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

Concrete Contractor in Sierra Madre, CA - Slabs Set Right on Sloped Lots

Meridian Temple City Concrete is a concrete contractor based in Temple City, CA, pouring driveways, patios, walks, steps, walls and footings for homeowners in Sierra Madre, with the layout and grades set before the truck arrives.

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

Concrete work on Sierra Madre's climbing streets and yards

Sierra Madre is a small city at the foot of the mountains, with Sierra Madre Canyon running up behind it, right next to Arcadia and a short drive from us in Temple City. We work here the same way we do in San Marino and the other cities around us.

What sets the work apart here is the ground. Streets and yards climb toward the hills, so plenty of driveways, walks and patios sit on a grade instead of flat dirt, and a lot of houses sit above or below the street with steps between. On ground like that, rain runs somewhere every time, and a slab set even slightly the wrong way sends it toward the house. That's why, on a job here, we work out the layout, the base and the drainage before we talk about the finish.

The concrete work we do for Sierra Madre homes

We do the full range of concrete work in Sierra Madre, from flatwork, the driveways, patios, walks and slabs that lie on the ground, to footings, walls, foundations and cutting. Every job starts the same way. I come out, measure, look at where the ground falls and where the water goes, and we plan the base and the layout before anything gets ordered, because a slab poured on a bad layout usually has to come out. Pick a service below to read more about it.

  • Concrete driveway building

    A driveway on sloping ground settles and cracks when the dirt under it was only raked flat. We dig out, pack the subgrade, the ground the slab sits on, and set the pour to drain toward the street.

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  • Concrete patio construction

    A backyard patio on a slope can send rain straight at the house. We pitch it away from the walls before pouring and give it a broom finish, a light texture for grip.

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  • Stamped concrete services

    Stamped concrete suits patios and walks where you want the look of stone without loose pavers shifting on a slope. We pour, color and stamp it in one go, then seal the surface.

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  • Concrete sidewalk building

    Front walks on hilly lots can lift at the seams or step unevenly toward the street. We pour them on a packed base with control joints, cut grooves that tell cracks where to go.

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  • Garage floor concrete

    An old garage floor that's cracked, stained or holding water usually needs to come out. We break it up, check the base and pour a new floor that drains toward the door.

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  • Decorative concrete

    Decorative concrete fits a front yard where plain gray would clash with the house. We settle color, texture and borders with you before the pour, because none of it changes after.

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  • Concrete retaining walls

    Yards that step up the slope need walls that hold the soil and drain behind it. We build on a footing with drainage behind, and a tall wall goes to an engineer first.

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  • Concrete floor installation

    A room addition or workshop on an uneven lot needs a floor that's flat and dry. We lay a vapor barrier when the job calls for it, then pour and trowel the surface smooth.

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  • Concrete pool decks

    A pool deck has to shed splash and rain away from both the pool and the house. We set that slope before pouring and finish the top with grip for bare feet.

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  • Concrete steps construction

    Houses set above the street need front steps, and old ones crack, settle or end up with uneven heights. We form new steps with even heights and rebar, steel that holds them together.

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  • Slab foundation building

    A new garage, studio or addition on uneven ground needs a slab on cut and packed soil. We pour to the engineer's plans and check the grades before the truck comes.

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  • Foundation installation

    An addition or rebuild on a sloped lot needs a foundation that ties into what's already there. We dig, set the forms and steel, and pour to the approved plans.

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  • Concrete parking lot building

    A small business lot or shared drive takes more weight and turning than a home driveway. We build up the base and slab for it and plan where the water runs off.

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  • Concrete footings

    Patio covers, fences and garden walls on a slope stand on footings, the buried concrete under the load. We dig them to the depth the plans call for and set them square.

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  • Foundation raising

    When part of a house or slab has dropped, doors stick and floors crack. We find out why it settled before lifting anything, and the structural side goes to an engineer.

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  • Concrete cutting

    Widening a sloped driveway, adding a drain or removing a cracked section starts with a clean cut. We saw straight so the new pour meets the old slab neatly.

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Driveways, patios, steps and walls, in pictures

These photos show the kinds of concrete work a Sierra Madre house usually needs, from driveways and patios to steps and garden walls. They show the trade, not particular jobs of ours.

  • Stone-pattern concrete pool deck beside a rectangular pool, with raised rock landscaping and colorful flower beds.

  • Large concrete patio slabs form a geometric grid with narrow strips of grass between them.

  • Concrete pool deck beneath a black screened enclosure, with landscaping and a blue swimming pool.

What to know before concrete work starts in Sierra Madre

Sierra Madre has its own permit office and its own business license rule for contractors from other cities. Here's how those shape your schedule, what you can check, and what moves the price.

Permits come from the city's Building and Safety office

In Sierra Madre, permits come from the city's Building and Safety Division, which covers work that alters a structure, and it issues them only to a state-licensed contractor or to you as the owner. Its list names jobs like property line walls and fences rather than driveways or patios, so whether your job needs one is the city's call.

That puts the permit question at the front of the schedule, since a city review can push back the start, and we ask the city before we book your pour. When you're comparing contractors, you can check two things: a California contractor's license, and a current Sierra Madre business license, which the city requires before a contractor applies for any permit here.

  • We help you find the right city or county office for your address.
  • We help put together what that office asks for.
  • Ask any contractor for their state license before you sign anything.

What moves the price and the schedule

Price follows the ground more than the finish. Tearing out an old slab, digging out soft dirt, building up a sloped spot, adding steel and getting a truck up a steep or narrow drive all add cost. Size, thickness and a stamped or colored finish matter too. My written estimate lists what the price includes, so you can compare it fairly with other bids.

Once the permit question is settled, the schedule turns mostly on the weather and on curing, the wait after the pour while the concrete gains strength. You can walk on flatwork before you can drive on it, and we give you both waits before we start so you can plan around them. On hot days we pour early, because concrete that sets in midday heat can end up with a weak, dusty top.

  • Rebar and a thicker slab cost more but carry heavier loads.
  • A narrow side yard can mean a pump instead of a chute.
  • Stamping and color take more crew time than a plain broom finish.

Get a free on-site concrete estimate in Sierra Madre

Send the form or call (323) 471-6288, and we'll reply within one business day by phone or email. I come out to your Sierra Madre property myself, measure, take photos and write up what the price includes. The estimate is free, with no obligation.

(323) 471-6288

What Sierra Madre lots and driveways mean for concrete

Most of what shapes a concrete job here is the ground under it and where the water goes. These are the conditions we plan around on houses in Sierra Madre and the cities next to it.

  • Ground that slopes toward the house

    On a lot that falls toward the house, a new slab can send every rain straight at the foundation and leave pooling water by the walls. We check where the water runs before we form anything and set the slab to carry it away, toward a drain or the street.

  • Runoff on lots near the canyon

    The city library's history records floods and mudslides that tore through Sierra Madre Canyon in 1954. That's old history, but it's a good reason to plan where runoff goes on lots near the hills, and we work out drains, slopes and edges before the pour.

  • Old driveways that sank

    A driveway that dipped or cracked across the middle was usually poured on dirt that was raked level instead of dug out and packed. When we replace one, we dig down to firm ground and compact the base, because the new slab will settle with whatever is under it.

  • Roots under walks and drives

    Big trees near a walk or driveway can lift a slab as their roots grow, and the crack tends to follow the root. We look at what's growing nearby before we lay out a new slab, and we'll tell you plainly when the tree is the real problem.

  • New concrete meeting old

    Plenty of jobs meet concrete that's already there, like an old garage apron, a side walk or the sidewalk out front. We saw a clean edge where the new pour meets the old, so the two sit at the same height and water doesn't collect at the seam.

What you can expect when we pour your concrete

I've run this business out of Temple City since 2017, and I learned the trade from finishers who checked everything twice. Here's how that shows up on a job, from layout to cleanup.

We spend the budget on the base first

The base is the part nobody sees on day one, so it's the first thing people want to cut. I'd rather cut the fancy finish. A slab only stays flat if the subgrade under it is dug out to firm soil and packed hard, and a nice surface on soft dirt still sinks and cracks right along with it.

I'll also tell you straight that a few fine cracks in new concrete are normal, because concrete shrinks as it cures. We cut the control joints on time, before the slab picks its own lines, and keep steel and a packed base under it so the cracks that do show stay tight.

  • I come out to every estimate

    You won't get a salesperson at your door. I come out myself, measure the area, take photos and look at where the water goes, then write up what the price includes so you can see exactly what you're paying for.

  • Our own crew, and I run the pours

    The people who dig, form and finish your job are our own small crew, not a different outfit each week. I'm there for the pour, because that's when timing, finish and joints get decided, and none of it can be redone later.

  • Straight answers about engineers and the city

    If a question belongs to an engineer or the city, I'll say so instead of guessing. That covers taller retaining walls, foundation work and anything structural, where the right answer matters to your house more than a quick one.

  • Licensed, insured and open early

    We're fully licensed and insured, and we're open from 6 AM on weekdays and 7 AM on weekends. Your satisfaction, guaranteed. To get your Sierra Madre job on the schedule, call (323) 471-6288 or send the form on this page.

Questions Sierra Madre homeowners ask about concrete work

These are the questions that come up about permits, licenses and cost when you're planning concrete work in Sierra Madre. If yours isn't here, ask at the estimate and I'll give you a straight answer.

How do I get a permit for concrete work in Sierra Madre?

The application goes to the city, and a contractor applying has to include photo ID, their state license and classification pocket card, and a Sierra Madre business license. A workers' compensation insurance certificate is also needed if the contractor is required to carry it. We help put that package together for your job.

Does Sierra Madre have one permit that covers a whole project?

No, the city doesn't offer an all-in-one permit, so each trade on a project needs its own. If a new patio also needs a drain line, a sewer repair or new wiring, that plumbing, sewer or electrical work is a separate permit from anything the concrete needs.

Does a concrete wall on my property line in Sierra Madre need a permit?

Yes, the city names property line walls and fences among the work that needs a Building and Safety permit. The city's applications page also lists separate grading and drainage, and encroachment and excavation permits, so we ask what applies to your wall before we plan the footing.

Does a contractor from outside Sierra Madre need a city business license?

Yes. A business based outside the city needs a Sierra Madre business license to work within city limits, and a contractor has to hold one before applying for any construction permit there. Licenses run July 1 through June 30, so it's fair to ask whether a contractor's is current for this year.

When does a concrete contractor need a California state license?

A contractor needs a California license when the project needs a building permit, uses hired workers, or costs $1,000 or more in labor and materials together. The small-job exemption only applies when all of these hold: no permit, no employees, no advertising as a licensed contractor, and a cost under $1,000.

How much does a concrete driveway cost in Sierra Madre?

A driveway here is priced by its size, the tear-out and base work it needs, and the finish you choose, so the only reliable number is one from a visit. The choices that raise it most are hauling away old concrete, a thicker slab with more steel, and a stamped or colored finish. If the budget is tight, I'd put the money into the base and go with a plain broom finish.

Service areas

We're based in Temple City and work across the cities around it, including the ones listed below. If your city isn't on the list, call (323) 471-6288 or send the form and ask.

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