Concrete Contractor in Tustin, CA - Driveways and Patios Built on a Solid Base
C&M Santa Ana Concrete Company is a concrete contractor serving Tustin from nearby Santa Ana. We pour driveways, patios, walks, steps, stamped work and retaining walls here, from older houses near Old Town to newer homes in Tustin Legacy.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free on-site estimates.
- We reply within 1 business day.
Concrete work across Tustin's old and new streets
We see two different sides of Tustin on our jobs. Around Old Town, where the oldest buildings on Main Street go back to the 1880s, the houses nearby tend to be older, and the concrete around them has had decades to crack, sink and get patched. Out in Tustin Legacy, a large newer area that runs over into Irvine, homes sit beside shops, parks and schools, and the calls there are more often about adding a patio or widening a driveway than replacing one.
We're based next door in Santa Ana and work in Tustin the same way we do in Garden Grove and the other cities around us. What moves the price here is mostly how much old concrete comes out, how much base work the ground needs and the finish you pick, and the schedule turns on the permit check and the cure. On an older lot that usually means more digging before the pour, and on a newer one it means fitting the slab to grades and drains that are already set.
Concrete services for Tustin homes
Concrete driveway building
Older Tustin driveways often crack and sink because the base was only raked level. We dig out, pack the ground underneath and pour a new slab on it.
Concrete patio construction
Many Tustin backyards end at a cramped slab or bare dirt. We pour patios sized for how you'll use them and sloped away from the house.
Stamped concrete services
Around Old Town, plain gray concrete can look wrong beside older homes. Our stamped concrete gives a walk or patio a stone or brick look.
Concrete retaining walls
Where a Tustin yard changes level, a wall has to hold the soil. We build them on solid footings with drainage behind, so water doesn't push them over.
Concrete steps construction
Front steps on older Tustin houses settle and pull away from the porch with time. We tear out the old set and pour new steps at an even height.
Concrete sidewalk building
Tustin front walks crack and lift until someone catches a toe on the edge. We cut out the bad sections and pour new walk flush with the driveway.
What Tustin driveways and patios need
The question I hear most is whether the new slab will crack like the old one, and it usually will if it goes back on the same tired ground. A lot of the older concrete we tear out here was poured over dirt that was raked level instead of dug out and packed, so it settled unevenly and split. We dig down to firm subgrade, the soil the slab sits on, pack a base over it and add rebar, steel bars that hold the slab together, where the job calls for it. We also cut control joints, shallow grooves that give the concrete a straight place to crack instead of across the middle, and we cut them before the slab picks its own spot. If the budget gets tight, I'd rather you skip a fancy finish than skimp on the base, because nobody sees the base on day one but it decides how the slab looks years from now.
Water is the other thing we watch. Before we form anything, I look at where the water runs off your roof and yard, because a driveway or patio that tips toward the house sends it right at your foundation. We set the slope so it drains away and give the top a broom finish, a light brushed texture that keeps it from getting slick when it's wet.
Get a free on-site estimate for your Tustin concrete job
Call (714) 439-5472 or send the form, and we'll reply within one business day, with no pressure and no obligation. I come out to your Tustin property myself, look at the spot, ask how you'll use it and then send you a written estimate.
Tustin concrete questions, answered
These are the questions Tustin homeowners ask us most about permits, cost and curing. If yours isn't here, call or send the form and ask about your own job.
Do I need a permit for a concrete driveway or patio in Tustin?
An older Tustin city guide lists open, unroofed concrete patio slabs and driveways no more than 30 inches above grade as exempt, but the city's Building Division has the current rule, so we check with it early on every job. That older exemption only covers slabs that aren't over a basement or a room below, and the city's FAQ says solid and lattice patio covers do need a permit. When one is needed, we pull it as the licensed contractor, and it stays good for 180 days, or until the job is done as long as work keeps moving. You can also reach the city at 714-573-3000.
How do I know if my Tustin project needs a grading permit?
Tustin requires a grading permit when more than 50 cubic yards of earth is moved, when a foot of fill is used, or when a cut slope is more than 5 feet tall. A driveway or patio usually moves much less dirt than that, but a big retaining wall or a regraded yard can cross the line. That application goes to the Building Division with grading plans and soil reports, and I'll tell you at the estimate if your job looks close.
Do I need a permit for a low retaining wall in Tustin?
An older Tustin guide lists walls no more than 3 feet tall as exempt, and the city's FAQ says fences over 3 feet above finished grade need a permit with a plot plan showing your property lines and how far the fence sits from them. A retaining wall also holds back soil, so we check the current rule with the Building Division before we dig footings for any wall.
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Tustin?
Your price comes from the written estimate I send after seeing the spot, because two Tustin driveways of the same size can need very different work. The biggest swings are how much old concrete has to be broken out and hauled off, how much digging and packing the base needs, how thick the slab has to be, and whether you want a plain broom finish or stamped work. If the city requires a permit, its fees come on top.
How long does a new concrete driveway take to cure before I can drive on it?
You can usually walk on new concrete within a few days, but cars stay off longer while it cures, the stretch where it keeps hardening and gaining strength. The tear-out and pour tend to go quickly, so the cure is the part that keeps you off your driveway. I'll go over when you can walk on it and when you can park on it before we pour, since that shifts with the mix and the weather.
How do I pay Tustin permit fees safely?
Pay Tustin permit fees only through the city's Citizen Self Service portal or in person at the Finance counter at City Hall, 300 Centennial Way. The city says fraud tied to permit fees is on the rise and that it asks for no bank routing number or wire number, so a request for either one isn't coming from the city. The city's permits page has the payment details.
Finished concrete work examples
Other cities we serve
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