Concrete contractor in Eastern Goleta Valley - slabs that sit flat and shed water
Premier Santa Barbara Concrete is a concrete contractor based in Santa Barbara, CA, building driveways, patios, walks, retaining walls and foundations across Eastern Goleta Valley, from the flatter lots near the coast to the sloped lots toward the foothills.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- We reply within 1 business day.
Eastern Goleta Valley, from the coast to the foothills
Eastern Goleta Valley is the stretch of neighborhoods between Goleta and Santa Barbara, running from the ocean up to Camino Cielo. Most of our calls here come from homeowners with a driveway that has cracked or sunk, a patio where water sits after the hose runs, or a walk that has lifted at a joint. Builders and property owners call us too, usually for footings and slabs that have to match the plans.
The ground changes as you go uphill. Near the coast the lots are flatter, so the job is mostly about giving water somewhere to go, while the lots toward the foothills bring slopes, steps and retaining walls, and every slab has to be set so water runs away from the house.
Concrete services we offer in Eastern Goleta Valley
Concrete driveway building
When a driveway has cracked across or sunk near the garage, we dig out, pack a new base and pour a slab that drains toward the street.
Concrete patio construction
A patio off the back door has to fall away from the house, so we set the forms for that before settling size or finish.
Stamped concrete services
Stamped concrete gives a patio or walk the look of stone or brick, and it lasts best over the same packed base we'd put under a plain slab.
Concrete sidewalk building
Front walks here often lift or drop at a joint where roots or loose fill moved them, so we replace the bad sections and fix what's underneath.
Garage floor concrete
We break out cracked or pitted garage floors and repour them, so the floor runs water toward the door and holds up under the car's weight.
Decorative concrete
Colored, exposed or textured finishes suit the entry walks and courtyards on many homes here, and we talk through how each one wears before you pick.
Concrete retaining walls
On the sloped lots toward the foothills, a retaining wall holds back soil so a yard, driveway or patio can sit flat, and drainage behind it matters most.
Concrete floor installation
Interior slabs for workshops, studios and additions get a packed base, steel where the plans call for it, and a finish that suits how the room is used.
Concrete pool decks
A pool deck has to drain away from the water and the house both, with a surface that grips when wet, so slope and finish get planned together.
Concrete steps construction
Front steps on the hillier lots often settle or pull away from the house, so we build new ones on proper footings with every step the same height.
Slab foundation building
For a new house, addition or accessory building, we pour slab foundations to the plans, with the forms, steel and ground work checked before any concrete arrives.
Foundation installation
When an addition or rebuild needs a new foundation, we dig, form and pour it the way the engineer drew it and plan the schedule around inspections.
Concrete parking lot building
For shared driveways and small lots at commercial and multi-unit properties, we plan the slab thickness and drainage for the trucks and cars it will carry.
Concrete footings
Footings carry walls, posts and additions, so we dig them to firm soil at the size the plans show and keep them clean before the pour.
Foundation raising
If a slab or foundation has dropped on one side, we find why it moved before raising it, since a lift that ignores the cause rarely holds.
Concrete cutting
We saw-cut old slabs for removal, openings for drains or plumbing, and clean lines where new concrete meets old, so the rest of the slab stays whole.
Get a free on-site estimate in Eastern Goleta Valley
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set a time. I come out, measure and look at how water moves on your lot, then send a written estimate. There's no obligation.
(805) 869-0160- Based in
- Santa Barbara, CA 93101
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 6 AM–10 PM, Sat–Sun: 8 AM–10 PM
What we know about concrete work in Eastern Goleta Valley
Eastern Goleta Valley is unincorporated, so the permit side of a concrete job runs through Santa Barbara County Planning & Development, not a city hall. The County issues permits for work that builds, alters or enlarges a structure here and takes questions on which permit a project needs, so before we set a date I check what your job calls for, and if it needs a permit we pull it or walk you through it and plan the schedule around review and inspections. What you can check on your end is the contractor's state license, because California requires one when a job needs a building permit, uses employee labor, or comes to $1,000 or more in labor and materials, and a bigger job can't be split into smaller contracts to stay under that line. We're fully licensed and insured.
The price here turns mostly on what's under and around the slab. How much old concrete and soil has to come out, how deep we dig to reach firm ground, how much forming a slope takes, whether steps or a retaining wall come into it, how close the truck can get and the finish you pick all move the number, while the schedule turns on permit review, the cure and when the crew can get in. Your written estimate spells that out for your job. We do the same work in Montecito and Carpinteria, with the same crew and the same order of work.
Why driveways and walks here crack and settle
A lot of the older driveways and walks we break out here were poured over dirt that was raked level instead of dug out and packed, so the slab settled as the dirt did and cracked at the garage or across the middle. The base is the part you can't see once the concrete is down, so we dig to firm ground and pack it before a form goes in.
Water is the other cause. A slab that falls toward the house, or a lot that sends water from uphill across it, keeps the ground underneath soft, so I check where the water runs on every visit and set the forms to carry it away.
How a concrete job runs when you call us in Eastern Goleta Valley
Here's how a job runs from your side, from the first call to the walk-through at the end.
Call or send the form
Call (805) 869-0160 or send the form, and we get back to you to set a time for me to come out. It helps if you can be there so we can walk the lot together.
I measure and send an estimate
I measure, look at the ground and how water moves across it, and ask how you'll use the concrete. Then I send a written estimate that spells out what's in it, so you know what you're paying for before anything is decided.
We check permits and prep
Before we set a pour date we check what your job needs from the County, and if there's a review or an inspection, the date is planned around it. Then our crew digs out, packs the base and sets the forms, with me on site.
We pour, then walk it together
Our crew pours and finishes, cuts the joints and leaves the slab to cure, the wait that lets it harden before you use it. When it's done, I walk the finished work with you.
Questions about concrete work in Eastern Goleta Valley
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Eastern Goleta Valley?
The price comes down to the size of the slab, how much old concrete and soil has to come out, and the finish, and you get your figure in a written estimate after I've seen the site. Base work is money nobody sees on day one, so it's the first thing people want to trim, but I'd rather simplify the finish than thin the base, because a nice surface over loose ground still settles with the dirt. Call (805) 869-0160 and I'll come measure.
Do I need a permit to replace a concrete driveway or patio in Eastern Goleta Valley?
We don't assume either way, because the County's list of work that needs no building permit doesn't mention driveways or patios, so I check what your job needs for your address before we set a date. Grading is one of the permit types the County issues, so a job that changes the ground a lot can bring that in too.
Does a concrete retaining wall need a permit in Eastern Goleta Valley?
A retaining wall up to 4 feet tall, measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall, is on the County's list of work that needs no building permit, unless it holds back extra weight such as a driveway or slope above it, or holds back flammable or combustible liquids. That list carries no date, so I confirm it with the County, and a taller or loaded wall goes through the permit process, which we build the schedule around.
What causes concrete driveways to crack and sink?
Most sinking and stray cracks come from the ground work, usually a base that was raked level instead of packed, water running under the slab, or joints that were cut late or skipped. Concrete does crack, so we pack the base, set the slab to drain, and cut control joints, shallow grooves that give the slab a straight line to crack along, and we avoid pouring in midday heat, because a top that dries too fast turns weak and dusty.
How long does a new concrete driveway take before I can drive on it?
You'll stay off a new driveway longer than a new walk, because concrete keeps gaining strength for days after the pour, and a car on it too soon can crack an edge or a corner. That wait is the curing, and I give you the dates for your pour before we start so you can plan where the cars go.
What is the best way to build a patio on a sloped lot in Eastern Goleta Valley?
Set the grade first so the patio falls away from the house, and take up the slope with steps or a short retaining wall instead of a deep wedge of fill under the slab. Fill that isn't packed settles, so where we have to build up we compact it in layers, and I look at where water from uphill will go before the forms go in.
Santa Barbara, CA
Get your Eastern Goleta Valley job on the calendar
If your job turns out to need County review or an inspection, an early call gives us room to plan around it before you need the driveway back.