Concrete patio construction in Gardena CA - a slab that drains away from your house
Cracked old slab or water pooling by the back door? We pour a new patio sloped away from your house, with joints placed on purpose.
What goes into building a concrete patio in Gardena?
Concrete patio construction in Gardena, CA means digging out and packing the ground beside your house, then forming, pouring and finishing a flat slab that sheds rain away from your walls and gives you a hard, level surface you can use every day.
Most patio calls start with an old slab that's cracked, sinking or chipping, water pooling against the back wall, or bare dirt you're tired of. The job runs the same way each time. We break out any old slab, dig down and pack the ground, set forms, then pour and finish. If you want a path out to the side gate, we can pour a new walkway in the same job.
Price moves with the patio's size, how much old concrete and dirt has to come out, how easy it is to reach your backyard and the finish you pick. The schedule mostly turns on the permit. Gardena's list of work that can skip a permit names walkways and driveways, not patios, so we check with the City of Gardena for your address and pull one when it's needed. I measure at the estimate and put the work for your patio in writing.
What a concrete patio job comes down to
Most of what decides how a patio holds up happens before the concrete truck shows up, so here's what we do at each stage and why we do it.
A base dug out and packed
We dig out and pack the subgrade, the ground the slab sits on, because a patio poured on raked dirt settles right along with it. Nobody sees the base on day one, so it's the first thing people want to cut, and I won't cut it.
Fall away from the house
We set the fall so rain runs off the patio and away from your walls. Before we pour, I show you on the forms which way the water will go.
Joints cut on time
Control joints are shallow cuts that give the slab a straight line to crack along instead of wherever it wants. We cut them on time, because late or skipped joints are how you get cracks in places nobody chose.
Pour timing and finish
We stay out of the midday heat, since a top that dries too fast turns weak and dusty later. A broom finish leaves a light texture for grip when it's wet, and stamped concrete is the option if you want a pattern.
Planning a patio in Gardena
One Los Angeles cost guide says this area doesn't get hard freezes or frost heave, so patios here don't call for the deep gravel bases colder places use. If your patio meets the public sidewalk, alley or street, the city's Public Works Department needs its own permit for that part.
Gardena patio questions we hear
How much does a concrete patio cost in Gardena?
Your price comes from your patio's size and what it takes to build it, so you get it in writing after I measure, not as a guess over the phone. A broom finish costs less than a stamped pattern, and breaking out an old slab or carrying concrete through a narrow side yard adds labor. Call (424) 528-1322 and I'll come take a look.
How long does a concrete patio last?
A Los Angeles cost guide lists an average life of 30 to 50 years for concrete, against 25 to 35 years for brick pavers. How long yours lasts mostly comes down to the base and drainage underneath, which is where we spend our time.
Which way should a concrete patio slope?
It should slope down and away from the house. National guidance from the federal Building America program says patio slabs within 10 feet of the foundation should fall away from it at a 2% grade. That's the fall we show you on the forms before the pour.
What does Gardena require before I build a concrete patio?
Gardena says most residential construction work needs a permit, and before any grading or building starts, an application and plans go to the city as PDFs. The city also says work done without a required permit is illegal, will cause problems when you sell, and may void your fire and homeowner's insurance coverage for that work. That's why we settle the permit question for your address before we pour.
Can an unlicensed handyman pour a concrete patio in California?
Only a very small one. California's minor work exemption tops out at $1,000, and only for work that needs no permit, done by someone with no employees. A patio that needs a permit or a crew belongs with a licensed contractor.
How do I plan a concrete patio for my Gardena yard?
Start with the rough size, how far it'll sit from the house and whether it meets the public sidewalk, because those three shape the drainage and the permit. Bring those to the estimate and we'll work out the rest on site.
Why Gardena homeowners call H&J Gardena Concrete Contractors for patios
You get the owner at the estimate and on the job, and a straight answer about what your patio needs, even when it isn't what you hoped to hear.
I come out myself
I measure your patio myself, and I'm on the job with our crew from forms to finish.
Pouring flatwork since 2017
We've spent 9 years on flatwork, the driveways, patios and walks we're best known for, built to drain the right way.
Fully licensed and insured
Gardena issues permits only to licensed people or those the state exempts, so we can pull your patio permit ourselves.
Based in Gardena
We work in Gardena and the cities around it, including Torrance, Carson and Hawthorne.
Your satisfaction, guaranteed
That's our promise on your patio, and it starts with a call to (424) 528-1322.
Get your patio measured before you plan
We pick up from 6 AM to 11 PM, seven days a week, so call (424) 528-1322 whenever it suits you.
What happens after you call about a patio in Gardena
We plan your patio around your yard and the city's permit schedule, so you know what's happening at each step and who's doing it.
You get in touch
Call (424) 528-1322 or send the form with a few lines about your yard, and we set a time for me to come out.
I measure on site
I come out myself, look at the ground, measure the patio and check where the water runs now.
Your written estimate
You get a written estimate that spells out the work, and if a permit is needed we handle it. The city says its first plan check should take about 10 business days and 5 for a resubmittal, unless the job needs a special zoning approval, so we set the schedule around it.
Pour and walk-through
We line up the city's inspections before the pour, then prep, form, pour and finish. Before we leave, I walk the patio with you.