Concrete Contractor in La Mesa - Driveways and Patios Built on Solid Ground
Riverbend Solana Beach Concrete is a concrete contractor based in Solana Beach, CA, and we pour driveways, patios, steps, retaining walls and slabs for homes and property owners in La Mesa.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free quotes on site.
- We reply within 1 business day.
La Mesa homes on hills and older ground
A lot of our work in La Mesa is for older houses on sloped lots, where the driveway climbs up from the street, the front walk has steps in it and the backyard sits higher or lower than the house. Many of those driveways and patios were poured decades ago, and by now they've cracked, sunk at one corner or started holding water after rain. A few houses in La Mesa are on the city's list of historic landmarks, the Bengston House among them, and if you think yours may be one, that list is the place to start checking before we plan work on the front of the house.
La Mesa sits right beside El Cajon, and the houses and ground are much the same on both sides of the line. On a hillside lot the job usually turns on how much digging and base work it takes to get a flat, firm footing, and on where the water goes once the slab is down.
Concrete work we do for La Mesa properties
Older La Mesa driveways often crack and lift where roots or a thin base gave out, so we dig it out, pack new base and pour fresh.
A patio on a sloped backyard here needs its slope planned first, so rain runs off toward the yard and not back against your house.
Stamped concrete gives a patio or front walk the look of stone or brick in one pour, which suits the older ranch and bungalow homes we see here.
Front walks on La Mesa's hilly streets often heave into trip edges, so we replace them over a packed base with joints cut where cracks should go.
Garage floors in older homes here are often thin and stained, and a new slab over packed base gives you a flat, solid floor to park on.
Colored and textured finishes let a La Mesa entry or courtyard match the house, and we talk through how each one wears before you choose.
Hillside yards here often need a wall to hold soil back and give you flat ground, and we build it with steel inside and a drain behind.
For a converted garage, workshop or add-on room in La Mesa, we pour an interior slab that's flat and level enough to take the finished floor.
Older pool decks here often crack and lift near the pool's edge, and a new deck with a textured top gives wet feet better grip.
Homes set above the street on La Mesa's hills often have steep, worn front steps, and we rebuild them with every step the same height so nobody trips.
For an addition, a granny flat or new home on a La Mesa lot, we pour the slab foundation on ground that's dug out, packed and checked.
When a build on a sloped La Mesa lot needs more than a flat slab, we set footings and foundation walls that step down with the slope.
Small apartment buildings and shops along La Mesa's main roads need lots that drain and hold up to daily traffic, and we pour them thick enough for it.
Patio covers, decks and garden walls on La Mesa lots need footings, the concrete pads that carry the weight into firm soil, and we dig and pour them.
When part of an older La Mesa house has settled and floors slope or doors stick, we look at why first, then lift and support that section.
We cut openings in La Mesa slabs for new drains, sewer work or a wider driveway, and we cut grooves in fresh pours to steer where cracks go.
Get a free on-site estimate for your La Mesa concrete job
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set a time. I'll come out, walk the job with you and leave a written estimate, free and with no pressure to book.
(619) 724-4874- Based in
- Solana Beach, CA 92075
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 8 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 6 AM–10 PM
Working in La Mesa with the city's Building Division
In La Mesa, permits come from the city's Building Division, which handles plan review, permit processing and inspections for every home and business project in the city. When your job needs a permit, we pull it and handle the inspections, so the pour waits on the city's review and on inspections at set points along the way. The city still holds you, as the owner, responsible for those inspections being called at the right times, even when we make the call, so I'll tell you each time one is booked. We're licensed and fully insured, and I'm glad to show you that before you sign anything.
What moves the price here is mostly what's under and around the slab, such as how much old concrete has to come out, how much base it takes to build up the low side of a slope, and how close a truck can get. The schedule turns on the permit, if there is one, and on curing, the days a new slab needs to harden before it takes weight. My written estimate spells out what's included for your job. We do the same work just east in Santee and up north in Vista, and it's the same crew that comes to La Mesa.
Why La Mesa slabs crack, sink and hold water
Many of the old driveways and patios we tear out here were poured on dirt that was raked level instead of dug out and packed, so the subgrade, the ground the slab sits on, kept settling and the concrete cracked and sank with it. Joints were often skipped too, so cracks ran wherever they liked. We dig down to firm soil, pack new base in layers and cut control joints, shallow grooves that give the slab a planned place to crack, so if it cracks, the line lands where we chose. If the budget gets tight, I'd rather you skip a fancier finish than skimp on base, because you can always dress up the top later, but you can't fix the base without tearing the slab out.
Sloped lots bring the other problem we see most, a patio or walk that tips toward the house and sends rain against the foundation or into the garage. Before we form anything, I check where your water runs now and set the slab to drain away from the house, and on a steep yard that sometimes means a short retaining wall first.
How a concrete job runs when you call us in La Mesa
Here's how a job goes from your first call to the walk-through, so you know what you're waiting on at each stage and when you need to be home.
Call or send us the form
You call (619) 724-4874 or send the form with a few lines about the job. We get back to you to set up a time for me to come out.
We walk the site together
I come out myself, walk the site with you, take measurements and ask how you plan to use the space. You get a written estimate in plain words that shows what's included, so you can see what you're paying for.
We pull permits and pour
If you go ahead, we line up any permit the job needs, and the city's review and inspections set the timing before and during the work. Our own crew digs out, packs the base, sets the forms and steel and pours, and you don't need to be home for most of it.
Walk the finished job
Before we leave, we walk the finished slab with you and go over curing, which usually means a day or two before you walk on it and about a week before you drive on it. I'll give you the dates for your pour, since the mix and the conditions that day can change them.
Questions about concrete work in La Mesa
Do I need a permit for a concrete patio or walkway in La Mesa?
The city's guide for homeowners says platforms, decks and walks 30 inches or less above grade don't need a construction permit, though other agencies may still want to review them. The city's permit FAQ lists decks, patio covers and garden walls as needing one, so for anything raised, covered or tied into a wall, call the Building Division at 619-667-1176 before we pour. We'll check with them as part of planning your job.
Does a retaining wall in La Mesa need a permit?
Yes, the city's permit FAQ lists garden and retaining walls among the projects that need a permit. We build them with rebar, the steel bars that keep the wall from cracking apart, and a drain behind so water pressure doesn't push the wall over.
How do I get a permit for a new driveway apron at the street in La Mesa?
If the work reaches into the public right-of-way, which usually means the strip along the street that the city controls, start with the encroachment permit application on the city's forms and handouts page. That page lists the forms by title only, so we confirm with the city what it wants for your driveway before we plan the street end.
Can I apply for a La Mesa building permit and book inspections online?
Yes, with an account on the city's site you can apply for a permit, submit plans, get permit invoices, schedule inspections and check a permit's status online. If you'd rather talk to someone, the Building Division takes calls at 619-667-1176 and has a permit counter at City Hall.
How long does a La Mesa building permit stay valid?
A La Mesa permit expires if work hasn't started, or the first city progress inspection hasn't happened, within one calendar year of its date. Once work starts, it also expires after six months with no inspections, or when the work runs past three calendar years from the date it was issued, so we plan the pour and inspections to keep it active.
What affects the cost of a concrete driveway in La Mesa?
Size, thickness, the steel inside the slab and the finish you pick set most of the cost, and on La Mesa's sloped lots the base work to level the ground can add more. A broom finish, the light brushed texture that gives tires and shoes grip, costs less than stamped or colored concrete. I'll lay out each of those pieces in your written estimate.
Solana Beach, CA
Tell us about your La Mesa project
If you're not sure your job needs a city permit, ask when you call (619) 724-4874 or send the form, and I'll tell you what to check with the Building Division before we plan the pour.