Concrete Contractor in Ojai, CA - Slabs Built on a Base That Holds
Masterwork Ventura Concrete builds and replaces driveways, patios, walkways, steps and slabs for homes in Ojai, CA. We come up from Ventura to dig out and pack the base under every slab before we pour.
Ojai as we see it from the driveway
Ojai is a small city in the valley under the Topa Topas. It's mostly homes, with a compact downtown around Libbey Park and quieter streets running out from it. A lot of what we work on here is older houses, ranch and Spanish-style places, many on roomier lots with long driveways and big trees, and we get the same kind of calls from just down the road in Mira Monte and Oak View.
That mix shapes the job, because older slabs, long runs of driveway and roots from mature trees usually mean more tear-out and more ground work before we pour anything new.
What a concrete job in Ojai involves on our end
When a concrete job in Ojai needs a permit, it goes through the city's Building and Safety Division. They process building permits and plan checks and send out the inspectors, so their review sets the earliest date we can pour. When your job needs a permit, we take care of the paperwork with them so you don't have to chase it. Before you hire anyone, ask to see their state contractor's license and their City of Ojai business license. We're licensed and insured.
We're a concrete contractor based in Ventura, CA, and we head up Highway 33 to Ojai the same way we head down to Thousand Oaks. On a narrow or steep driveway, I plan how the concrete truck will reach the pour, since a long reach can mean bringing in a pump. Past that, the price moves with the size of the job, how much old concrete comes out and how much base the ground needs. The schedule turns on any permit review and on curing, which is the stretch when new concrete gains strength before it can take weight. You get the figure for your own job in a written estimate after I've seen the site.
What we run into on Ojai properties
A lot of older Ojai houses have driveways, patios and front walks that have cracked, sunk or tipped. When we break one out, we often find it was poured on dirt that was raked level instead of dug out and packed, so it settled as the dirt did. Settled front steps are common too, and we rebuild concrete steps on a packed base so they sit tight against the house. The base is the part you can't see on day one, and it's the first thing people want to trim from a budget. I'd rather you spend less on the finish than skimp underneath, because a fancy top on a weak base cracks just the same.
Bigger lots bring long driveways, slopes and old trees. Water that pools against your house or runs under a slab's edge washes out the subgrade, which is the ground the slab sits on, and roots lift slabs from below. So before we set forms, we check where the water runs and slope the slab away from the house, and we deal with roots near the pour instead of covering them up.
Get a free on-site concrete estimate in Ojai
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day to set a time for me to come out to your place in Ojai. I look the site over myself, answer your questions and then send you a written estimate, with no pressure to book.
(805) 507-9817How it goes when you call us about an Ojai job
Call or send a request
Call (805) 507-9817 or use the form, and tell us a little about the job and where in Ojai it is. A few phone photos of the old slab help me get ready for the visit.
Walk the site with me
I come out myself, look at the ground, the drainage and how the truck will reach the pour, and ask how you'll use the space. Bring every question you've got, because this is the best time to ask them.
Get a written estimate
I send you a written estimate for the tear-out, the base work, the slab and the finish. That way you can see where the money goes before you decide.
Sort permits and set dates
If the job needs a permit, we handle it with the city, and their inspectors come out Monday through Thursday between 10 am and 5 pm, with none on Fridays. We plan the dig and the pour around those days so the crew isn't standing around waiting on an inspection.
Prep, pour and walk through
Our crew digs out, packs the base, pours, finishes and cuts the control joints, which are the grooves that tell the slab where to crack. Then I walk the finished job with you and go over when it's ready for feet and when it's ready for a car.
Driveways, patios and steps
Questions about concrete work in Ojai
Do I need a permit to replace a concrete driveway in Ojai?
That's the city's call, so we check with Ojai's building office for your address before we price the job. If a permit is needed, we handle the paperwork with them and plan the pour around their inspections.
When does a concrete contractor need a California license?
In California, anyone building or changing a structure needs a license from the Contractors State License Board if the project needs a building permit, uses any other workers, or totals $1,000 or more in labor and materials. The only way around it is a narrow exemption where none of those apply and the person doesn't advertise as licensed, and a bigger job can't be split into small pieces to slip under $1,000. For most driveway, patio or steps jobs, that means you want a licensed contractor.
How do contractors get a business license in Ojai?
Through the city's online Business License Portal, which opened in February 2026 and is where businesses apply for, renew and manage their licenses. It's run by the City of Ojai, so it's separate from the state contractor's license.
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Ojai?
The cost of an Ojai driveway comes down to its size, the old slab coming out, how much base the ground needs, how the truck reaches it and the finish you pick. A plain broom finish, the light texture that gives tires and shoes some grip, costs less than stamped or colored concrete, and adding rebar, the steel that holds a slab together if it cracks, adds to the cost. The base is the last place I'd cut, and you get the figure for your driveway in a written estimate after I've seen it.
How do I keep a new concrete patio from cracking in Ojai?
Start with a dug-out, packed base, then cut control joints on time so that if the slab cracks, it cracks in the groove instead of across the middle. Joints cut late or skipped leave cracks in places nobody chose. We also pour early in the day, because a top that dries too fast ends up weak and dusty later.
How long will I be without my driveway after a concrete replacement in Ojai?
You'll be off it for the tear-out, the base work and the curing, and curing usually takes the longest, because new concrete is ready for walking well before it's ready for a car. If a permit is involved, the inspection days set part of the schedule too. I go over the timing for your driveway when I come out to look at it.
Tell us about your Ojai concrete project
Call (805) 507-9817 or send us the form, because a look at the old slab usually shows what failed underneath and what the new one needs.