Concrete Contractor in Tempe, AZ - Driveways, Patios and Slabs Built on Solid Ground
Cornerstone Mesa Concrete is a concrete contractor based in Mesa, AZ, and we pour driveways, patios, walkways, garage floors and footings for homes and small properties across Tempe, with the ground dug out and packed first.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free on-site estimates.
- Replies within 1 business day.
Tempe neighborhoods and the older concrete we replace
Tempe sits right next door to us in Mesa, and a lot of our calls here come from established neighborhoods where the driveway, the back patio or the front walk has been down a long time. We also see plenty of duplexes, townhomes and rentals, where the owner wants a cracked slab fixed once so they're not paying for it again in a few years.
Most of those jobs start with a tear-out, and that shapes everything after it. Once the old slab is up, we can usually see why it cracked or sank, and fixing that ground before anything new goes down is most of the job.
Concrete work we do on Tempe properties
- Concrete driveway building
Older Tempe driveways that have cracked, sunk or started pooling water usually need tearing out, a new packed base and a fresh slab, not another patch.
- Concrete patio construction
Many backyards here still have the small slab the house came with, and we extend or replace it, sloped so rain runs toward the yard.
- Stamped concrete services
Stamped concrete gives a patio or front walk the look of stone or brick, and it only holds up as long as the base under it does.
- Concrete sidewalk building
We replace walkways from the driveway to the front door or down the side yard once they've cracked or lifted into a trip edge.
- Garage floor concrete
When an older garage floor is cracked, stained or uneven, we break it out and pour a new slab that drains toward the door, not the house.
- Decorative concrete
Colored concrete, exposed aggregate and borders let you dress up a front entry or patio without giving up the strength of a plain slab.
- Concrete retaining walls
Where a yard steps down or a planter bed is pushing on a slab, a concrete retaining wall holds the soil back so it stays put.
- Concrete floor installation
Interior slabs for additions, workshops and converted spaces get the same dug-out, packed base as a driveway, because a floor that settles cracks whatever sits on it.
- Concrete pool decks
Around a backyard pool, we pour decks with a textured top for bare feet and a slope that carries splash water away from the pool and house.
- Concrete steps construction
When front or back steps crack or pull away from the porch, we form and pour new ones with even risers so nobody catches a toe.
- Slab foundation building
For additions, casitas and new builds on Tempe lots, we pour the slab the house sits on, which is where a packed base matters most.
- Foundation installation
Builders and small property owners call us for foundations on infill lots and rebuilds, where the layout has to be right before any concrete arrives.
- Concrete parking lot building
Small lots behind shops, offices and apartment buildings take heavy, turning traffic, so we build them thicker than a home driveway and on a well-packed base.
- Concrete footings
Footings carry the weight of a block wall, a patio cover or an addition, so we dig them to the depth your plans call for.
- Foundation raising
When a slab or part of a house has settled and left cracks or uneven floors, we look at why it sank before deciding how to raise it.
- Concrete cutting
We saw-cut old slabs for clean tear-outs, new plumbing runs or a wider driveway, so the concrete you're keeping isn't cracked by a jackhammer.
Get a free written estimate for your Tempe concrete job
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set a time. I come out myself, look at the site and give you a written estimate, with no pressure and no obligation.
Call (480) 645-9450Permits, pricing and timing for Tempe concrete work
Permits in Tempe come from the city's Community Development Department, and its Building Safety Division handles residential work on houses, duplexes and townhomes. The city gives new homes, remodels and accessory structures as examples of work that needs plans approved before a permit is issued, but that doesn't settle whether a driveway or patio on its own needs one, so I bring it up at the estimate. If your job does need one, we settle with you up front who pulls it and work to the inspections the city sets, and that review has to clear before we can pour. We're licensed and fully insured, and you're welcome to ask me about either when I'm out there.
What moves the price is mostly the work you never see: how much old concrete comes out, how deep we dig and pack, the size and thickness of the slab, and the rebar, steel bars set inside to hold it together. The finish moves it too, from a plain broom finish, the light brushed texture that gives your shoes some grip, up to stamped or colored work, and on a tight lot where the truck can't reach, pumping or wheeling the concrete in adds to it. The schedule turns on any permit review, the weather and curing, the days a new slab has to sit and gain strength before you walk or drive on it. Your written estimate lays all of that out, and we run jobs the same way in Chandler and the other cities around Mesa.
Why Tempe driveways and patios wear out
Most of what we tear out in Tempe failed from underneath, not on top. On a lot of older slabs the base was raked flat instead of dug out and packed, so the dirt settled and the concrete went with it, and some were pitched so rain runs back toward the house. We dig down to firm ground and pack the subgrade, the soil the slab sits on, then set the forms so water runs off away from your walls.
When the budget's tight, the base is the last thing I'd cut, because it's buried on day one and nobody sees it until it fails. A plainer finish is the better place to save, since you can live with a broom finish for years but you can't fix a bad base without tearing the slab out.
What happens after you call us about Tempe concrete
Here's how a job runs from your side, from the first call to the final walkthrough, with a written estimate in your hands before anything gets poured.
Call us or send the form
Tell us what you're dealing with, whether it's a sunken driveway, a new patio or footings for an addition. I'll set up a time to come out, look at the site and hear what you want.
Walk the site, write the estimate
I look at the old slab, where the water runs and how a truck gets in, then give you a written estimate that spells out the prep, the pour and any removal. You'll see what the price covers before you decide anything.
Clear permits, then pour
When a job needs plan approval, the city reviews the plans before it issues the permit, so that comes before we set a pour date. Then we schedule around the weather, and our crew digs out, packs the base, forms, pours and finishes while I check in on site.
Walk the finished job together
When the forms come off, I walk the job with you and go over anything you want to look at. I'll also tell you when your slab is ready to walk on and when it's ready to drive on.
Concrete questions from Tempe homeowners
Do I need a permit for a concrete driveway or patio in Tempe?
Check with the city before you assume either way, because Tempe's residential plan review names new homes, remodels and accessory structures as needing plan approval and doesn't speak to a driveway or patio by itself. If you're not sure, ask at the estimate and we'll go over it with you.
Which building codes apply to a concrete project in Tempe?
Tempe has adopted the 2024 ICC codes with its own local amendments, and through December 31, 2026, permit applications can use either the 2018 or the 2024 codes. Starting January 1, 2027, every application has to meet the 2024 codes, so if your project needs a permit, that date is worth knowing. You can read the city's adopted codes and amendments yourself.
How do I apply and pay for a building permit in Tempe?
You apply online through the Tempe Citizen Access Portal, which needs a registered account, and Building Safety invoices are paid through the same portal. The city says it will never ask you for a wire transfer, so treat a request like that as a red flag. The Permit Center explains how it works.
How much does it cost to replace a concrete driveway in Tempe?
We price each driveway on site, because the cost is set by how much old concrete comes out, how much digging and packing the ground needs and how big and thick the new slab is. On older Tempe lots the tear-out and base work usually swing the price more than the finish does. Your written estimate shows exactly what the price covers.
Will a new concrete driveway in Tempe crack like my old one?
It can still crack, because concrete shrinks as it hardens, but a well-built slab cracks where we plan it to instead of wherever it wants. We cut control joints, shallow grooves that give a crack a straight line to follow, while the concrete is fresh, and the rebar holds the pieces together if one opens up. Most of the random cracking we tear out came from joints cut late or skipped.
How long will I be without my driveway when it's replaced?
You're off it through the tear-out, the base work, the pour and then the curing wait, and the curing is usually the longest stretch. I'll tell you at the estimate when your slab should be ready to walk on and to drive on, since the weather and the thickness of the slab both change that.
Mesa, AZ
Tell us about your Tempe concrete job
We answer (480) 645-9450 seven days a week, from 8 AM on weekdays and 6 AM on weekends until 9 PM, so you can call before work or after dinner.