Concrete cutting in Simi Valley CA - clean cuts planned before the saw starts
Need a section of slab cut out for a drain, a wider driveway or new concrete? We find out what's inside first, then cut clean.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free quotes on site.
- Replies within 1 business day.
What does concrete cutting in Simi Valley involve?
Concrete cutting is sawing, coring and drilling through concrete that's already in place. At Custom Simi Valley Concrete, we do it in Simi Valley to take out a damaged section, open a slab for a pipe or line, or make room for new work, along lines we've all agreed on before the saw starts.
Most calls start with something that has to go through a slab that's already there, like a new drain line under the garage floor, a cracked piece of driveway that needs replacing or a patio that's getting bigger. The price mostly comes down to how thick the slab is, how many feet of cut or how many holes you need, whether we're working inside and how the broken pieces get hauled away. The schedule mostly turns on whether the job needs a permit and how fast we can find out what's inside the slab, and you'll see both spelled out in the written estimate I give you after I've looked at it.
How do you know a slab needs cutting instead of a full tear-out?
One section cracked or sunk
When one piece of driveway or patio has broken up or dropped and the rest still sits flat, the base under that piece has usually washed out or settled, so we can cut it out on a straight line and replace just that part. If you wait too long, the broken edges keep crumbling into the good concrete, and the piece we have to cut out gets bigger.
A new line has to go under
A leak, a new drain or power run out to a back building all mean getting under concrete that's in the way. A narrow cut trench keeps the damage to a strip that can be patched, and if you put it off on a leak, the water keeps softening the dirt under the slab.
Water sitting against the house
Puddles that sit where the slab meets the house usually mean the concrete slopes the wrong way, and a drain channel cut into the slab can sometimes carry the water off without replacing the whole thing. Every time it rains and the water sits there, it soaks the ground right next to your foundation.
How we handle concrete cutting on your slab
Before we cut or core, I want to know what's inside the slab. So the first thing I ask is whether it could be post-tensioned, which means it was built with steel cables pulled tight after the pour, and the second is who'll mark the cut lines and what's buried near them. Before cutting day, we also talk through the saw, the water and the slurry with you. Slurry is the gray mud a wet blade leaves behind, and those three things decide how loud, how messy and how contained the job will be. On the day, our crew sets up along the marked lines, makes the cuts or cores, breaks out and hauls off the pieces we've cut free, and cleans the area down so the next part of the job can start.
Cutting is often the first half of a bigger job. When a driveway is getting wider or a cracked section comes out, we usually pour the new piece as part of our concrete driveway building work. A patio that's growing often starts with a saw line along the old edge before the concrete patio construction begins.
Saw cuts across a slab
A walk-behind saw cuts straight lines through driveways, patios and garage floors, so it suits taking out a damaged section or squaring an edge for new concrete. It leaves a clean face that the new pour can butt right up against.
Cored holes for pipes and lines
Coring drills a clean round hole through the slab, so it suits a drain, a vent or a conduit that has to come up through the floor. It takes out only what the pipe needs, and the rest of the slab stays put.
Get a free on-site estimate for your concrete cut
We reply within one business day. I come out, look at the slab, ask my questions and give you a free written estimate, with no pressure and no obligation to book.
(805) 261-5009- Based in
- Simi Valley, CA 93065
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 6 AM–9 PM, Sat–Sun: 8 AM–10 PM
What happens after you call us about concrete cutting in Simi Valley?
Here's how a cutting job goes, from your first call to the last load of broken concrete leaving your property.
Call us or send a message
Call (805) 261-5009 or use the form, and tell us where the cut goes, whether it's indoors and whether the slab might be post-tensioned. We'll set a time for me to come out.
I look at the slab
I walk the area and ask a lot of questions. Then I give you a written estimate that spells out the cuts, the saw we'll bring and how we'll handle the water and slurry, so you know the full scope before you decide anything.
We sort out the permit
Once you say go, we work out any permit with you. If the city requires plan review, counter review can take up to 5 to 10 business days, a full plan check can take 20 to 25 working days and resubmittals take just as long, so that wait sets the start date.
Our crew cuts and cleans up
A crew lead runs cutting day with our crew, working from the lines we agreed on, and I stop by at the steps that matter most. When the saw is done, the cut pieces get hauled off and the area gets cleaned down.
Why Simi Valley homeowners call Custom Simi Valley Concrete to cut a slab
I come out to look myself
I come out to look at the slab and write the estimate, and a crew lead runs the work day to day with our crew. You deal with the person who asked the questions, and I check in at the steps that matter most.
Old slabs are our kind of job
I framed houses for years before I moved to concrete and learned it on flatwork and foundation crews. We've been in business since 2017, and we're best known for jobs that need some figuring, like an old slab that has to be cut or reworked.
Licensed and insured for this work
California's contractor licensing board counts concrete sawing, breaking and coring as concrete-related services work, so it's fair to ask anyone who cuts your slab about their license. We're licensed and insured.
On a cutting job, the thing that matters most is knowing what's in the slab before the blade touches it. Tell us about your slab and I'll come take a look. Our work is backed by our satisfaction guarantee.
Concrete cutting and the work around it in Simi Valley
When a cut is part of a bigger project, the city of Simi Valley reviews construction that needs plan review, and either the contractor or you as the homeowner can pull the permit for your own house. I won't guess from a phone call whether your cutting job needs one. When a job does need a permit, we tell you which city or county office handles it, and we can pull it as your contractor or help you if you'd rather pull it yourself.
Before cutting day, we also agree with you on how the slurry gets caught and handled, which one trade association's sawing guideline says the owner and the crew should settle before work begins. The city says stormwater runs straight into local water like the Arroyo Simi without being treated, and only clean stormwater should go into the storm drains. Plenty of driveways here run downhill toward the street, so that conversation comes up on most outdoor cuts, and it goes the same way on jobs in Thousand Oaks and Moorpark.
Questions about concrete cutting in Simi Valley
How much does concrete cutting cost in Simi Valley?
We give you a written price after I've seen the slab, because the cost comes from details I can't measure over the phone. Beyond the size of the cut, rebar, the steel bars set inside a slab to hold it together, slows the blade down, and so does a tight spot where a full-size saw won't fit. That's why I ask so many questions on site.
Can cutting or coring damage a post-tensioned slab?
Yes, coring and drilling into a post-tensioned slab after it's built can damage it and lead to tendon failure, where one of the tensioned steel cables inside it gives way. That's why you should find out whether your slab is post-tensioned before any coring or drilling is planned. If you aren't sure, tell us, and we'll work it out before anyone drills.
Who marks the cut lines before concrete cutting starts?
Under one trade association's flat sawing guideline, the owner or whoever is running the project gets the cut area approved and marks the cut lines and anything embedded in the slab before the saw arrives. We settle that with you early, along with what lies near the lines. If the slab gets scanned, ask what the scan will and won't show, since an Australian guide on scanning notes that tightly packed steel can hide whatever sits behind it.
When do I call 811 before concrete work?
If the job includes digging, DigAlert says to call 811 two working days before it starts, not counting the day you call. DigAlert also says the person doing the work has to have the ticket in their name, so a hired contractor usually carries that duty. Fine print in a contract can shift it to you, though, so read that clause.
How do I cut concrete safely inside a garage or house?
Indoors, the saw matters most. One trade association's sawing guideline says a gas or other combustion-engine saw needs ventilation, air circulation or oxygen replacement that meets OSHA standards. Electric, hydraulic or air-powered saws are the other options inside, so ask us which saw we plan to bring, and we'll go over it with you before cutting day.
What is the best way to keep dust down when concrete is cut?
Water on the blade is the main way, because OSHA notes that putting water on the blade while cutting substantially reduces the dust. Ask any crew whether they cut wet, and keep in mind that the water turns into slurry that has to be caught, which is part of the saw-and-water talk we have with you before cutting day.
Related services that often follow a cut
When a cracked panel or a wider entry means cutting out old driveway, this is the work that pours the new piece and ties it into what's staying.
If the saw line is the start of a bigger or reshaped patio, this covers the base, forms and pour that turn the cleared ground into usable space.
Service areas for concrete cutting around Simi Valley
Custom Simi Valley Concrete is based in Simi Valley, CA, and takes cutting jobs across the cities around it, including Camarillo and Agoura Hills. The 12 cities below have their own pages, and if yours isn't listed, ask us.
Simi Valley, CA
Tell us about the slab you need cut
Finding out what's inside a slab can take some asking around, so calling (805) 261-5009 or sending the form now keeps that from holding up your cut.