Concrete driveways, barn slabs and pads in Washoe Valley
The windiest stretch between Reno and Carson City, and some of the biggest lots. We pour barn floors, long driveways and equipment pads out here, early in the day.
Room to spread out
Washoe Valley is rural in a way Reno and Carson aren't. Big parcels, horse properties, wells and septic, long private driveways, and a lake in the middle that comes and goes with the wet years.
Most of what we pour out here is bigger and heavier than in town. Long driveways and turnarounds, barn and shop floors, hay and equipment pads, RV parking, wash racks and walks between outbuildings. And patios, because the view across the valley is hard to beat.
Pouring in the wind
The wind is the big one. Air funnels between the Carson Range and the Virginia Range, and the afternoon wind off the mountains (locals call it the Washoe Zephyr) is why you see wind warnings on this stretch of I-580 when town is calm. For fresh concrete that's about the worst thing there is, because it dries the top before the slab can set.
So we start at first light and aim to be done finishing before the wind comes up. We put up wind screens, use an evaporation retarder, and start curing right away. If the forecast says it'll blow hard from morning on, we move the pour.
The other thing is weight. A barn floor sees a tractor, a skid steer and a loaded trailer, and a hay pad holds a lot of stacked weight. Those want 5 to 6 inches with rebar on chairs over a well-compacted base. Down near the lake the ground is finer and wetter and needs more rock under it. Up on the fans by the mountains it's coarse and rocky, which is better ground but slower digging.
What we pour in Washoe Valley
- Barn, shop and equipment floors
- Long driveways and turnarounds
- Hay, trailer and RV pads
- Wash racks and walks between outbuildings
- Patios with a view
Neighborhoods we work in
Old Washoe City, New Washoe City, Pleasant Valley, East Lake Boulevard, the Bowers Mansion area, Franktown Road, Winters Ranch, the Virginia foothills, Steamboat, and north into south Reno along the Mount Rose Highway.
Not on the list? If you're in or near Washoe Valley, we almost certainly cover you. Call (775) 264-5350 and ask.
Washoe Valley questions
How thick does a barn or shop slab need to be?
Depends on the heaviest thing that'll ever sit on it, including the delivery truck. For tractors, skid steers and loaded trailers we go 5 to 6 inches with rebar on chairs. If a lift is going in, the post spots need thicker footings poured at the same time.
Do I need a permit?
Washoe Valley is county. A slab by itself usually doesn't need a building permit, but a barn, shop or carport on top of it does, footings included. Where a driveway meets a county road you need an encroachment permit, and on 395 frontage NDOT gets involved.
Can you pour out here in the spring?
Yes, we just do it early. Spring mornings are often calm and the wind builds after lunch. If a job is too big to place and finish in one morning, we break it into sections and show you where the joints will land.