ServicesConcrete Backyards
Concrete Backyards in Long Beach
We pour backyard concrete as one planned surface. Grades carry water away from your home, joints sit where cracks would want to form, and the finish suits how you use the space. You get a clear explanation of the cost before any work begins.
One Plan for the Whole Yard
A concrete backyard is more than a large patio. It usually covers most of the open ground behind your home: a seating area, paths to the gate and side yard, a pad for a shed or equipment, and sometimes a strip along a planter bed. Pour those pieces separately over the years and you end up with mismatched color, uneven heights and water pooling where two slabs meet.
We lay the whole area out at once. That means one drainage plan, one control-joint pattern and one finish schedule. Some areas can be broom finished for grip and others stamped or exposed aggregate, but they are designed to sit together.
We have been in business 15+ years and are licensed by the California State License Board (CSLB). On a project this size, that matters most at the base and the grade, which you never see once the concrete is down.
What the Work Includes
- Layout and grading
- We mark the slab edges, set the finished heights and grade the soil so the surface falls away from your home. A typical target is about a quarter inch of fall per foot toward a drain, a lawn edge or the street side.
- Removal of what is there now
- Old cracked slabs, broken pavers, stepping stones and roots in the way are broken out and hauled off. We tell you up front if anything under the old surface changes the plan.
- Compacted base
- Clay soil swells when it is wet and shrinks when it dries. We compact the subgrade and add a gravel base so the slab has even support.
- Reinforcement and joints
- Rebar or wire mesh is placed on supports so it sits inside the slab, not at the bottom. Control joints are cut or tooled at planned spacing so any shrinkage cracks follow straight lines.
- Drainage provisions
- Where the yard needs it, we set area drains or channel drains in the pour and plan where the water exits. That is far easier than cutting them in later.
- Finish and cure
- You choose broom, light sand, stamped or exposed aggregate for each zone. We protect the fresh concrete while it cures so the surface hardens evenly.
Signs Your Backyard Is Ready for Concrete
Bare dirt that turns to mud
If the lawn has thinned out and every rain leaves a muddy path to the back door, a slab gives you a clean, usable surface all year.
Water sits against the house
Puddles along the foundation after rain mean the ground slopes the wrong way. A new pour lets us reset the grade so water moves away from your home.
Old slabs at different heights
Tilted, broken or heaved sections are trip hazards and are usually a sign of a poor base underneath. Replacing them as one layout fixes the levels together.
Too much yard to maintain
Watering, mowing and weeding a space you rarely use costs time and water. Concrete with a few planting beds left open cuts that work down to sweeping.
You want room for outdoor living
A dining table, a grill, a fire feature or a hot tub all need a flat, solid base sized for them.
What Moves the Cost
Backyard pricing comes down to a few clear factors. We explain each one on the estimate rather than quoting a single number with no breakdown. If an option will not change much about how the yard performs, we say so.
Square footage and shape
Larger areas cost more in total but less per foot. Curves, many corners and narrow strips add forming time.
Access to the yard
If a truck cannot reach the back, concrete is pumped or wheeled in. A tight side gate can add a pump and extra labor to the day.
What comes out first
Breaking out and hauling old concrete, roots or a lot of excess soil is a separate line on the estimate.
Finish choices
A broom finish is the most economical. Stamped patterns, color and exposed aggregate add material and finishing time, and can be limited to the areas people see most.
Drains and thickness
Area drains, thicker sections for a spa or a shed, and extra reinforcement each add cost where they are needed.
How a Backyard Project Runs
- 1
Phone conversation and site visit
We start by phone, then walk the yard with you. We measure, check the slopes and access, and ask how you plan to use each part of the space.
- 2
Written estimate
You get a line-item estimate showing removal, base, reinforcement, drains and finish separately, so you can see where the cost sits and what can change.
- 3
Demolition and base prep
Removal and grading usually take a day or two depending on size. Forms go in, the base is compacted and the steel is set and checked before any concrete arrives.
- 4
Pour and finish
Pour day is planned around the weather and the truck schedule, with mornings preferred on warm days. Each zone gets its finish and its joints while the concrete is still workable.
- 5
Cure, cleanup and handover
Forms come off, debris is hauled away and we walk the yard with you. Plan on staying off it for a few days and keeping vehicles and heavy furniture off for about a week.
Backyard Concrete Questions
Will my backyard concrete crack?
Concrete shrinks as it cures, and some fine cracking is normal. Our job is to control where it happens. Planned joints, a compacted base and proper reinforcement keep cracks in the joints and out of the open slab.
Can I mix finishes in one yard?
Yes. Many people put a stamped or exposed aggregate finish around the seating area and use broom finish on paths and utility pads. We plan the transitions so the edges look intentional.
Do I need a permit for a backyard slab?
Flatwork on its own often does not need one, but drains tied to the street, work near property lines or a slab supporting a structure can. We check with the city before we start and tell you what applies to your project.
How long until we can use the yard?
Foot traffic is usually fine after a few days. Furniture, a grill and planters can go back after about a week. A hot tub or anything very heavy should wait longer, and we will give you a date for your pour.
Is the work covered after you finish?
Yes. Our backyard concrete comes with a 1-year warranty. We go over what it covers when we review the estimate with you.
Do you work outside Long Beach?
We do backyard projects in nearby cities including Lakewood, Signal Hill, Seal Beach and Cerritos. Tell us where you are when you call.
Start With a Walk Through Your Yard
Tell us how you want to use the space and we will explain the layout, the cost drivers and the finish options in plain terms. Your quote comes by phone after we have seen the yard.