Concrete Companyin Inglewood, CA
A concrete company in Inglewood works to a printed driveway rule: Portland cement concrete, 10 to 12 feet wide for a single driveway and 18 to 22 for a double. Any driveway across the sidewalk or curb needs a written Public Works permit. For a patio or backyard slab, the City prints no clear answer, so ask Building Safety.
Much of the concrete in Inglewood was poured before most owners were born. The Census Bureau's American Community Survey for 2020 to 2024 puts 31.5 percent of the roughly 40,072 homes before 1950 and 49.8 percent before 1960, and the Inglewood Knolls tract homes in the southeast corner went up in 1953 and 1954. Their driveways, walks and patio slabs now sit on a flat coastal plain under heavy winter runoff, and many show the cracks and heaved panels that come with age.
MDG Builders, licensed as CSLB #1040337, runs jobs like this as a Tarzana general contractor. We measure the yard, put the permit questions below to Building Safety and Public Works, and schedule the pour, while a licensed concrete subcontractor forms and places the slab. Ask for that firm's license number and certificate of insurance. Prices and materials are on the concrete page, and the Inglewood overview shows the other trades we manage here.
What Inglewood's code says about driveways, slabs and walls
Where concrete permits come from in Inglewood: City of Inglewood Development Services Department, Building Safety Division.
- Municipal Code section 12-52 (Article 19, Parking Regulations) requires residential driveways to be paved with Portland cement concrete and to lead directly to a garage or enclosed parking. A single driveway must be 10 to 12 feet wide and a double driveway 18 to 22 feet (16 feet minimum if it serves only a two-car garage), and lots with four or fewer units get one driveway. Multiple residential driveways must be at least 70 feet apart at the front or street side lot line, and a circular driveway needs a 30-foot building setback and 100 feet of frontage.
- Municipal Code section 10-30 (Chapter 10, Article 4) makes it unlawful to build a driveway across a public street, parkway or sidewalk, or to remove or replace a curb, without a written permit from the Public Works Director, with a fee from the Master Fee Schedule.
- The City's Grading Permit Requirements call for grading elevations, pad and building elevations and direction of water flow on the plans, Public Works review (SUSMP stormwater plan, low impact development, erosion control, BMPs), Planning approval, and grading notes revised to the 2022 California Building Code and the City of Inglewood.
- The Safety Element says the city sits on a coastal plain that slopes gently from the east to the southwest, with topographic variation that does not contribute meaningfully to the distribution of heavy rain or urban flood hazards.
Who permits a driveway apron, sidewalk or curb cut in Inglewood?
The Public Works Department does, not Building Safety. Municipal Code section 10-30 makes it unlawful to build a driveway across a public street, parkway or sidewalk, or to remove or replace a curb, without a written permit from the Public Works Director, with a fee from the Master Fee Schedule. The City's fee handout sends curb cuts, driveways and sidewalks to Public Works at (310) 412-5333.
That splits one job into two approvals. The slab on your own lot belongs to Building Safety and Planning, and the strip between the property line and the street belongs to the City. A quote that says nothing about the apron has left someone to find out later, so ask who applies, who pays the fee and who schedules the inspection.
The same handout says each building permit carries a Construction and Demolition permit unless Public Works exempts it. Crews may work 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. every day under the City's Inspections page, so a neighbor's early truck is not automatically a violation.
How wide can a driveway be in Inglewood, and what must it be made of?
Section 12-52 of the Municipal Code requires residential driveways to be paved with Portland cement concrete and to lead directly to a garage or enclosed parking. A single driveway must be 10 to 12 feet wide and a double driveway 18 to 22 feet, with 16 feet the minimum when it serves only a two-car garage.
Lots with four or fewer units get one driveway. Where a lot has more than one, they must sit at least 70 feet apart along the front or street side lot line, and a circular driveway needs a 30-foot building setback and 100 feet of frontage. We found no thickness or reinforcement requirement in that section, so ask the concrete company to state the slab depth, the base and the reinforcing in the proposal.
Widening is the common request. Add a few feet beside a single driveway and you may pass 12 feet, which is why we check the width before the forms go in rather than after. Garages are protected too: Chapter 12, Article 19 bars converting a required parking space or garage to another use, except for an accessory dwelling unit.
Should a cracked 1940s or 1950s driveway or walk in Inglewood be patched, resurfaced or replaced?
It depends on whether the slab has moved. Hairline cracks and surface scaling in a panel that still sits level can be sealed or resurfaced. A panel that has dropped, tilted toward the house or lifted at a joint has lost its base, and a thin overlay will only copy the movement. The honest answer comes from a straightedge and a hose, not from the invoice.
Inglewood's age profile is why this question comes up so often. The City's Housing Element says the largest share of its housing went up between 1950 and 1959, and the Census estimates put 16.1 percent before 1940. Concrete from that era was poured without the drainage planning we expect now, and many walks slope the wrong way.
Replacement covers removal of the old slab, haul-off, base work and a new pour, and that is where the $9 to $20 per square foot range on our concrete page applies. We saw no City page on cracks, lifted sidewalks or who repairs them, and a lifted public sidewalk is a Public Works question.
Do you need a permit to pour a concrete patio or backyard slab in Inglewood?
We found no City page that answers this, so ask first. Chapter 11, Article 2 of the Municipal Code amends the building code's exemption list for only two items: one-story sheds up to 120 square feet and 7 feet high, and painting, papering, carpeting and similar finish work. The model code's own list exempts sidewalks and driveways not more than 30 inches above adjacent grade, but a private ground-level patio is not named, and the City's code edition is unclear.
Two things raise the stakes. A patio cover or carport on the slab needs a Residential Alteration permit under the City's handout, with a site plan, a foundation plan, a framing plan and possibly an engineer's stamp. And a detached one-story accessory building not used as a garage may total up to 400 square feet in an R-1 zone, with the Planning Director free to require a covenant against renting it separately.
Stamped, stained or exposed aggregate surfaces cost more, since Angi's Los Angeles stamped patio page sits at $15 to $30 per square foot, and the extra money is for sealer and care as much as for pattern.
How tall can a block wall, front yard wall or retaining wall be in Inglewood?
Article 24 of Chapter 12, the Fence Regulations, sets the limits. In the front yard setback, and the street side setback of a reversed corner lot, a wall may rise 4 feet, with everything above 2 feet open-work. If the open-work part is ornamental metal only, the limit is 5 feet, and masonry pillars may be no wider than 16 inches and at least 8 feet apart on center. Behind the front building line, side and rear walls may reach 8 feet, measured on the side with the higher natural grade.
Retaining walls are folded into that count. Article 24 adds a retaining wall's height to the wall height allowed, permits an open-work guard rail up to 42 inches on top, and bans barbed wire and razor wire. A fence permit is required for any wall taller than 4 feet, with a site plan; a wall that needs a building permit pays no separate fence fee.
We did not find block wall engineering rules or a retaining wall permit threshold in the City text. CSLB's C-29 masonry class covers concrete block walls and fences, so ask a bidder for that license on a block wall, and ask Building Safety about anything holding back soil.
Do the Newport-Inglewood Fault, liquefaction and urban flooding change how a slab is built in Inglewood?
They change what you ask, because the City's own documents point at all three. The Safety Element describes the Newport-Inglewood Fault as active and running through the city, and the City's fee handout asks for a geological plan check inside the Alquist-Priolo zone. In our sample of 67 map points, the County copy of the State's fault zone boundary covered 8 and the liquefaction layer covered 2, so ask which applies to the address.
Water is the quieter issue. The Safety Element says Inglewood sits on a coastal plain that slopes gently from east to southwest and that no FEMA 50-year or 100-year floodplain applies, yet it warns of urban flooding when heavy rain meets paved ground. NOAA's normals for the nearby LAX station show 12.23 inches a year, about 80 percent from December through March. A new slab adds impervious area, so it should shed water away from the house and not onto a neighbor.
Grading permits carry stormwater review through Public Works, including erosion control and best management practices. For a small flatwork job the practical questions are where the water goes, what is under the slab and whether anything needs a soils opinion.
What does concrete work cost in Inglewood, and who is licensed to pour it?
Concrete work on a flat, accessible lot usually runs $8 to $14 per square foot for a plain broom-finished patio, walk or slab of 300 square feet or more in the Los Angeles sources we use, and replacing a driveway including demolition runs $9 to $20. Angi's 2026 Los Angeles patio page gives $4 to $13 per square foot and an average of $5,248, and notes a permit at $200 to $500. A 20 by 20 patio is 400 square feet, so plain work lands near $3,200 to $5,600. Small jobs run above the per-foot figures because of minimum charges.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics put the mean wage of cement masons in the Los Angeles area at $33.67 an hour in May 2025, which is a floor under labor cost, not a billing rate. We print no per-foot price for retaining walls because we found no independent source.
The license is CSLB's C-8 concrete class, which covers forming, pouring, placing and finishing flat and other concrete work. Any contract over $500 must follow Business and Professions Code 7159, including a down payment capped at $1,000 or 10 percent, whichever is less. Our license check guide shows how to verify a number.
Concrete photos from Inglewood and nearby communities
Seven photos of concrete work around Inglewood and its neighbors, from forms and footings to driveways, walls, walks and finished patios. Tap a photo to enlarge it.
What concrete costs around Inglewood
These are Los Angeles ranges from Angi, HomeGuide and the Bureau of Labor Statistics, not an Inglewood quote, and we found no independent per-foot price for retaining walls. Permits, demolition, haul-off, drainage and reinforcing are separate lines. Concrete often goes with flooring in Inglewood and decks in Inglewood, and the flooring cost guide covers the interior side. Compare concrete work in Torrance and concrete work 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 |
Inglewood concrete questions, answered
Can I pour a concrete patio without a permit in Inglewood?
We could not confirm it. The City's amended exemption list names sheds up to 120 square feet and finish work, and the model code exempts driveways and sidewalks within 30 inches of grade, but a ground-level patio is not named. A patio cover on the slab needs a permit. Ask Building Safety at (310) 412-5294, in writing, before you book a crew.
Can I expand my driveway without a permit in Inglewood?
Not safely. A residential driveway must be Portland cement concrete and 10 to 12 feet wide for a single or 18 to 22 for a double, and any change at the sidewalk or curb needs a written Public Works permit under section 10-30. Check the width and the permit first, because lots of four or fewer units get one driveway.
What is the maximum driveway width in Inglewood?
A single driveway may be 10 to 12 feet wide and a double driveway 18 to 22 feet, with 16 feet the minimum if it serves only a two-car garage. Multiple driveways must be at least 70 feet apart, and a circular driveway needs a 30-foot building setback and 100 feet of frontage. Section 12-52 of the Municipal Code states these limits.
Is 4 inches of concrete thick enough for a driveway in Inglewood?
Four inches is the usual figure for light vehicles, but the City section we read states no thickness or reinforcement, and we found no code citation for it. Treat it as industry practice. Ask the concrete company to write the slab depth, the base material and the reinforcing in the proposal, and to say what changes for a heavy truck.
What is the maximum height of a retaining wall without a permit in Inglewood?
We did not find a stated threshold in the City text, so we cannot give a number. What the Fence Regulations do say is that a retaining wall's height counts toward the allowed wall height and that a fence permit is needed above 4 feet. Ask Building Safety about any wall holding back soil, whatever its height.
How tall can a front yard fence or wall be in Inglewood?
Up to 4 feet in the front yard setback, with the part above 2 feet open-work. Ornamental metal can reach 5 feet with masonry pillars no wider than 16 inches and at least 8 feet apart on center. Behind the front building line, side and rear walls may reach 8 feet. A fence permit is required above 4 feet.
How much should a 20x20 concrete patio cost in Inglewood?
About $3,200 to $5,600 for plain broom-finished concrete, found by multiplying our $8 to $14 per-foot working range by 400 square feet. Angi's Los Angeles 20 by 20 range is wider, at $1,600 to $5,200. Decorative finishes cost more, and small jobs carry minimum charges, so the written proposal sets the real price.
How much does a concrete driveway replacement cost in Inglewood?
Roughly $9 to $20 per square foot including demolition of the old slab, from the Los Angeles sources we use. Angi's Los Angeles average is $7,270 with a range of $3,067 to $16,472, and it notes a driveway permit at $150 to $400. A public apron needs a separate Public Works permit, so ask who applies for it.
What license does a concrete company need for concrete work in Inglewood?
Look for CSLB's C-8 concrete class, which covers forming, pouring, placing and finishing flat and other concrete work. Block walls fall under the C-29 masonry class. Get the license number and proof of insurance, look the number up on CSLB's own site, and make sure any contract over $500 meets Business and Professions Code 7159.
Send the address, a sketch and the finish you want
Tell us what is there now, how big the new slab or wall should be and whether it reaches the sidewalk or curb. We check the driveway width rule and the apron permit before we call.