Concrete Contractor in Burbank, CA - Driveways and Slabs Built on a Solid Base
Custom Simi Valley Concrete is a concrete contractor based in Simi Valley, CA, pouring driveways, patios, steps and foundations in Burbank. We like the jobs that need some figuring, from old slabs that have to come out to yards that slope.
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Burbank houses and yards as our crew sees them
Most of what we pour in Burbank is for homes on ordinary city lots, plus some shops and small commercial sites. A lot of the driveways, patios and walks here have been down a long time, and the calls usually start with a crack across the driveway, a walk lifted by a tree or a patio that's dropped away from the back door.
On the flat streets, much like the ones in nearby San Fernando, the work is mostly about getting old concrete out cleanly in a tight space and finding out what it was sitting on, which is often loose fill that nobody packed. Up toward the foothills the lots slope, so a slab there takes more thought about where the water goes and how the ground under the downhill edge is held.
Concrete work we do for Burbank homes and businesses
When an older Burbank driveway has cracked through or sunk at the garage, we tear it out, dig down to firm ground, pack a new base and pour.
A back patio that's settled toward the house sends water the wrong way, so we rebuild it with a fall that carries water out to the yard.
Stamped concrete gives a Burbank front walk or patio the look of stone or brick, and we still cut joints so any cracks fall where we planned.
Walks lifted by tree roots turn into trip edges, so we cut out the raised panels, deal with what's under them and pour them back level.
Older garage floors here are often cracked, stained and uneven, and we break them out and pour a new slab that drains toward the door.
Colored, exposed-aggregate or patterned finishes suit a Burbank house where plain gray would look out of place, and we match them to the house and yard.
Lots that climb toward the foothills often need a wall to hold the slope, and we build it with drainage behind it so water doesn't pile up against it.
For workshops, studios and back units with a concrete floor, we pour a flat, smooth slab that's ready for its finish or left bare and sealed.
Around a backyard pool, the deck has to meet the pool's edge just right and shed water away from it, and that's the kind of figuring we enjoy.
Front steps on older houses settle and pull away from the porch, so we rebuild them with even risers and a proper footing underneath.
When you're adding a back unit or a room on a Burbank lot, we form and pour the slab it sits on, with the base and steel done right.
New construction and additions on tight city lots need foundations laid out exactly, and we set forms where the framing crew expects them.
For shops, offices and small commercial lots in Burbank, we pour parking areas thick enough for daily traffic and graded so water runs off.
Walls, posts, patio covers and additions on Burbank lots need footings, the concrete under them that carries the weight, and we dig and pour them to the plans.
When part of an older house or slab has dropped, we look at why first, then lift and support it to bring floors and doors back closer to level.
Old slabs often have to be cut, not hammered, so we saw clean lines for new plumbing, a wider driveway or a patio that meets the house.
Get a free on-site concrete estimate in Burbank
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day. I'll come out to look at the job and leave you a free written estimate, with no pressure and no obligation.
(805) 261-5009- Based in
- Simi Valley, CA 93065
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 6 AM–9 PM, Sat–Sun: 8 AM–10 PM
What hiring a concrete crew in Burbank involves
Your job in Burbank sits under the City of Burbank, which runs its own local government, and under the California Contractors State License Board, the state board that licenses anyone who builds or alters a structure in California. The thing you can check on any contractor before they start is that state license, and we're licensed and insured.
What moves the price here is mostly what you can't see yet: how much old concrete comes out, how deep we dig before we hit firm ground, how much rebar goes in to hold the slab together, how close the truck can get and the finish you choose. The schedule turns on the tear-out, the base and curing, and my written estimate puts your own numbers on all of it. Burbank sits toward the far edge of the area we cover from Simi Valley, with Santa Clarita out the other way, so we book the concrete truck and the crew for the same morning rather than leave either one waiting on a residential street.
Why Burbank slabs crack, sink and hold water
Many older slabs here were poured on dirt that was raked level, not dug out and packed, so the ground settled under them and the concrete followed it down. The base, what the slab sits on, is the part you never see again and the first thing a tight budget cuts. I'd rather spend your money there and keep the finish simple, because a nice surface on a soft base cracks just the same. So we dig down to firm ground and pack a new base in layers before any forms go up.
The other cause we see is water. Patios and driveways that settled toward the house send water at the foundation, and on the sloped lots near the foothills it runs toward whatever's lowest, so we check where it goes before we set a form and pitch the new slab away from the house.
How a Burbank concrete job runs, start to finish
Here's what happens from the time you reach out to the day you park on the new slab, and who you'll deal with along the way.
Tell us what you're seeing
Call (805) 261-5009 or send the form with what's going on, plus a few photos if you have them. We'll set up a time for me to come out to the house.
I come out and look
I walk the job myself, check what the old concrete sits on and where your water runs, and ask a lot of questions. You get a written estimate that lists what's included, so you know what you're paying for before you decide.
Our crew preps and pours
Once you say go, a crew lead runs the job day to day, from tear-out and the packed base to forms, rebar and the pour. I stop by at the steps that matter most, especially the base and the forms before the concrete truck shows up.
Joints, curing and cleanup
We cut control joints, shallow cuts that give the slab a straight line to crack along, then clean up and tell you which day it's ready for feet and which day it's ready for your car. That wait is curing, the time concrete needs to gain strength, and cutting it short is how good slabs get chipped and marked up.
Questions about concrete work in Burbank
Does a concrete contractor need a license to work in Burbank?
Yes, when the job needs a building permit, uses any additional workers or costs $1,000 or more in labor and materials, which is the state licensing board's rule for all of California, Burbank included. Ask any contractor you're considering for their license before work starts.
When is a small concrete job in California exempt from needing a licensed contractor?
Only when no building permit is needed, no employees do the work, and labor, materials and every other cost add up to less than $1,000 across one or more contracts. That limit used to be $500, and the board doesn't allow a bigger project to be split into smaller pieces to get under it.
How much does it cost to replace a concrete driveway in Burbank?
The cost of a Burbank driveway comes down to its size, how much old concrete gets broken out and hauled off, how much digging and base the ground needs, the rebar, truck access and the finish, and you get your own figure in a written estimate after I've seen it. A plain broom finish, the light texture that keeps shoes and tires from slipping, costs less than stamped or colored work, and I'd rather you save there than on the base.
How long will I be without my driveway when it's replaced?
You're off it from the tear-out until the concrete has cured enough to take a car, and you can walk on it well before you can drive on it. The days depend on the size of the job and how much base work it needs, so I'll give you the walk-on day and the drive-on day for your slab when we schedule it.
What causes concrete to crack, and will my new slab crack like the old one?
Concrete shrinks as it hardens, so some cracking is normal, but most of the bad cracks we break out trace back to a base that was raked instead of packed, joints cut late or skipped, or a pour in midday heat that left a weak, dusty top. We dig and pack the base, cut joints on time and plan the pour around the heat, so the cracks that do come have a place to go instead of wandering across your driveway.
What is the best way to fix a sunken patio on a sloped Burbank lot?
Usually it's to take the patio out, find out why it dropped and rebuild the base, because pouring over a slab that's still moving just carries the problem into the new one. On a sloped lot that often means handling water that runs under it, and sometimes a deeper edge or a low wall on the downhill side, which I can only judge once I've seen the ground.
Simi Valley, CA
Tell us about your Burbank concrete job
A few photos of the cracks or the sunken spot sent with your message let me show up with the right questions already in mind.