Concrete Contractors in South Valley, NM

The South Valley is the large unincorporated area south of central Albuquerque, and it is a different kind of place for concrete contractors than the mesas. The Rio Grande runs north to south through the middle of the census area, which covers about 30 square miles. The 2020 census counted 38,338 residents in 14,721 housing units, and 98.6 percent of residents were counted as urban, even though much of the valley still looks rural.

Ditches and drains

Wikipedia's South Valley page notes that the area is home to many irrigation ditches, including the Los Padillas Drain. A ditch along a property line or across a lot changes how we plan concrete:

• Driveway crossings need to be built so they do not block flow or get undercut by water.
• Slabs near a ditch bank need a solid edge and should not drain into the ditch.
• Irrigated ground stays wetter than the rest of the yard, so the base under nearby concrete needs extra attention.

We look at where water moves on and around your lot before we lay anything out.

Low, flat ground

Valley lots tend to be flat and low, and the South Valley's listed elevation is about 4,928 feet. On flat ground, water does not run off quickly; it sits. Slabs poured without enough slope will hold puddles, and puddles are where freeze damage and settlement start. We set every patio, walkway and driveway with a deliberate fall, and on very flat lots we may raise the slab slightly or add a swale so water has somewhere to go.

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Room for big slabs

Many South Valley properties are larger than typical city lots, with space for trucks, trailers, livestock trailers and equipment. That brings requests for:

Wide driveways and turnarounds. Concrete where vehicles turn and park, gravel elsewhere.

Equipment and trailer pads. Thicker slabs with steel and thickened edges for heavy loads.

Shop and barn slabs. Floors for outbuildings, sized for the use.

Patios and portales. Shaded outdoor space off the back of the house.

We match the thickness and reinforcement to what will actually sit on the slab, rather than pouring everything the same.

Independent by choice

In a January 2010 special election, South Valley voters rejected becoming a city by a margin of 93 to 7 percent, so the area remains unincorporated Bernalillo County land. For you, that means county rules, not Albuquerque's, usually apply to work at the road. We check what applies to your address before we schedule.

Groundwater history

The South Valley has a known groundwater issue: two municipal wells, San Jose 3 and San Jose 6, were shut down in 1981 because of solvent contamination, and the site remains on the Superfund list. It does not change how we pour a patio, but if you are planning digging deeper than ordinary flatwork, such as for footings or utilities, it is worth knowing about.

Repair on older valley homes

On older valley homes, slabs that have settled usually trace back to years of irrigation or storm water. We start by finding the water source. Then we decide whether sealing, section replacement or a full new slab is the right fix.

Rural look, solid build

Plenty of South Valley owners want concrete that does not look suburban. Integral color in sand or adobe tones, a broom finish, and clean borders where concrete meets gravel or dirt all help a new slab sit naturally next to fields, fences and old cottonwoods. Underneath, the build is the same as anywhere we work: soft soil removed, a compacted gravel base, steel where loads call for it and joints cut on time. On irrigated lots we also leave a margin between the slab and any flood-watered bed or pasture so the edge does not stay soaked.