Frequently Asked Questions

HomeGuide's concrete driveway cost guide gives a national range of roughly $6 to $15 per square foot for standard to basic work. For a 400 square foot, two-car driveway (20 by 20 feet), that works out to about $2,400 to $6,000. Tearing out the old slab adds about $2 to $6 per square foot, and color or stamping raises the price. Your number comes in writing after we see the site.

It depends on the job. Work in the public right-of-way, such as a driveway approach, curb cut or city sidewalk, is handled differently from a backyard patio, and slabs under structures can need a building permit. We check with the City of Corona (or Riverside County for unincorporated areas) for your address before we start.

Concrete can be poured year-round in Corona. Spring and fall are easiest. In summer we pour early in the morning and keep the slab moist while it cures. In winter we avoid pouring right before a storm, and during Santa Ana wind events we may move the date.

Common causes are a weak or washed-out base, missing or poorly spaced control joints, tree roots, water getting under the slab, heavy vehicles on a thin slab, and age. Many Corona driveways were poured in the 1980s and 1990s, so age and settling are part of the picture. We look at the pattern of cracks to find the cause.

Hairline cracks, small chips and worn surfaces can usually be repaired or resurfaced. HomeGuide recommends replacement for cracks wider than about 1/4 inch that keep moving, crumbling or spalled concrete, and slabs with structural problems. Sunken panels that are otherwise sound can often be lifted instead of replaced.

In typical conditions you can walk on new concrete after about a day and park a car on a driveway after about a week. Heavy vehicles should wait longer. Concrete keeps gaining strength for about a month, and we tell you the exact timing for your pour.

Stamped concrete holds up well here if it is sealed and resealed every few years. Dark colors get hot in direct sun, so for pool decks and patios without shade we suggest lighter colors or a cool-deck style coating.

At least 4 inches for normal cars, according to HomeGuide, and 5 to 6 inches for RVs, trailers or heavy trucks. Edges are often thickened. We size the slab to what will actually park on it.

Usually not. Pouring over cracked concrete copies the old cracks into the new slab and raises the height at the garage and sidewalk. Full removal and a new base is the dependable approach. A sound but worn driveway can sometimes be resurfaced instead.

Most residential driveways take a few days from tear-out to pour, then about a week before you park on it. Size, access and the weather affect the schedule.

Reinforcement helps hold cracked pieces together and is a good idea for most driveways, especially where heavy vehicles park. HomeGuide lists rebar at about $1 to $3 per square foot extra. It does not replace a good base and proper joints.

The approach between the sidewalk and street is often in the public right-of-way. We check what the City of Corona or the county requires for your address before working there.

HomeGuide's national range for a plain patio is $4 to $12 per square foot installed, or about $600 to $1,700 for a 12 by 12 foot patio. Stamped or stained patios run higher. We price your patio after a site visit.

Four inches is standard for a residential patio. For hot tubs, outdoor kitchens or other heavy loads, HomeGuide recommends 6 inches with added reinforcement.

Yes. If the existing slab is sound, we dowel new concrete to it. If it is cracked or sunken, removing it and pouring the whole area usually looks and performs better.

Lighter colors and textured finishes stay more comfortable than dark or smooth ones. For an unshaded patio we usually suggest a light broom or exposed aggregate finish.

Light foot traffic is usually fine after about a day, and furniture after a few days. Heavy items such as a spa or a built-in grill should wait longer. We give you timing for your pour.

HomeGuide's national ranges are about $9 to $30 per square foot for a stamped patio and $8 to $26 for a stamped driveway, depending on pattern and colors. We price your project after seeing the space.

Plan on resealing every few years. Patios in full Corona sun lose sealer sooner than ones under a cover. Dull color, or water soaking in instead of beading up, tells you it is due.

Sealed concrete can be slick when wet. Around pools, steps and sprinklers we add a slip-resistant additive to the sealer and use textured patterns.

Any concrete can crack. We place control joints along pattern lines so cracking happens where it is hard to see, and a good base and proper curing keep random cracking down.

If the patio is sound, a stamped overlay can add pattern and color without removal. If it is badly cracked or sunken, replacement is the better route.

HomeGuide's national range is $3 to $6 per square foot for basic resurfacing and $6 to $12 for decorative work, or about $1,500 to $6,000 for a 500 square foot deck. Replacement costs considerably more.

Light-colored, textured surfaces stay cooler than dark or smooth ones. Cool-deck style coatings are made for this and are common on pool decks in hot climates.

Usually the expansion joint between the deck and coping has failed, or the deck has settled. Water then gets under the edge. Replacing the joint sealant and fixing settlement early prevents bigger damage.

Usually not for deck work. We protect the water and plaster during the job. If coping or tile is also being replaced, the pool builder or plaster contractor may lower the water level.

A well-built concrete deck lasts for decades. Coatings and sealers wear faster and need recoating every several years, sooner in full sun.

Four inches over a compacted base works for most sheds. Larger workshops, or buildings with heavy equipment inside, may need more thickness and reinforcement.

A thicker slab, typically 5 to 6 inches, with rebar, a well-compacted base and thickened edges. Access through a side gate also matters, so we look at turning room and the approach.

A simple pad often does not, but a slab under a building, an ADU, or work near property lines can. Rules depend on the project and address, so we check with the City of Corona or the county first.

Yes. Cracked or sunken garage slabs are broken out, the base is rebuilt, and a new reinforced floor is poured. HomeGuide's national range for a two-car garage floor is about $2,400 to $6,900.

A light shed can usually go on after about a week. Heavy buildings and vehicles should wait longer. We give you timing for your slab.

Often, yes. If the panel is in one piece and the base problem can be corrected, mudjacking or foam leveling can raise it. HomeGuide lists mudjacking a 200 square foot section at about $800 to $1,800.

Cracks wider than about 1/4 inch, cracks with offset edges, or cracks that keep growing usually point to base or structural problems. Those often call for section replacement rather than filling.

HomeGuide estimates 8 to 15 years for resurfacing on a slab that is structurally sound. It is a surface fix, so it will not help a slab that is sinking or breaking apart.

It depends on the location and the cause. The City of Corona maintains its sidewalks and takes reports through its online service request system. We check with the city before doing any right-of-way work.

New concrete never matches 30-year-old concrete exactly, but careful mix and finish choices get close. Resurfacing a whole area is the way to get a uniform look.