Concrete Companyin Lomita, CA
A concrete company in Lomita works inside three local limits: a 12 to 16 foot driveway for a typical two-car garage, half the front yard kept as drought-tolerant landscaping, and a duty to cap any abandoned oil or water well. Flat driveways and walks are on the state exempt list, but confirm the permit with Building and Safety.
Lomita's ground has a past. The City's history page says oil was found in 1923 and about 500 acres went to the oil industry, and that truck farms later earned the town the nickname Celery Capital of the World. Today it is a 1.87 square mile city, incorporated on June 30, 1964, and Census estimates for 2020 to 2024 count 7,904 homes, about half of them single-family houses (3,965). Many of those lots still carry the original driveway and front walk.
MDG Builders, CSLB #1040337, is a general contractor in Tarzana. We draw up the scope, take it to Building and Safety and Planning and hire a licensed concrete subcontractor to form, pour and finish the work. The concrete page explains materials and finishes, and the Lomita overview shows the other trades we run in town.
What Lomita's Building and Safety Division, Zoning Code and Municipal Code say about concrete work
Where concrete permits come from in Lomita: City of Lomita Community and Economic Development Department, Building and Safety Division and Planning Division.
- The state list of permit-exempt work in Residential Code R105.2 (the 2025 text, as excerpted by the City of Albany) exempts sidewalks and driveways not more than 30 inches above grade, but Albany's note says replacing sidewalks and driveway approaches in the public right-of-way needs an encroachment permit. Lomita's Master Fee Schedule lists Encroachment Permit and Public Works plan check fees, so check with Public Works for any work in the right-of-way.
- Section 11-1.66.08(C) (driveway dimensions required by the Los Angeles County Fire Department) calls for a residential driveway and driveway depression at least 12 feet and no more than 16 feet wide for a two-car garage on a lot with two or fewer units within 150 feet of a street, and 20 feet wide if any part of the lot is more than 150 feet from the street; driveway approaches follow County Public Works specifications, and off-street driveways must be paved, graded and drained to improve permeability.
- Because at least 50 percent of a residential front yard must be irrigated, drought-tolerant landscape and garages may take no more than 50 percent of the street frontage (section 11-1.30.04), widening a driveway or paving a front yard in place of lawn can leave no more than half of the front yard for hardscape; the City's front yard handout adds that artificial turf does not count as drought-tolerant landscaping.
- CSLB defines the C-8 Concrete classification as preparing forms, pouring and placing concrete, finishing surfaces and installing mass, pavement, flatwork and other concrete elements; it excludes contractors whose only business is plaster coatings or placing reinforcing steel.
What if an old oil or water well turns up where you want to pour concrete in Lomita?
Stop digging and call the City. Municipal Code section 4-2.33 requires anyone who owns or controls premises with an abandoned oil or water well to cap or fill it so that people cannot fall in and the cap cannot be removed by accident, and section 4-2.34 lets the City do the work if the owner does not. With a 1923 oil discovery in the town's history, a footing trench that hits casing, pipe or a void deserves a pause before anyone pours around it.
The Safety Element adds a policy of requiring soil and seismic reports for new buildings and for fill. It is aimed at buildings, so a plain patio probably does not trigger it, but a tall wall or a slab that supports a structure might. The code text we read comes from the GoCodebook mirror, since the official Municode site cannot be read without JavaScript, and the City should confirm both sections.
How wide can a driveway be in Lomita, and do you need a permit to replace it?
Sixteen feet is the usual ceiling. Municipal Code section 11-1.66.08(C), which carries the driveway dimensions the County Fire Department requires, calls for a residential driveway and driveway depression at least 12 feet and no more than 16 feet wide for a two-car garage on a lot with two or fewer units within 150 feet of a street. If any part of the lot is more than 150 feet from the street, the width is 20 feet. Driveway approaches follow County Public Works specifications, and off-street driveways must be paved, graded and drained to improve permeability.
The state model exemption list, as the City of Albany reprints the 2025 residential code at R105.2, exempts sidewalks and driveways not more than 30 inches above grade from a building permit. That does not settle the right of way: Albany's own note says driveway approaches in the public street need an encroachment permit, and Lomita's fee schedule lists an Encroachment Permit and Public Works plan check. Lomita adopts County Title 30, whose amendments we did not read.
Garages have a frontage cap too. Section 11-1.30.04 lets a garage take no more than 50 percent of the street-facing frontage, which matters when a widened drive is meant to serve a new bay.
- Does the new width stay between 12 and 16 feet near the street?
- Do the curb, gutter or apron change?
- Will the surface drain without sending water onto a neighbor?
How much of a Lomita front yard can be paved?
At most half, and usually less. Section 11-1.30.04 requires at least 50 percent of a residential front yard to be irrigated and landscaped with drought-tolerant plants, so paving a bare lawn for extra parking can leave no more than half the yard for hardscape. The City's front yard handout says artificial turf does not count as drought-tolerant landscaping, citing Government Code section 53087.7.
Bigger jobs meet water rules. The same handout says the state's water-efficient landscape ordinance applies to new landscape projects of 500 square feet or more and rehabilitated ones over 1,200 square feet, while Lomita's own section 11-1.82.01 applies its landscape plan rules to projects with new or altered landscaping over 1,500 square feet.
Runoff counts as well. Section 5-9.020 of the stormwater chapter requires subject new development and redevelopment to meet low impact development conditions the City assigns, which reduce impervious area. Which residential jobs are subject depends on definitions we did not fully read, so ask Building and Safety before paving a large area.
Who handles a cracked sidewalk, curb or driveway apron in front of a Lomita house?
We found no Lomita sentence that says who pays to repair a lifted public sidewalk, so ask Public Works before hiring anyone. What we did find is a trigger on big projects. Section 10-5.02 requires an owner who starts any building, addition or improvement costing more than $35,000 within a two-year period to build or replace concrete curb, gutter and sidewalk along the lot frontage unless adequate ones exist, and to replace unused driveway openings with standard curb, gutter and sidewalk.
That rule can change a budget. A kitchen and bath remodel followed by an addition can add a sidewalk to the bill, and the proposal should show the frontage work as its own line. Work in the public right of way goes through Public Works rather than the building counter.
Can you pour a concrete patio in Lomita without a permit?
We cannot say yes from a Lomita source. The state exemption list names sidewalks and driveways, not a ground-level patio slab, and no Lomita sentence we read names one either. The zoning code does help on one point: section 11-1.30.06 caps accessory buildings and structures at 50 percent of the required rear yard but excludes pools, spas, ground-mounted equipment, patio slabs and on-grade decks. A roofed patio is different, and a trellis or covered porch has its own projection limits.
Weather sets the schedule more than the code does. NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals for Torrance Airport show 33.5 days a year with at least 0.01 inch of rain, 0.06 to 0.07 inch in each of June and July and none in August, plus 5.8 days at 90 F or above. That leaves a wide dry season for pours, and on a hot day the crew should plan shade, water and curing. Freezing is rare, at 0.6 day a year.
Wash water must stay out of the gutter, and Lomita's construction waste chapter covers new units, additions and demolition permits, not flatwork alone.
How tall can a retaining wall or garden wall be in Lomita before the City steps in?
The state model list exempts retaining walls up to 4 feet, measured from the bottom of the footing, unless they carry a surcharge such as a driveway or a slope. Lomita adopts County Title 30 with amendments we did not read, so confirm it. The zoning code sets separate limits for fences, hedges and walls: 42 inches in the required front yard and the street side of a corner lot, and 6 feet along rear and interior side lot lines, measured from the side with the higher finished grade (section 11-1.30.08).
Materials in front yards are restricted. Section 11-1.30.08(G) bans chain-link, corrugated metal, fiberglass and tennis windscreens in the front and street-side yards and names textured concrete block and formed concrete with reveals among acceptable finishes. Whether a retaining wall counts under those limits is a question for Planning.
CSLB's C-29 masonry class covers concrete block walls for structures and fences, so a block wall and a poured slab may go to different subcontractors. Our subcontractor guide explains how that works.
What does concrete work cost in Lomita, and what license should the crew hold?
No Lomita price study turned up, so these are Los Angeles figures from Angi's 2026 pages, which draw on customer surveys and pro data. Angi puts a patio at $4 to $13 per square foot with an average of $5,248, a 20 by 20 foot patio at $1,600 to $5,200, stamped work at $15 to $30 per square foot and a driveway at $8 to $20 per square foot, averaging $7,270. Plain flatwork earns a medium rating from us, while decorative work and driveways rate lower. Minimum charges push small jobs above the per-foot figures.
Our own planning ranges for the Los Angeles area, shown on the concrete page, run $8 to $14 per square foot for typical flatwork of 300 square feet or more, $15 to $30 for decorative finishes and $9 to $20 for driveway replacement including demolition. For labor, the May 2025 federal survey lists cement masons around Los Angeles, Long Beach and Anaheim at a mean wage of $33.67 an hour, which is pay and not a billing rate.
CSLB's C-8 class covers forming, pouring and finishing concrete. Our license check guide shows how to verify one, and a job that needs a permit must go to a licensed contractor even under $1,000.
Concrete photos from Lomita and nearby communities
Driveways, patios, walks and forms from Lomita and the South Bay, shown at the stages that matter. Tap any photo to enlarge it.
What concrete costs around Lomita
These dollar figures are Los Angeles planning ranges and not a Lomita bid, and a proposal should list demolition, base, reinforcement and any City or Public Works charges on separate lines. On the same lot, see flooring in Lomita and decks in Lomita. Neighboring cities: concrete in Torrance, concrete work in Carson, concrete in Gardena 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 |
Lomita concrete questions, answered
Can I pour a concrete patio without a permit in Lomita?
We cannot confirm that from a Lomita source. The state model list exempts sidewalks and driveways, not a ground-level patio, though Lomita's zoning code excludes patio slabs from its rear yard cap. Call Building and Safety with the slab size and the distance to each property line before ordering a pour.
Can I expand my driveway without a permit in Lomita?
Not without checking. The state list exempts driveways under 30 inches high from a building permit, but Lomita limits a two-car driveway to 12 to 16 feet near the street, keeps half the front yard as landscaping and requires an encroachment permit for work in the public right of way. Ask before you widen.
What is the maximum height of a retaining wall without a permit in Lomita?
The state model list exempts walls up to 4 feet, measured from the bottom of the footing, unless they support a surcharge. Lomita's County-based amendments were not read, and its zoning rules cap walls at 42 inches in a front yard. Confirm with Building and Safety before you dig.
How much should a 20x20 concrete patio cost in Lomita?
Angi's 2026 Los Angeles page gives $1,600 to $5,200 for a 20 by 20 foot patio, which is 400 square feet, and our planning range of $8 to $14 per square foot suggests about $3,200 to $5,600. We found no Lomita study. Base preparation, demolition and finishes move the number.
How much does a concrete driveway cost in Lomita?
Angi's Los Angeles pages for 2026 list $8 to $20 per square foot, an average of $7,270 and a spread from $3,067 to $16,472. Demolition of the old slab, grading and curb work shift the total, and the finished width must respect the City's 12 to 16 foot rule. A site visit fixes the number.
Is 4 inches of concrete thick enough for a driveway in Lomita?
Four inches is a common thickness for patios and walks, and many contractors go thicker where vehicles drive, but we found no Lomita rule that sets a number. Ask how the base will be prepared, where control joints go and whether reinforcement is planned, and have the answers written into the proposal.
How much does a stamped concrete patio cost in Lomita?
Angi's Los Angeles page for 2026 shows $15 to $30 per square foot for stamped work and an average of $5,948. Patterns, colors and sealers vary so much that we trust it less than the plain-flatwork figure. Put the pattern, color and sealer in writing so bids line up.
Can I pave my front yard in Lomita?
Only partly. Section 11-1.30.04 requires at least 50 percent of a residential front yard to be irrigated, drought-tolerant landscaping, and the City says artificial turf does not count. Garages may also take no more than half of the street-facing frontage, so extra parking has to be planned around those limits.
What do I do if I find an old well in my Lomita yard?
Stop work and call the City. Municipal Code section 4-2.33 requires the owner of premises with an abandoned oil or water well to cap or fill it so no one can fall in, and section 4-2.34 lets the City do it if the owner does not. Do not pour over it.
What license does a concrete company need in Lomita?
A concrete company should hold CSLB's C-8 class, and block walls fall under C-29. Work that needs a permit must go to a licensed contractor even under $1,000. Look the license up on the CSLB site before accepting a quote, and ask who files any public right of way permit.
Send the address and a photo of the yard
Tell us what you want poured, the rough size, what is there now and whether the lot sits north or south of Pacific Coast Highway. We bring the width, front yard and old-well questions to the first visit.