Concrete Contractors in Ralph, AL

Ralph is an unincorporated community about 16.4 miles southwest of Tuscaloosa, near US 11 and US 43, and our concrete contractors in Ralph pour for homes on open country lots and farm property. The community's post office, ZIP code 35480, opened on March 3, 1900. We pour driveways, patios, stamped concrete, walks and steps, and slabs for garages, shops and equipment, and we repair concrete that has cracked, sunk or broken.

Hickman becomes Ralph

Wikipedia says the community was first called Hickman, after its first postmaster, William P. Hickman. In 1900 it was renamed Ralph, after either the postmaster's son, Ralph Stewart, or his wife, Kathleen Ralf Stewart. Blues and boogie-woogie pianist Walter Roland was born in Ralph in the early 1900s. It is a quiet place with deep roots, and many properties have been in the same families for a long time.

Some of the lowest ground we serve

Ralph's listed elevation is 157 feet, close to the lowest in the Tuscaloosa area. Low, flat country holds water after long rains, and the Tuscaloosa area gets more than 53 inches of rain in an average year. Concrete on wet ground needs a stable base. We remove soft topsoil, place stone in layers and compact each one before forming. We also set slabs a few inches above the surrounding grade so they shed water instead of sitting in it.

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Highway access

With US 11 and US 43 nearby, many Ralph drives connect to busy highways or the county roads that feed them. The first few feet of a driveway take the heaviest loads, from delivery trucks to farm trailers, so we pour that apron thicker and reinforce it. Work in a state or county right-of-way can need approval. Ralph has no town government, so we check with the county and the state before we schedule.

What Ralph homeowners ask for

Common jobs include concrete driveways in place of gravel, back patios, front porch slabs and steps, slabs for carports and shops, and pads for trailers and equipment. For anything that will carry heavy loads, we ask what will sit on it and size the slab accordingly. We also look at the whole lot, not just the slab, so the new concrete does not send water toward the house or a neighbor.

A written estimate first

Every job starts with a visit, measurements and a written estimate. We explain what we found, what we recommend and why. Call (205) 656-5328 to set up a time in Ralph.