Concrete contractor in Burbank, CA - slabs built from the base up
Keystone Beverly Hills Concrete is a concrete contractor based in Beverly Hills, CA. We pour driveways, patios, steps, walls and foundations across Burbank, from flat valley lots to the hillside streets.
Pouring concrete in Burbank, valley to foothills
Burbank jobs split two ways. On the valley floor most streets are flat blocks of older single-story homes with long driveways running back to a garage, mixed in with shops and offices around the Airport District. Up toward Stough Canyon the lots tilt, so a driveway or patio there has to handle water running downhill toward the house. We're based in Beverly Hills, and we do the same work next door in Glendale.
On a flat lot the price mostly turns on how much old concrete comes out and how much soft dirt has to go before we hit firm ground, and a slope adds drainage, steps or a retaining wall. The schedule turns on the dig-out and on curing, the time new concrete needs to gain strength before you put weight on it. The written estimate I send after my visit lays out what's included. Either way, the ground under the slab decides more about how it holds up than the finish on top.
What we build for Burbank homes
Long driveways on older Burbank lots usually run back to a detached garage, so we dig out the old slab and rebuild the base along the whole run.
Backyard patios here are often an old slab someone poured years ago. We break it out, regrade so water runs away from the house, and pour new.
Want a patio that looks like stone or brick? Stamped concrete presses that pattern into the fresh slab, and it still needs the same packed base underneath.
Front walks on older Burbank blocks heave where tree roots or settling push them up, so we replace the bad sections and slope them to drain.
Many detached garages sit on a cracked, sunken floor, so we tear it out and pour new over packed base with rebar, steel that holds the slab together.
Color, exposed stone and saw-cut patterns can make a plain front walk suit an older Burbank home. We'll talk through the options when I come out.
On sloped lots in the foothills, a yard often needs a wall to hold the hill back, so we build it on a footing with drainage behind it.
Converting a garage or adding a room? We pour interior concrete floors flat and level over a prepared base, so finish flooring goes down without dips.
Pool decks in Burbank backyards take splashing and bare feet, so we slope them away from the pool and give them a texture that isn't slick.
Front steps on older houses tend to settle away from the porch. We form new ones with even rises, so nobody catches a toe on a tall step.
For a backyard unit or addition on a flat valley lot, we pour the slab foundation to the plans, with the base and steel the drawings call for.
New foundations under additions and rebuilt homes start with the dig and the forms, and I check the ground on site before we pour anything.
Small business lots in Burbank take delivery trucks turning in tight spaces, so we thicken the base and slab where the heavy traffic runs.
Footings are the concrete under a wall, a post or a patio cover. We dig them to the depth your plans set, below the loose topsoil.
If a corner of an older house has dropped and doors stick, we look at why it settled before we talk about lifting it back.
Need a trench for a line, an opening in a slab or a damaged section removed? We saw-cut clean edges so the rest of the slab stays sound.
What Burbank lots and slopes ask of concrete
I come out myself to look at your job and explain what goes under the slab before you decide anything, because you'll make better choices knowing why.
A packed base, not raked dirt
We dig out soft dirt and pack the subgrade, the ground the slab rests on, so it isn't riding on loose fill.
Water checked on sloped lots
On hillside lots I check where runoff goes before we set forms, so the slab drains away from your house.
Joints that choose the cracks
We cut control joints, shallow grooves that give a slab's normal shrinking cracks a planned place, before the cracks pick their own spot.
Base comes before the finish
If the budget's tight, I'd trim the fancy finish before the base, because a bad base means tearing out the slab.
Licensed, insured and on site
I run the job on site with our crew, and the work is backed by our satisfaction guarantee.
Burbank concrete questions we hear
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Burbank?
The price comes down to the size, how much old concrete we haul off, how much base work the ground needs and the finish you pick, so I give you a figure once I've seen the driveway. A long run back to a detached garage or a sloped foothill driveway usually costs more than a short flat one, and a plain broom finish, light ridges dragged in for grip, costs less than stamped or colored concrete. Call (424) 550-5006 and I'll come take a look.
Does a concrete contractor in Burbank need a California license?
Yes, for most jobs. The state's Contractors State License Board requires a license for work in Burbank when the project needs a building permit, uses any helpers, or costs $1,000 or more in labor and materials. Most driveways and patios cost well over that, so ask any contractor you're comparing to show you their license.
When is a small concrete job in Burbank exempt from the state license rule?
Only when it's truly small. The board's exemption covers a job that needs no building permit, uses no employees and totals less than $1,000 for labor, materials and everything else, counted across every contract on the job. That limit used to be $500, and a bigger project can't be split into smaller contracts to get under it.
How long before I can drive on a new concrete driveway in Burbank?
You'll wait longer to drive on it than to walk on it, because concrete keeps gaining strength for days while it cures, and a car on young concrete can crack it. When we schedule the pour, I'll give you the dates for walking and driving on your slab so you can plan around them.
What causes concrete driveways and patios to crack or sink in Burbank?
Most cracking and sinking starts under the slab, not in it. The usual causes are a base that was raked flat instead of dug out and packed, water running under the slab or toward the house, and control joints cut late or skipped, so the concrete cracks wherever it wants. On sloped lots water is often the biggest culprit, which is why I look at where it runs before we price anything.
Where do I find out about fire hazard maps for my Burbank home?
For a home in what the state calls a Local Responsibility Area, the state fire marshal's office says to contact the local jurisdiction, which in Burbank is the City of Burbank. The state has updated its fire hazard maps and is now mapping local areas and handing those maps to cities, so the city is the place to ask what applies to your lot before you plan outdoor work.
City not listed? Call us anyway
Our other city pages are listed below. If your city isn't one of them, call (424) 550-5006 and ask, because we work across many cities around Beverly Hills.
Talk to Keystone about your Burbank slab
Call (424) 550-5006 or use the form, and I'll walk your old concrete with you and explain what we'd change and why.