Concrete Contractors in Holt, AL

Holt grew around a pipe foundry, and much of the work our concrete contractors in Holt do is replacing concrete that has been in place for a very long time. Holt is an unincorporated community and census-designated place on the east side of Tuscaloosa, next to Cottondale and Alberta. It had 3,413 residents and 1,554 housing units in the 2020 census. We replace driveways, walks and front steps, pour new patios and garage or shed slabs, and repair concrete that has heaved, cracked or sunk.

The foundry village

According to local history coverage, the Central Foundry opened in 1901 on the south bank of the Black Warrior River at 1700 Holt Road, making cast-iron pipe and fittings. The company named its site and village after Frank Holt, one of its officers, and built 350 homes for its workers along with Holt School, which held its first graduation in 1910. The foundry was once described as the largest cast-iron pipe maker in the world, and it closed in the early 1980s.

Houses from a company village tend to share a few traits: small lots, short or narrow driveways, and walks and steps that have been patched for decades. When we replace that concrete, we often widen a drive where the lot allows it, rebuild front steps to a comfortable rise, and pour walks thick enough to handle tree roots and foot traffic for many more years.

A shrinking count and older housing

Holt's population has fallen from 4,125 in 1990 to 3,413 in 2020, and housing units dropped from 2,006 in 2000 to 1,554 in 2020, with 16.7 percent vacant. Fewer new houses means most concrete here is older, and many owners are deciding whether an aging slab is worth fixing. We give an honest answer either way.

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What the 2011 tornado left behind

On April 27, 2011, the EF4 tornado that crossed Tuscaloosa widened to between half a mile and a mile as it moved through Holt. Homes were leveled, a 74,957-pound steel truss was thrown 100 feet uphill, and the marina at Holt Lake was badly damaged. Many properties were cleared and rebuilt, and some still have old slabs, broken driveways or foundations left from houses that never came back. We break out and haul away old concrete, then pour new driveways, slabs or patios on a properly compacted base.

Ground near the river

Holt sits at about 361 feet near the Black Warrior River, where yards can slope toward low spots and creeks. Water that keeps running under a slab is the most common reason a driveway section drops. We check grade and downspouts on every visit, and we build drainage into the plan instead of hoping the concrete will survive it.

Permits and the right-of-way

Holt has no town government, so we confirm with the county, and with the state if the work touches a highway right-of-way, before scheduling. Call (205) 656-5328 to book a visit in Holt.