Concrete Contractor in Apache Junction, AZ - Driveways and Slabs on a Packed Base

It can need one, so check with the city's building safety office before the pour instead of assuming it doesn't. The city's Building and Safety Manager issues permits for work that builds, enlarges, alters, repairs, moves or demolishes a building or structure, and its list of permit-free work names things like painting, carpeting and floor tile, not driveways, patios or walks. If you're not sure, ask at the estimate and we'll go over it with you.

They can if your lot sits in one of the flood hazard areas on the city's new maps, which took effect late in 2025. In those areas the city doesn't allow bringing in fill or building solid fences or block walls, and new construction, additions and improvements have to meet its floodplain rules, including how high they sit and how they're anchored. A home newly mapped into one can generally stay as it is, but a large enough repair or improvement has to bring it fully up to those rules, so we sort this out before planning any base that needs fill.

Your price comes from the size of the driveway and how much work the ground needs, and I put it in writing after I've seen the lot. Tearing out an old slab or gravel, digging deeper for a soft base, a thicker slab with rebar, the steel inside that holds cracked pieces together, and a stamped or colored finish all raise it, while a plain finish and an easy path for the truck keep it down. The one place I won't cut to save money is the base, because nobody sees it on day one and it's the part you can't fix later without tearing the driveway out.

Not as an owner-builder, because the city's permit guide says a limited liability company can't be one, so a licensed contractor is required. Owners who do qualify as owner-builders sign a declaration and send it in with their application.

Usually it's the base, because older slabs were often poured on dirt that was raked level instead of dug out and packed, so they settle as the dirt does. Water running under the edges, a slab that falls toward the house, and joints cut late or skipped make it worse and put cracks where nobody chose. When we replace one, we dig to firm ground, pack the base and cut control joints, straight grooves that give the slab a planned place to crack, while it's still fresh.

Dig out the gravel and loose dirt, pack a firm base, and pour a slab pitched so water runs off instead of toward the garage. We set forms and rebar, pour in the cool part of the day and give it a broom finish, a lightly brushed texture that keeps tires and shoes from slipping. If your lot is in a mapped flood area, the fill rule above matters here too, so we check that first.