Meridian Temple City ConcreteMeridian Temple City Concrete(323) 471-6288
Meridian Temple City Concrete
(323) 471-6288Get an estimate

Concrete Contractor in Arcadia, CA - Driveways and Slabs Laid Out Right

Meridian Temple City Concrete is a concrete contractor based in Temple City, CA. We build driveways, patios, walks, slabs and footings for Arcadia homes and small properties, and cut out old concrete when it has to go.

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New concrete driveway and sidewalk between two houses, with a wide gray slab and straight joints.

Arcadia homes and the concrete work they call for

Arcadia borders Temple City, where we're based, so it's a short drive for our crew. Most of the work homes here need is flatwork, which covers driveways, patios, walks and slabs, along with garage floors, steps and the footings under patio covers and walls. The houses range from older homes still on their original concrete to lots being remodeled or rebuilt, and each one asks something different of the concrete.

We do the same work in El Monte and Sierra Madre. On deep Arcadia lots with long driveways and big trees near the paving, the job usually starts with how the truck reaches the pour and where the water should run.

Concrete work we do for Arcadia homes and properties

We handle concrete for homeowners and small property owners in Arcadia, from driveways, patios and walks to footings, foundations and cutting. Every job gets planned around the property itself, so before we price anything we look at where the water should run, what the old concrete sits on and how a truck gets to the pour. Pick a service below to see how we handle each kind of work, start to finish.

  • Concrete driveway building

    Long driveways on older Arcadia lots often settle and crack where the base was only raked level. We break it out, then dig and pack the subgrade, the ground the slab sits on.

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  • Concrete patio construction

    Backyard patios on deep lots often stretch out to reach a garden, a pool or a side gate. We stake the shape with you and set the slope before any forms go in.

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  • Stamped concrete services

    Homeowners who want more than plain gray at the front entry often ask for stamped concrete, a pattern pressed into the wet surface. We hide the joint lines inside the pattern where we can.

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  • Concrete sidewalk building

    Front walks and side paths are often the first concrete on a property to heave and crack. We cut out the high sections and pour new panels that meet the old ones flush.

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  • Garage floor concrete

    Garage floors in older houses tend to be cracked, stained and sloped the wrong way at the door. We break out the old floor, rebuild the base and pour a slab that drains toward the door.

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  • Decorative concrete

    Some owners want color, exposed stone or a smooth finish to go with a remodeled house. We go over samples with you and explain how each one holds up before you choose.

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  • Concrete retaining walls

    Yards that step down or hold back a slope need a wall built to stay upright. We set it on a footing with rebar, the steel that ties the concrete together.

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  • Concrete floor installation

    Converted garages, workshops and additions often need a new interior floor that sits level with the rooms around it. We set the height from the existing floors before we pour.

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  • Concrete pool decks

    Pool decks take bare feet, splashing and pool chemicals every summer, so a slick or chipping surface shows fast. We slope the deck away from the water and finish it for grip.

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  • Concrete steps construction

    Front steps on older houses often have uneven heights that catch a toe or have pulled away from the porch. We form new steps all the same height and tie them back to the house.

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  • Slab foundation building

    Additions, backyard units and new houses on rebuilt lots start with a slab foundation that has to be square and level. We work from the approved plans and check layout twice before the truck comes.

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  • Foundation installation

    Bigger remodels and new structures need foundations built to an engineer's design. We dig, form and set the steel to the plans, then pour once everything's checked.

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  • Concrete parking lot building

    Small apartment buildings and shops need parking areas that carry cars all day and drain off the lot. We grade the lot first, then pour it thick enough for the traffic it gets.

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  • Concrete footings

    Patio covers, block walls and small additions sit on footings, the concrete pads or trenches that carry the load into the ground. We dig them to the plan's size and depth before pouring.

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  • Foundation raising

    Older houses sometimes show sticking doors or sloping floors where part of the foundation has dropped. We look at it with you first and bring in an engineer when the movement calls for one.

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  • Concrete cutting

    Remodels often need a doorway, a trench or a section of old slab cut out cleanly without cracking what stays. We saw-cut straight lines so the patch or new pour meets a clean edge.

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The kinds of concrete work homeowners ask about

These photos show the kinds of concrete work homeowners call us for, from driveways with a broom finish, the swept texture for grip, to stamped patios. They show the trade, not particular jobs of ours.

  • Stamped concrete patio with a light stone-like pattern and dark border beside a gray house and lawn.

  • Stamped concrete patio with a wood-grain pattern, surrounding chairs and a circular stone fire pit.

  • Concrete front steps with black railings lead to the entrance of a white-painted brick row house.

What to settle before a concrete job in Arcadia

Before a concrete job starts in Arcadia, a few things get settled with the city and with you. Here's whose call the permit is, what to ask any contractor for, and what moves your price and start date.

Who decides on permits and who can apply

In Arcadia, the city's Building Services office issues permits for most buildings and structures once the plans are approved. Whether your driveway, patio or slab needs one is their call, not ours, so we ask them before we set a start date. Their answer, and any plan approval that comes with it, sets the schedule more than anything we do.

Under state law, the permit is pulled by a licensed contractor or by you as the owner. A contractor who applies shows a current state contractor's license, an Arcadia business license and a workers' comp certificate, so those are fair things to ask any contractor for before you sign. We help you find the right office and put together what it asks for.

  • Work that reaches past your property line goes through the city's Engineering Division.
  • Front yard paving has to meet the city's zoning code, permit or not.
  • A permit lasts a year, and lapses if work stops over 180 days.

What moves your price and your start date

Your price mostly comes down to the size of the area, how much old concrete we break out and haul away, how much digging and packing the base needs, and the finish you pick. At the estimate I measure, take photos and write up what the price includes, so you can compare it line by line with any other bid.

The start date turns on the permit answer first and the weather second, since we plan pours for the cooler part of the day so the top doesn't end up weak and dusty. After the pour comes curing, the wait while the concrete gains strength, and you'll be off the new driveway or patio for that stretch.

  • Getting the permit answer early keeps the start date from slipping.
  • Roots or buried pipes found while digging can change the plan.
  • Rain in the forecast can push a pour back a day or more.

Get a free on-site estimate for your Arcadia concrete job

We reply within one business day, by phone or email, to set a time at your Arcadia property. I come out myself, measure, take photos and write up what the price includes, and there's no obligation to go ahead. You can also call (323) 471-6288.

(323) 471-6288

What Arcadia properties mean for a concrete job

The lots, trees and older concrete around Arcadia homes shape how a pour gets planned. These are the conditions I look for at the estimate and what each one does to the work.

  • Long driveways take more tear-out

    A long driveway on a deep lot means more old concrete to break out and haul, and a longer reach for the truck. That makes tear-out and hauling a bigger part of the price than on a short driveway.

  • Water that runs toward the house

    Older slabs often sink until rain pools against the wall or sits by the back door. We check where the water goes now and set the new slab to fall away from the house, because water against a foundation causes trouble long after the pour.

  • Mature trees close to the paving

    Big trees beside a driveway or walk lift slabs with their roots and make digging slow. If a tree near the work is one the city protects, the city has a separate application for removing it or working inside its protected zone, so we ask about trees before we plan the dig.

  • New concrete next to old

    Many jobs here join existing concrete, like a walk meeting a new driveway or a patio meeting old steps. New concrete usually won't match the color of old right away, so we tell you that up front and set the heights so nothing turns into a trip edge.

  • Tight side yards to the backyard

    Getting to a backyard patio or pool deck often means one narrow side yard past the house. We plan how the concrete gets back there, by wheelbarrow or pump, and protect what's along the path, because that route sets the pace of the pour.

How we plan and pour concrete in Arcadia

Here's how I run a concrete job, from the first look at your property to the day the forms come off. It's the same way we work in Temple City and the cities around it.

Layout and grades come before the concrete

I learned the trade watching finishers check everything twice before the truck showed up, and I still work that way. We set the forms, measure the layout against what you asked for and check the grades, the slope that sends water off the slab, before any concrete arrives. A bad pour usually means tearing it out, so this is where the job gets won.

When a budget gets tight, the base is the first thing people want to cut, because it's buried by day one and nobody sees it. I'd rather you pick a plainer finish than skimp on digging out and packing the ground under the slab, since a fancy surface on a weak base settles and cracks with the dirt under it.

  • Estimate and pour, same person

    I come to every estimate myself, and I run the pours, so the person who looks at your ground is the one standing there when the truck arrives. If a question belongs to an engineer or the city, I'll tell you so on the spot.

  • Straight talk about fine cracks

    I tell you up front that a few fine cracks in new concrete are normal, since it shrinks as it cures. We keep them tight with a packed base and control joints, the grooves we cut so the slab cracks along a straight line instead of wherever it wants.

  • Our own small crew

    The work is done by our own small crew, the people I work beside, not a crew hired for the day. That keeps the habits I care about, like packing the base and cutting joints on time, part of how your job gets done.

  • Licensed, insured, in business since 2017

    We're fully licensed and insured, and we've been working from Temple City since 2017. Your satisfaction, guaranteed. When you're ready, call (323) 471-6288 or use the form, and we'll set a time to look at your Arcadia property.

Questions Arcadia homeowners ask about concrete work

These are the questions we hear about concrete jobs in Arcadia, from permits to price. If yours isn't here, ask it at the estimate or call us and we'll talk it through.

How do I find out if my concrete driveway needs a permit in Arcadia?

Ask Building Services about your address, because the city's list of work that needs no permit doesn't mention driveways, patios or slabs. That list covers jobs like painting, fences and small sheds, so it doesn't settle concrete work either way.

Does my concrete contractor need an Arcadia business license?

Yes, every business that operates in Arcadia needs a city business license, unless state or federal law exempts it. Contractors who don't have a fixed address in the city carry that license while they work there and show it to police or city staff who ask.

How much can a contractor take as a down payment in California?

A contractor in California can't ask for or take a down payment of more than $1,000 or 10 percent of the contract price, whichever is less. The Contractors State License Board says that limit applies to all home improvement projects.

How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Arcadia?

I can't give a fair number until I've seen the driveway, because its size, the tear-out and the base work set most of the price. Keeping the same layout, an easy reach for the truck and a plain broom finish keep it lower, while a thicker slab for heavy vehicles, extra rebar, curves, steps or stamped and colored work raise it. Send the form and I'll come measure and write it up.

How long does a new concrete driveway take before I can drive on it?

You can usually walk on a new driveway within a few days, but cars wait longer, because concrete keeps gaining strength well after it looks hard. We give you the day for your slab, since heat and weather change the cure, and keeping heavy trucks off the edges early on is the best thing you can do for it.

Service areas

Besides Arcadia, we work in Temple City, El Monte, Pasadena, Sierra Madre and the other cities listed here, along with cities around them. If yours isn't on the list, call (323) 471-6288 or send the form and ask.

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