Concrete driveways, pads and repair in Sun Valley
Big lots, older homes and no HOA telling you what your patio has to look like. We pour a lot of RV pads and shop slabs out here, and fix plenty of concrete that went in on a budget.
Concrete in Sun Valley
Sun Valley is unincorporated county, built out mostly from the '60s through the '80s. Lots are bigger than in town, there's a good mix of manufactured and stick-built homes, and just about everybody has a shop, a trailer or both. People out here work on their own places, and we like working out here.
A lot of what we see is concrete that was poured cheap, sometimes decades ago and sometimes by the owner. Four inches straight on the dirt, no base, no steel, no joints. After 30-some winters that concrete is done. The rest is new work the big lots invite: RV and boat pads, shop floors, wide driveways and turnarounds.
Hills, decomposed granite and fill nobody wrote down
Most of the valley is sandy, gravelly ground washed off the hills, with decomposed granite mixed in. That's decent to build on. Down in the low spots you can hit clay that needs rock brought in.
The real wild card is fill. Pads pushed up for a manufactured home, trenches backfilled by hand, an old driveway buried instead of hauled off. Fill that wasn't compacted keeps settling, and so does anything poured on top of it. That's why we dig a test hole before pricing anything bigger than a small pad, and why some of our Sun Valley quotes have a range on the dirt work. We'd rather show you the hole than guess.
Lots on the east and west edges add slope to the mix. Water coming downhill has to go somewhere other than your garage, and a steep driveway needs its transitions worked out so the car doesn't scrape.
What we pour in Sun Valley
- RV and boat pads, 5 to 6 inches with rebar
- Shop and garage floors
- Wide driveways and turnarounds
- Replacing old owner-poured slabs
- Pads for sheds, generators and hot tubs
Neighborhoods we work in
Anywhere in Sun Valley and the north valleys: along Sun Valley Boulevard, Highland Ranch, the Dandini area, 5th and 6th Avenue, Gepford Parkway, Leon Drive, Panther Valley, Golden Valley, El Rancho and North Virginia Street.
Not on the list? If you're in or near Sun Valley, we almost certainly cover you. Call (775) 264-5350 and ask.
Sun Valley questions
I don't know what's under the slab that came with my house. Can you tell?
Pretty easily. We break or core a small spot at an edge and look at how thick it is, whether there's any steel, and whether it's sitting on base, dirt or fill. It takes a few minutes and it changes the answer a lot.
Do I need a permit out here?
Sun Valley is Washoe County, not Reno or Sparks. Flatwork on your own lot, like a patio or RV pad, usually doesn't need a building permit. Footings for a garage, carport or anything with a roof do, and so does work out at the street.
What does an RV pad cost?
Most land between $3,000 and $7,500. Size matters, but so does thickness. A loaded fifth-wheel wants 5 to 6 inches with rebar, not the 4 inches that's fine under a car. If the truck can't reach the spot, pumping adds to it.