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Cerritos Concrete Company is a concrete contractor serving Downey, CA, specializing in slab foundation building, driveway replacement, and patio construction for the city's 1950s and 1960s ranch homes. We respond to Downey inquiries within one business day and provide free on-site estimates.
Most homes in Downey were built between 1950 and 1970. The original driveways, walkways, and patio slabs on these properties are now well past their expected lifespan, and the city's clay soils have been working on them ever since. Here is what we handle most often on Downey properties.
ADU additions and garage conversions are increasingly common on Downey's modest single-family lots as homeowners look to add space without moving. Each project needs a properly engineered slab that accounts for the clay soils below grade - cutting corners here is what causes cracks in new additions within a few years. See our full slab foundation building page for details.
Ranch homes in Downey almost always came with a concrete driveway, and most of those original slabs are now cracked, sunken, or heaved from decades of clay soil movement. We remove the old concrete, compact a proper gravel base, and install a new driveway with the thickness and expansion joints that clay-soil lots require.
Backyards on Downey's 5,000 to 7,000 square foot lots are small, and the patio slab is often the main outdoor living space. Old slabs that drain toward the house - or have cracked and settled unevenly - are a common problem after the heavy winter rain events Downey sees each year. We pour new patios graded to drain away from the foundation.
Front entry steps on Downey homes from the 1950s and 1960s are showing their age - shifted risers, cracked treads, and gaps where the steps have separated from the adjacent walkway are all common. We demo the old steps, re-grade the base, and tie the new steps to the walkway so they move together rather than independently.
Some Downey properties have grade changes between the front yard and the street, or between neighboring lots, that require retaining walls to keep soil from washing onto driveways and walkways after heavy rain. We build concrete retaining walls sized to the specific grade change and soil pressure on your property.
Sidewalks on Downey residential streets take a beating from tree roots and clay soil movement. A raised or cracked panel is a trip hazard that the city may eventually require the property owner to repair. We replace problem sections and match the existing grade so the repaired section blends with the surrounding walk.
Downey is a fully built-out city of about 113,000 people in Los Angeles County, and most of its housing stock was constructed during the postwar boom of the 1950s and 1960s. Those homes are now 60 to 70 years old. At that age, the original concrete flatwork - driveways, patio slabs, walkways, and steps - is well past its designed lifespan. The homes are mostly single-story California ranch style, with stucco exteriors, attached garages, and small to medium lots. Concrete repair and replacement is one of the most consistent maintenance needs on properties of this age and style.
Downey sits on the clay-heavy soils that cover most of the Los Angeles Basin. Clay expands as it absorbs rain and contracts as it dries, and that cycle puts stress on every concrete surface from below. The city gets roughly 13 to 15 inches of rain per year, nearly all of it between November and March, which means the soil goes through a significant wet-to-dry cycle every year. Summer temperatures regularly hit the mid-90s, and the dry heat accelerates wear on any concrete surface that already has small cracks or inadequate drainage. A contractor who pours on these lots without proper base preparation and drainage slope is not saving the homeowner money - they are shortening the life of the slab.
Our crew works throughout Downey regularly, and we understand the local conditions that affect concrete work here. The homes we see most often are single-story ranch houses on 5,000 to 7,000 square foot lots, with original concrete flatwork that has been in place since the Eisenhower administration. Driveways on these properties are almost always cracked and sunken, and patio slabs typically show the uneven drainage that comes from 60-plus years of clay soil movement. When permits are required, we work with the City of Downey Community Development Department to pull them before work starts.
Downey is a city that residents know by its streets and landmarks. Firestone Boulevard and Lakewood Boulevard are the main east-west and north-south corridors most people use to navigate. The city sits between the 5 and 605 freeways, making it easy to reach from surrounding communities. Downey has a strong local identity - the Columbia Memorial Space Center on the old Rockwell site, the original 1953 McDonald's on Lakewood Boulevard, and the Downey Theatre on Civic Center Drive are landmarks that longtime residents mention when giving directions.
We also serve homeowners in neighboring Whittier, CA, just to the east, where hillside lots and older housing stock create a different set of concrete challenges. If you are near the Downey-Whittier border, call us and we can confirm coverage for your address.
Contact us by phone at (562) 249-2016 or through the estimate form on this site. We respond to all Downey inquiries within one business day.
We visit your Downey property, measure the work area, check the drainage situation, and look at the existing base condition before quoting. The estimate is free, and we explain what the work involves so you know exactly what you are paying for before you commit.
If the project requires a permit from the City of Downey, we handle the application so you do not have to. We schedule the job once the permit is approved and confirm a start date that works for your household.
We complete the work, clean up the site, and walk you through the curing timeline before we leave. Most Downey jobs are complete within one to three days of the pour, with concrete ready for normal use after the full cure period.
We serve Downey homeowners with free on-site quotes, no pressure, and a response within one business day. Call us or fill out the form below.
Downey is a mid-size city of about 113,000 residents in southeast Los Angeles County, incorporated in 1956 and developed almost entirely during the postwar boom of the 1950s and 1960s. The city covers about 12.5 square miles and sits between the 5 and 605 freeways, bordered by Norwalk to the east, Bellflower to the south, Paramount to the west, and Montebello to the north. The housing stock is overwhelmingly single-family - mostly one-story California ranch homes on modest lots, many of which have been in the same family for generations. Downey's connection to aerospace is still visible in the city: the Columbia Memorial Space Center occupies part of the old Rockwell International site where the Apollo command modules and Space Shuttle orbiters were built, and the world's oldest surviving McDonald's restaurant, open since 1953, still operates on Lakewood Boulevard. You can learn more about the city on the Downey, California Wikipedia article.
About half of Downey's housing units are owner-occupied, and the median home value sits in the $650,000 to $700,000 range - high by national standards but typical for Los Angeles County. Homeowners here tend to stay put and invest in their properties, which makes concrete maintenance and repair a consistent need across the city's neighborhoods. From the streets near the Downey Civic Center to the residential blocks running parallel to Firestone Boulevard, the housing stock is remarkably consistent: 1950s and 1960s ranch homes with original flatwork that has been through decades of hot summers, wet winters, and clay soil movement. Neighboring Norwalk, CA to the east shares much of the same housing character and concrete repair needs.
Custom concrete patios that expand your outdoor living space beautifully.
Learn MoreDecorative stamped concrete that mimics stone, brick, or tile affordably.
Learn MoreSafe, level sidewalks poured to local code and long-term performance.
Learn MoreSmooth, durable garage floors that resist stains and heavy vehicle loads.
Learn MoreEngineered retaining walls that hold soil and prevent erosion reliably.
Learn MorePrecision concrete floor installations for residential and commercial spaces.
Learn MoreSolid concrete steps that improve safety and elevate your entrance.
Learn MoreStrong slab foundations poured correctly for lasting structural integrity.
Learn MoreProfessional foundation installation that supports your structure for decades.
Learn MoreCommercial-grade parking lots designed for high traffic and low maintenance.
Learn MoreMost concrete on Downey's postwar homes is overdue for attention. The sooner cracks and drainage problems are addressed, the less damage they cause. Contact us today and we will respond within one business day.