Serving West Des Moines, IA and surrounding areas. (515) 706-9183
West Des Moines Concrete & Masonry is a masonry contractor serving Grimes with stone masonry, foundation repair, driveway pavers, tuckpointing, and chimney repair. We know the homes in this fast-growing northwest suburb - from the older sections near Highway 141 to the newest subdivisions on the edge of town - and we respond to estimate requests within one business day.
Grimes homeowners investing in upgrades - whether that is an outdoor living space, a fireplace surround, or a stone accent on the front of the house - want work that looks right and holds up through Iowa winters. Stone masonry here requires proper material selection and installation technique to handle the freeze-thaw cycles that crack poorly set stone over time.
Grimes homes from the 1990s and early 2000s are hitting the age where the clay soil movement and freeze-thaw stress of 25-plus Iowa winters starts to show up as basement wall cracks, settling, and water intrusion. Foundation repair addressed early costs far less than the same repair done after the damage has progressed.
Concrete driveways on Grimes homes built in the 1990s and 2000s have endured dozens of hard freeze cycles, and most of them show it - cracks, surface spalling, and uneven sections where the clay underneath has shifted. Paver replacements hold up better through Iowa winters than a plain concrete slab on clay subgrade.
Homes with brick-veneer fronts - standard on Grimes subdivision builds from the 1990s - have original mortar that is now 25 to 30 years old. Once mortar joints crack open, water gets behind the brick and into the wall cavity, accelerating damage to the sheathing. Tuckpointing stops that before it becomes a much larger problem.
Iowa winters crack chimney mortar caps and loosen flashing every season. Grimes homes with gas fireplaces still have masonry chimneys that need periodic inspection and repair - a compromised chimney lets water in all winter, and by spring the interior damage has already been done.
Some Grimes subdivisions were graded during development in ways that left yards with grade changes requiring proper retaining walls to manage runoff. Clay soil that drains poorly puts hydrostatic pressure on walls that were not built with drainage aggregate behind them - that pressure is what causes walls to lean and ultimately fail.
Grimes has grown faster than almost any city in Iowa over the past two decades, and most of that growth came in the form of subdivision development on clay-heavy Polk County soil. The homes built in the 1990s and early 2000s are now 20 to 30 years old - which is exactly when builder-grade concrete, original mortar joints, and brick-veneer fronts start showing the effects of Iowa weather. Driveways that were poured straight onto uncompacted clay subgrade crack and heave. Mortar joints on homes with brick accents open up as they age. Basement walls feel the cumulative pressure of clay soil that has been expanding and contracting every season for two and a half decades.
Central Iowa winters bring hard freezes with frost depth reaching 30 inches or more, and the thaw-refreeze cycles from November through March do measurable damage to any masonry or concrete that was not installed correctly. Add to that the clay soil drainage problems common in flat subdivisions where grading was done quickly during construction, and you get a combination that accelerates the usual timeline for masonry and concrete repairs. Grimes is not unusual in this - it is just that the volume of homes hitting that age range all at once means a lot of repair work has arrived at the same time.
Our crew works throughout Grimes regularly, and the range of homes here is something we see on a weekly basis. The older neighborhoods close to the Highway 141 corridor have 1990s homes where driveways, chimneys, and foundation walls are showing their age. The newer subdivisions going up on the north and west sides of the city have newer homes with flatwork that sometimes needs follow-up repair on original builder concrete. Both types come up regularly in our schedule.
For permitted work, we file applications through the City of Grimes and track the inspection timeline directly. Grimes City Park and the surrounding residential blocks are a part of town we visit often for jobs. Families move to Grimes for the Southeast Polk schools, and once they are here, they tend to invest in their properties for the long term - which is the kind of homeowner we work well with.
We also work regularly in Ankeny to the northeast, where the housing mix and soil conditions share a lot of similarities with Grimes. If you are in Johnston or another nearby community, we cover that area as well.
Describe what you are seeing - a crack, a leaning wall, spalling concrete, or any other masonry issue. We respond within one business day to set up an on-site visit, and you do not need to diagnose the problem before you call.
We visit the property, assess the full scope of work, and give you a written estimate in plain language. The assessment is always free, and we explain what we found and what the repair involves before you agree to anything.
For work requiring a permit from the City of Grimes, we submit the application and manage the inspection schedule. Homeowners do not need to contact the building department - that is our job from the permit application through the final sign-off.
We finish the job, clean up, and walk you through the completed work. We cover what was done, what the warranty includes, and what to watch for going forward. The job is not closed until inspections are cleared and you are satisfied.
We serve Grimes homeowners with on-site assessments and written estimates. Contact us and we will respond within one business day to schedule your visit.
(515) 706-9183Grimes is a fast-growing city in Polk County, Iowa, located about 10 miles northwest of downtown Des Moines. Its population has grown from around 5,000 in 2000 to over 15,000 today, with most of that growth coming from families moving out of Des Moines for newer homes and more space. The result is a city where most of the housing stock is single-family, owner-occupied, and built between 1990 and the present. Homes range from modest starter houses in the older sections of town near Highway 141 to larger move-up houses in newer subdivisions on the north and west edges. The Southeast Polk Community School District serves Grimes families and is a major reason people choose to live here.
Grimes City Park serves as a community anchor, and the commercial corridor along Highway 141 provides the day-to-day retail and services most residents depend on. New platting on the edges of the city means Grimes will keep adding homes for the foreseeable future, which makes it a place where masonry and concrete repair work is a consistent part of the landscape - both on aging 1990s homes and on new construction follow-up. We also work in Johnston just to the south, where the housing profile is similar and the crews can work efficiently across both communities in the same week.
Restore structural integrity and stop foundation damage before it worsens.
Learn MoreBuild strong retaining walls that control erosion and define your landscape.
Learn MoreTransform any surface with the timeless look of natural or cultured stone.
Learn MoreConstruct solid, low-maintenance concrete block walls for any application.
Learn MoreInstall a reliable foundation block wall built for lasting structural support.
Learn MoreCreate an outdoor kitchen built from quality masonry for years of enjoyment.
Learn MoreDesign and build beautiful walkways that welcome guests to your property.
Learn MoreAdd classic brick walls that provide privacy, character, and lasting value.
Learn MoreCall us or submit the contact form for a free, written estimate on your Grimes masonry project. We respond within one business day.
