Concrete contractor in Ventura, CA - driveways, patios and walks that drain
Premier Santa Barbara Concrete is a concrete contractor based in Santa Barbara that pours driveways, patios, walks, footings and foundations in Ventura, with the ground work and drainage done before any concrete goes down.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- We reply within 1 business day.
Ventura driveways and yards, as we see them
Ventura is the southern end of the area we cover, a drive down the coast from our base in Santa Barbara, past Carpinteria. Most calls here come from homeowners whose older driveways, patios and walks have settled or cracked, and from property owners and builders who need footings and foundations poured the way the plans show. The lots run from flat streets to hillside yards, and many of the houses have concrete around them that has already been through a few decades.
Most of what we pour here goes on ground that's been built on once already, so the first question on any job is what the old slab was sitting on and whether that ground is firm enough to build on again.
Concrete work we do for Ventura properties
Concrete driveway building
When an older driveway has sunk or sends water toward the garage, we tear it out, dig to firm ground and pack a new base before pouring.
Concrete patio construction
For backyards where the old patio tilts toward the house, we set a new slab with a slight fall so rain runs to the yard instead.
Stamped concrete services
If you want the look of stone or tile on a front walk or patio, stamped concrete gives it, poured over the same packed base as plain work.
Concrete sidewalk building
Walks that have heaved or split where roots run under them are a trip hazard, so we replace the broken sections and cut joints where cracks should go.
Garage floor concrete
When a garage slab is pitted, dusty or cracked from years of use, we break it out and pour a new floor that drains toward the door.
Decorative concrete
For a courtyard or entry that should look finished, we add color, exposed stone or a smooth troweled surface to concrete with the same ground work underneath.
Concrete retaining walls
On sloped lots where a hillside is creeping into the yard or driveway, a concrete wall on proper footings holds the soil and gives you usable flat ground.
Concrete floor installation
For workshops, studios and converted spaces that need a level interior floor, we form and pour a slab that's flat enough for what goes on it.
Concrete pool decks
Around a pool, the deck has to drain away from the water and give bare feet some grip, so we slope it with care and finish it to match.
Concrete steps construction
Front steps that have pulled away from the porch or vary in height trip people up, so we rebuild them on firm footings with every step the same.
Slab foundation building
For an addition, a garage or a new house on a flat lot, we build the slab foundation the way the approved plans show, base and steel included.
Foundation installation
When a builder or property owner needs foundations for new construction, our crew forms, sets the steel and pours to the plans, ready for the city's inspections.
Concrete parking lot building
For small commercial lots and apartment parking where asphalt keeps breaking up, a concrete lot on a thick, well-drained base stands up to daily traffic.
Concrete footings
Decks, patio covers, block walls and additions all sit on footings, and we dig and pour them to the depth and size the plans call for.
Foundation raising
When part of a slab or foundation has dropped and doors stick or floors slope, we look at why it moved before we talk about lifting it.
Concrete cutting
When you need a doorway, a trench for a new line or a clean edge where old concrete meets new, we saw-cut it straight instead of hammering.
Get a free written estimate for concrete work in Ventura
We reply within one business day to set up a visit. The estimate is free, on site and comes with no obligation, and after I've measured I send a written estimate that spells out what's in it.
(805) 869-0160- Based in
- Santa Barbara, CA 93101
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 6 AM–10 PM, Sat–Sun: 8 AM–10 PM
Working in Ventura, from the permit office to the price
Permits for work in Ventura come from the city's Permit Services, and whether your concrete needs one is the city's call to make. Additions, alterations and new construction go in with plans and wait on plan review, which pushes back the day we can pour, so I check with the city for your address before we set a date, and if a permit is needed we pull it or walk you through it. We're fully licensed and insured.
On the ground, the price here turns more on what's under and around the job than on the surface. How much old concrete comes out, how deep we dig to reach firm ground, how thick the slab is and how much steel goes in, whether a truck can back up to the forms or we need a pump down a narrow side yard, and the finish you pick all move it, while the schedule turns on the permit and the weather. Your written estimate lists each of those for your job.
Why Ventura driveways and patios sink and crack
Most of the failed concrete we're called to look at was poured on dirt that was raked level instead of dug out and packed, so the slab settled as the ground under it did. That's where sinking corners, cracks that keep widening and broken edges come from. We dig down to firm subgrade, the ground the slab actually rests on, and pack a gravel base in layers before any forms go up, because it's the part nobody sees once the concrete is down.
The other usual cause is water. A slab that falls toward the house sends rain to the foundation and leaves puddles at the garage door, so I watch how water moves across the lot on the first visit and we set the new slab to drain away.
How a concrete job runs when you call us in Ventura
Here's what happens from your first call to the final walk-through, so you know who you'll see and when you'll have a written price in hand.
Call or send the form
Call (805) 869-0160 or use the form and tell us roughly what you have in mind. We'll set a time for me to come out and see the job.
I measure and check drainage
I come out myself, measure, look at the ground and how water runs across it, and ask how you'll use the concrete. You then get a written estimate that lists what's in the price, so nothing is a guess.
We sort permits, then prep
Before we set a date we check what the city needs for your address, and when plan review applies, the pour waits until it's done. Then our crew digs out, packs the base and sets forms and steel, with me on site.
We pour and walk it through
We pour, finish and cut the joints, then I walk the finished work with you. I'll tell you when you can walk on it and when you can drive on it.
Questions about concrete work in Ventura
Which jobs can use Ventura's simple permit application without plans?
Ventura's simple permits are for work like water heaters, furnace changeouts and re-roofs submitted without plans, and the city's list doesn't name concrete work. Alterations, additions, new construction and adding or removing walls go in as complex permits that need plan review, so footings or a slab that's part of an addition is part of that kind of permit. For a driveway or patio on its own, we get the city's answer before we schedule.
How do I apply for a building permit online in Ventura?
You set up a Ventura OPS account, the city's Online Permit Services, before you can apply online through the city's Apply for Permits page. If you'd rather go in person, the Permit Services counter at 501 Poli Street, Room 117, takes walk-ins Monday through Thursday from 8 AM to 1 PM, sees people by appointment from 1 to 3 PM and is closed Fridays. When we pull the permit for you, we handle that part.
How far ahead do I need to request a building inspection in Ventura?
The city's Building and Safety Division needs an inspection request by the business day before you want the inspection. On a concrete job the forms and steel usually get looked at before the pour, so we put the request in early and order the concrete around it, since a loaded truck can't sit waiting on an inspector.
How much does a concrete driveway cost in Ventura?
There's no set price for a Ventura driveway until I've measured, because its size, the tear-out, how deep we dig, the thickness and the finish each move it. A plain broom finish, the light texture that gives tires and shoes grip, costs less than stamped or colored work, and a short, straight drive is simpler than a long, sloped one a pump has to reach. If the budget is tight, I'd rather you keep the full base and pick a plainer finish, because a fancy surface on a weak base cracks just the same.
What causes concrete driveways to crack in Ventura, and will a new one crack too?
Yes, concrete cracks as it dries and as the ground moves, so the goal is cracks that stay thin and land where we chose. Besides the packed base we described above, we cut control joints, grooves that give the slab a straight line to crack along, while the concrete is young, and we add rebar, steel bars that keep cracked pieces from drifting apart, where the job calls for it. We also pour in the cooler part of the day, because a slab baked at midday tends to end up with a weak, dusty top.
How long will I be without my driveway after a concrete pour in Ventura?
You can usually walk on new concrete within a few days and drive on it some time after that, and I'll give you both dates for your pour before we start. That wait is curing, the slow hardening that keeps going well after the surface looks dry, and driving on it early is how edges break off. Tear-out and prep come before the pour, so ask about the whole schedule at the estimate.
Santa Barbara, CA
Set up a concrete estimate in Ventura
Call (805) 869-0160 or send the form now, because if your job needs a permit, the sooner I've seen it, the sooner we can get it into the city's review.