Concrete Contractor in Mission Viejo - Driveways and Patios That Drain Right
Advanced San Clemente Concrete Company is a concrete contractor working in Mission Viejo, CA. We tear out and replace driveways, patios, walkways, steps and slabs, starting with ground prep and drainage so the new concrete stays put.
Sloped lots and older slabs set the work here
Mission Viejo is mostly homes, one planned neighborhood after another, from the streets around Lake Mission Viejo up into tracts that follow the hills, with shopping and offices kept to the main roads. On estimates here I mostly find the original driveways, walkways and back patios that went in with the house and have since settled, cracked or started holding water by the garage door. We get the same calls from Aliso Viejo and Lake Forest next door.
A lot of these lots slope toward the street or toward the house, and that changes the job, because the base has to be dug out and packed on a grade and the new slab has to send water away from your foundation instead of into it.
What I check before we pour in Mission Viejo
Permits here are the city's call. The building official issues a permit before anyone builds, alters or repairs a structure, and Building Services enforces the codes, so if your project falls under that, the permit and its inspections become part of your schedule and we plan the pour around them. The City of Mission Viejo doesn't require a business license, so the check worth making is the state one, and the city sends homeowners to the California State License Board at 800-321-CSLB to look up any contractor, us included. We're fully licensed and insured, and when a job needs a permit, we get it as your licensed contractor and tell you early if the city wants anything from you, like old soils reports or property drawings. On the big commercial jobs I came up on, nobody mixed a yard of concrete until the paperwork was straight, and I still work that way.
Price mostly comes down to the size of the slab, how much old concrete we tear out and haul off, how much digging and base the ground needs and the finish you pick, while the schedule turns on permits, weather and curing time, and your written estimate lists what's included. If the budget gets tight, I'll tell you to trim the finish before the base, because nobody sees the subgrade, the packed ground the slab sits on, once it's poured, but it's what decides whether your driveway stays flat. We run the same prep on jobs over in Rancho Santa Margarita and across south Orange County.
Our concrete services in Mission Viejo
- Concrete driveway building
- Concrete patio construction
- Stamped concrete services
- Concrete sidewalk building
- Garage floor concrete
- Decorative concrete
- Concrete retaining walls
- Concrete floor installation
- Concrete pool decks
- Concrete steps construction
- Slab foundation building
- Foundation installation
- Concrete parking lot building
- Concrete footings
- Foundation raising
- Concrete cutting
Time and slopes are hard on concrete here
Concrete that's been down since the neighborhood was built has usually had years of water, tree roots and settling working underneath it, which is why we see heaved walkway panels, split driveways and patios that tip toward the back door. We don't patch over a base that's already failed. We tear it out, dig down to firm ground and rebuild from there, and we do the same on new sidewalks and walkways along the side yard, where trip edges tend to show up first.
Sloped yards are the other half of the work. Water and soil move downhill, and the city adjusts its building codes for local ground, terrain and weather, so on a grade we expect more digging and forming and sometimes steps or a retaining wall, and I'll say so at the estimate rather than surprise you later.
Get a free on-site estimate for your Mission Viejo project
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day, and most of the time I'm the one calling you back. I'll set a time to come out to your Mission Viejo property, walk the job with you and measure it. The estimate is free, and there's no obligation.
How a concrete job runs when you call us in Mission Viejo
Call or send the form
Tell us what's going on with your driveway, patio or slab and roughly where it sits on the lot. We'll find a time for me to come out to the house.
Walk the job together
I come out myself, take measurements and ask what you're hoping for. I also look at where the water runs and how the ground slopes, because that shapes the whole plan.
Review your written quote
You get a written quote that spells out what's in it, like reinforcement and hauling off the old concrete. If something on it doesn't make sense, ask, because I'd rather explain than leave you guessing.
Line up permits before pouring
If the job needs a permit, an engineer or a scan, we sort it out before we book the pour. The city does inspections the next business day when the request goes in online before 4:00 PM the day before, so we time the pour around them.
Pour, then walk it together
Our own crew does the work, with a crew lead running the site. When it's done, I walk it with you and explain what to expect while it cures, including when it's ready for feet and when it's ready for cars.
Driveways, patios and walkways
Concrete questions from Mission Viejo homeowners
How do I get a permit for a concrete project in Mission Viejo?
You apply online through the city's Building Services before any work begins, either as the owner or through an authorized agent like your contractor. Permit applications and inspection requests both go through that online system. When your project needs one, we apply for it as your contractor, so you don't have to learn the system for one driveway.
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Mission Viejo?
The cost comes down to the size of the slab and what your lot needs before we pour, and I won't guess at it until I've measured. Here the extras are usually a sloped lot that needs more digging and base, tight access for the truck, rebar, the steel grid that holds the slab together if it cracks, and a decorative finish instead of a plain broom finish, the light texture dragged across the top for grip.
What causes concrete driveways to crack in Mission Viejo?
Most cracks we see here start underneath, with a base that was raked level instead of dug out and packed, plus years of water and roots working under the slab. Missing or late control joints, the grooves cut so the slab cracks along a line we chose, add random cracks on top. Concrete still cracks some, so we pack the base, cut the joints on time and put the cracks where they belong.
How long does a new concrete driveway take before I can drive on it?
Longer than most people expect, because concrete keeps curing and getting stronger well after it looks dry. You can walk on it well before you can park on it, and parking too early is one of the easiest ways to crack a new slab. At the final walkthrough I'll tell you when it's safe for your car, since the mix, the weather and the thickness all change it.
What is the best way to handle drainage on a sloped lot in Mission Viejo?
Plan it before the forms go in, with the slab falling away from the house and the water headed somewhere it can actually go. On a hillside lot that can mean a drain, a curb or a short retaining wall, and I'll tell you which one your yard needs instead of selling you all three. A slab that sends water toward the foundation is the mistake I see most on older driveways.
What is the best time of day to pour concrete in Mission Viejo?
Early in the day, before the afternoon heat gets to it. When the top dries faster than the concrete underneath, you end up with a weak, dusty surface that starts chipping later, so we book pours for the morning and keep the surface damp while it sets. If a hot spell is coming, I'd rather move the date than rush it.
Ask about your Mission Viejo driveway or patio
Call (949) 312-6327 or send the form, since cracks that let water under a slab tend to grow and take more concrete with them.