Concrete Contractor in Fullerton, CA - Slabs and Walls Built from the Ground Up

Generally yes, because patios and retaining walls are both on the list of work the city says generally needs a permit from Fullerton Building & Safety. Driveways and walkways aren't named on that list, so it doesn't settle them either way, and Building & Safety is the place to ask. We check your address before we start, so you're not guessing.

A project submitted now falls under the 2025 California Building Codes with Fullerton's own amendments, which the city wrote for its local terrain, weather and ground. If your application went in before those took effect at the start of 2026, it can stay under the 2022 codes as long as the permit is issued before the application expires. We build walls, footings and slabs to whichever code your permit falls under.

Your price is set mostly by the ground work your lot needs, then by size and finish, so I give you a number only after I've seen the job. In Fullerton the big swings come from slopes that need extra digging or a wall, thick old concrete that has to be broken out and hauled off, and tight side yards where we can't get a truck close. A plain broom finish costs less than stamped, but cutting corners on the base is the one savings I'll talk you out of, because nobody sees the base on day one and it's what keeps the slab from cracking later.

Most cracked and sunken driveways I look at here sit on a poor subgrade, the dirt under the slab, that was raked flat instead of dug out and packed, so it settled and took the concrete with it. Water running under the edges makes it worse, and so do control joints, the grooves cut so the slab cracks along a line we choose, that were cut late or skipped. On a new slab we pack the base, steer the water away, add rebar, steel bars that hold the pieces together, and cut the joints on time, so if it does crack, it usually happens in the groove where you'll hardly notice.

Plan on a few days before you walk on new concrete and a good deal longer before you park a car on it, because curing keeps going well after the top looks dry. On hot days we pour early in the morning, since a slab that dries too fast in the afternoon sun ends up with a weak, dusty top. I'll give you the dates for your pour before we start.

Start with where the water goes and what's holding the dirt back, then build the slab. On a sloped lot we usually cut the yard into level sections, hold the high side with a retaining wall that has drainage behind it, and pitch the patio away from the house. A wall like that usually goes through the permit check I mentioned above, so we sort that out first.