Concrete Contractor in Torrance, CA - Slabs Built on a Base That Holds
Essential Redondo Beach Concrete is a concrete contractor based in Redondo Beach. We pour driveways, patios, walks, steps, footings and foundations for homeowners and property owners in Torrance, and we dig out and pack the ground under each slab first.
Concrete work on Torrance ground
The ground around Torrance can be expansive soil, which swells when it's wet and shrinks as it dries, and the city tightened its foundation rules because of it. Before any driveway or patio, I look at what the slab will sit on, since concrete moves with the ground under it.
The price moves with the size, the base work your ground needs and the finish you pick. The schedule turns on the permit question and on curing, the wait before a slab can take weight. My estimate gives you your own figure. We do the same work in Redondo Beach, Inglewood and Lomita.
Concrete work we do in Torrance
We take on homeowner jobs like driveways, patios and steps. We also do bigger work for property owners, from slab foundations and footings to parking lots and cutting out old concrete.
Concrete driveway building
This is a new driveway for when the old one has cracked, sunk or holds water. We start with a dug-out, packed base so the new slab doesn't follow the dirt down.
View Service Concrete driveway building
Concrete patio construction
If water pools on your patio or runs toward the house, we pour a new slab that slopes slightly away from the walls.
View Service Concrete patio construction
Stamped concrete services
Stamped concrete presses a stone, brick or wood pattern into the fresh slab and adds color. It gives a patio or walk a laid look instead of a poured one.
View Service Stamped concrete services
Concrete sidewalk building
This is for walks that have heaved or chipped into a trip hazard. We replace them in sections with control joints, which are grooves cut to tell cracks where to go.
View Service Concrete sidewalk building
Garage floor concrete
We break out a cracked, pitted or dusty garage slab and repour it on a packed base, so it carries your cars and whatever you store.
View Service Garage floor concrete
Decorative concrete
This covers color, exposed stone, borders and other finishes beyond plain gray for a front walk, entry or patio. We talk through how each one wears before you choose.
View Service Decorative concrete
Concrete retaining walls
When a slope is pushing toward a yard or driveway, a reinforced wall holds it back. We put drainage behind the wall so water doesn't push on it.
View Service Concrete retaining walls
Concrete floor installation
We pour interior slabs for additions, workshops and storage buildings. They're poured flat and either finished smooth or left ready for the flooring that goes on top.
View Service Concrete floor installation
Concrete pool decks
A deck around a pool needs a surface that isn't slick when wet. It also needs a slope that carries splash water away from the pool and the house.
View Service Concrete pool decks
Concrete steps construction
We rebuild front or back steps that have cracked, settled or pulled away from the house. The new steps get even heights and a broom finish, a brushed texture for grip.
View Service Concrete steps construction
Slab foundation building
This is the slab a new house, addition or garage stands on. We set it on prepared ground with rebar, the steel that holds the concrete together if it cracks.
View Service Slab foundation building
Foundation installation
We build foundations for new structures and additions. We form and pour them to the engineer's plans, and we check and prepare the ground before any concrete goes in.
View Service Foundation installation
Concrete parking lot building
This is for property owners whose lot is broken up or holding water. We pour a thicker paving slab, with joints and drainage laid out for the traffic it carries.
View Service Concrete parking lot building
Concrete footings
Footings are the concrete under walls, posts and columns that spreads their weight into the ground. We dig them to the depth and width the job calls for.
View Service Concrete footings
Foundation raising
Settling can leave doors sticking or floors out of level. Raising the settled slab or foundation can bring it back toward level.
View Service Foundation raising
Concrete cutting
We make clean saw cuts through existing concrete for a new doorway or a plumbing trench. We can also remove one damaged section without breaking up the rest of the slab.
View Service Concrete cutting
Tell us about your Torrance job
Tell us what's going on with the slab. We reply within one business day to set a visit, and the estimate at your property is free, with no obligation.
(424) 275-6479Why Torrance homeowners call us
Most of what decides how long a slab holds up happens before the concrete arrives. Here is how we handle that part and how we keep you informed.
- I write your estimate myself. I come out, look at the ground and the drainage, and write an estimate that lists the prep, the finish and what's included.
- The base comes before the finish. If something has to give, I'd keep the packed base and trim the finish, because a nice finish won't save a bad base.
- Water planned off the slab. We check where rain runs before we form anything, so the slab slopes away from your house and not toward it.
- I'm on the job with the crew. Our crew forms, pours and finishes with me there, so the person who wrote your estimate watches the work it describes.
- Licensed, insured and plain about limits. We're licensed and insured, and our work is backed by our satisfaction guarantee. I'll also tell you honestly what concrete can and can't do.
Where else we work
Essential Redondo Beach Concrete is based in Redondo Beach and works in Gardena, Carson and the cities around them. If your city isn't listed, call (424) 275-6479 and ask.
From first call to walk-through
I explain each step before I ask anything of you. You'll hear what we learn about the permit and the ground before any work starts.
The visit
After you call or send a note, we set a time and I come out myself. I look over the site, where the water runs and what's there now, and I ask how you'll use the driveway or patio.
Estimate
I write up an estimate that shows the prep, the finish and what's included, so you can read it line by line. We also find out which office covers your address and whether your job needs a permit, and we handle the paperwork if it does.
The work
We dig out and pack the base, then form, pour and finish, and we cut the control joints on time. Before we leave, I walk the finished slab with you and explain how long to stay off it while it cures.
Torrance concrete questions
Who issues concrete permits in Torrance, CA?
The city's Building and Safety Division handles permits for construction projects in Torrance. The application needs proof of zoning clearance from the Planning or Environmental Division first. Plans go in electronically, and you can follow the status in the city's online portal. We find out what your job needs and handle the paperwork if it needs a permit.
Do I need a permit for a concrete driveway or patio in Torrance?
The city's draft list of work exempt from a building permit doesn't settle it for concrete. It names small one-story sheds and playhouses, low fences and finish work like painting, tile and counters, but not driveways or patios. The city's proposed changes also narrow what's exempt, so we check with the city about your job before any work starts.
How do I know if a concrete contractor in Torrance needs a state license?
The Contractors State License Board says a contractor needs a license when the project needs a building permit, uses any additional workers, or costs $1,000 or more in labor and materials. A larger job can't be split into smaller contracts to get under that line. We're licensed and insured.
Who needs a business license to work in Torrance?
The City of Torrance requires a business license for anyone with a company in the city or anyone who will physically work there. That covers contractors from out of the city who come in to pour a driveway, and it also covers anyone delivering into Torrance in their own vehicles. It's a fair thing to ask any contractor about before work starts.
How much does a concrete driveway cost in Torrance?
The price comes down to the size of the slab, how much digging and base work your ground needs, the thickness and the finish, so I give you a figure only after I've seen the site. Plain broom-finished concrete costs less than stamped or colored work, and tearing out an old slab adds to the cost.
What causes a new concrete slab to crack?
Most early cracks come from a base that was raked level instead of dug out and packed, from water running under the slab, or from control joints that were cut late or skipped. No one can honestly promise concrete won't crack. We pack the base, slope the water away and cut joints on time, so cracks are far more likely to land in the grooves.
Plan your Torrance concrete work with us
Call (424) 275-6479 or use the form. Tell us what's happening and when you need it, and we'll set a time to come look.