Concrete Driveway Building in San Bernardino CA - a slab that sends water to the street
Cracked, sinking or puddling driveway? We build the new one on firm, packed ground, sloped so rain runs off instead of toward your garage.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free quotes on site.
- Expect a reply within 1 business day.
What goes into building a new concrete driveway in San Bernardino?
Concrete driveway building in San Bernardino means forming, pouring and finishing a flat slab of concrete on ground that's been dug out and packed, with the slab sloped toward the street and away from your house and garage so no water sits on it. The pour itself goes fast, but the ground work comes first and the curing time comes after, so you'll be parking on the street for a bit.
Most people call us because the driveway they have is cracked, has dropped at one corner or holds a puddle by the garage door, and they want the new one to stay put. We're based in San Bernardino and work across the cities around it. What moves the price is mostly the size, how thick the slab is, how much dirt has to come out and how much base goes back in, whether an old slab has to be broken out and hauled off, and the finish you pick. The schedule turns on the ground work, the weather on pour day and how long the concrete needs before you drive on it. If you've been thinking about a new patio out back too, it's worth pricing both at once. I'll walk your driveway and put all of it in a written estimate, with what's included and what isn't.
How we handle concrete driveway building
I start with the ground under it, because soft spots there turn into cracks later. Our crew digs out the loose dirt, and soft spots usually get replaced with gravel or crushed rock and packed down so the subgrade, the ground the slab sits on, is firm and even from edge to edge. Then we set the forms and the slope, so water heads for the street instead of the garage, and pour, spread and finish the concrete. Most driveways get a broom finish, a light texture dragged across the top so tires and shoes grip when it's wet. After that we keep the slab from drying out too fast while it cures, which is the slow hardening that gives concrete its strength. Before any of that, I'll talk through thickness with you and how long to keep cars off it, so nothing about it surprises you.
A driveway often ties into other work, and it's easier to plan it all together. If the slab runs along the side of the house, we can carry it into a concrete patio on the same kind of base. If you'd rather the driveway look like stone or brick, our stamped concrete services press a pattern and color into the surface while it's still soft.
Standard driveway for everyday cars
This suits most houses, where the driveway carries a couple of cars and the odd delivery van. We size the slab for that load and put the effort into the ground and the slope, since that's what keeps it flat.
Heavier slab with steel for trucks
This suits a driveway that takes a work truck, a trailer or an RV. Rebar, steel bars laid in a grid inside the slab, adds strength where the traffic is heavy, though it holds cracks tight rather than stopping them.
Tear out and replace an old slab
This suits a driveway that's cracked, sunk or tipping water toward the house. We break out the old concrete, haul it off and fix the ground under it, because whatever let the old one settle will do the same to the new one.
Concrete driveway building in San Bernardino: permits and what we see
The city's Building and Safety Division issues building permits, and its rules exempt driveways that sit no more than 30 inches above the ground, aren't built over a floor below and aren't part of an accessible route. Work at the curb or out in the street is a separate question that belongs to Public Works, and which of that work needs an encroachment permit, the city's okay to build in the public right of way, isn't something I'd guess at for your address. Public Works answers those questions at its permit counter at 909-998-2420. When your job needs a permit, we take care of it and set up the inspections, and since each city and the county run things a little differently, we check with the right office for your address first.
A lot of the driveways we replace went down on raked dirt instead of dug-out, packed ground, so a corner has dropped or the slab tips water back toward the garage. We see the same thing on jobs in Highland and Rialto, and the fix doesn't change. Get the ground right, then the slope, then pour.
Why homeowners call San Bernardino Concrete Company for a new driveway
I walk every driveway myself
I come out to look at every job, and our own crew does the work with me there for the pour and the steps that matter most. You're talking to the person who'll be standing on your driveway the day it's poured.
Licensed and insured, easy to check
We're licensed and insured. California's Contractors State License Board sets a concrete contractor class that covers driveways and other flat work, and only jobs under $500 in labor and materials together are exempt from licensing, so it's worth looking up whoever you hire with the board.
Running concrete crews here before 2020
I spent years as the right hand to another concrete contractor here, walking jobs and running the crew, before I started this business in 2020. That time is where I learned what goes wrong under a driveway long before it shows on top.
Told straight if you need an engineer
If part of your job is outside what we do, or it needs an engineer to look at it, I'll tell you before you spend money on it. That's a lot cheaper to hear at the estimate than after the pour.
If the budget's tight, cut the fancy finish before you cut the base, because nobody can fix the ground once the concrete is sitting on it. Tell us about your driveway and I'll come take a look.
Request a quoteGet a free written estimate for your new driveway
We'll get back to you within one business day to set up a visit. I'll come out, look at the ground and where the water goes, ask how you'll use the driveway and give you a free written estimate that spells out what's included and what isn't. There's no obligation to go ahead.
What happens after you call about a driveway?
Call or send the form
Tell us roughly where the driveway goes and what's there now, and we'll set a time for me to come out.
Walk the site together
I look at the ground, check which way the water runs and ask what you'll park on it, since that decides thickness and whether it needs steel. You get a written estimate listing what's included and what isn't, so you know exactly what you're paying for.
Permits first, then the pour
If your driveway needs a permit, we handle it and set up the inspections before any digging starts. Our crew does the dig-out, base and forms, and I'm there for the pour.
Go over the finished slab
I walk the finished driveway with you and go over how long to keep cars off it while it cures. Until then, a barrier across the end keeps a delivery driver from pulling in.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in San Bernardino?
An installed 4-inch concrete driveway slab in the Inland Empire usually runs about $10 to $14 per square foot. Where yours lands depends on the size, the thickness, how much ground work it needs, whether an old slab comes out and the finish you choose. That's the going range in the area, not our price, and the written estimate gives you the number for your own driveway.
How thick should a concrete driveway be?
Four inches is the minimum for a driveway, and thickness matters more than concrete strength for how much weight it can carry. Going from 4 to 5 inches adds about 20% to the concrete cost and nearly 50% to the load it can take, so if a truck or anything heavier parks there, the extra inch is usually money well spent.
How long before I can drive on a new concrete driveway?
Plan to keep cars off a new driveway for at least a week while the concrete cures. Curing has to start as soon as finishing ends, and in extreme cases a late start can cut the concrete's strength by up to half, so that week isn't something to rush.
What causes cracks in a new concrete driveway?
Concrete shrinks a little as it hardens, so a slab without control joints, shallow grooves cut to give it a chosen place to crack, will crack wherever it wants. Ask any contractor where they'll put the joints. Random cracks are generally not a structural problem, but they can be an eyesore, and well-placed joints help keep them away.
How do I know if I need a soils engineer before pouring a driveway?
If you're not sure how your soil will behave, a soils engineer can tell you, and that's the right call before you pour. Many western states have expansive soils, clay that swells and shrinks with water, which usually calls for a crushed rock base under the slab. If I see something at the estimate that I can't judge, I'll tell you to bring one in.
Can you pour a concrete driveway in hot weather?
Yes, a driveway can go in during hot weather if the pour is set for a better time of day or night and the concrete is kept from losing moisture while it cures. Heat dries the top too fast, which can leave a weak, dusty surface later, so I'd rather start early than pour in the middle of a hot afternoon.
Other concrete work that often goes with a driveway
Concrete patio construction
Once the crew and concrete truck are coming for the driveway, a patio out back is an easy next slab, sloped away from the house just the same.
Stamped concrete services
When plain gray feels too bare out front, a stamped pattern with added color gives the driveway texture and character while it stays one poured slab.
San Bernardino, CA
Send us your driveway's size and photos
If you call (840) 222-9185 or use the form with the rough size, what you'll park on it and a few photos of the ground, I can show up ready to answer the questions that set your price.