Concrete Contractor in Costa Mesa, CA - Driveways and Patios Built on a Packed Base
Mainstay Santa Ana Concrete is a concrete contractor based in Santa Ana that builds driveways, patios, walkways, walls and slabs for homes and businesses across Costa Mesa, with our own crew doing every pour.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- Expect a reply within 1 business day.
Homes, yards and shops across Costa Mesa
Most of the Costa Mesa calls I get come from homeowners looking at a driveway that's cracked across the middle, a patio that's tipped back toward the house or a side walk that's lifted and started chipping. The city mixes streets of single-family homes with apartments, shops and offices, so we also hear from property owners who need a parking area redone or a wall rebuilt. I've run this business out of Santa Ana since 2017, Costa Mesa is a short drive from there, and you get the same crew we send to Irvine or up to Anaheim.
A lot of these slabs have been down a long time, and when one has sunk or split, the trouble is usually underneath it. That's why most jobs here start with tear-out and ground work before we ever talk about the finish.
Our services in Costa Mesa, CA
- Concrete driveway building
Older driveways here usually crack or sink where the base under them was never packed. We break out the old slab, pack a new base and pour fresh.
- Concrete patio construction
Plenty of Costa Mesa backyards have an old patio that's too small or chipping on top. We tear it out and pour one sized for how you use the yard.
- Decorative concrete
Front walks and entries face the street, so our decorative concrete adds color, pattern or texture that suits the house. I'll tell you which finishes need resealing later.
- Concrete sidewalk building
Walks along the side of the house often lift or crack where roots and runoff get under them. We replace the broken sections and pour them to shed water.
- Concrete retaining walls
Yards that step down or hold back a raised bed need a wall built to carry that soil. We set it on a solid footing with drainage behind it.
- Concrete parking lot building
Costa Mesa's shops and apartment buildings wear their lots hard with daily traffic. We replace failed sections with thicker concrete and rebar, the steel that holds it together.
What a Costa Mesa yard asks of new concrete
Most of the work on a Costa Mesa slab happens below where you'll ever see it. Our crew digs out to the subgrade, the soil the slab sits on, packs it firm and builds the base back up, and I check where your water runs so the new slab drains toward the street or the yard instead of back at the house. That base work, the size of the slab and how much old concrete has to come out move the price most, while the schedule turns on tear-out, any city review and curing, the wait while fresh concrete hardens before you can use it. I'll go through both with you and put your price in writing at the estimate.
If your job needs a building permit, the city's Building Safety Division is the office that issues it. As the licensed contractor, we can pull that permit for you and plan the pour around the city's reviews and inspections.
Get a free on-site estimate for your Costa Mesa concrete job
We reply to every call and message within one business day, and the estimate comes with no obligation. Once you send this, we'll set a time for me to come out to your Costa Mesa property, look at the slab and the ground around it, and write up your estimate. If you go ahead, our own crew does the work with a lead hand running the site.
Concrete driveways, patios and walls
Costa Mesa concrete questions answered
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Costa Mesa?
Your price comes down to the size of the driveway, the tear-out and haul-away of the old one, how much base work the ground needs and the finish you pick, so I give you your own number at the on-site estimate instead of a guess over the phone. A plain broom finish, the light texture that gives shoes and tires some grip, costs less than stamped or colored work. If the budget is tight, I'd rather simplify the finish than skimp on the base, because the base is what keeps a slab from settling and nobody sees it once the pour is done.
Does my concrete project in Costa Mesa need a licensed contractor?
It does if the job needs a building permit, uses employee labor or adds up to $1,000 or more in labor and materials across its contracts. The Contractors State License Board, which licenses contractors in California, also says a bigger job can't be split into smaller contracts to stay under that $1,000 line. We're fully licensed and insured.
How do I apply for a building permit in Costa Mesa?
You apply online through TESSA, the city's permit system, where you enter all the application information and submit your plans. The city ignores paper forms and sends incomplete applications back, so it pays to have everything ready before you file. When we're your contractor and the job needs a permit, we pull it for you.
Is there an Insta-Permit for a concrete driveway or patio in Costa Mesa?
Not on the list the city posts, which offers Insta-Permits, quicker permits for simple jobs with a limited scope, for residential HVAC, re-pipe, water heater, EV charger, panel upgrade and re-roof work. Each of those comes in one version for licensed contractors and one for owner-builders. Concrete work isn't among them, so ask the city whether your job needs a regular building permit.
What are the penalties for unlicensed concrete work in California?
A first offense for contracting without a license is usually a misdemeanor, with up to six months in jail, a $500 fine or both. The state licensing board can add an administrative fine of $200 to $15,000 on top of that. That's a good reason to ask any contractor for their state license before you sign anything.
How do I keep a new concrete driveway from cracking in Costa Mesa?
You can't stop concrete from cracking some, so the goal is small cracks in places we choose, and that starts with control joints, the grooves we cut so the slab cracks along a straight line instead of across the middle. We cut those joints on time, pour early on hot days so the top doesn't dry out weak and dusty, and give the slab its full curing time before anyone uses it. I'll tell you at the estimate how long to stay off it and when sealing makes sense.