Concrete patio construction in Santa Ana CA - a slab planned for how you'll use it
Cracked, sinking or too-small patio out back? We plan the joints, finish and base so the new slab ages the way you expect.
Book a visit to look at your patio
Call (714) 439-5472 or use the form, because seeing the actual spot is the only way I can give you a real number for your patio.
What does it take to build a concrete patio in Santa Ana?
Concrete patio construction in Santa Ana is pouring a new slab out back, or tearing out a tired one and pouring its replacement, with the size, finish, steel and joints settled before any concrete shows up.
Most calls start with an old patio that's cracked, sunk at a corner or too small for the table, or a patch of dirt you're done looking at. The price moves with the size, the finish you pick, from a plain broom texture to stamped concrete, whether the slab gets steel inside it and whether an old patio has to come out first, and the schedule turns mostly on that finish and on whether the city wants a permit and inspection. We check with the city's building office early on every job, so that question is answered before we set forms. When I come out, I measure, ask how you'll use the space and send a written estimate with the figure for your patio.
Why Santa Ana homeowners call C&M Santa Ana Concrete Company for patios
Licensed and insured, we pull permits
We're licensed and insured, and when your patio needs a Santa Ana permit we can pull it as the licensed contractor. You can check any contractor's license with the state licensing board before you sign.
The owner looks at every job
I come out to see every patio myself, and I'm on site with our crew for most of the forming, pouring and finishing. The person who priced your job is the one watching it get built.
Pouring in Santa Ana since 2017
I learned concrete on my dad's crews and started this business in Santa Ana in 2017. Patios, driveways and stamped work are what we're best known for, so your questions won't be new to us.
What matters most is that you know what you're getting before we pour, because concrete is hard to undo once it sets. Set up a visit and bring every question you've got.
How we handle concrete patio construction
I start with the layout, because the size, the shape and the joints all get decided before anything is dug. Control joints are the straight grooves cut into a slab so it cracks along lines we chose instead of across the middle of your patio, and I draw them in as part of the design. If a hot tub is anywhere in your plans, even years off, tell us now so we can build that spot to carry it. Before you choose a finish, we talk through what each one looks like after a few years and the upkeep it asks of you. Then we dig out and pack the base, the layer the slab sits on, set the forms and any steel, pour, and finish the top the way you picked. When the budget gets tight, people want to trim the base and keep the fancy finish, and I'll push back on that, because the base is buried on day one and it decides how well everything on top holds up.
Patios rarely stand alone. If you'd like a brick, stone or wood pattern pressed into the surface, our stamped concrete services page goes into the patterns and what they take to keep up, and if the patio needs a path from the gate or the driveway, we pour that too through our concrete sidewalk building work.
Broom finish for everyday use
A broom is dragged across the wet top to leave a fine texture that gives your feet some grip. It costs less than stamped work and asks little upkeep, so it suits a family patio that just needs to work.
Stamped finish for a stone look
Patterns pressed into the wet concrete give the look of brick, stone, slate or wood. It costs more than a broom finish and needs regular care, so it suits a patio you want to show off and will look after.
How do you know your patio needs replacing?
Cracks that keep widening
A crack that's getting wider or catching your toe usually means the slab is moving underneath. Waiting lets the edges chip and break, and a patch that might have worked becomes a tear-out.
A corner sinking down
When one corner or edge drops below the rest, the base under it usually wasn't packed right. It tends to keep dropping, and the lip it leaves is easy to trip on.
A dusty, flaking top
If the surface flakes or leaves grit on the broom, the top layer is usually weak from the original pour. It only gets rougher, and patches on a worn top rarely blend in.
Too small for the table
If chairs hang off the edge or the grill sits in the dirt, the slab no longer fits how you live. Adding on later leaves a seam, so plan the full size now.
What happens after you call about a Santa Ana patio?
Call and set a visit
You call or send the form and we set a time. I come out, look at the spot, ask how you'll use it and send a written estimate.
We prep, form and pour
Once you say go, we handle any permit, then prep, form, pour and finish. If the city inspects, the work stays open until it's approved, so we schedule around each visit.
Walk the finished patio together
When it's finished, we walk the patio with you and go over the joints, the finish and the upkeep it needs. That's your time to ask anything we haven't covered.
Patio questions we hear most
These are the questions Santa Ana homeowners ask me most about patios. If yours isn't here, ask it when I come out, because the answer can change the plan.
How much does a concrete patio cost in Santa Ana?
A concrete patio in Orange County usually costs about $6 to $13 per square foot, according to one county cost guide, and that's the going rate around here, not our quote. Your written estimate prices your own size, finish and any tear-out.
Does stamped concrete need upkeep?
Yes, stamped concrete usually needs resealing every 2 to 3 years, and it shows wear where people walk the most. If you won't keep up with that, a broom finish is the easier one to live with, and I'd rather tell you before we pour than after.
Will my new concrete patio crack?
Probably a little, because concrete can't be kept from cracking entirely, but well-designed joints control where cracks go and keep them small. Wire mesh in the slab won't stop cracking either, though it tends to keep cracks and joints from opening up. So the goal is cracks along the lines we laid out, not a slab that never shows one.
How do I get a permit for a concrete patio in Santa Ana?
You can apply yourself, because Santa Ana issues many types of permits to the property owner, an authorized agent or a licensed contractor, or we can pull it for you as the licensed contractor. The city's list of work exempt from permits names sidewalks and driveways but not patios, so whether yours needs one is a question for the city's building office. If you're applying yourself, the city's permit and inspection FAQs are the place to start.
How do I plan a concrete patio for a future hot tub?
Bring it up before the pour, because one slab guide says the section under a filled hot tub should be poured thicker or set on its own pad. The same guide puts a standard patio at about 4 inches, enough for people and furniture but not vehicles, so if you expect heavier use, ask about thickness before the price is set.
Do you build concrete patios outside Santa Ana?
Yes, we're based in Santa Ana and work in the cities around it across Orange County and nearby, including Orange, Tustin, Garden Grove, Irvine and Costa Mesa. You get the same visit, the same written estimate and the same crew wherever your house is.
Get a written estimate for your patio
Send your patio's rough size, the finish you like and any hot tub plans, and we'll reply within one business day to set a time. I'll come by for a free on-site estimate and send it in writing, no obligation.
Patio finishes and layouts
Work that often goes with a patio
Stamped concrete services
If gray concrete feels too plain for your backyard, a stamped pattern of brick, slate or wood can go right into the same pour.
Learn moreConcrete sidewalk building
A new patio is easier to enjoy with a solid path to it, whether from the side gate, the driveway or the back door.
Learn more