Concrete patio construction in Malibu CA - a patio on solid, packed ground

Patio cracked, sunken or holding water? We dig out the soft ground, pack the base and pour a slab that drains away from the house.

Request an estimate (424) 388-5404

Curved stamped-concrete patio beside a covered house entrance, with gray rectangular patterns and landscaped garden beds.

What goes into building a concrete patio in Malibu?

Concrete patio construction in Malibu, CA means our crew digs out the soft ground, packs a solid base and pours a slab that's sloped so rain and hose water run away from your house.

Most patio calls start with an old slab that's cracked, sunk at one corner or holding a puddle by the back door, or with a patch of yard you're tired of not using. The price moves with the patio's size, how much soft ground has to come out, whether an old slab has to be cut out and hauled away, how easily a crew and truck can reach the spot, and the finish you pick. The schedule turns on any approvals the city wants first, the dig and base work, and the days the new slab needs to cure before you use it. I measure all of that when I come out and send you a written scope with your price.

How we build a concrete patio, from the dig to the cure

I start by marking out the patio and checking where water runs now, so the new slab falls away from your house instead of toward it. Our crew strips out the topsoil, roots and loose material, because anything soft left under a slab keeps settling after the pour and takes the concrete with it. We pack the base down hard, set the forms to the slope and lay in rebar, steel rod that ties the slab together, where the plan calls for it. After the pour we finish the top, usually with a broom finish, a light texture that gives your feet grip when it's wet, and then cut control joints, shallow grooves that give the slab a planned place to crack. I'll be straight with you that joints help control cracks and don't stop them. Last, we keep the new slab moist while it cures, the slow hardening that gives concrete its strength, because a slab that dries out too fast ends up with a weak, dusty top.

A lot of patios connect to other flatwork, the trade's word for any slab on the ground. If you want the surface to look like stone or tile, we can do stamped concrete on the patio itself, and if you need a path from the driveway or side gate, we can build the concrete sidewalk at the same time so the two meet at the right height.

A new patio on open ground

This suits a lawn, dirt or gravel area off the back door that you want to start using. Most of the work is the dig and the base, so we take the soft ground out, pack what goes under the slab and set the slope before any concrete arrives.

Replacing a cracked or sunken patio

This suits a slab that's broken up, sunk at one end or holding water against the house. We break out the old concrete and look at what was under it, because a patio usually fails from below, and we fix that before the new pour.

Why Malibu homeowners call True North Malibu Concrete for patios

I come out and measure it myself

I started this business in Malibu in 2023 after years running a sign shop, where a job was only right if every measurement was right. I come out to measure your patio myself, and I'm on site with our crew while they do the work.

Fully licensed and insured for your project

We're fully licensed and insured. When your project has an engineer, architect or soil consultant, our crew works alongside them, and I keep them up to date on what's going into the slab so the patio matches their plans.

What goes under the slab, in writing

What goes under the concrete matters more to me than what shows on top, so the scope lists the dig, the base, the steel and the finish before any work begins. Call (424) 388-5404 or use the form to set up a visit.

Get a written scope and price for your Malibu patio

We reply within one business day, by phone or message, and the estimate is free, done at your property and comes with no obligation. I measure the area, look at access and any old concrete, then send you a written scope with a price you can compare line by line. Have your address, the patio's rough size and a few photos of the area handy when you reach out.

Phone: (424) 388-5404
Email: estimates@concretemalibu.com
Location: Malibu, CA 90265
Hours: Mon–Fri: 7 AM–10 PM, Sat–Sun: 8 AM–9 PM

Concrete patio construction in Malibu and the city's coastal rules

Malibu takes permit requests through its Development Portal, and the city's list names work like building, electrical, pool and excavation but not concrete patios, so that list alone doesn't settle whether yours needs one. The whole city sits in the California coastal zone, and any work here that isn't exempt falls under its coastal rules, so the city asks owners to check with a Planner on whether a project needs a Coastal Development Permit. Size matters too, because an older city guide calls for a hydrology report, a study of how water drains off the site, on projects that add more than 500 square feet of surface water can't soak through, counting the footprint only, and a large patio can cross that line. Ask the Planner what applies today, and ask about the city's exemption form for single-family home improvements while you're at it. Before I price your patio, I look into what the city asks for at your address and tell you what I found, and where approvals are needed we plan the start around them and can handle the concrete side of the paperwork or work alongside your architect or engineer. The office that serves your address has the final word on your lot.

Most patios we're asked about here come off a back door, wrap a pool or sit beside a house in the middle of a rebuild, and getting a crew and a concrete truck to the spot is often part of the plan. We're based in Malibu and take patio jobs in many of the cities around it, including Topanga and Calabasas. If you're not sure we cover your address, just ask when you call.

Questions Malibu homeowners ask about concrete patios

How much does a new concrete patio cost in Malibu?

The price of a Malibu patio is set mostly by what goes under it, so a yard with deep soft spots or an old slab to remove costs more than open ground. A stamped or colored finish also costs more than a plain broom finish. If the budget's tight, I'd rather you trim the finish than the base, because the base is hidden on day one and it's what decides whether your patio settles. You'll get your figure in the written scope after I've measured.

Will my new concrete patio crack like the old one?

Some cracking is normal, because all concrete tends to crack and nobody can pour a slab that's completely crack-free. Good basic practice reduces cracks and keeps them where they're planned, which is what the joints we cut are for. Steel or wire mesh won't prevent cracks either, but placed in the right spot it can keep them narrower.

How do I compare concrete patio bids in Malibu?

Ask each contractor how they'll prepare the ground, because that work happens before any concrete shows up and you can't see it once the slab is down. Concrete industry guidance calls for all topsoil and soft spots to come out and for the slab to sit on soil or gravel fill that's well compacted by rolling, vibrating or tamping. Our written scope spells out how we handle that on your patio, so you can hold it up against other bids.

How long does a new concrete patio need to cure?

The same guidance says to keep a new slab moist for at least 3 days, starting as soon as possible after it's finished. That's done by spraying on a liquid curing compound that holds the water in or by covering the slab with damp burlap. I'll tell you when you can walk on it and set your furniture back out.

Who can build a concrete patio in California?

California has a concrete contractor classification for contractors who form, pour, place and finish flat concrete work, which is exactly the work a patio is. State contractor law also counts building or replacing a patio at a home as home improvement work.