Concrete block coursing laid on fresh footings in an excavated hillside slope.

Concrete Contractor in Alpine, CA — Footings, Slabs & Driveways

Footings cut into decomposed granite, slabs that don’t crack where you’d expect, and the long driveway down to the County road — poured early on hot days, jointed properly, permitted where the County requires it. Alpine-based, owner on every pour.

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CSLB #979389 · C-29 Licensed · Bonded $25,000 · Free on-site estimates

Alpine concrete by the numbers

Heat, Hillsides and County Roads

Concrete in Alpine is poured against the weather. The Alpine station has averaged 64.9 days a year at 90°F or hotter, August highs average 90.6°F, and the same summer night drops to about 61°F. Concrete that dries too fast at the surface cracks and dusts, so summer pours here start at first light and the slab stays wet while it cures. In winter, 6.6 nights a year at or below freezing are enough to protect a fresh pour on a cold forecast.

The ground changes the slab too. Granitic hill soils like the USDA’s Cieneba series are sandy and can be only 4 to 20 inches deep over weathered rock, so footings often bottom out on rock that has to be cut. Where the rock is gabbro, soils such as the Las Posas series hold 35–45% clay, and slabs need a deeper base and tighter steel. And the long private drives typical of Alpine end at a County road, where the apron needs its own permit.

64.9Days a year at 90°F or hotter in AlpineWRCC
30 inHeight under which flatwork needs no building permitCounty Code
$217County encroachment permit fee for road workCounty DPW
24–36×Slab thickness = maximum joint spacingNRMCA CIP 6

Infographic plan of an Alpine lot from house to County road with five numbered items. 1, footings and garage slab: County PDS building permit with inspections. 2, patios, walks and flatwork: no building permit if 30 inches or less above grade, not over a basement and not an accessible route, County Code 91.1.105.2(a)(9). 3, the driveway itself: County Code 91.1.105(b) calls for a permit for a residential driveway unless it is part of a new-home permit. 4, the apron in the County road right-of-way: DPW encroachment permit with a $217 fee, drawings and an 811 DigAlert ticket. 5, a driveway that is also fire-engine access: Alpine Fire Protection District sets width, grade and turnaround. A dark card notes 64.9 days a year at 90°F or more, so summer pours start at first light and the slab is kept wet while it cures. — **One driveway, up to three agencies.** On an unincorporated Alpine lot the house slab, the drive, the apron in the County road and fire access are each judged separately — we sort out which apply before forming.Sources: County PDS 110; County DPW encroachment brochure; WRCC Alpine (040136).

Concrete We Pour in Alpine

Structural and flat concrete, from the footing under a wall to the apron at the road. The concrete services page has the county-wide detail; this one covers what Alpine’s ground and permits change.

A new block wall with pilasters and a stairway set behind a freshly poured sidewalk.

Structural

Footings and foundations

For walls, additions, fireplaces and outbuildings. Trenches cut to firm ground — often decomposed granite or rock in Alpine — with steel set and inspected before the pour.

Slabs

Garage, shop and pad slabs

On a compacted base with vapour barrier where needed and steel sized to the load and the soil. Thicker sections where the ground is clay or the slab carries vehicles.

A stone pillar and low stone wall beside a concrete driveway on a hillside with a valley view.

Driveways

Long and steep driveways

Broom-finished for traction on Alpine grades, jointed on a planned layout, with the apron at the County road permitted through DPW and checked against fire-access needs.

Flatwork

Patios, walks and steps

At-grade patios and walks — no building permit up to 30 inches above grade — plus steps and landings formed to consistent risers on sloped lots.

Fire

Hardscape pads near the house

Concrete walks and pads in the first 5 feet around the house give embers nothing to land in, and a clean base for trash cans, propane or a generator.

A stone pillar and short wall at the entrance to a concrete driveway.

Entries

Gate and entry work

Footings for stone pillars, gate posts and mailbox piers at the end of the drive, poured with the drive or on their own.

Jointed, Reinforced and Cured for Alpine

Concrete shrinks as it dries — about 1/16 inch over 10 feet — so it will crack; the job is to make it crack where we choose. Contraction joints go in at no more than 24 to 36 times the slab thickness (8 to 12 feet for a 4-inch slab), cut at least a quarter of the slab deep. Slabs on clay or carrying cars get more thickness and steel.

In Alpine summer we schedule pours for early morning, keep materials and subgrade cool, and keep the slab wet through the first days of curing. In winter we watch the forecast for the few freezing nights and protect fresh concrete when one is coming.

Contraction joints: 24–36 × thickness; 8–12 ft apart on a 4-in slab.NRMCA CIP 6
Joint depth: ¼ of slab, min 1 in; Tooled or saw-cut the same day.NRMCA CIP 6
Drying shrinkage: ≈ 1/16 in per 10 ft; Why joints are planned, not optional.NRMCA
Hot days in Alpine: 64.9 a year at 90°F+; Pours start at first light; slabs kept wet to cure.WRCC
Freezing nights: 6.6 a year; Fresh concrete is protected when a frost is forecast.WRCC

Which Concrete Needs a County Permit

Alpine is unincorporated, so County of San Diego Planning & Development Services applies its building code. Decks, walks and driveways no more than 30 inches above grade, not over a basement or story below and not part of an accessible route are exempt from a building permit. The same code separately says no one may build a residential driveway without a permit unless it’s part of a new-home permit — so we confirm with PDS on every drive rather than assume.

Anything in the County road — the apron, a new curb cut, a culvert crossing — needs a written DPW encroachment permit before work starts: a $217 fee, drawings, and a DigAlert ticket with 811 called two working days ahead. Where your drive is also the fire engine’s way in, the Alpine Fire Protection District’s adopted fire code sets its width, grade and turnaround.

Patios, walks, flatwork: Exempt to 30 in; Not over a basement, not an accessible route.County Code §91.1.105.2(a)(9)
Residential driveway: Permit — confirm; Required unless part of a new single-family or duplex permit.County Code §91.1.105(b)
Apron in a County road: Encroachment permit; $217 fee; $87 renewal; deposit may apply.County DPW
Before any digging: Call 811; DigAlert ticket required for the excavation permit to be valid.County DPW
Fire access: Alpine FPD; District has adopted the 2026 County fire and WUI codes.Alpine FPD

Concrete or Pavers for an Alpine Drive?

Both work here; which is better depends on the slope, the ground and how you use it. Pavers have their own page — pavers, patios and pool decks in Alpine.

Concrete or Pavers for an Alpine Drive?
	Broom-finished concrete	Interlocking pavers
Traction on a grade	Good with a broom finish	Good; textured units available
If the ground moves	Cracks at joints or between them	Lift and relay the affected area
Heat underfoot	Light grey; can be coloured	Choose light colours
Apron in a County road	DPW encroachment permit	DPW encroachment permit
Typical cost (national guide)	$6–$8 per sq. ft. plain	$10–$25 per sq. ft. (patio figure)

Sources: Fixr concrete driveway cost guide (January 2025) and patio cost guide (August 2022), national figures; County DPW encroachment brochure.

How an Alpine Pour Comes Together

Site visit
Shaun checks the ground, the grades, where water goes and whether the work touches a County road or fire access.
Permits
PDS building permit where it’s structural, DPW encroachment for the apron, and a call to 811 before anyone digs.
Excavate and base
Dug to firm ground — cutting rock where we hit it — base placed and compacted.
Forms and steel
Forms set to drain, steel placed and chaired, joints laid out; inspection where required.
Early pour
Concrete placed and finished in the cool of the morning, joints tooled or cut the same day.
Cure and walk-through
Kept wet while it cures, then a walk-through and a written workmanship guarantee.

Planning one? Shaun will walk the site with you and tell you what it needs — free, no obligation.

Call (619) 581-2492

What Concrete Work Costs
Item (national guide)	Typical installed range
Plain concrete driveway	$6–$8 per sq. ft.
Broom, coloured or exposed-aggregate drive	$8–$12 per sq. ft.
Stamped concrete	$12–$18 per sq. ft.
Poured concrete patio	$6–$17 per sq. ft.

Sources: Fixr concrete driveway cost guide (January 2025) and patio cost guide (August 2022). County permit and DPW encroachment fees ($217 for the encroachment permit) are extra.

Concrete Work Around Alpine

The pour is the same; what’s around it isn’t.

The village along Alpine BoulevardZIP 91901Shorter drives and older, cracked slabs. Replacement drives, walks and the hardscape strip next to the house.
Hillside lots south of the villageSteep drives where broom finish, joint layout and drainage at the bottom matter more than anywhere else.
Harbison CanyonDrives that meet the road on a slope, where the apron and the County encroachment permit decide the design. More on our Crest, Dehesa and Harbison Canyon concrete page.
Dehesa and the western ranchesLong drives, shop and barn slabs, and pads for equipment — wide pours scheduled around the heat.
Rural parcels toward the national forestWhere the drive is the fire engine’s route in, fire-access rules come first. Pads near the house double as ember-free ground.

More Masonry in Alpine

The Alpine page covers the ground, permits and neighbourhoods across every kind of job. The county-wide pages go deeper on the build itself.

Concrete in other areas

Do I need a permit to pour a patio or driveway in Alpine?

A patio or walk no more than 30 inches above grade doesn’t need a County building permit. Driveways are less clear-cut: County code requires a permit for a residential driveway unless it’s part of a new-home permit, so we confirm with PDS. Any work in the County road needs a DPW encroachment permit.

What does the County charge for an apron permit?

The DPW encroachment permit fee is $217, with an $87 renewal; a deposit and an encroachment removal agreement may also be required, and drawings are part of the application.

Can you pour concrete in Alpine in summer?

Yes, with care. Alpine averages about 65 days a year at 90°F or hotter, so we start pours at first light, keep the subgrade and materials cool, and keep the slab wet while it cures.

Why does new concrete crack?

Concrete shrinks about 1/16 inch over 10 feet as it dries. Joints at no more than 24–36 times the slab thickness, cut a quarter of the slab deep, make it crack where we choose. Random cracks usually mean joints too far apart, a weak base or a fast-drying surface.

Is concrete or pavers better for my drive?

Broom-finished concrete is the lower-cost, high-traction choice; pavers cost more but can be lifted and relaid if the ground moves. On clay or a steep drive we’ll walk you through both.

Are you licensed for concrete?

Shaun Bagwell Masonry holds California licence #979389, issued 2012, bonded and insured, and is based in Alpine. Check it at cslb.ca.gov.

Sources for the figures on this page

Get an Alpine Concrete Quote

Call Shaun at (619) 581-2492 or send the form. He’ll look at the ground and the grades, tell you which permits apply, and give you a written, itemised price.