Concrete Slabs in Tucson, AZ

Concrete slabs give sheds, RVs, trailers, carports, workshops and equipment a level, solid base that does not turn to mud in a storm. In Tucson, many homes on larger lots have room for a side-yard RV pad, a slab for a metal carport, or a workshop out back, and older homes often have a cracked carport slab that has settled over the decades.

Matching the slab to the load

Thickness and reinforcement depend on what the slab will carry. HomeGuide's slab guide lists 4-inch slabs at $6 to $8 a square foot and 6-inch slabs at $8 to $10, and notes that larger slabs may need wire mesh, rebar or thicker edges. As a general rule:

• Sheds and small storage buildings: usually a 4-inch slab
• Carports and garage floors: 4 to 6 inches with reinforcement
• RV and trailer pads: thicker, with steel, especially where the wheels and jacks rest
• Workshops and heavy equipment: sized to the equipment, sometimes with thickened areas under machines

If a structure will be built on the slab, its anchor bolts or post brackets need to be placed during or right after the pour, so we coordinate with whoever is supplying the building.

Permits for outbuildings

The City of Tucson's residential permit page says detached accessory structures over 200 square feet, such as storage sheds, need a permit, and that garages need one too. Walls and fences need a site plan review for zoning, and those over 7 feet need a building permit with an engineered design. Towns and unincorporated Pima County have their own rules. We check what your project needs before the slab is poured, because the slab often has to meet the building plans.

Ground and drainage

We clear the area, dig out soft soil and break through caliche where needed, then compact a base. The slab is set slightly higher than the surrounding ground and sloped so storm water runs off rather than pooling against a shed wall or under a garage door. For RV pads that connect to the driveway, we match the grade so the transition is smooth.

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Pouring and curing

Slabs are poured early in the day during hot months, finished to the right texture for their use (broom for outdoor pads, smoother for workshop floors), and jointed so cracks stay controlled. HomeGuide says to keep vehicles off a new slab for 1 to 2 weeks and gives 28 to 48 days for a full cure. For an RV pad, that means waiting before parking the full weight of the vehicle on it.

Replacing an old carport slab

Many Tucson homes from the 1950s through the 1980s have carport slabs that have cracked and dropped. HomeGuide puts removal of an existing slab at $3 to $8 a square foot including disposal. When a carport roof stays in place, we work around the posts and pour a new slab sloped away from the house.