams. We take out the bad sections and pour new ones that meet what stays.
Garage floor concrete
A garage floor carries a car every day, so we check what's under the old slab and add rebar, steel set inside that holds the concrete together.
Decorative concrete
Color, exposed stone and borders can dress up a plain slab. I'll tell you which finishes hold up on a busy driveway and which suit a patio better.
Concrete retaining walls
Most Downey lots are flat, but a raised planter or a grade change along the property line still needs a wall that starts on a proper footing.
Concrete floor installation
For a new floor in a garage conversion, workshop or building, we prepare the ground underneath and pour to the level the rest of the room needs.
Concrete pool decks
Pool decks stay wet and get walked on barefoot. We give them a finish with grip and cut joints where the deck can move.
Concrete steps construction
When front steps pull away from the porch as the ground settles, we rebuild them with even risers on a footing dug down to firm soil.
Slab foundation building
For an addition or a back house, the slab is the part you can't redo later, so we spend our time on the subgrade, the ground it sits on.
Foundation installation
New houses, additions and larger buildings need a foundation that matches the approved plans, and we form and pour it to those plans and their inspections.
Concrete parking lot building
Apartment and condo parking areas take traffic every day, so we build the base and drainage for that load instead of what a home driveway sees.
Concrete footings
Footings carry walls, posts and patio covers. We dig them to firm soil and size them to the plans so they can carry what sits on top.
Foundation raising
When part of a house has sunk and the floors or doors show it, we look at what's underneath first and tell you plainly whether raising it makes sense.
Concrete cutting
We cut openings, plumbing trenches and clean edges where old concrete meets new, so fixing one section doesn't mean tearing out the whole slab.
Let's talk about your driveway
Call (213) 491-1072 or use the form, and I'll come out and look at your concrete before we talk about the job.
Why Downey homeowners call us
You'll deal with me from the first look to the cleanup, and I'll tell you straight what your slab needs, even when the answer is a smaller job.
The owner at every estimate
I've run my own jobs since 2017, and I come out to look at every Downey job myself.
Base work comes first
If the budget is tight, I'd cut the fancy finish before I'd cut the dig-out and packed base under it.
Drainage set for flat lots
We check where water runs on your lot and set the slab to fall away from your house.
Permits handled with the city
If your job needs a permit, we handle the application and the inspections with the office that covers your address.
Licensed, insured, guaranteed
We're fully licensed and insured, and our work is backed by our satisfaction guarantee.
Questions from Downey homeowners
How do I get a permit for a new driveway or patio in Downey?
Permits are issued at the Building counter in Downey City Hall, and applications and plans can also be filed online through the city's portal. The city's permit rules say that, generally, new construction, alterations and repairs need a permit, and hardscapes, the paved work around a house, are on that list. If your job needs one, we handle the application and the inspections, and for an unusual case the Building and Safety Division is the office to ask.
Can a homeowner pull their own concrete permit in Downey?
Yes, if you live in the single-family house the work is on, the city can issue the permit to you as an owner-builder. For apartments, condos, townhomes, duplexes and commercial property, the city issues permits only to licensed contractors. Either way, a permit becomes invalid if work doesn't start within 12 months or stops for 180 days.
Does a concrete contractor need a Downey business license?
Yes, the city requires a business license for any business working in Downey, including contractors whose offices are outside the city. A contractor pulling a permit has to have a current one, and it can be paid for when the permit is issued. Since we're based in Montebello, that rule covers us too, and it's a fair question to ask any contractor you're comparing.
Do I need a permit for a block wall in Downey?
A block wall or fence 42 inches tall or less doesn't need a building permit, but the city still requires approval from Planning and possibly Engineering. A taller wall needs a permit from the Building Division on top of that approval. If the wall will hold back soil, we'll check with the city before we start, because that rule is written for walls and fences.
How much does a concrete driveway cost in Downey?
Your price comes from the size of the driveway, how much old concrete has to come out and the finish you choose, so I give you a number after I've measured it on site. A broom finish, the light brushed texture that gives tires and shoes grip, costs less than stamping or color. When money is tight, I'd keep the dug-out base and the rebar and save on the finish, because the base decides whether the new driveway settles like the old one.
What causes a concrete driveway to crack, and will a new one crack too?
Most cracking we see starts with a base that settled, water running toward the house, a pour in the midday heat or control joints cut late or skipped. Control joints are shallow cuts that give the slab a planned place to crack, so we cut them on time, dig out and pack the base, and pour early in the day. Concrete can still get hairline cracks, but a slab built that way usually cracks where we chose instead of across the middle.
Don't see your city? Call us
Find your city below if it's listed, or call (213) 491-1072 if it isn't, because we take plenty of jobs in cities this site doesn't list.
Ask for a free estimate in Downey
We're open evenings and weekends, so call (213) 491-1072 after work or fill out the form and tell us about your driveway, patio or slab.