Concrete Contractor in Malibu, CA - Slabs Built for Slopes and Wet Winters
Prestige Thousand Oaks Concrete Company is a concrete contractor based in Thousand Oaks that builds driveways, patios, steps, slabs and footings for homes and properties in Malibu, with the base and drainage planned for wet winter storms.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free on-site estimates.
- Replies within 1 business day.
Coastal homes and properties across Malibu
Most of our Malibu calls come from homeowners who need long driveways, patios and pool decks that face the ocean, or steps that run down the slope to the yard, and builders and property owners call us for footings and slabs. We're a licensed and fully insured crew based in Thousand Oaks, pouring concrete since 2013, and we do the same work in Calabasas over the hill and as far inland as Fillmore.
Lots here often sit on a grade, and some are a long way from where a concrete truck can park. So before we talk about finishes, I look at how we'll get concrete to the spot and what the ground is doing under the old slab, because on a Malibu property those two things shape the job more than its size does.
Our services in Malibu, CA
- Concrete driveway building
Many Malibu driveways climb from the road, so we give them a broom finish, a swept texture that keeps tires from slipping. We plan where runoff leaves the slab.
- Concrete retaining walls
Many Malibu lots slope, so a level yard or parking pad needs retaining walls built on footings dug to firm soil. We give water a way out behind the wall.
- Concrete pool decks
Pool decks here take sun and wet feet all summer, so we finish the surface for grip. We cut control joints, grooves that tell cracks where to go.
- Concrete steps construction
Homes above or below the road usually need steps, so we form every step the same height. A packed base keeps them from pulling away from the house.
- Slab foundation building
Guest houses, garages and additions here start with our slab foundation building on a dug-out, packed base. We set rebar, steel that holds the slab together, before the pour.
- Concrete patio construction
Patios here see use much of the year, so we slope each one away from the house. We can stamp or color the top once the base is right.
What Malibu's wet winters ask of concrete
Malibu has cool, wet winters and long, dry summers, and that swing is hard on a slab sitting on loose dirt. The ground bakes hard all summer, then winter storms soak it and send runoff down the slopes, so a base that was only raked level softens and settles, and the slab cracks and sinks with it. We dig out to firm soil and pack the subgrade, the layer the slab sits on, and I walk the site to see where the water runs so it heads away from the house and not under the new concrete. That base is hidden the day we pour, and it's usually the first thing people want to cut when the budget is tight, but I'd rather you pick a plainer surface than a thinner base, because a nice finish on ground that moves still breaks.
Sea air and summer sun dry the top of fresh concrete fast, which can leave it weak and dusty later. We pour in the cooler part of the day and keep the slab damp while it cures, the first days when it gains its strength, so the surface holds up to bare feet and tires.
Get a free on-site estimate for your Malibu concrete job
We reply within one business day, the estimate is free and there's no pressure to book. I'll come out to your Malibu property myself to look over the site and write the estimate, and if you decide to go ahead, we check with the city before we schedule and our crew lead runs the work on site. Thank you for considering us.
Concrete driveways, patios and steps
Malibu concrete questions answered
Do I need a permit to pour a concrete driveway in Malibu?
That's the city's call, so we check with the City of Malibu's Building Safety office before we schedule your job. Building Safety takes building and excavation permit requests through the city's online portal, and the city doesn't allow construction without the permits or Planning approval it requires and can order work stopped on a project that skips them. When a permit is needed, we take care of the application and arrange the inspections, and if the city asks for a soils report or engineered plans, I'll tell you early.
Does a small shed on a concrete slab need City approval in Malibu?
Yes, a shed of 120 square feet or less needs no building permit in Malibu but still needs Planning Department approval, and sheds face added size limits. If you're unsure about your project, you can call Building Safety or the Planning Department at 310-456-2489, ext. 484. We check before we pour the slab, so the approval is settled first.
How long does a building permit last in Malibu?
A Malibu permit expires within 365 days after it's issued, or if work is suspended or abandoned for 365 days after it starts. A property owner or a licensed contractor can obtain the permit, and on our jobs we take care of the application for you. Because that clock matters, we check with the city before we schedule rather than after.
How much does a concrete driveway cost in Malibu?
I can't give you an honest figure until I've seen the site, because in Malibu the price turns on the size and thickness of the slab, how far the truck is from the pour spot, how much old concrete we tear out and how much digging and packing the base needs. A steep driveway, a stamped or colored finish and any city permit work add to it, while a plain broom finish on a simple site that's easy to reach keeps it down. The estimate I write on site gives you the figure for your driveway.
How long does it take before I can drive on a new concrete driveway in Malibu?
You can usually walk on a new driveway after a day or two and drive a car on it after about a week, because concrete keeps gaining strength while it cures. When we can start depends mostly on the city, since we check permits before we schedule, and on winter rain, because we won't pour into a storm.
What causes concrete driveways and patios to crack in Malibu?
Most cracks we see come from a base that was raked level instead of dug out and packed, water running under the slab, or control joints cut late or skipped. The winter soaking after a dry summer finds any soft spot under a slab, which is why most of our care goes into the base. Concrete can still form fine cracks as it shrinks, so we cut the joints in the right places and on time, and any crack usually follows those lines instead of wandering across the slab.