Concrete Contractor in Scottsdale, AZ - Driveways and Patios Built on Solid Ground
Cornerstone Mesa Concrete is a concrete contractor based in Mesa, AZ, and we pour driveways, patios, pool decks, walls and footings across Scottsdale, starting with the dug-out, packed ground every slab sits on.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free on-site estimates.
- Replies within 1 business day.
Scottsdale homes from older neighborhoods to desert lots
Scottsdale is mostly houses, and the work changes a lot from one part of the city to another. In older neighborhoods like Villa Monterey and Town and Country Scottsdale, we usually find driveways, walks and patios that have cracked and settled over the years, with mature trees and tight side yards to work around. On the newer desert lots, it's more often long driveways, pool decks and courtyards going onto ground that's never had concrete on it.
We see much the same mix in Paradise Valley and Fountain Hills. Either way, the ground sets the job, because an old slab has to come out clean and raw desert ground has to be dug out and packed before anything gets poured on it.
Concrete services for Scottsdale homes and lots
- Concrete driveway building
Older Scottsdale driveways often crack and sink where the base was never packed, so we tear out, dig down, pack the ground and pour a new slab.
- Concrete patio construction
A Scottsdale back patio should shed water away from your house, so we set the slope of the ground before the forms go in and the pour starts.
- Stamped concrete services
Stamped concrete gives Scottsdale patios and entries the look of stone or tile in one pour, and it still needs the same packed base as plain concrete.
- Concrete sidewalk building
Older Scottsdale walks lift and trip people when roots or loose fill shift under them, so we replace the bad sections and pack the ground first.
- Garage floor concrete
A garage floor in a Scottsdale home takes car weight and hot tires every day, so we pour it thick enough for the load with steel inside.
- Decorative concrete
Colored and textured concrete lets a Scottsdale entry, courtyard or pool area match the house, and we plan the color and finish with you before the pour.
- Concrete retaining walls
On sloped Scottsdale lots, a concrete retaining wall holds the ground back, and it needs a solid footing and drainage behind it to stay put.
- Concrete floor installation
When you add a casita, workshop or room in Scottsdale, we pour the interior floor flat and level so flooring goes down without fighting it later.
- Concrete pool decks
Scottsdale pool decks get bare feet, splashed water and hard sun, so we finish them to grip and slope them to drain away from the house.
- Concrete steps construction
Older Scottsdale steps with crumbling edges or uneven heights are easy to trip on, so we form new ones with even steps and a finish that grips.
- Slab foundation building
A slab foundation for a Scottsdale addition, casita or garage starts with dug-out, packed ground and steel in the right place, because the building sits on it for decades.
- Foundation installation
For builders and small property owners putting up a building in Scottsdale, we form and pour the foundation to the plans, checking the forms before any concrete arrives.
- Concrete parking lot building
Small commercial lots and shared drives in Scottsdale carry heavier, constant traffic, so we build a thicker base and plan where the water goes before we pour.
- Concrete footings
Footings carry walls, columns and patio covers on Scottsdale lots, so we dig to the depth the plans call for and clear loose dirt from the bottom.
- Foundation raising
When part of a Scottsdale house has sunk and doors stick or floors slope, we find out why it moved before we talk about lifting it.
- Concrete cutting
We saw-cut openings for doors, plumbing runs and new pool equipment, and cut out damaged sections of Scottsdale driveways so only the bad part comes out.
Get a free written estimate for your Scottsdale concrete
We reply within one business day, and I come out myself to look at your site and hear what you want. The estimate is free, written out so you can see what it covers, and there's no obligation.
Call (480) 645-9450Working in Scottsdale: permits, schedule and price
Building permits here come from the City of Scottsdale, so whether your job needs one is the city's call. When it does, the permit and any review have to clear before we can set a pour date, and that wait goes into the schedule along with the weather. We settle with you up front who pulls it, we work to the inspections the city sets, and we're licensed and fully insured. If you pull it yourself, the city says to trust only emails that come from an address ending in @ScottsdaleAZ.gov.
Price here turns mostly on how much old concrete comes out, how much digging and packing the ground needs, and then the size and finish you pick. Tight side yards on older streets and long driveways on desert lots both change how we get the truck and crew in, and that shows up in the estimate too. It's the same short drive from Mesa that takes us out to Apache Junction, and the written estimate breaks each part out so you can see what moves your number.
Why Scottsdale slabs crack, sink and hold water
Scottsdale's building code plans for summer days of 105 degrees, and heat like that dries the top of fresh concrete before the inside has cured, which is how you end up with a weak, dusty surface a few years later. In the warm months we pour early in the morning and keep the new slab damp while it cures, the slow hardening that gives concrete its strength.
Older driveways and patios here usually crack in places nobody chose, because the joints were cut late or skipped and the base was raked level instead of dug out and packed. Control joints are the grooves we cut so the slab cracks along a straight line we picked instead of across the middle, and we cut them on time. If your slab falls toward the house and water pools along the wall, we fix the grade under it before we pour, because a new slab on the same bad slope will do the same thing.
How a concrete job runs when you call us in Scottsdale
Here's how it goes from your first call to the final walk-through, so you know who you'll talk to and what you'll have in hand at each step.
Call and set a visit
You call (480) 645-9450 or send the form, and I set up a time to come out, look at the site and hear what you want. Being home for that visit helps, because you know where the water goes and what's been bothering you.
Walk the site, get it written
I look at the old concrete, the ground and how water drains, then write an estimate that spells out the prep, the pour and any removal. Each part is written out, so you can see exactly what you're paying for.
We prep, pour and finish
Once you're ready, we schedule around the weather and any city review the job needs, and our crew digs out, packs the base, sets forms, pours and finishes. I check in on site through the job.
Walk the finished job together
When it's done, we walk the finished job with you and go over when it's safe to walk and drive on it. If something isn't right, that's the time to tell me.
Questions about concrete work in Scottsdale
Do I need a permit for a concrete driveway, patio or retaining wall in Scottsdale?
Retaining walls and other walls are on the city's list of work that needs a building permit, and patio slabs no more than 30 inches above the ground still need the city's planning review and approval. For a driveway, the list doesn't spell it out, so check the city's home improvement guide or ask the city. Applications go through Scottsdale SPUR, the city's online permit portal, and we'll go over it with you at the estimate.
What happens if concrete work is done without a permit in Scottsdale?
The city fines work done without a required permit an amount equal to double the permit fee. That's why I ask about permits at the estimate, because it's a lot cheaper to settle the question before we pour than after the slab is in.
How do I know if my Scottsdale home falls under historic review?
Your home falls under historic review if it's on the Scottsdale Historic Register, and then exterior changes and demolition need review and approval from the city's Historic Preservation Commission. The city has four historic districts, Village Grove 1-6, Town and Country Scottsdale, Villa Monterey Units 1-7 and Sands North Townhouses. If you live in one, check with the city's historic preservation program before we plan any tear-out near the house.
Does my HOA have to approve a new driveway in Scottsdale?
That comes down to your HOA's CC&Rs, the private rules recorded for your neighborhood, and it's on you as the owner to know them before you build, because the city doesn't enforce them. If they call for approval of color, finish or layout, get it before we schedule, and bring a copy to the estimate so we can plan the work to fit.
How long does new concrete need to cure before I can walk or drive on it in Scottsdale?
You can walk on a new slab well before you can drive on it, and I give you the dates for your pour at the walk-through, because the wait depends on the mix and the weather that week. Keep cars off until that date, since weight on young concrete is one of the ways a new driveway cracks early.
How much does a concrete driveway cost in Scottsdale?
It comes down to the size of the driveway, how much old concrete has to come out and how much work the base needs, so I give you the number on a written estimate after I've seen the site. Thickness, rebar, the steel set inside to hold the slab together, and the finish move it next, since a plain broom finish, the light brushed texture that keeps it from getting slick, costs less than stamping or color. If the budget's tight, I'd keep the base work and go plainer on top, because the base is the one part you can't fix once it's covered.
Mesa, AZ
Tell us about your Scottsdale concrete job
Call (480) 645-9450 or use the form to tell me what's cracking, sinking or missing, so I come out already knowing what to look at.