Concrete Contractor in Downey, CA - Driveways and Patios That Drain Right
Allied South Gate Concrete Company is a South Gate concrete contractor, and we pour driveways, patios, walks, slabs and footings for homeowners, landlords and small businesses in Downey, built to sit flat and drain away from the house.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- We respond within 1 business day.
Downey's single-family streets and the concrete on them
Downey is a city of single-family streets with apartment and condo buildings mixed in, so our calls here run from a homeowner's cracked driveway to a landlord's walks and parking slabs. It sits between South Gate, where we're based, and Norwalk, and most of what we pour in all three is flatwork, the driveways, patios and walks that lie flat on the ground.
Plenty of houses here have a driveway running down the side to a garage out back, with the house on one side and a fence on the other. That limits where the truck and the forms can go, so we plan the pour around the lot before anyone mixes a yard of concrete.
Concrete work we pour for Downey homes and buildings
Concrete driveway building
When a driveway is cracked or sunk where it meets the street, we break it out and pour new, with rebar, steel bars that keep cracks tight.
Concrete patio construction
Backyard patios here often tip toward the house and hold water. We pour new ones that slope away from your walls and fit the yard you have.
Stamped concrete services
If you want a patio or front walk that looks like stone or brick, stamped concrete gives you the pattern in one pour, on the same packed base.
Concrete sidewalk building
Front walks and side paths get lifted by roots and worn by foot traffic. We replace them flat, with a broom finish, a brushed texture that grips.
Garage floor concrete
Older garage floors here are often cracked, stained and uneven. We break out the old slab and pour a new one that sits even and drains toward the door.
Decorative concrete
Colored concrete, a scored pattern or a contrasting border can dress up a front entry or patio when plain gray looks a little too plain.
Concrete retaining walls
Where a yard steps down or a slope pushes against a driveway or patio, a retaining wall holds the soil back so it stops creeping onto the concrete.
Concrete floor installation
For a workshop, a converted garage or a ground-floor room at a rental, we pour interior floors flat and even, so tile or vinyl goes down clean.
Concrete pool decks
Pool decks take bare feet, splashing and summer sun, so we pour them sloped away from the pool and house with a finish that isn't slick when wet.
Concrete steps construction
Front steps at houses and apartment entries crack and settle. We rebuild them with every step the same height, so nobody trips on the odd one.
Slab foundation building
For an addition, backyard unit or detached garage, we pour the slab foundation on a dug-out, packed base so the building sits level.
Foundation installation
When a landlord or small business owner is adding onto a building, we form and pour the foundation to the approved plans and the inspector's checks.
Concrete parking lot building
Apartment buildings and small businesses here need parking that drains and holds up under daily cars. We pour lots and parking slabs with the slope planned first.
Concrete footings
Footings are the concrete under posts, walls and patio covers. We dig and pour them to the depth the job needs, so nothing on top leans later.
Foundation raising
When part of an older house or slab has settled and doors stick or floors slope, we raise it back toward level after finding what let it sink.
Concrete cutting
We saw-cut openings for plumbing, cut out a damaged section of driveway, or cut a clean line so new concrete meets old without a ragged edge.
Get a written estimate for your Downey concrete job
We reply within one business day to set up a visit. I come out myself, and the estimate is free, done on site and written down for you, with no obligation to go ahead.
Call (213) 329-1420- Based in
- South Gate, CA 90280
- Hours
- Mon–Sun: 7 AM–10 PM
Working in Downey: permits, licenses and what sets the price
In Downey, permits come from the city's Building and Safety Division, which also checks plans and sends the inspectors. The city's own wording is that generally any new construction, alteration or repair needs a permit, and hardscapes like driveways, patios and walks are on that list, so on most jobs the permit and its inspections set part of the schedule. The city also won't issue a permit to a contractor without a current City of Downey business license, and that goes for outfits based outside the city like us, so it's a fair thing to ask anyone you're thinking of hiring. We're fully licensed and insured, and when your job needs a permit, we pull it, set up the inspections and deal with the city for you. If your job is an odd one, the division is the place to ask.
Price mostly follows the size of the slab, how much old concrete comes out, how much base work the ground needs and the finish you pick. The schedule turns on the permit, the weather and curing, the wait while new concrete gains strength, and you can walk on a slab well before you can drive on it. Your written estimate gives you the figure for your job. We do the same work in East Los Angeles and the other cities around South Gate, where that city's office or the county covers the address.
Why Downey concrete settles, cracks and holds water
A lot of the driveways and walks we look at here have been down a long time, and the trouble is usually underneath. The subgrade, the dirt the slab sits on, was raked level instead of dug out and packed, so the slab settled with it and cracked or tipped back toward the house, and now water pools against your wall every time it rains or the sprinklers run. We dig to firm ground, pack the base and set the slope to carry water away. If the budget's tight, that's where I'd spend it before a fancier surface, because once the concrete is down, nobody gets a second look at what's under it.
Summer heat is the other one. Concrete poured in the middle of a hot afternoon dries too fast on top and leaves a weak, dusty surface that chips later, so we pour early in the day.
How a concrete job in Downey goes, start to finish
Here's how it runs from your first call to the final walk-through, and who you'll be dealing with at each step.
Call us or send the form
You call (213) 329-1420 or send the form, and we set a time for me to come look at the job. It helps if you're home for the visit so we can talk through what you want.
I measure and write it up
I measure and look at the ground, where the water runs and anything in the way, like roots or a gas line. Then you get a written estimate, so you know the number before anyone picks up a shovel.
We permit, prep and pour
If the job needs a permit, we pull it and schedule the work around the city's inspections. Our crew digs out, packs the base, forms and finishes, and I'm usually there on pour day.
Walk the finished job together
Before we pack up, I walk the finished job with you and tell you when it's ready to walk on and when you can drive on it. Your satisfaction, guaranteed.
Questions about concrete work in Downey
Call (213) 329-1420How do I get a permit for a new driveway in Downey?
The simplest way is to let your contractor pull it, and when your job needs one, we do that and set up the inspections. The city issues permits at the Building counter in Downey City Hall and now takes applications and plans online through its permit portal too.
Can I pull my own concrete permit as a homeowner in Downey?
Yes, if you live in the single-family house the work is on, because the city issues permits to California licensed contractors or to owner-builders living in the home. For apartments, duplexes, condos and commercial property, it issues them only to licensed contractors. A permit also goes invalid if work doesn't start within 12 months or sits abandoned for 180 days, and the city's building permit information lays out who can apply.
Do I need a permit for a low block wall in Downey?
Not a building permit if the wall is 42 inches tall or less, but the city still wants approval from Planning and possibly Engineering. A taller block wall needs a building permit on top of that approval, and I'll tell you which applies when I measure it.
How much does a concrete driveway or patio cost in Downey?
Size and thickness set most of the price, then how much old concrete we break out and haul off, how much digging and packing the ground needs, and the finish, since stamped or colored work costs more than a broom finish. Access counts too, because a driveway a truck can back up to goes faster than a backyard patio we reach by wheelbarrow. The written estimate after my visit gives you the number for your job.
What causes concrete driveways in Downey to crack?
Concrete shrinks as it cures, so some cracking is normal, and the bad cracks usually come from a base that settled or from control joints that were cut late or skipped. Control joints are grooves cut into the slab so it cracks along a straight line we picked instead of wherever it likes. We pack the base, cut the joints on time and add rebar, so a crack in your new slab shows up where we planned and stays tight.
What building code does Downey use for concrete work?
Downey uses the current California Building Code along with its own local amendments, the city's changes to the state code. When your job needs a permit, the work gets inspected against that code, so we build to it rather than to habit.
South Gate, CA
Tell us about your Downey concrete job
We pick up from 7 AM to 10 PM every day, so call (213) 329-1420 or send the form whenever you've got a minute to describe the job.