Concrete Contractor in Santa Barbara - Driveways and Patios on a Solid Base
Masterwork Ventura Concrete replaces driveways, patios, walkways, steps, retaining walls and foundations for homeowners in Santa Barbara. We're based in Ventura, and I come out to look at every Santa Barbara job myself before we pour.
Santa Barbara as we see it from the driveway
Most of our calls in Santa Barbara come from homeowners with an old driveway or patio that's finally given out. It's cracked through, sunk at one corner or holding a puddle where it never used to. A lot of these houses went up long before anyone paid much attention to what went under the concrete, and many sit on narrow lots where the driveway squeezes between the house and the property line, so getting a truck and a crew in takes some planning. We also hear from property owners and small businesses in the city, and the work looks a lot like what we do down the coast in Carpinteria.
That mix of older slabs and tight access shapes the whole job here. Breaking out old concrete in a narrow side yard is slower than working on a wide-open driveway, and ground that's been sinking for years usually has to be dug out and packed before anything new goes on it.
Permits, paperwork and what sets the price in Santa Barbara
In Santa Barbara, building permits are issued by the city's Building and Safety Division, and the city's Permit Center is where permits and approvals for construction get worked out. When your job needs a permit, I figure out which office covers your address and we take care of the paperwork with them, the same way we do at home in Ventura, so the permit sets when we can start. We're licensed and insured, and business taxes for companies working here run through the city's finance staff.
The price mostly comes down to how much old concrete has to come out, how much base work the ground needs, the size and thickness of the slab, the finish you pick and how hard it is to get the crew and the concrete truck to the spot. A broom finish, a light texture brushed in so the surface isn't slick when it's wet, costs less than stamped or colored work. The schedule turns on the permit if there is one, then the tear-out and the curing, which is the wait while the concrete gains enough strength to take your weight and then your car. Your own figure comes in the written estimate I send after I've seen the site.
What Santa Barbara houses and yards usually need from us
The thing I see most is an old slab that sank because its subgrade, the ground it sits on, was raked level and never dug out and packed, so the concrete settled right along with the dirt. When a budget's tight, the base is the first thing people want to cut because nobody sees it on day one, and I'll always steer you toward saving on the finish instead, because a fancy surface over soft ground cracks just the same. We dig out and pack the base, check where the water runs so the slab falls away from your house, and add rebar, steel set inside the slab to hold it together, where the job calls for it. Concrete still cracks a little as it shrinks, so we cut control joints, shallow grooves that give it a straight place to crack instead of a random one.
Plenty of lots here also have a slope or a tight side yard, and that's where retaining walls, steps and footings come in. If you're adding a room, a garage or a backyard building, our foundation installation work starts the same way, with the ground under it.
Get a free on-site estimate for your Santa Barbara project
Send your request and we'll reply within one business day to set a time for me to come out to your Santa Barbara address. I'll look over the site, ask how you plan to use it and answer your questions, then send a written estimate, with no obligation to book.
(805) 507-9817How a concrete job goes when you call us in Santa Barbara
Call or send a request
Call (805) 507-9817 or use the form and tell us what you've got, whether it's a cracked driveway, a new patio or a wall. A photo or two of the spot helps me get a head start.
I come out and look
I drive up from Ventura, walk the site with you and look at the ground, the drainage and how a truck will get in. I'll ask how you'll use the space, and you can ask me anything.
Get your written estimate
After the visit I send you a written estimate for the job. Take your time with it, and call me if any part of it isn't clear.
We handle permits and prep
If the job needs a permit, we take care of the paperwork with the city or county office that covers your address. Then we break out the old concrete, dig out and pack the base, and set the forms.
Pour, finish and walk through
We pour, finish the surface and cut the joints, then I walk the finished job with you and go over how long to stay off it while it cures. Satisfaction guaranteed on every job.
Driveways, patios, steps and walls
Santa Barbara concrete questions we hear
Which building code applies to a concrete project in Santa Barbara?
New projects in Santa Barbara fall under the 2025 edition of the California building codes, known as Title 24, which state law has the city's building office enforce. Only projects submitted on or before December 17, 2025 could stay with the older 2022 edition. We build to whichever edition the city applies to your job.
How do I find out if my patio, driveway or wall needs a permit in Santa Barbara?
Ask the city's Permit Center, because its counter staff answer that kind of question, or let us find out for you. When I look at your job, I'll work out which city or county office covers your address, and if a permit's needed, we take care of the paperwork.
How much does a new concrete driveway cost in Santa Barbara?
Your driveway's price comes from what I find on site, and the free estimate gives you that figure in writing. On older Santa Barbara houses, breaking out the old slab and working by hand on a narrow lot add labor, and stamped or colored finishes cost more than a plain broom finish. The base is the one place I won't cut to save money, for the reasons above.
How do I get a concrete truck to a tight driveway or backyard in Santa Barbara?
We plan the route at the estimate visit, deciding where the truck parks and how the concrete gets from it to the forms. A back patio behind a narrow side yard may need a pump or a lot of wheelbarrow trips, which adds to the cost, so it's better to know before the estimate than on pour day.
How long will I be without my driveway in Santa Barbara?
You're off your driveway for the tear-out, the base work and the curing wait, and if a permit's needed, the time until it's issued comes before any of that. I'll give you a sense of the schedule for your job at the estimate visit and tell you on the final walk when it's safe to drive on.
Do you work in Santa Barbara if you're based in Ventura?
Yes, we work in Santa Barbara and across the cities around Ventura, including some that don't have their own page on this site. I come out to look at every job myself, and the work is done by me and our crew.
Tell us about your Santa Barbara project
Call (805) 507-9817 or send the form, and since our hours run into the evening seven days a week, you can reach us after work.