St. George Concrete Care Checklist: Heat, Collapsible Soils and Cracks

A free seasonal checklist for homeowners in St. George and the rest of Washington County, from Concrete Contractor Pros.

Soil comes first in St. George

Concrete problems in St. George often start in the ground. The Utah Geological Survey's hazard maps for the St. George–Hurricane area cover expansive soil and rock, collapsible soil, gypsiferous soil and caliche. It says collapsible soils are common in the area; strong and stiff when dry, they can settle up to 10 percent of the deposit's thickness when they get wet. Add heat, with a record 117°F reading on July 10, 2021, and concrete here needs care at the pour and through its life.

Spring (February through April): inspect and repair

Walk every slab and look for cracks that have widened, sections that have dropped and joints that have opened.
Track cracks. Mark the ends of a crack with a pencil and date it; if it grows, call a professional.
Check irrigation near slabs and foundations. Overspray and leaks wet the soil under concrete, which can trigger settlement in collapsible soils.

Summer (May through September): pour carefully, or wait

Ask about hot-weather practices if you must pour in summer: early-morning pours, cooling the mix, sun and wind protection, and careful curing.
Keep new concrete moist as the contractor directs; fast drying causes surface cracks.
Seal older slabs within the sealer's temperature range, often in the cooler early morning.

Fall (October and November): best season for pours

Schedule new driveways and patios for mild fall weather when you can.
Seal cracks and joints before winter rains.

Winter (December and January)

Watch drainage during winter storms; water should flow away from slabs.
Use de-icers sparingly on the rare icy day.

Before new concrete goes in

Ask the contractor how they will prepare the soil. On collapsible or expansive soils, base preparation, compaction and moisture control matter more than anything else. For larger projects, ask whether a soils report or engineer is needed.

Permit costs

The City of St. George's building fee sheet uses the 1997 Uniform Building Code fee scale: $181.25 for a $10,000 valuation, $321.25 for $20,000 and $442.25 for $30,000, with a minimum building permit of $60.60. Ask whether your project needs a permit and whether the quote includes it.

Comparing quotes

Ask for slab thickness, base material and compaction, reinforcement, joint spacing, finish and curing method in writing. On difficult soils, a cheaper quote that skips base preparation is rarely cheaper in the end.

Keep records

Note pour dates, any soils report and every repair. Settlement problems often take years to show.

Sources for this guide

The Utah Geological Survey's hazard maps for the St. George–Hurricane area cover expansive soil and rock, collapsible soil, gypsiferous soil and rock, caliche, shallow bedrock, wind-blown sand, breccia pipes and paleokarst, soil piping and erosion, and shallow groundwater. The survey describes the area as one of Utah's fastest-growing regions for more than two decades, and notes that as land well suited for development grows scarce, building has moved into less favorable areas. Source: Utah Geological Survey, Geologic-Hazard and Adverse-Construction-Condition Maps for the St. George–Hurricane Area
The Utah Geological Survey says collapsible soils are common in the St. George–Hurricane area, chiefly young debris-flow sediments on alluvial fans; strong and stiff when dry, they can settle up to 10 percent of the deposit's thickness when wetted for the first time, damaging structures. Source: Utah Geological Survey, Special Study 127, Collapsible Soil map plate
A reading of 117°F at the St. George cooperative weather station on July 10, 2021 tied Utah's all-time maximum temperature record, first set in 1985; the State Climate Extremes Committee accepted it. Source: NOAA NCEI State Climate Extremes Committee, Utah Maximum Temperature report (July 8, 2022)
The City of St. George's building fee sheet uses the 1997 Uniform Building Code fee scale: $181.25 for a $10,000 valuation, $321.25 for $20,000, $442.25 for $30,000 and $643.75 for $50,000, with a minimum building permit of $60.60 ($60.00 permit plus $0.60 D.O.C.). Source: City of St. George, Building Fee Sheet (1997 UBC fee scale)

Sources checked 2026-10-26. Every cost figure on this page comes from a source named above; fees and rules change, so confirm current amounts with the office that sets them before you budget.

More for St. George homeowners: Concrete in St. George, UT.