Concrete Contractor in Costa Mesa, CA - Driveways and Patios Built on a Packed Base
M&K Huntington Beach Concrete Company builds driveways, patios, stamped concrete and other flatwork, the slabs you walk and drive on, for Costa Mesa homes, starting with a dug-out, packed base under the slab.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- Replies within 1 business day.
Costa Mesa houses and the concrete around them
I started this business in 2013 as a concrete contractor in Huntington Beach, CA, and Costa Mesa is the next city over, so it's an easy drive for our crew. Most of our work here is for homeowners on established single-family streets. Property managers and builders also call us for the apartment buildings, small shops and commercial lots mixed in among them. We do the same kind of work across the line in Irvine and down in Newport Beach, but the older streets here bring their own kind of job.
A lot of these houses still have the driveway and patio they were built with, so most jobs start with breaking out old concrete. On lots with a narrow side yard or a garage close to the street, getting new concrete in and old concrete out shapes the whole day, and the old slab usually shows us why it failed once we see what it was sitting on.
Concrete work we do around Costa Mesa
Concrete driveway building
When an older Costa Mesa driveway has heaved, sunk at the garage or cracked through, we break it out, dig and pack a new base, and pour again.
View service Concrete driveway buildingConcrete patio construction
Backyards here are often modest, so a patio has to fit the space and drain away from the house instead of toward the slider door.
View service Concrete patio constructionStamped concrete services
Stamped concrete gives a patio or front walk the look of stone or brick, and homeowners here often pick it when they update a plain older yard.
View service Stamped concrete servicesConcrete sidewalk building
Tree roots and settling lift sections of walkway on older lots, and we replace the lifted sections on a packed base so the edges line up again.
View service Concrete sidewalk buildingGarage floor concrete
Older garage floors here are often cracked, stained or sloped the wrong way, and a new slab gives you a solid floor that drains out toward the door.
View service Garage floor concreteDecorative concrete
Color, exposed aggregate or a scored pattern can dress up a plain slab, and it works well on the smaller front yards you see on Costa Mesa streets.
View service Decorative concreteConcrete retaining walls
Where a yard changes level or a slope crowds a patio or driveway, a concrete retaining wall holds the soil in place so the flatwork below stays put.
View service Concrete retaining wallsConcrete floor installation
For a converted garage, a workshop or one of the small commercial spaces here, we pour interior floors that are flat, level and ready for what goes on top.
View service Concrete floor installationConcrete pool decks
Pool decks here see sun, splashing and bare feet for months at a time, so we give them a slip-resistant finish and a slope that carries water off.
View service Concrete pool decksConcrete steps construction
Front steps on older houses often settle and pull away from the porch, and we rebuild them square, with steel inside to hold the pieces together.
View service Concrete steps constructionSlab foundation building
For an addition, a backyard unit or a new build on a Costa Mesa lot, we pour the slab foundation the whole structure sits on.
View service Slab foundation buildingFoundation installation
Builders and owners replacing or adding to older structures here call us for the foundation work, from layout and digging to the pour itself.
View service Foundation installationConcrete parking lot building
Apartment buildings and small businesses along Costa Mesa's commercial streets call us for parking lots poured thick enough for daily cars and delivery trucks.
View service Concrete parking lot buildingConcrete footings
Footings are the buried concrete under walls, posts and patio covers, and we dig and pour them for builders and homeowners adding structures to their lots here.
View service Concrete footingsFoundation raising
When part of a slab or foundation has settled, raising it back toward level can sometimes save a tear-out, and I'll tell you after looking whether it fits.
View service Foundation raisingConcrete cutting
We saw-cut old slabs, trenches and openings for remodels and plumbing repairs, so the concrete you're keeping gets a clean edge instead of a broken one.
View service Concrete cutting
A free written estimate for your Costa Mesa concrete
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day to set up a visit. I come out, walk the job with you and write a free estimate showing what's included and what isn't, with no obligation.
- info@huntingtonbeachconcretecompany.com
- Based in
- Huntington Beach, CA 92648
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 8 AM–10 PM, Sat–Sun: 6 AM–9 PM
Working in Costa Mesa: permits, licenses and pricing
Building permits in Costa Mesa come from the city's Building Safety Division. If I'm not sure whether your concrete job needs one, I call that office before I write your estimate, because the answer can change both the price and the start date. On your side, the thing to check is the contractor. California licenses contractors through the Contractors State License Board, and Costa Mesa's Finance department handles the city's business license accounts, so ask anyone who bids on your job about both. We're licensed and fully insured, and our work is backed by our satisfaction guarantee.
What moves the price here is mostly what's already in the ground and how close the concrete truck can get. Breaking out an old slab adds work. So does a soft subgrade, the soil the slab sits on, that needs extra digging and packing, and so does a backyard we can only reach through a side gate. Size and rebar, the steel bars inside that hold a slab together if it cracks, matter too, and so does the finish, since stamping or color takes more labor than a broom finish, the light texture that gives shoes and tires grip. The schedule turns on the permit if there is one, the weather on pour day and curing, the days a new slab needs to gain strength before you use it. Your written estimate spells out what's included and what isn't.
Older Costa Mesa slabs and why they fail
Many houses here are old enough that the driveway and walks have outlasted the ground they were poured on, and mature street and yard trees push roots underneath, so we see lifted panels, sunken corners at the garage and long cracks across the middle. When we replace them, we take out the old slab, dig down to firm ground and deal with the roots before the new base goes in, because a new slab on the same soft ground ends up like the old one.
Water is the other problem. Patios added over the years often slope back toward the house, so rain sits against the slider or runs into the garage. Before we set forms, I check where the water goes, and we slope the new slab away from the walls.
How a concrete job runs when you call us in Costa Mesa
Here's how a Costa Mesa job runs, from your first call to the day you use the new slab, and who you'll deal with at each step.
Call us or send the form
Call (657) 329-2092 or send the form with your address and what the concrete is for, and we'll get back to you to set a time for me to come out. You don't need plans or measurements yet.
I walk the job with you
I look at the site, ask what the slab has to carry and how you'll use it, and check where the water runs. You get a written estimate that lists what's included and what isn't, so there's nothing in the price you haven't seen.
Permit, prep and the pour
Once you say go, we handle any permit and the prep, digging out, packing the base and setting forms, and I walk you through the plan before the pour. Either I or my lead finisher runs the pour, and our crew finishes the surface and cuts the joints.
We go over curing together
When the pour is done, we go over curing and care with you, including when it's ready for feet and when it's ready for a car. You don't have to be home on pour day, but it helps to be there for that talk.
Questions about concrete work in Costa Mesa
Do I need a licensed contractor for a concrete job in Costa Mesa?
Yes, in most cases, because the state board requires a license when a job needs a building permit, uses employees, or comes to $1,000 or more in labor and materials. The only exception is a job with no permit, no employees, a combined cost under $1,000 and no advertising as a licensed contractor, and a bigger project can't be split into smaller pieces to get under that line. A contractor also has to hold the license before bidding, so ask for it along with the estimate.
How do I apply for a building permit in Costa Mesa?
You apply online through TESSA, the city's permit system, where every piece of the application is entered directly. The city ignores paper forms and sends incomplete applications back, so a complete application is what keeps things moving. When your concrete job needs a permit, we pull it as the licensed contractor and set up the inspections.
Can I get an Insta-Permit for a driveway or patio in Costa Mesa?
Concrete isn't on the city's Insta-Permit list, which covers simple jobs with a limited scope of work like HVAC, re-pipes, water heaters, EV chargers, panel upgrades and re-roofs. Each one comes in a version for licensed contractors and a version for owner-builders. That list doesn't tell you either way whether your driveway or patio needs a regular permit, which is why I check with Building Safety before writing your estimate.
What happens if a contractor does concrete work without a license in California?
A first offense is usually a misdemeanor, which can mean jail time and a fine of up to $500. The state can also add an administrative fine of $200 to $15,000. It's an easy problem to avoid, so ask any concrete contractor for their license before you sign anything.
How much does a concrete driveway cost in Costa Mesa?
Your price comes from four things: the size of the slab, whether an old one has to be broken out and hauled off, how much digging and packing the base needs, and the finish you pick. I put the figure in writing after walking your property. When a budget gets tight, people want to cut the base work because nobody sees it on day one, but I'd rather simplify the finish, since a plain slab can be stained or sealed later and a bad base only gets fixed by tearing the slab out.
What causes concrete driveways in Costa Mesa to crack and sink?
Most of the cracking and sinking I see here starts underneath, with a base that was raked level instead of dug out and packed, so the slab settles along with the dirt. The rest usually comes from control joints, the grooves cut so a slab cracks where we choose, that went in late or not at all, and from tops poured in midday heat that turn weak and dusty. Concrete still cracks a little, but with a packed base, joints cut on time and an early pour, the cracks usually end up in the joints, so ask any contractor what your slab will sit on and when they'll cut the joints.
Other service areas
Huntington Beach, CA
Get your Costa Mesa concrete job priced
Call (657) 329-2092 or use the form before you settle on a finish, because once I've seen your ground we both know what the base needs first.