Concrete Contractors in Mesa del Sol, NM

Mesa del Sol is a planned community on the mesa about 6 miles southeast of Downtown Albuquerque, bordered by the airport, Kirtland Air Force Base, the Isleta Reservation and Interstate 25. It is one of the newest residential areas we serve as concrete contractors. The New Mexico State Land Office picked Forest City Enterprises as developer in 2002 and ground was broken in 2005.

Young homes, young concrete

In March 2011, Forest City announced a first phase of 250 homes and models with four builders: Rachel Matthew Homes, RayLee Homes, Paul Allen Homes and Pulte Homes, with homes from 1,200 to 2,700 square feet. By December 2017 about 250 homes had been built. So most houses here are young, and so is their concrete.

New concrete is usually not the problem. The issue is that builders pour the minimum: a driveway, a front walk and a small slab at the back door. So most concrete work in Mesa del Sol means adding to that.

What owners add

• Backyard patios that are actually big enough for a table, chairs and a grill
• Stamped borders or full stamped patios to dress up a plain slab
• Side-yard walks from the driveway to the backyard gate
• Pads for trash bins, an AC unit, a hot tub or a small shed
• Driveway extensions for a third car or a small trailer

When we add to builder concrete, we dowel the new slab into the existing one so the two stay level, match thickness, and line up joints so the result looks planned rather than patched.

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Open mesa conditions

Mesa del Sol sits on open mesa land with plenty of sun and wind. Fresh concrete dries quickly in those conditions, which can lead to surface cracks if it is not cured right away. We pour early on hot days, use evaporation control when it is windy, and start curing as soon as finishing is done. For patios, lighter colors stay cooler underfoot in summer than dark tones.

Drainage on new lots

On new lots, the grade around the house was set by the builder to move water away from the foundation. A new patio or walkway can accidentally block that path. Before we pour, we look at how water currently leaves the yard and make sure the new slab works with it: sloped away from the house, with a clear path past the edge, and downspouts carried beyond the concrete.

A community still taking shape

The master plan is large: a 9,000-acre plan over 40 years, with 3,200 acres for parks and open space and a plan for 37,500 homes. Its centerpiece, the Aperture Center designed by Antoine Predock, opened in 2008 as a LEED-certified building. Growth has been slower than first planned, and a 2015 state audit led to about 2,700 undeveloped acres being placed in receivership. For homeowners, that mostly means newer homes sitting next to open land, with dust and wind coming off undeveloped ground.

HOA approval first

Planned communities usually have design rules covering patios, colors and finishes. We provide a simple plan with dimensions, finish and color so you can get approval before we schedule. We also confirm any city requirements for your address.

Sizing the patio to the house

The first phase homes ranged from about 1,200 to 2,700 square feet, built by four different builders, so back slabs here are not all the same size or layout. A patio that feels right behind a 1,200-square-foot house can look lost behind a 2,700-square-foot one, and the reverse. We measure what the builder left, look at where the doors open and where the sun hits in the afternoon, and mark the new outline on the ground so you can judge it before anything is poured.