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Driveways, walkways and patios

Concrete Driveway and Patio Contractor in South Tempe, AZ

1980s and 1990s homes south of the 60, ready for their second driveway.

Tempe · Caliche desert floor

South Tempe is the part of the city south of US 60, filled mostly with single-family homes from the 1980s and 1990s and townhome communities mixed in between. It sits inside the Kyrene School District, which is why plenty of locals just call the area Kyrene. Many of these houses still have their first driveway and the small builder patio, and after 30 or 40 years both tend to show it: corner cracks, a sunken panel by the garage, or a slab too small for the family using it.

(602) 773-1313
Broom finishControl jointsRebar on chairsAggregate base courseCaliche, broken outMix adjusted for heat
A driveway on caliche
Serving ZIP 85283, 85284 · Maricopa County, ArizonaPermits and right-of-way work: The City of Tempe
About South Tempe

Working in South Tempe

South Tempe is the part of Tempe south of US 60, mostly single-family homes from the 1980s and 1990s with townhomes mixed in, inside the Kyrene School District that many locals name the area after.

Below the yards here, a hard caliche layer holds water and lets the soil above it soften. Where it sits high, we break it out and replace it with compacted aggregate base so the new slab has even support. Townhome owners often share walls, walks and a board that reviews exterior work, and we prepare what that review needs. The City of Tempe sets the permit rules for work at the street. Estimates are free, with a printed quote.

The ground under South Tempe

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.

How we build in South Tempe

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
Twelve things worth a look

Signs your South Tempe 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.

  1. 01Slabs sunk or cracked beside sprinkler beds and downspouts
  2. 02Water standing along an edge for days after a storm
  3. 03Corners and edges dropped below the next panel
  4. 04Cracks that keep opening over the same low spot
  5. 05Cracks wider than a pencil
  6. 06Panels that rock or sound hollow
  7. 07Sections that have sunk or lifted
  8. 08Water pooling on the surface
  9. 09Flaking, scaling or pitting
  10. 10Crumbling edges and corners
  11. 11Trip edges between panels
  12. 12Patch on top of patch
Our process

How a South Tempe project runs

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

South Tempe questions

Straight answers

Sam The Concrete Man North Phoenix serves South Tempe homeowners in the Kyrene School District area with driveways, patios, walkways, pool decks and concrete repair from a single local company. Our own crews handle each job in-house, from the estimate to the final walkthrough. The free on-site estimate carries no obligation and comes with a printed quote that prices every part on its own line, and you can reach the office at (602) 773-1313.

Find us on Google Maps

Our crews drive out to South Tempe from our North Phoenix base.

Concrete in South Tempe? 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.

(602) 773-1313