T&M Norwalk Concrete CompanyT&M Norwalk Concrete Company

Concrete contractor in South Whittier, CA - slabs built on solid ground

T&M Norwalk Concrete Company is a concrete contractor based in Norwalk. In South Whittier we pour and replace driveways, patios, walkways, steps and garage slabs, and we track down why old concrete cracked or sank.

Request a quote(562) 307-9138
A broom-finished concrete walkway with geometric joints leads from a garage door to the sidewalk.
  • Licensed and insured.
  • Free quotes on site.
  • We respond within 1 business day.

About South Whittier, CA

South Whittier is a residential community run by Los Angeles County rather than a city government, and from a concrete crew's point of view it's mostly blocks of single-family homes. Many lots have a driveway running alongside the house to a garage set toward the back, a front walk to the porch and a patio out back, so one house can have several slabs of different ages, each poured by somebody different.

We work here the same way we do in Norwalk and Pico Rivera. On older lots like these, the job usually turns on what's under the old slab and where the water goes, so I look at the ground before we talk about finishes.

Services in South Whittier, CA

  • Concrete driveway building

    Older driveways here often crack across the middle or sink where they meet the street. We tear out, dig to firm ground, pack a new base and pour.

  • Concrete patio construction

    A backyard patio that tips toward the house sends water against the walls. We set the new slab to fall away from the house and check where that water ends up.

  • Concrete sidewalk building

    Front walks here get trip edges where roots or settling push a panel up. We handle concrete sidewalk building on a packed base, with joints cut where cracks should land.

  • Garage floor concrete

    Garage slabs in older homes crack, stain and dust up after years of cars and storage. We break out the worn floor, check the ground under it and pour a new slab.

  • Concrete steps construction

    Front steps often pull away from the porch or crumble at the edges after years of use. We form and pour new steps on solid footing, with every step the same height.

  • Concrete cutting

    Tight side yards often mean cutting into an existing slab instead of tearing it all out. We saw clean lines for drains, repairs or new walks and haul the pieces away.

Working in South Whittier with the county, not a city

South Whittier is unincorporated, so the county does what a city hall would, and building permits here go through the county Public Works office for South Whittier, which sits in Norwalk. Whether your job needs a permit is the county's call, so before work starts we check for your address, and if one's needed we pull it and handle the paperwork for our part, which can add a wait before we break ground. Before you hire anyone, ask for their California contractor license, because the Contractors State License Board licenses construction work across the state. We're licensed and insured, and I come out to look at every job myself.

Price turns on the size of the slab, how much old concrete has to come out, how much digging and packing the ground needs and how close we can get the truck. The schedule turns on that same ground work and on curing, the days new concrete stays damp and undisturbed so it hardens all the way through. I put your figure in the written estimate after I've seen the site. Driveways here are a lot like the ones we pour in Bellflower and Downey, where a narrow side yard and a garage set back on the lot often mean wheeling concrete to the back, so we plan the crew around that.

South Whittier, CA properties and local conditions

A lot of the concrete around South Whittier homes is old, and much of it was poured on a subgrade, the dirt the slab sits on, that was raked flat instead of dug out and packed. That ground keeps settling, so the slab cracks and drops with it, usually worst where a car turns or where the slab meets the house. When we replace it, the base gets most of our attention, because it's hidden the day we pour and it's the first thing people want to cut from a budget. I'd rather put your money into digging and compacting than into a fancy surface sitting on soft ground.

Water is the other thing we see. Patios and driveways added over the years sometimes fall toward the house, so water pools by the garage or soaks in along the foundation. We check where the water runs before we set forms, slope the new slab away, and cut control joints, shallow grooves that give the concrete a straight place to crack instead of wandering across the middle.

Get a written concrete estimate for your South Whittier home

Send the form or call (562) 307-9138 and we'll get back to you within one business day. I'll come out to your South Whittier address, look at the job myself and send you a free written estimate. There's no obligation to go ahead.

What happens after you call us about South Whittier concrete

  1. Call or send the form

    Tell us what's going on with your concrete and roughly where in South Whittier you are. We'll set a time for me to come out and see it.

  2. I come out and look

    I walk the site with you, look at the ground, the water and the old slab, and ask what you need the new one to do. Then I send a written estimate, so you see the price before anything is decided.

  3. We handle permits and prep

    If the county wants a permit for your address, we pull it and wait on it before we start. Then our crew breaks out the old concrete, digs to firm ground and packs the base, and I'm on site for it.

  4. Pour, finish and final walk-through

    We pour, finish the surface and cut the joints, then walk the job with you when we're done. Before we leave, we tell you when it's safe to walk on it and when you can drive on it.

Frequently asked questions

How do I find out if my concrete job in South Whittier needs a permit?

Look up your address in the county's Service Locator, which shows the Building and Safety office that handles permits there along with its phone and email, and ask them about your project. Even when the building part of a job is exempt, separate plumbing, electrical or mechanical permits can still apply, and zoning rules still count. We check this for your address before any work starts.

Does a small concrete repair need a licensed contractor in California?

Only if it's over $1,000, needs a permit or uses a crew, because California's minor work exemption covers jobs up to that figure and only when no permit is required and the person doing it has nobody working for them. Past any of those lines, the work calls for a licensed contractor. Ask to see the license before you sign anything.

How much does it cost to replace a concrete driveway in South Whittier?

It depends on what I find on site, so you get your number in the written estimate after I've looked. A plain broom finish, the light texture that keeps concrete from getting slick, costs less than stamped or colored concrete. Keeping a sound section of old slab instead of tearing it all out can bring the total down, while deep base repair, thicker slabs with steel for heavy vehicles and a long carry to the back of the lot push it up.

What is the best way to keep a new concrete slab from cracking?

Start with the ground, because a packed, well-drained base does more to stop cracks than anything poured on top. After that come control joints cut on time and rebar, the steel bars inside that keep a crack from spreading open, where the slab needs it. Curing matters too, since a slab that dries out too fast comes out with a weak, dusty top. No slab is crack-proof, but these put the cracks where they're meant to go.

Can I replace just the cracked part of my driveway in South Whittier?

Often you can, when the ground under the rest of the slab is still firm and the old concrete isn't heaving or breaking up. We saw a clean line, break out the bad section, fix the base under it and pour the new piece to meet the old, though the color won't match exactly. If the cause runs under the whole slab, patching one part just moves the problem, and I'll tell you that.

Do concrete contractors need a county business license to work in South Whittier?

A business located in an unincorporated area like South Whittier needs a County Business License when its work is one of the activities the county licenses for public health, welfare or safety. Activities outside the county's list don't need one. We're based in Norwalk, and you're welcome to ask about our licensing when I come out.

Service areas

Explore the services

Norwalk, CA

Have us look at your South Whittier concrete

We answer the phone seven days a week, early on weekends too, so call (562) 307-9138 or send the form and we'll find a time that fits your schedule.

Request a quote(562) 307-9138
(562) 307-9138Request a quote