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Driveways, walkways and patios

Concrete Driveway and Patio Contractor in Tempe, AZ

Built-out Tempe, where good concrete pays off for owners and landlords.

Maricopa County · Caliche desert floor

Tempe is largely built out, and half its homes went up between the mid-1970s and the mid-1990s. The Salt River crosses the north end of the city. Fewer than half of Tempe homes are owner-occupied, so a good share of our calls come from landlords who need a cracked driveway replaced between tenants, or a trip-hazard walk fixed before the next lease.

(602) 773-1313
Broom finishControl jointsRebar on chairsAggregate base courseCaliche, broken outMix adjusted for heat
A driveway on caliche
Serving ZIP 85281, 85282, 85283, 85284 · Maricopa County, ArizonaPermits and right-of-way work: The City of Tempe
About Tempe

Working in Tempe

Tempe is largely built out, with half its homes built between the mid-1970s and mid-1990s. The Salt River crosses the north end of the city, and fewer than half of Tempe homes are owner-occupied.

Owners call too, usually for a bigger back patio or a widened driveway on a house they plan to stay in. Under much of Tempe sits a caliche layer that holds water and softens the soil above it. Where caliche rides high, we break it out and replace it with compacted base. The City of Tempe has its own permit rules, and we check them. Call (602) 773-1313.

The ground under 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 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 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 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.

Tempe questions

Straight answers

Sam The Concrete Man North Phoenix serves Tempe, from neighborhoods by the Salt River at the north end to the rest of the city, with driveways, patios, walkways, sidewalks and repairs. Our own crews handle each job, so owners and landlords deal with one company from start to finish. The free on-site estimate comes as a printed quote with every part on its own line.

Find us on Google Maps

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

Concrete in 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