Concrete driveway building in Fontana CA - a slab built for what you park on it
Cracked, sinking or puddling driveway? We dig out the old one, pack the base and pour a new slab graded to shed water.
How is a new concrete driveway built in Fontana?
Concrete driveway building in Fontana means clearing and packing the ground, then forming, pouring and finishing a new slab with an even grade, so rain runs off instead of pooling at your garage or along the edges.
Most calls start with a driveway that's cracked, sinking or holding puddles after a rain. We break out the old slab, dig down and pack the ground, set forms, pour and finish, and we can add a concrete patio out back while we're set up. In California, the state licensing board's concrete contractor category covers exactly this kind of work, forming, pouring and finishing pavement and other flat slabs.
The price moves with the size, whether there's an old slab to tear out, how much digging the base needs, how thick the slab has to be for what you park and whether the work reaches the curb. The schedule turns on the city's steps for the street side, the weather on pour day and the curing wait before you drive on it. Your written estimate spells out what's included for your driveway.
What a good concrete driveway needs
Most of what makes a driveway hold up happens before the concrete truck shows up, so here's what we look at before anything gets poured.
A dug-out, packed base
The subgrade, the ground the slab sits on, gets cleared of roots and loose dirt and packed, along with any fill or utility trenches, so the slab isn't riding on dirt that settles.
Thickness for your load
We ask what you'll park on it, a work truck or trailer, since heavier loads or weak ground can call for a thicker slab or rebar, steel that ties it together.
A slope that sheds water
We check where the water runs and set an even grade away from the house, because water that sits at the garage, in low spots or along the edges wears on a slab.
The finish on top
A broom finish, fine grooves pulled across the wet top, gives shoes and tires grip, and stamped concrete adds a pattern, but if money's tight I'd spend it on the base.
Questions about new driveways
How much does a concrete driveway cost in Fontana?
An installed 4-inch concrete slab in the Inland Empire usually runs about $10 to $14 per square foot, and that's the going rate around here, not a quote from us. A thicker slab for a heavy truck, tearing out the old driveway or work at the curb can put yours outside that range, and your written estimate shows which of those apply.
Do I need a city permit for the part of my driveway at the street in Fontana?
Yes, Fontana requires a Driveway Approach Construction Permit to remove, change or build the curb, sidewalk or pavement where your driveway meets the street. That covers the strip between the street and your property, which the city splits into the apron, the end slopes and the sidewalk section, so ask any contractor whether their bid includes it, and ours lists the street side whenever the work reaches the curb. We pull that permit under our license, because the city says an owner who pulls a permit for a contractor's work takes on the project's liability, taxes and personal injury included.
How long does it take before I can drive on a new concrete driveway?
You can drive on it once we tell you it's ready, not when it starts to look hard, because concrete keeps gaining strength after you can walk on it. Curing, the stretch where the new slab holds its moisture and gains strength, starts right after we finish, and the edges and corners need protecting from cars early on. I'll tell you when it's ready for your car and when it's ready for anything heavier.
Is it okay to pour a concrete driveway in the summer?
Yes, if the pour is timed right, because hot weather often brings plastic-shrinkage cracking, fine cracks that form when the top dries faster than water can rise from the mix. Hot-weather guidance schedules pours for the part of the day or night with better weather, and a pour in midday heat can leave a weak, dusty top, so it's fair to ask any crew when they plan to pour. One concrete additive maker also says to keep added water out of hot-weather concrete, since water added to cool the mix or make it easier to work can hurt its strength and long-term durability.
What causes cracks in a new concrete driveway?
Most early cracks come from a base that was raked level instead of dug out and packed, joints that were cut late or skipped, or a slab that sheds water the wrong way. Concrete shrinks as it cures, so control joints, grooves cut into the slab, give it a straight line to crack along in a spot we picked. Nobody can promise a slab that won't crack, but good prep and well-placed joints decide where it cracks and how much.
How do I clean my new concrete driveway in Fontana?
Sweep it, because the city's stormwater program asks residents to clean a paved driveway with a broom instead of a hose. A stiff push broom gets the dirt out of the grooves of a broom finish just fine.
Why Fontana homeowners call Precision Fontana Concrete Company for driveways
Before anything gets poured, I'll explain what you're paying for and what concrete will and won't do, because the prep and drainage are what you live with for years.
The owner comes out
I look at your driveway and write the estimate myself, then work on site with our finishers and laborers.
Our own crew since 2021
I learned the trade under a finisher who'd poured for decades, and we've run our own Fontana crew for five years.
Licensed and fully insured
That holds on every driveway we pour, from breaking out the old slab to the last pass of the broom.
Our promise on every slab
Every driveway we build is backed by our satisfaction guarantee.
Fontana and the cities nearby
We work across Fontana and nearby cities like Rialto and Rancho Cucamonga, and if yours isn't listed, call (909) 346-3783 to ask.
Talk through your new driveway with us
Call and tell me a bit about the old driveway and how you use it, so the site visit starts with the right questions.
What happens after you call about a driveway in Fontana?
We plan the start around your household, and around the city when the work reaches the street, since its inspectors need at least 2 days' notice and weekend work needs an inspection booked ahead.
Call or send a request
Call (909) 346-3783 or use the form on this page, and we'll set up a time for me to come see your driveway.
I come out to look
I look at the old slab, the slope and the street side, ask how you'll use the space and talk through each step of the job.
Your written estimate
You get a written estimate that spells out what's included, so you know what you're paying for before anything gets dug or poured.
Permit, pour and walk-through
Once you say go, we handle the permit and any meeting with city inspectors, prep, pour and finish, then I walk the driveway with you before we pack up.