Concrete Driveways in Tucson, AZ

Concrete driveways in Tucson carry cars every day under strong sun, and every summer they also carry storm runoff from the roof, the street and the neighbor's yard. Many of the driveways we see were poured with homes built between the 1950s and the 1980s, which means they have been through decades of heat and monsoon seasons. Some were built for one car and a carport, and households now park two or three vehicles plus a trailer.

Signs it is time for a new driveway

• Cracks that keep widening, or cracks where one side sits higher than the other
• A section that has dropped and holds water after a storm
• Runoff that flows toward the garage or the house instead of away from it
• A broken apron at the street or crumbling edges along the gravel
• Large areas of flaking or a surface worn down to the stone
• A width that no longer fits what you park

One sunken section on an otherwise solid driveway can often be lifted, and a worn surface can sometimes be resurfaced. When cracking, settling and surface wear all show up together, replacement is usually the better use of money.

What goes under the concrete

Most driveway problems start below the surface. We break out the old slab, remove soft soil and loose fill, and dig through caliche where needed to reach the right depth. Then we place and compact a base that supports the slab evenly. Forms are set so the finished driveway falls toward the street, with no low spot at the garage door.

Thickness depends on use. HomeGuide's driveway guide calls for at least 4 inches for standard cars, 5 to 6 inches for RVs and heavy vehicles, and thicker edges of 6 to 8 inches. If a boat, trailer or work truck will park on part of the drive, we thicken that area.

Pouring in the heat

In the warm months we start pours early in the morning, wet the base before the concrete arrives, and keep enough finishers on site that the surface is not rushed. Curing begins as soon as the broom finish is done. Control joints are cut on a planned grid so the cracks that all concrete develops follow straight lines instead of wandering across the slab.

Work at the street

If your driveway meets a public sidewalk or curb, that part of the job is in the City of Tucson's right-of-way. The city's right-of-way brochure lists driveway and sidewalk installs as work that needs a right-of-way permit from the city's transportation department, with a site plan attached and a typical review of about five working days. City code also says no public sidewalk may be repaired or installed without a written permit. We include that step in the schedule so the job does not stall on pour week.

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Finish options

• Broom finish: the standard choice, with a light texture that gives grip when the surface is wet.
• Exposed aggregate: the top paste is washed away to show the stone. It hides tire marks and dust well.
• Colored or stamped borders: a decorative band along the edges while the main lanes stay plain.
• Smooth trowel: clean looking but slick when wet, so we keep it off sloped driveways.

The first month

Keep cars off for at least seven days, and keep heavy vehicles off for about 30, per HomeGuide's driveway guide. The same guide recommends waiting 28 to 30 days before applying the first sealer and resealing every 2 to 3 years. Point downspouts and drip lines away from the new edges so water does not undercut them.