Concrete driveway building in Beaumont CA - a slab that sends water away from the garage
Old driveway cracked, sinking or holding water by the garage? We dig out, pack the base and set the grade so the new one drains.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free quotes on site.
- We reply within 1 business day.
What goes into building a new concrete driveway in Beaumont?
Concrete driveway building in Beaumont covers the whole job of putting in a new driveway, from digging out and packing the ground and setting the grade so water runs off, to pouring and finishing the slab and letting it cure before you park on it.
Most folks call us when the old driveway has cracked across, sunk at the edges or started holding water by the garage, and the first things they ask are what it'll cost and how long the car sits on the street. The price mostly moves with the size of the driveway, how much old concrete and soft dirt has to come out, how much the grade needs reshaping and whether the job reaches the approach at the curb. The schedule turns on whether that approach needs a city permit, on picking a good pour day and on the cure time before you can drive on it. Your own number comes from the estimate, which puts the scope in writing so you can see exactly what's covered, and if a new concrete patio is on your list too, that's a good time to bring it up.
How do you know your driveway needs replacing?
Cracks across the slab
A crack that runs across the driveway, or a few that meet, usually means the dirt underneath settled or the slab never had joints to crack along. Water gets into those cracks and works on the base, so pieces start shifting and the fix gets bigger the longer it sits.
Water pooling by the garage
If water sits at the garage door or along one edge after rain or watering, the slab probably falls the wrong way or has sunk in spots. Waiting means that water keeps soaking the ground right where the slab and the house need it firm.
Sunken or broken edges
Edges that drop or chip off usually point to a base that was raked flat instead of dug out and packed, or to tires on the edge before it had cured. Once an edge starts going, it tends to keep breaking back toward the middle and turns into a trip hazard.
How we handle concrete driveway building, start to finish
We start by tearing out the old driveway if there is one, then dig out roots and soft dirt and pack the subgrade, the ground the slab sits on, because a slab only stays as flat as what's under it. Before anything gets poured, I set the grade so water runs off toward the street instead of sitting by the garage. Then we form it up, pour, strike it off the screeds, the guides that keep the surface level, and give it a broom finish, a light ridged texture that gives tires and shoes some grip. We cut control joints, shallow grooves that give the slab a straight line to crack along if it's going to crack, and then comes curing, the wait while the concrete hardens and gains strength, with cars kept off the edges until it's had that time. If a budget has to give somewhere, I'd rather spend it on the base than on a fancier top, because nobody sees the base on day one but it's what decides whether the slab settles later.
A lot of driveway jobs grow a little once we're out there. If the backyard needs the same kind of prep under it, we do concrete patio construction too, and if you've been picturing a pattern instead of a plain slab, ask about our stamped concrete services at the estimate.
Get a free written estimate for your driveway
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day to set a time. I'll come out, walk the driveway with you and write up a free estimate, with no obligation to go ahead.
- team@beaumontconcretecontractor.com
- Based in
- Beaumont, CA 92223
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 6 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 7 AM–11 PM
What happens after you call us about a new driveway?
Here's how a driveway job runs from your first call to the final walk-through, so you know who you'll be talking to at each step.
Call or send the form
Tell us roughly how big the driveway is, whether anything changes at the curb, and send a few photos if you can, because that helps me show up ready. We'll set a time for me to come see it.
I walk the job with you
I come out myself, look at the slope, the old slab and where the water goes, and listen to what you have in mind. The estimate lists what's included in writing, so you know what you're paying for before you decide anything.
Permits, then a pour day
If the job needs a permit, we handle the paperwork and tell you up front, and in Beaumont the city's approval of a complete encroachment application can take anywhere from 2 or 3 working days to several weeks, depending on the work. Once that's clear we set a pour day, and our crew does the prep and the pour.
Walk the finished driveway
When the work's done, we walk the driveway with you before we pack up. That's when we go over when it's ready for feet, when it's ready for the car and where to keep tires off the edges.
Why Beaumont homeowners call Craftsman Beaumont Concrete for driveways
The owner writes every estimate
I come out myself to look at the job and write the estimate, and our own crew does the prep and the pour, with me on site for the big days. You're talking to the person who'll be standing there on pour day, not someone passing notes along.
Pouring flatwork in Beaumont since 2017
I grew up pouring flatwork, which covers driveways, patios, walks and other flat slabs, on my uncle's crew, and started this business in Beaumont in 2017. Nine years in, driveways and the prep under them are still what we're best known for.
Licensed and insured for driveway work
We're licensed and insured. If your job includes an approach in the city right-of-way, Beaumont requires a contractor with a city business license and a state contractor's license in Class A, C-8 or C-36, so that's worth asking any contractor about before you hire them.
If you'd like to talk through your driveway, send us the details or call (951) 524-1433, and bring every question you've got, even the ones that feel silly.
Driveways and curb approaches in Beaumont
Beaumont's list of work that's exempt from permits names driveways, but anything in the city right-of-way, the strip of public land along the street, needs an encroachment permit from Public Works. That usually means the approach, where your driveway drops down to meet the street. If that work affects people walking or driving past, the city also wants a traffic control plan, and before the permit to dig is valid there has to be a DigAlert number, with a call to Underground Service Alert two working days ahead so buried lines get marked. Whether your job reaches the approach is something I'll sort out at the estimate, and when a permit's needed we handle the application and paperwork with the city and let you know up front.
Most of the driveways we tear out around here are two-car slabs on tract homes, and the trouble usually looks the same, with sunken edges, a crack across the middle or a low spot by the garage door. We see the same thing on jobs in Banning and Cherry Valley, and we fix it the same way, by starting over at the base.
Questions about concrete driveways in Beaumont
What does a concrete driveway cost near Beaumont?
A two-car concrete driveway, installed, usually costs about $2,100 to $7,500 per job in the Riverside area, and that's the going rate around here, not a quote from us. We'll give you a figure for your driveway once I've seen it and written up the scope.
How thick should my concrete driveway be?
For everyday cars, planning often starts around a 4-inch slab, though heavier loads or weak ground underneath can call for a different design. High spots left in the grade make the slab thinner than you paid for in those places, so we check the grade across the whole driveway before we pour.
How soon can I drive on a new concrete driveway?
Not as soon as it feels hard, because concrete keeps gaining strength after you can walk on it. Curing should start right after finishing, and hot-weather guidance calls for at least 3 days of it under wet burlap and plastic, a curing compound or water. The edges and corners need protecting from tires early on, and we'll tell you at the walk-through when it's ready for the car.
Do I need a licensed contractor to build a driveway in California?
For a driveway, yes in practice, because the state's minor work exemption tops out at $1,000 and only applies when the job needs no permit and the person doing it employs no one. A new driveway costs more than that and takes a crew, so ask to see a license before anybody starts digging.
What is the best time of day to pour a concrete driveway?
Early in the day is usually best, since industry guidance says to place and finish concrete outside the hottest part of the day when possible, and midday heat is one way a slab ends up with a weak, dusty top. The same guidance says crews should finish without sprinkling water on the surface, so that's a fair thing to ask about too.
Will my new concrete driveway crack like the old one?
It can still get a hairline crack, because concrete shrinks and moves, but a packed base and joints cut on time usually keep it to the lines we planned instead of across the middle. Rebar, the steel bars set inside the slab, or welded wire can help hold a crack tight, though it works alongside the base and joints rather than replacing them, and fiber in the mix isn't the same as designed reinforcement.
Other concrete work that pairs with a driveway
Concrete patio construction
When the backyard needs a flat, solid spot for a table and grill, a concrete patio gets the same dug-out base and slope we give a driveway.
See the service Concrete patio constructionStamped concrete services
If a plain gray slab isn't what you pictured for the front of the house, stamped concrete is worth talking through with us at the estimate.
See the service Stamped concrete services
Service areas for driveway work around Beaumont
Craftsman Beaumont Concrete is based in Beaumont, CA, and we build driveways across the 12 cities listed here, including Redlands and Hemet. If your city isn't on the list, give us a call and ask.
Beaumont, CA
Get your new driveway on the schedule
Approach work in the city right-of-way can wait on a permit review, so the sooner I look at your driveway, the sooner we can set a pour day.