Concrete Companyin Hermosa Beach, CA
A concrete company in Hermosa Beach works to a written driveway standard of 6 inches of portland cement concrete and 9 feet clear, and to right of way rules on walk streets and The Strand. Roughly the west half of the city is in the Coastal Zone, and whether flatwork needs a permit is a question for Building and Safety.
Concrete in Hermosa Beach goes down on a narrow strip of coast that filled in early. The first wooden pier was built in 1904 and the city incorporated in 1907, according to Wikipedia, and the Census counted 11,826 residents in 1950 and 16,115 in 1960. Estimates for 2020 to 2024 still show 1,944 of 10,385 housing units from the 1950s and 1,802 from the 1970s, so a driveway, walk or patio poured with the house is often 50 to 70 years old.
MDG Builders, CSLB #1040337, runs concrete jobs as a Tarzana general contractor: the scope and the permit questions are ours, and a licensed concrete subcontractor does the forming, pouring and finishing. Zoning and permit questions go to Building and Safety, finishes are explained on the concrete page, and the Hermosa Beach overview shows the other trades we manage here.
What Hermosa Beach's Municipal Code and Planning Division say about concrete work
Where concrete permits come from in Hermosa Beach: City of Hermosa Beach Community Development Department, Building and Safety Division.
- Hermosa Beach driveway standards (17.44.120): driveways and parking spaces must be paved with at least 6 inches of portland cement concrete (or at least 3 inches of asphaltic concrete over a rock base the chief building inspector accepts), pervious concrete or similar material with drainage facilities is allowed if the building official or city engineer approves, the minimum driveway width is 9 feet clear, the driveway must sit wholly on the same lot (common driveways use recorded 5 foot easements), and no driveway may slope more than 20 percent, with transitions required over 12.5 percent.
- Residential parking within the front 20 feet is allowed only when paved and leading to a garage (17.44), and a duplex that adds a curb cut or driveway must provide one extra on-site guest space for each on-street space lost (17.44.020).
- Concrete flatwork has a state exemption (R105.2 item 5, Albany copy of the 2025 text: sidewalks and driveways not more than 30 inches above grade) and retaining walls up to 4 feet measured from the bottom of the footing are also exempt unless they support a surcharge, but any work that affects the public right of way needs Public Works approval (CBC 3306.10) and curbs, gutters and sidewalks are built to the City Engineer's standard specifications (12.08.010). Fences or walls built on top of a retaining wall have their own height limits under 17.46.130.
- Lot coverage in Hermosa Beach (17.04) includes the foundation area of buildings, cantilevers, and decks and stairs more than 30 inches above grade, but excludes non-structural stairs, patios, walkways and planters that establish finish grade, plus fences, walls and small projections, so ordinary on-grade concrete patios and walkways do not count toward the 65 percent coverage limit.
- Under 15.16.030 asphalt and concrete from a project must be source separated for recovery, and under 8.44 a simple above-ground low impact development BMP on a single-family home can be pervious pavement (the definition lists vegetated swales, rain barrels, rain gardens and pervious pavement) with no operation and maintenance plan required.
- CSLB defines the C-8 Concrete classification as forming, pouring, placing, finishing and installing specified mass, pavement, flat and other concrete work and setting screeds for pavements and flatwork.
What are the driveway rules in Hermosa Beach, and how thick must the concrete be?
Hermosa Beach puts the driveway specification in its zoning code. Under 17.44.120, driveways and parking spaces must be paved with at least 6 inches of portland cement concrete, or at least 3 inches of asphaltic concrete over a rock base the chief building inspector accepts. Pervious concrete or a similar material with drainage is allowed if the building official or city engineer approves it. The minimum clear width is 9 feet, and the driveway must sit wholly on the same lot, with shared driveways using recorded 5 foot easements.
Slope is capped at 20 percent, with transitions required over 12.5 percent. Residential parking in the front 20 feet is allowed only when it is paved and leads to a garage. A duplex that adds a curb cut or driveway must provide one extra on-site guest space for each on-street space lost (17.44.020). A bid that shows only 4 inches of concrete under a vehicle deserves a question, since the City's own text asks for 6.
- Does the bid show at least 6 inches of concrete for the driveway?
- Is the clear width at least 9 feet?
- Does the slope stay under 20 percent, with transitions over 12.5?
Can you pour a patio, wall or planter on a Hermosa Beach walk street?
Many Sand Section lots include public right of way in front, and that changes the answer. Under 12.16.020 an encroachment permit is required for any structure or use that encroaches on a right of way, issuance is within the City's sole discretion, and it is not a substitute for a building permit. Starting without one doubles the permit fee and makes failure to stop a misdemeanor (12.16.030), and only the owner of record can apply for a residential encroachment (12.16.050).
On walk street encroachment areas, 12.16.080 caps fences at 42 inches, allows a 42 inch fence on top of a masonry, block, brick or concrete retaining wall measured from natural grade, and says a retaining wall in the right of way cannot support any structure on private property. A February 12, 2026 Easy Reader article lists the walk streets as 3rd to 21st Streets in the Sand Section plus 30th and 31st. The code leaves that list to a council resolution we did not open, so treat the newspaper's list as a lead and ask the City about a given lot.
Does concrete near the sand need Coastal Zone review, and what about the ground itself?
A 92-point land sample against the California Coastal Commission's Coastal Zone polygon put 44 points (47.8 percent) inside it, so roughly the western half of Hermosa Beach is in the zone. The sample is not a set of parcels. The Land Use Plan was certified April 21, 1982, but the city has no certified Local Coastal Program, and chapter 17.78 requires a Coastal Clearance plus a Commission approval, waiver or exemption before a permit is issued for development in the zone.
The code does not say which kinds of work the Commission exempts, and we could not read the Coastal Act exemption text, so we make no claim that a driveway or patio slab is exempt. On The Strand, a 20 foot wide public right of way between the homes and the beach, a March 5, 2021 Commission addendum for 802 The Strand limited the permit to a 180 square foot patio and a 1,760 square foot patio and required a permit amendment or new permit for further repairs and maintenance in that encroachment area.
Soil is the second layer. The State's seismic layer covered 13 of the 92 sample points for liquefaction and the County tsunami layer covered 12, both on the beach side, while none fell in a landslide, fault or flood zone on the County layers. That is a reason to ask what base and reinforcement a bid assumes.
How tall can a retaining wall be in Hermosa Beach before it needs a permit?
The model code line is 4 feet, measured from the bottom of the footing to the top, for walls that carry no surcharge, but Hermosa Beach's own exempt list was not opened, so treat that as a starting point and not a City answer. Zoning is separate. A wall or fence 42 inches or taller needs a building permit (17.46.130), and a wall or fence may stand 42 inches high on any part of a lot and up to 6 feet behind the rear line of the required front yard.
Where a wall holds back a cut on a property line, a fence on top may be as high as would be allowed without the wall. Where it holds back fill, the wall height counts toward the fence height and only an open-work fence of no more than 42 inches, meaning no more than 60 percent solid surface, may sit on top. The visible face of a retaining wall must use a material the planning director approves, and plain gray untreated block is prohibited.
Trade matters too. CSLB's C-29 masonry class covers concrete block for walls and fences, and our subcontractor guide explains how a general contractor sorts poured walls from block ones.
Can you pour a concrete patio in Hermosa Beach, and does it count toward lot coverage?
Lot coverage is the easy part. Chapter 17.04 counts decks and stairs more than 30 inches above grade, but excludes non-structural stairs, patios, walkways and planters that establish finish grade, so an ordinary on-grade patio does not eat into the 65 percent maximum. Whether a ground-level slab needs a building permit is the part we could not answer from a City source. The state model list names sidewalks and driveways not more than 30 inches above grade, not a patio slab, and we make no claim that Hermosa Beach treats a patio as exempt.
Small lots shape the layout. Lots of 2,100 square feet or less use the variations in 17.08.040, such as 70 percent coverage and 300 square feet of open space, and a standard R-1 lot needs at least 400 square feet of usable open space with a 10 foot minimum dimension. A 2016 Coastal Commission report describes a 2,250 square foot lot on The Strand, so a patio plan is a zoning drawing as well as a pour.
Drainage helps on a tight lot. Under chapter 8.44 a simple above-ground runoff measure on a single-family home can be pervious pavement, with no operation and maintenance plan required.
What rules govern concrete trucks, washout and demolition debris in Hermosa Beach?
Pours follow the clock. Construction runs Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., never on Sundays or national holidays, and the rule counts running equipment and delivering materials (8.24.050). Any work that affects the public right of way needs Public Works approval, and the City requires an approved Pedestrian Protection Plan before a building or demolition permit issues (15.04.020).
Chapter 8.44 applies to every construction project regardless of size. Sediment, wastes and trash stay on site, excavated soil is bermed or covered, construction vehicles may not be washed next to a site, and waste containers are covered at the end of each business day and in rain. The owner must certify that runoff controls will be used before a permit issues. Under 15.16 asphalt and concrete are separated at the source, and a materials management plan is filed before the permit and a report before final inspection.
What does concrete work cost in Hermosa Beach, and which license applies?
No Hermosa Beach price study turned up, so these are Los Angeles figures from Angi's 2026 pages, which cite customer surveys and professional data. A patio runs $4 to $13 per square foot with an average of $5,248, a 20 by 20 foot slab $1,600 to $5,200, stamped work $15 to $30 per square foot, and a driveway $8 to $20 per square foot with an average of $7,270. A general slab averages $6,134 within a $4,090 to $8,179 range. Retaining walls average $7,140 and range from $2,674 to $11,842, and we print no per-foot figure for them because the spread is wide.
Small jobs cost more per foot because of minimum charges. BLS wage data for May 2025 list cement masons across the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim metro at a mean of $33.67 an hour, which is pay and not a billing rate. Demolition, haul-off, base, rebar and any coastal review should be separate proposal lines. CSLB's C-8 class covers forming, pouring, placing and finishing concrete. Our license check guide shows how to look up a number.
Concrete photos from Hermosa Beach and nearby communities
Forms, flatwork, walls and finished walks from Hermosa Beach and neighboring South Bay towns, shown at the stages that matter. Tap any photo to enlarge it.
What concrete costs around Hermosa Beach
These dollar figures are Los Angeles planning ranges and not a bid for a Hermosa Beach address, and a proposal should break out demolition, base, right of way work and any coastal review. The same property may also call for flooring in Hermosa Beach or decks in Hermosa Beach. Nearby comparisons: concrete in Redondo Beach, concrete in Manhattan Beach, concrete in Torrance and concrete in Los Angeles.
| What it covers | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Patio, walkway or slab, broom finish, 300 sq ft or more | $8 to $14 per square foot |
| Decorative: stained, stamped or exposed aggregate | $15 to $30 per square foot |
| Driveway replacement, with demolition of the old slab | $9 to $20 per square foot |
| 20 by 20 foot plain patio (400 sq ft) | About $3,200 to $5,600 |
| 20 by 20 foot decorative patio (400 sq ft) | About $6,000 to $12,000 |
| Small jobs under 300 sq ft | Usually above the per-foot range |
| Retaining walls | Set by the written proposal |
Other work we manage in Hermosa Beach
Hermosa Beach concrete questions, answered
Can I pour a concrete patio without a permit?
We cannot confirm that for Hermosa Beach from a City source. The state model list names sidewalks and driveways under 30 inches above grade, not a ground-level patio slab, and the City's own exempt list was not readable. About half the city sits in the Coastal Zone, so a coastal question may apply too. Ask Building and Safety with the slab size and address.
Can I expand my driveway without a permit?
Do not assume so in Hermosa Beach. The driveway standard in 17.44.120 asks for 6 inches of concrete, 9 feet of clear width and a slope under 20 percent, and parking in the front 20 feet must be paved and lead to a garage. Work touching the public right of way needs Public Works approval. Ask the counter before widening.
How much should a 20x20 concrete patio cost?
For a 20 by 20 foot patio, 400 square feet, Angi's 2026 page for Los Angeles shows $1,600 to $5,200, within a wider $4 to $13 per square foot band. No Hermosa Beach study turned up. The old slab to remove, the base, the finish and a contractor's minimum charge all shift the figure, so the price comes from a visit.
How much do contractors charge for concrete work in Hermosa Beach?
Angi's 2026 Los Angeles pages list $4 to $13 per square foot for a patio, $8 to $20 for a driveway and $15 to $30 for stamped work. Plain flatwork gets medium confidence from us and decorative finishes less. Small jobs run higher per foot, and tear-out, rebar and any coastal review should appear as their own lines.
What is the maximum height of a retaining wall without a permit in Hermosa Beach?
The model code line is 4 feet from the bottom of the footing, unless the wall carries a surcharge, but Hermosa Beach's own list was not opened. Zoning adds its own limit: a fence or wall of 42 inches or more needs a building permit under 17.46.130. Walk street encroachment areas cap fences at 42 inches.
Is 4 inches of concrete thick enough for a driveway?
Not in Hermosa Beach, going by the City's text: 17.44.120 requires driveways and parking spaces to be paved with at least 6 inches of portland cement concrete, or 3 inches of asphaltic concrete over an accepted rock base. Pervious concrete is allowed when the building official or city engineer approves it. Ask how the base and joints will be handled.
How much would a 20x20 stamped concrete patio cost?
Stamped work at Angi's 2026 Los Angeles rate of $15 to $30 per square foot puts 400 square feet at $6,000 to $12,000. That figure gets lower confidence than plain flatwork, and no Hermosa Beach study turned up. Have the pattern, color and sealer written into each proposal so the bids line up.
Can concrete trucks and washout wait in the street in Hermosa Beach?
Not without City approval. Work that affects the public right of way needs Public Works approval, construction vehicles may not be washed next to a site, and pours stop at 6:00 p.m. on weekdays and 5:00 p.m. on Saturdays (8.24.050). Ask the crew where the first truck will stand and where the washout goes.
Does a concrete driveway or patio near the beach need Coastal Zone review?
Possibly. Roughly the western half of Hermosa Beach is in the Coastal Zone, and chapter 17.78 requires a Coastal Clearance and a Commission approval, waiver or exemption before a permit issues for development there. The code does not list which work is exempt, so ask the City with the address. Our map result is a sample, not parcels.
What license does a concrete company need in Hermosa Beach?
A concrete company should hold CSLB's C-8 class, and block walls fall under C-29. Hermosa Beach also requires every contractor and subcontractor to hold a city business license before a building permit issues (5.04.200). Look the CSLB number up online and ask for the certificate of insurance before accepting a bid.
Describe the pour and what is there now
Tell us what you want poured, the rough size, whether the lot touches a walk street or The Strand, and what stands there today, such as a cracked drive or a bare side yard. The driveway, right of way and coastal questions come with us to the first visit.