Concrete Driveway and Patio Contractor in Scottsdale, AZ
South Scottsdale to Pinnacle Peak, the base work changes mile by mile.
Maricopa County · Caliche desert floor
Scottsdale is two cities in one when it comes to concrete. South Scottsdale is mostly 1970s housing, where original driveways and patios have reached replacement age. The north side is newer, with a median home from about 2000, and it climbs toward the McDowell Mountains and Pinnacle Peak. The same driveway can need very different base work at each end of the city.
Working in Scottsdale
South Scottsdale is mostly 1970s housing, while the newer north side, where the median home dates from about 2000, climbs toward the McDowell Mountains and Pinnacle Peak. The same driveway can need very different base work at each end of the city.
Much of Scottsdale sits on caliche desert floor. A hard caliche layer a few inches to a few feet down holds water, so the soil above it softens and a slab on top can settle. Where the caliche sits high we break it out and replace it with compacted base. On the north end, slopes and rock add their own steps. The City of Scottsdale sets permit rules, and many communities have HOA review. Call (602) 773-1313 for a free estimate.
Caliche desert floor
Gravelly desert soil on the fans and terraces of the Valley floor, often with a layer of caliche, soil cemented hard by calcium carbonate or silica, anywhere from a few inches to a few feet down.
Caliche does not dig like dirt, and it does not drain like it either. A tight layer will not let rain or sprinkler water soak through, so the water sits on top of it and softens the soil above. Where caliche is broken out and thrown back in loose, or a slab goes over a soft, wet pocket, the base settles unevenly and the slab cracks over it. Breaking it out takes a breaker or a jackhammer, which is why it often shows up as its own line on a Phoenix quote.
Dig to firm ground, break out caliche that sits high in the base and haul it off the site, bring in aggregate base compacted in lifts, and slope the slab and the grade so roof and sprinkler water run away from it and off the hardpan.
What fails here first
- Slabs sunk or cracked beside sprinkler beds and downspouts
- Water standing along an edge for days after a storm
- Corners and edges dropped below the next panel
- Cracks that keep opening over the same low spot
Signs your Scottsdale concrete needs attention
One of these is worth an estimate. Several together usually mean the base underneath has given up, and patching on top won’t hold.
- 01Slabs sunk or cracked beside sprinkler beds and downspouts
- 02Water standing along an edge for days after a storm
- 03Corners and edges dropped below the next panel
- 04Cracks that keep opening over the same low spot
- 05Cracks wider than a pencil
- 06Panels that rock or sound hollow
- 07Sections that have sunk or lifted
- 08Water pooling on the surface
- 09Flaking, scaling or pitting
- 10Crumbling edges and corners
- 11Trip edges between panels
- 12Patch on top of patch
Concrete services in Scottsdale
Every one starts with a free on-site estimate and a clear price in writing.
How a Scottsdale project runs
- 01
Free Estimate
Call, text or send the form. We come out to look at the space, measure it and talk through what you want, and we can do a drive-by estimate if your schedule is tight.
- 02
Printed Quote
You get a printed quote on the spot, free of charge, with the project details and a clear breakdown of the cost. You decide if and when to go ahead.
- 03
Install
Once you approve it, we schedule the work, prepare the site and pour, finish and cure your concrete with methods planned for the heat and the monsoon.
- 04
Final Walkthrough
We’ll review the completed work with you, answer your questions, and make sure you know how to care for your new concrete.
Straight answers
Scottsdale neighborhoods with their own page
Each one has its own ground, ZIP codes and questions.
Also working near Scottsdale
Same crews, same routes, often the same week.
Find us on Google Maps
Our crews drive out to Scottsdale from our North Phoenix base.
Concrete in Scottsdale? Let’s talk.
Tell us what you're planning. We'll look at your space, learn what you need, and talk through the best options for your project.