Concrete in St. George, UT

Connect with local trade pros serving St. George and the rest of Washington County.

Concrete in St. George

Concrete in St. George almost never has to deal with freezing. The challenges are heat on the day of the pour and soils that change when water reaches them.

Pouring in the heat

A reading of 117°F at the St. George cooperative weather station on July 10, 2021 tied Utah's all-time maximum temperature record. Hot concrete sets fast, and the surface can dry and crack before the slab underneath has gained strength. Ask whether the crew starts at first light in summer, whether the mix will include a set retarder, whether they'll dampen the base before placing, and how they'll cure the slab afterward: water, a curing compound or wet covers. A slab that's kept moist for the first several days ends up stronger and less prone to cracking.

What's underneath

The Utah Geological Survey's hazard maps for the St. George–Hurricane area cover expansive soil and rock, gypsiferous soil, caliche and shallow bedrock, among other conditions. Expansive clay lifts a slab when it gets wet and lets it drop when it dries, so driveways crack in a pattern that follows the irrigation. Gypsum can dissolve and leave voids. Caliche and shallow rock make excavation slow and can trap water under a slab. Ask the contractor what they've seen in your subdivision, how they'll prepare and compact the base, and whether a soils test makes sense for a large slab.

Keeping water away

Most slab movement here starts with water. Keep drip lines and sprinklers off the edges of driveways and patios, and send downspouts past the slab, not under it. Ask what slope the slab will have and where storm water will go.

Joints and thickness

Ask where control joints will go and how deep they'll be cut, and get slab thickness, base depth and reinforcement in writing so bids can be compared.

Utah's license line

Utah law exempts alteration, repair and remodeling work with a contracted value under $7,000, labor and materials included, from contractor licensing. A full driveway replacement usually costs more than that. Ask the contractor for their Utah license from the Division of Professional Licensing and look it up.

Before you sign

Ask what happens if the crew hits caliche or rock, and how that's priced. Get curing and care instructions in writing, including when you can drive on the new slab.

Local facts behind this page

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
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)
Utah law exempts alteration, repair and remodeling work with a contracted value under $7,000, labor and materials included, from contractor licensing; even on those jobs, work on a plumbing or electrical system must be done by an electrical or plumbing contractor holding a Utah license. Source: Utah Code 58-55-305 (version effective May 7, 2025)

Sources checked 2026-10-26. Codes, rebates and standards change; the contractor you hire and your local building department have the final word on what applies to your property.

Before you hire in Washington County

Concrete Contractor Pros doesn't check contractors' credentials for you, so do it yourself before you sign anything: look the contractor up with DOPL's license lookup, and for plumbing or electrical work check that trade's license too. The Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) lookup is free: Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL).

Get the scope, price and timeline in writing before work starts.
Ask who pulls any required permit, and whether an inspection is part of the job.
Ask for proof of insurance and for references from recent local jobs, and call them.