Loading...
Serving Santa Monica, CA and surrounding areas. (424) 322-4740
Santa Monica Concrete serves Pasadena, CA with licensed concrete contractor work - stamped concrete, driveways, patios, retaining walls, and foundations - by a crew that pulls permits through the City of Pasadena, has worked on Craftsman bungalows and Spanish Colonial Revival homes throughout the city, and understands what older Pasadena properties actually require before a pour begins.
Pasadena has some of the most distinctive older housing in Southern California - Craftsman bungalows in Bungalow Heaven, Spanish Colonial Revival homes in Madison Heights, mid-century ranch houses throughout Hastings Ranch. A stamped concrete patio, driveway, or pool deck that matches the character of those homes costs far less than natural stone or pavers while lasting just as long with proper maintenance. See the full scope of our stamped concrete services for what this involves.
Many Pasadena homes built in the 1920s and 1930s have driveways that have been patched repeatedly over the decades without ever having the underlying base replaced. When old concrete is removed from these properties, the soil underneath is often compacted unevenly or has settled in ways that will cause new concrete to crack prematurely if the base is not addressed first. We replace driveways across Pasadena with proper base preparation built into the job, not skipped to save time.
The northern neighborhoods of Pasadena that climb toward the San Gabriel foothills have homes on sloped lots with retaining walls that handle real hillside load - not decorative borders. Older retaining walls from the 1940s and 1950s frequently lack proper drainage behind the face, and saturated hillside soil after heavy winter rain puts those walls under significant stress. We build and replace retaining walls on Pasadena hillside properties with drainage cores, proper footings, and reinforcement matched to the slope.
Pasadena summers regularly exceed 90 degrees Fahrenheit and can push above 100 in the valley areas. Outdoor living is a year-round activity here, and a properly sealed concrete patio holds up to that sustained heat and UV exposure in a way that wood decking does not. We pour and finish patios on Pasadena residential lots - including on the terraced rear yards common on hillside properties near the foothills, where level outdoor space requires careful grading.
A substantial portion of Pasadena homes date to before 1960, and many of those original foundations were built before modern California seismic standards. Buyers purchasing older bungalows or Spanish-style homes for renovation frequently discover the foundation needs to be fully replaced rather than patched. We install new foundations across Pasadena to current seismic requirements, with reinforcement and drainage appropriate for both flat lots and the hillside terrain near the foothills.
Pasadena has a large number of single-family homes with in-ground pools, many of which have original concrete pool decks that are now decades old and showing cracking, surface flaking, or drainage problems. With the city sitting in a hot inland valley where pools are in use most of the year, a pool deck that is rough, uneven, or poorly drained is a safety issue as much as a cosmetic one. We replace and install concrete pool decks on Pasadena properties with the right slope for drainage and surfaces finished for barefoot safety.
Pasadena is a city with more than 140,000 residents and a housing stock heavily weighted toward older construction - a significant share of homes were built before 1960, and many neighborhoods are dominated by properties from the 1910s through the 1940s. That kind of age matters for concrete work because the original slabs, driveways, and patios on those homes were poured on soil that has had 70 to 100 years to shift, compact unevenly, and be altered by tree roots, drainage changes, and the occasional seismic event. When old concrete is removed from a Pasadena property, the base condition underneath is almost never what it appears from the surface. A contractor who does not assess that condition before quoting the job will find problems after the demo that they did not price for - and that cost lands on you.
Pasadena also sits at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains, and the northern neighborhoods that climb toward those foothills face drainage and slope challenges that the flat central and southern parts of the city do not. Clay-heavy soils in parts of the area absorb water slowly, which means winter rains that come down quickly can pool against foundations and saturate retaining wall backfill before it has anywhere to drain. The city has experienced significant wildfire events in the nearby hills, including the Eaton Fire in January 2025 that burned in the hills above the city, and homeowners near the foothills are increasingly aware of how construction choices around their homes affect both fire risk and drainage. The City of Pasadena Planning and Building Department applies local requirements on top of the California building code, and any concrete work that affects drainage or setbacks goes through their review process.
We pull permits through the City of Pasadena and work with the city's building inspectors on residential concrete projects throughout the city. Pasadena has its own permit office, separate from Los Angeles County, with a review process that includes local stormwater and drainage requirements that go beyond the state baseline. Concrete work that affects how runoff moves across your lot - driveways, patios, and pool decks in particular - requires compliance with those local requirements, and we design every surface with proper slope and drainage features from the start.
Pasadena is a city with real character. Colorado Boulevard runs east to west through the heart of the city as its main commercial corridor and the route of the annual Rose Parade every New Year's Day. The Rose Bowl stadium sits in the Arroyo Seco area to the west of downtown, and Caltech anchors the city's identity as a center of science and research. From the Craftsman bungalows of Bungalow Heaven to the Spanish-style homes of Madison Heights to the ranch houses of Hastings Ranch, Pasadena homeowners take their properties seriously and expect contractors who do the same.
We also serve the areas that border Pasadena. Homeowners in El Monte, to the south, face similar older housing stock and soil conditions in the San Gabriel Valley, and our crew covers both cities regularly. To the northwest, Glendale is another area we serve, where the same combination of pre-1960 bungalows and hillside foothill lots creates concrete challenges that require the same local knowledge.
Contact us by phone or through the estimate form and we respond within 1 business day. We schedule an in-person site visit rather than quoting over the phone - concrete pricing for older Pasadena homes depends on what we see: the existing surface condition, what is underneath it, the slope, drainage, and access for equipment.
We visit your property, measure the project area, and assess the existing concrete and the base beneath it. You receive a written quote with separate line items so you can see exactly where the cost comes from - demolition, base preparation, materials, labor, and permits. We address cost questions at this step, not after work begins. Base prep on older Pasadena homes often reveals more than expected; we flag that before you commit.
Once you approve the estimate, we submit the permit application to the City of Pasadena. Most residential permits take one to two weeks; larger projects involving drainage design or hillside lots take longer given additional plan check review. We handle the submission and keep you informed - you do not need to contact the city. Work does not begin until the permit is approved.
The crew arrives on the confirmed date, prepares the base, pours, stamps or finishes the surface, and seals it once it has cured. A Pasadena building inspector closes out the permit before the job is officially complete. We walk the finished surface with you, answer any questions, and confirm maintenance steps before leaving the site.
We work on older Craftsman homes, hillside foothill lots, and everything in between in Pasadena - pulling permits through the city and handling base prep the way older properties require. Call or submit a request and we respond within 1 business day.
(424) 322-4740Pasadena is a city of more than 140,000 residents in the San Gabriel Valley, sitting right where the Los Angeles Basin meets the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains. It is known nationally for the Rose Bowl and the annual Tournament of Roses parade, but for residents it is also a city with some of the most well-preserved older housing in Southern California. The Bungalow Heaven neighborhood alone contains more than 800 Craftsman bungalows built between 1900 and 1930, most of them in excellent original condition. Colorado Boulevard serves as the city's main commercial artery and the route of the Rose Parade every January. Caltech anchors the city's academic identity, and the mix of universities, research institutions, and long-established residential neighborhoods gives Pasadena a character unlike the sprawling subdivisions that fill much of the San Gabriel Valley.
Pasadena's neighborhoods vary considerably by location. The central and southern areas - including Bungalow Heaven, Madison Heights, and the streets near downtown - are filled with Craftsman bungalows and Spanish Colonial Revival homes on relatively flat lots with mature street trees. The northern parts of the city, including Linda Vista and areas near the San Rafael Hills, climb into hillside terrain with steeper grades, older retaining walls, and drainage challenges that the flat neighborhoods do not face. Hastings Ranch on the east side has more mid-century ranch homes on larger lots. To the south, El Monte is a neighboring city our crew serves regularly, with its own mix of postwar residential properties and commercial concrete work across the San Gabriel Valley floor.
Expert concrete driveway installation built to last in the Santa Monica climate.
Learn moreCustom concrete patios designed for outdoor living and long-term durability.
Learn moreDecorative stamped concrete that replicates the look of natural stone or brick.
Learn moreSafe, level concrete sidewalks installed to code for residential and commercial properties.
Learn moreSmooth, durable garage floor concrete poured and finished to professional standards.
Learn moreCustom decorative concrete finishes including staining, overlays, and exposed aggregate.
Learn moreStructurally sound concrete retaining walls that prevent erosion and manage grade changes.
Learn moreInterior and exterior concrete floor installation for residential and commercial spaces.
Learn moreSlip-resistant, attractive concrete pool decks that withstand constant sun and water exposure.
Learn moreSafe, well-formed concrete steps built to meet local codes and last for decades.
Learn morePrecision slab foundations poured on properly prepared ground for lasting structural integrity.
Learn moreComplete concrete foundation installation services for new construction projects.
Learn moreHeavy-duty concrete parking lots engineered for high traffic and long service life.
Learn moreProperly sized and reinforced concrete footings to support structures of every scale.
Learn moreFoundation raising and lifting solutions to restore level, stable building bases.
Learn morePrecision concrete cutting and sawing for renovation, repair, and utility access projects.
Learn moreWe serve the full city, from the Craftsman bungalows near Colorado Boulevard to the hillside homes above the foothills. Licensed, permitted, and ready to start - we respond within 1 business day.