Santa Paula ConcreteSanta Paula Concrete(805) 873-8640
Santa Paula Concrete
(805) 873-8640Get an estimate

Concrete Contractor in Simi Valley, CA - Driveways and Patios Built on a Solid Base

Santa Paula Concrete is a concrete contractor building driveways, patios, walkways, steps, retaining walls and foundations for homes and small businesses in Simi Valley, CA. We also cut and replace old slabs and raise settled foundations.

Get an estimate(805) 873-8640
Concrete steps lead through landscaped garden beds to a covered house entrance, bordered by stone retaining walls.

Simi Valley as we see it from the driveway

Simi Valley is mostly a city of homes, street after street of single-family houses with a driveway out front and a patio or pool out back, with shopping centers and small business lots along the main roads. A lot of what we're called out for here is concrete those homes already have, like an old patio someone wants bigger, a front walk that's chipped and uneven, or a driveway that needs widening. It's the same kind of work we do in Moorpark and Thousand Oaks.

Many lots sit flat on the valley floor and some climb the hillsides at its edges, so the first thing I look at on any Simi Valley job is where the ground slopes and where the water runs. That decides how deep we dig the base and which way the new slab falls.

Concrete work we do for Simi Valley homes and businesses

We pour flatwork here, the trade's word for anything flat like driveways, patios, walks and garage floors, and we build the walls, steps, footings and foundations that hold up a house or a hillside. Most Simi Valley jobs start with a phone call and a visit, where I walk the spot with you, ask how you use it and look at what the old concrete is telling us. From there we plan the base, the forms and the pour around your house, not a standard drawing.

  • Concrete driveway building

    Driveways here carry daily cars and sometimes a trailer, an RV or a work truck. We size the thickness and steel to what you park on it.

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  • Concrete patio construction

    Backyard patios here often run out from a slider to a lawn, a pool or a patio cover. We set the height at the door and edges so nothing trips you up.

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  • Stamped concrete services

    Stamped concrete suits front walks and patios where you want the look of stone without loose pavers to reset. We press the pattern and color into fresh concrete, then seal it.

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  • Concrete sidewalk building

    Front walks and side-yard paths often have a panel or two lifted or broken where people trip. We replace the bad panels and rebuild the base under them so they sit level.

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  • Garage floor concrete

    Garage floors carry cars, workbenches and often a home gym, so cracks there get noticed fast. We reinforce them with rebar, steel that holds the slab together, and give them a smooth finish.

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  • Decorative concrete

    Many plain gray slabs here can be dressed up with color, an exposed-stone finish or a border. We work out those details at the estimate and show you samples before the pour.

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  • Concrete retaining walls

    Hillside lots here often need a wall to hold back a slope and make room for a flat yard. We build them on footings with drainage behind so water drains away instead of pushing.

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  • Concrete floor installation

    Workshops, sheds, sunrooms and small commercial spaces here need a flat, level floor before anything else goes in. We pour interior and outbuilding floors to the level and finish the next trade needs.

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  • Concrete pool decks

    Pool decks here take bare feet, splashing and a lot of water across the surface. We give them a slip-resistant texture and slope them toward drains, away from the house.

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  • Concrete steps construction

    Front steps on older homes here have often settled, chipped at the edges or pulled away from the porch. We rebuild them with even step heights and a texture that grips when wet.

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  • Slab foundation building

    Additions and backyard rooms here usually sit on a slab foundation that carries the walls as well as the floor. We dig the edges deeper, place the steel and pour it flat and level.

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  • Foundation installation

    Bigger projects here, like a large addition or a new house on a sloped lot, need a foundation built to the drawings. We form and pour the footings, walls and slab as drawn.

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  • Concrete parking lot building

    Small business lots here take delivery trucks, daily traffic and plenty of turning tires. We pour them thicker with steel inside and plan the slope so water runs to the drains.

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  • Concrete footings

    Patio covers, block walls and sheds here need footings, the buried concrete that spreads their weight into the ground. We dig them to the depth the job calls for before anything goes on top.

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  • Foundation raising

    When part of an older house here has dropped, you see it in sticking doors, sloping floors or cracks in the walls. We find out why it settled before we lift and support it.

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  • Concrete cutting

    Widening a driveway or running a new line under a slab here often means cutting the old concrete instead of tearing it all out. We saw clean, straight edges so new meets old neatly.

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What good concrete work looks like up close

These photos show the kind of work we do, from forming and pouring to the finish on a driveway or patio. Look at the edges, the joints and the texture, because that's where careful work shows.

  • Stamped concrete entry patio with a textured gray finish and a raised brown step below a doorway.

  • A swimming pool is surrounded by a broad gray paver deck, with metal ladders, lounge chairs, and dark pergolas.

  • A curved concrete pool deck surrounds a blue swimming pool and attached spa, beside covered outdoor seating areas.

What to sort out before a Simi Valley pour

Most of what decides how a job goes here happens before the truck shows up. These are the two things I go over with every Simi Valley homeowner before we set a date.

Permits, inspections and checking who you hire

In Simi Valley, construction permits come from the city's Building and Safety Division, and homeowners can call it with permit questions at (805) 583-6723. If your job needs one, it adds time up front, because nothing gets poured until the permit is issued, and each inspection is a stop in the schedule. The city does inspections the next workday when they're requested by 4 p.m.

At the estimate I sort out with you whether a permit applies to your job and who'll file it, and when we file, we handle the paperwork with the city. Before you hire anyone, ask for their state contractor's license and the City Business Tax Certificate every business needs before working in Simi Valley. A contractor who can't show you both is a reason to keep looking.

  • Contractors need a state license before they can even bid your job.
  • If a permit applies, the stamped approved plans have to stay on site.
  • Some permits also need review and fees from outside agencies, like county fire.

What moves the price and the schedule

Price mostly follows the size and thickness of the slab, how much old concrete has to come out, and how much digging and packing the subgrade needs, which is the ground the slab sits on. The finish matters too, since stamped or colored concrete costs more than a plain broom finish, the lightly brushed texture that gives your shoes some grip.

The schedule turns on whether a permit applies, how much tear-out and base work the job needs, and curing, the wait while fresh concrete hardens before you can use it. Pouring is the quick part. Your own number comes from the estimate, once I've stood on the spot and asked how you plan to use it.

  • Tight side-yard access can mean a pump truck or more hand work.
  • Base work often takes longer than the pour itself.
  • Plan where you'll park while a new driveway cures.

Get a free on-site estimate for your Simi Valley concrete job

Send the form or call (805) 873-8640 and we'll reply within one business day to set up a visit. I come out to your Simi Valley property myself, look over the spot with you and give you a free estimate with no obligation to go ahead.

(805) 873-8640

What we run into on Simi Valley houses and lots

Every property here has its own quirks, but a few things come up again and again when I walk a driveway or backyard in Simi Valley. Here's what they are and how they change the job.

  • Driveways cracked or sunk in sections

    A long crack running across a driveway, or one slab sitting lower than the next, usually means the base under it wasn't dug out and packed, so the dirt settled and took the concrete with it. Patching the top won't fix that. We take out the bad section and rebuild what it sits on.

  • Water headed toward the house

    When I walk a property, I look at where water runs off the roof, down the driveway and across the yard. A slab that falls toward the house sends water against the foundation, so we set new concrete to carry it away and plan around downspouts before any forms go in.

  • Lots that slope front to back

    Homes toward the hillsides often sit on lots that drop from the street to the backyard or rise behind the house. A slope changes a lot, from how we form the slab to whether you need steps or a retaining wall, so I measure it at the estimate instead of guessing.

  • Old concrete in the way

    Plenty of yards here already have concrete where the new work needs to go, from a cracked patio to an old walk. Pouring over a broken slab carries its cracks into the new one, so we usually cut or break it out and start with a sound base.

  • New slabs next to old ones

    Garage extensions, wider driveways and room additions put new concrete right against old. We match the height and texture as closely as concrete allows and tie the two together with steel, but new concrete looks a shade lighter at first, and I'll tell you that up front.

Why Simi Valley homeowners call us for concrete

I was pouring concrete for years before it became the whole business, and it's been all we do since 2013. Here's what that means when our crew shows up at your house.

We spend the money where you can't see it

The base is the part nobody sees on day one, and it's usually the first thing a tight budget cuts. A crew can rake the dirt level, pour on it and leave a good-looking slab, but that dirt settles over the next few years and takes the concrete down with it. That's where most of the cracks and puddles I'm called out to fix started.

So if something has to give, I'd rather keep a plain broom finish and spend the money on digging out, packing the base in layers and checking which way the water runs. We still care about the top, and we plan pours for the cooler part of the day so it doesn't dry weak and dusty. But a nice surface on a poor base doesn't last.

  • The owner walks every estimate

    I come out for every estimate myself, so the person pricing your job is the one who knows what it takes to build it. I'll ask a lot of questions about how you use the space, because a patio for a grill and a slab for an RV aren't the same job.

  • Owner check-ins during the work

    Our crew does the prep, forming and pour on your job, and I check in on the work as it goes rather than waiting until the end. If something under the old slab surprises us once it's open, I'll talk it through with you before we go further.

  • Licensed and insured on every job

    We're fully licensed and insured for the work we do here, from a short garden walk to a foundation. Ask to see it before you sign anything, and ask any other contractor you're comparing for the same, because it's the easiest check you can make.

  • Concrete full time since 2013

    I poured walks and pads for years as a landscaper before making concrete the whole business in 2013, and we back the work with satisfaction guaranteed on every job. To talk through your Simi Valley project, call (805) 873-8640 or send the form.

Questions Simi Valley homeowners ask about concrete work

These are the questions homeowners here ask me on Simi Valley estimates, answered the way I'd answer them in your driveway. If yours isn't here, ask me when I come out.

Do I need a permit to replace a concrete driveway or patio in Simi Valley?

If the concrete is part of a new building, a remodel or an addition, Simi Valley requires a construction permit before work starts. For a plain driveway or patio replacement, the city's list of common permits names roofing, solar, electrical and plumbing work but not flatwork, so it doesn't settle the question by itself. That's one of the things we sort out for your job at the estimate.

Does a concrete contractor in Simi Valley need a California license?

Yes, for almost any driveway, patio or foundation job. The Contractors State License Board requires a license when the project needs a building permit, uses employee labor, or when one or more contracts on it total $1,000 or more in labor and materials. Even a modest patio usually passes that figure, so ask for the license number and look it up before you sign.

How much does it cost to replace a concrete driveway in Simi Valley?

A driveway replacement here is priced on its size, the tear-out, the base work and the finish, and you get your own number once I've seen it. Extra steel for an RV or trailer, a steep or long drive and a stamped or colored finish push the price up, while a plain broom finish keeps it lower. If your job needs a permit, the city's fees are part of the cost too.

How long does a new concrete driveway take before I can drive on it?

You can usually walk on a new slab within a few days, but a driveway needs a good deal longer before a car goes on it, and I'll tell you the wait for yours before we pour. Concrete keeps hardening for weeks, so driving on it too early can break the edges or leave marks that don't come out. Plan on parking on the street for that stretch.

What causes concrete driveways and patios to crack, and will a new one crack too?

Concrete shrinks as it cures and moves with the ground under it, so nearly every slab cracks somewhere, and a new one will too. What we control is where and how much. We cut control joints, shallow grooves that give the slab a straight line to crack along, add rebar where it carries weight and build on a packed base so it's far less likely to settle and split.

Do I need an engineer for a garage slab or foundation in Simi Valley?

Usually not for a simple one, because plans for a one-story, conventional wood-frame home, garage or accessory building of limited structural complexity don't have to come from a licensed architect or engineer here. Structurally complex homes and homes on steep hillsides do, under state law. The city's local building standards focus mainly on foundation design and wall bracing, so we pour foundations here strictly to the approved plans.

Service areas

We're based in Santa Paula and work across the cities around it, with Simi Valley, Moorpark and Thousand Oaks among them. If your city isn't listed or you're a bit farther out, call (805) 873-8640 and ask.

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(805) 873-8640Get an estimate