Slab foundation building in Palos Verdes Estates CA - a solid, dry floor under your home
Planning a new home or addition on ground that moves? We help you pick the right slab and pour it on a well-prepared base.
I write your estimate myself
I come out to see the lot, hear what you're building and write the estimate myself. Our crew does the forming, pouring and finishing, and I'm by the site as the job goes, so the person who priced it sees it built.
In business since 2013
I started this business in 2013, and we've been explaining jobs as carefully as we build them ever since. Ask me anything about your slab, because I'd rather spend the extra time than have you feel lost.
Fully licensed and insured
We're fully licensed and insured. California requires a licensed contractor for any work that needs a permit, so it's worth checking ours, or anyone's, with the state licensing board before you sign. Then call (424) 307-8097 to set up a visit.
Building slab foundations in Palos Verdes Estates
Slab foundation building means pouring the concrete slab that carries your home and serves as its floor, with steel set inside to hold it together. We build them for homes and additions in Palos Verdes Estates and the cities around it, and I help you pick the right slab first.
The price of a slab mostly comes down to its size, the kind of reinforcement it needs and how much digging and base work the ground calls for before we can set forms. The schedule turns less on the pour itself than on what comes before it, mainly city and Homes Association approvals, and after that on weather and curing, the stretch when concrete gains strength before anyone builds on it. Your own number comes from the estimate I write after seeing the lot.
A slab under a house needs a building permit from the city's Building Division before construction starts, and we take care of that permit and set up the inspections. Before you settle on plans, call the city's Planning and Building Departments at (310) 378-0383 to learn which code rules apply to your project. I'd much rather you call them early than learn something halfway through.
Slab foundations and the work around them
The base and forms come first
When a budget gets tight, the base is the first thing people want to trim, because nobody sees it once the slab is poured. I won't trim it. The old school finisher who taught me made me pull my forms and reset them if they were off at all, and he drilled in that a slab is only as good as its subgrade, the ground it sits on. We dig it out and pack it firm rather than rake it level, so the slab doesn't settle with the dirt.
Matching the reinforcement to your ground
On ground that shrinks when it dries out and swells when it gets wet, I'll talk with you about a post-tensioned slab, which has steel cables run through it and tightened after the pour, alongside rebar or wire mesh, the steel bars or grid that hold a slab together. On that kind of ground the post-tensioned design is usually the one to weigh first, because it handles the movement well for what it costs. On steadier ground, rebar or mesh often does the job, and I'll lay out the trade-off so you can choose.
Protecting the vapor barrier during the pour
Under the concrete goes a vapor barrier, a plastic sheet that keeps ground moisture from working up into your floors. Even a small tear can let a lot more moisture through, which can ruin flooring or hold up putting it down, so our crew watches it closely while we pour. If your project needs a different kind of foundation, see our foundation installation work, and property owners with a lot to pave can look at concrete parking lot building.
Get a slab foundation estimate for your lot
We reply within one business day, and then I come out to see the lot and write up a free estimate. There's no obligation and no pressure to book.
(424) 307-8097How a slab foundation job goes
I visit and write the estimate
I come out to look at the lot, listen to what you're building and write up an estimate. It helps to have the lot address, any plans and where you stand with city or Homes Association review ready, since that shapes the timing.
Permits, ground prep and forms
When you're ready, we sort out the permits and Homes Association steps, then prep the ground and set the forms. I check the forms before anything is poured, since a slab can only be as square as they are.
Pour, finish and walk-through
Our crew pours and finishes inside the city's posted work hours, 7 AM to 7 PM Monday to Thursday, 7 AM to 5:30 PM Friday and 9 AM to 5:30 PM Saturday. Then we walk the finished slab with you.
Slab foundation questions from Palos Verdes Estates
How much does a slab foundation cost in the Los Angeles area?
A concrete foundation in Los Angeles usually costs about $5 to $12 per square foot. That's the area's going range, not our price, and where your slab lands depends on what I find on your lot. Your own figure comes from the estimate I write after seeing it.
Will my new slab foundation crack like other slabs do?
Your new slab will probably show a few small cracks, because some cracking and curling, where the edges lift slightly, is normal on every slab, even one designed and built well. We cut control joints, straight grooves that give the concrete a planned place to crack, so cracks follow lines we chose instead of wandering.
Is a post-tensioned slab faster to build than a rebar slab?
Often, yes, because a post-tensioned slab usually has fewer pieces to handle and less concrete to place than a comparable rebar or wire mesh slab. Speed is a bonus, though, so I'd choose the slab for your ground first and let the schedule follow.
What approvals does a slab foundation need in Palos Verdes Estates?
Besides the city's building permit, most projects also need Palos Verdes Homes Association approval, and you can reach the association at (310) 373-6721. A new home or addition may also go through city planning review, and a Planning Commission approval isn't a permit to start building. We'll help you get the Homes Association and Art Jury paperwork ready.