Concrete Contractor in San Juan Capistrano - Driveways and Patios Built for Sloped Lots
Prestige Mission Viejo Concrete Company is a concrete contractor pouring driveways, patios, walks, steps and retaining walls for homes in San Juan Capistrano. We dig out and pack the base and send the water away from your house.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free on-site estimates.
- Expect a reply within 1 business day.
San Juan Capistrano's older homes and hillside lots
As a concrete contractor based in Mission Viejo, we're a short drive from San Juan Capistrano. Near the middle of town there are older single-story homes whose patios and walks have been patched more than once. Up in the hills the neighborhoods are newer, many with an HOA, and the driveways tend to slope down to the garage. Then there are the bigger lots, with barns, horse setups and long drives that carry trucks and trailers. We work next door in Ladera Ranch and over in Laguna Niguel too, but San Juan gives us the widest mix of house ages and lot sizes.
What ties it all together is slope. Water comes downhill across most lots here, so before we talk finishes I walk the yard to see where it runs, because that decides how deep we dig and which way the new slab falls.
Our services in San Juan Capistrano, CA
- Concrete driveway building
Many driveways here slope toward the garage, so water decides how they age. We dig out, pack the base and pitch the new slab away from the house.
- Concrete patio construction
Older single-story homes often have small patios poured on bare dirt. We tear them out, pack a real base and pour a slab that drains away from the doors.
- Concrete retaining walls
Yards cut into the hills here lean on their walls. We build concrete retaining walls on solid footings with drainage behind them, so water drains out instead of pushing.
- Concrete floor installation
On the bigger lots, barns, workshops and casitas need floors that stay flat under weight. Our concrete floor installation starts with a packed base and steel in the slab.
- Concrete steps construction
Homes set above the street often have front steps that crumble at the edges. We form new ones with even risers and a textured top that grips on wet mornings.
- Concrete sidewalk building
In the older neighborhoods, mature trees lift and split front walks. We cut out the broken sections, work around the roots and pour a walk that sits level.
What San Juan Capistrano slopes do to concrete
Most of the trouble we see here starts under the slab. A driveway with a sunken corner or water pooling against the garage door usually sits on dirt that was raked level instead of dug out and packed, and rain off the hill has been working under it ever since. We dig to firm ground, pack the subgrade, the dirt bed the slab rests on, until it's hard, and set the pitch so water heads for the street or a drain instead of your house. On older lots we also check the downspouts and planters next to the slab, since they often dump water right where it does the most harm.
Size, tear-out and base work move the price, and weather, curing and any permit or HOA sign-off move the schedule, so I'll give you your own number when I come out. The city's Building Department issues permits for construction from grading through most repairs, and it says to plan on one unless your work is on its exempt list. I check that for your job, and when a permit's needed we take care of the application and book the inspections with the city.
Get a free on-site estimate for your San Juan Capistrano project
Tell us about the driveway, patio or wall, and we'll get back to you within one business day to set a time to come out. I look at every job in San Juan Capistrano myself, and the estimate is free with no obligation.
Driveways, patios and walls
San Juan Capistrano concrete questions
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in San Juan Capistrano?
A driveway here is priced by its size, how much old concrete we break out and haul away, how much base work the ground needs and the finish you choose. Steep drives, tight access and extra grading on a slope push it up, and a broom finish, the light brushed texture that gives tires and shoes some grip, costs less than stamped or colored concrete. Call (949) 619-8245 and I'll come price yours on site.
Do I need a permit for a concrete retaining wall in San Juan Capistrano?
Not for a retaining wall 48 inches or shorter, measured from the bottom of its footing, the buried concrete base it stands on, to the top of the wall, as long as it doesn't hold up a building or more slope above it and doesn't sit at the top of a slope. The city's list of work exempt from permit also covers concrete or block fence walls up to 36 inches from the top of the footing. Plenty of walls on hillside lots fall outside those limits, so I measure and check before we price it.
How do I get HOA approval for a new driveway in San Juan Capistrano?
Ask your HOA for written approval first, because the city won't issue a permit for exterior work in an HOA without a copy of the approval letter or plans the HOA has stamped. Most boards want to see the size, layout and finish, so I'll lay those out for you after the estimate. Start early, since the board's timing sets ours.
Does a contractor need a business license to work in San Juan Capistrano?
Yes, the city requires anyone doing business in San Juan Capistrano, in any trade, to get a City Business License before they start. It's a fair thing to ask any contractor you're comparing, along with whether they're licensed and insured, which we are.
Will my new concrete patio crack like the old one did?
It's not likely to crack the way the old one did, because big cracks across the middle and sunken corners usually come from a soft base and water running off the hill underneath, and that's the part we spend the most time on. Concrete still shrinks as it hardens, so we cut control joints, shallow grooves that give it a straight line to crack along, early, before it picks its own spot. If the budget gets tight, I'd rather you skip the fancy finish than skimp on the base, since you'll never see the base again but you'll live with what it does.
How long does a new concrete driveway take to cure before I can park on it?
Curing, the slow hardening that gives concrete its strength, takes days, not hours, so you'll walk on a new driveway well before you can park on it. On hot, dry days here the top can dry too fast and turn weak and dusty later, so we pour early in the morning and keep the slab damp while it cures. I'll tell you on site when it's ready for your cars.