Loading...
Serving Ankeny, IA and surrounding areas. (515) 963-5532
Ankeny Concrete & Masonry is a masonry contractor serving West Des Moines, IA with driveway paver installation, foundation repair, and brick work - from Valley Junction to the Jordan Creek area, responding to new requests within 1 business day.
Concrete driveways poured in the 1970s through the 1990s across West Des Moines have absorbed enough Iowa freeze-thaw cycles to crack through, heave at joints, and no longer hold a patch repair. Replacing them with driveway pavers gives West Des Moines homeowners a surface that handles clay soil movement better than a single poured slab, and individual units can be reset or replaced if a section settles.
West Des Moines has housing that spans more than a century, from early 1900s homes near Valley Junction to mid-century ranch houses to newer construction near Jordan Creek. Foundation age and original construction method vary widely here, which means the repair approach needs to match what is actually in the ground rather than a one-size-fits-all solution.
Homes built in the 1960s through the 1980s across West Des Moines have brick or block exteriors with original mortar that is now 40 to 60 years old. Iowa winters accelerate mortar deterioration by driving water into micro-cracks that then expand when the temperature drops. Repointing those joints before water reaches the wall interior is the most cost-effective brick maintenance available.
Older homes near Valley Junction often have original chimneys that have never had crowns replaced or mortar joints repointed. A chimney crown that has cracked and pulled away from the brick will let water into the flue liner every rain, and that damage travels down into the firebox and surrounding walls faster than most homeowners expect.
Neighborhoods near Walnut Creek and other low-lying areas of West Des Moines deal with grade changes and drainage challenges that retaining walls are built to solve. Clay soil behind a wall without proper drainage backing will push even a well-built wall forward within a few years, so drainage design is part of every retaining wall we build here.
Homes built in West Des Moines after 1990 commonly have brick fronts with vinyl siding on the sides and back. The seam where those two materials meet is the first place moisture gets behind the wall when the brick veneer has not been maintained. Spot repairs that address spalling brick and open joints prevent that moisture entry before it causes interior damage.
West Des Moines sits on the same clay-heavy glacial soil that covers most of the Des Moines metro. Clay soil expands when saturated and shrinks when dry, and that seasonal movement puts stress on every hard surface above it - driveways, sidewalks, foundations, and retaining walls. The frost line in central Iowa reaches 36 to 48 inches in a hard winter, and West Des Moines winters deliver enough freeze-thaw cycles to crack concrete and open mortar joints that would hold up for years in a milder climate. Neighborhoods along Walnut Creek and other low-lying areas add spring drainage challenges on top of the standard freeze-thaw wear.
The housing stock in West Des Moines is unusually varied for a single city. Homes near Valley Junction are 80 to 100 years old with original foundations, brick walls, and chimneys that have never been fully restored. Mid-century ranch and split-level homes from the 1960s and 1970s sit across the central part of the city with concrete driveways now past their designed service life. Newer two-story homes near Jordan Creek Town Center are reaching the 15-to-25-year mark when brick veneer and concrete flatwork need their first serious maintenance. No two streets here are quite the same, and the repair approach needs to match the home.
Our crew works throughout West Des Moines regularly, and we coordinate with the City of West Des Moines Public Works for driveway and structural masonry work that requires permits. West Des Moines has its own permitting process separate from Des Moines, and work that touches driveways, retaining walls, or structural foundations typically requires a permit here. We handle the paperwork so homeowners do not have to navigate it themselves.
The difference between working in Valley Junction and working in a newer subdivision near Jordan Creek is significant. Valley Junction homes often have original brick, old foundations with stone or clay tile block, and limited equipment access on narrow streets. Newer neighborhoods are more uniform but still present clay soil challenges that require the same attention to drainage and base depth. From Grand Avenue on the north side to Mills Civic Parkway in the south, we have worked on homes that represent the full range of what West Des Moines looks like.
We also cover neighboring communities that share the same soil and seasonal conditions. Homeowners in Urbandale to the north and Waukee to the west can expect the same crew and the same standards we bring to every West Des Moines job.
Call or fill out the contact form and tell us what you are dealing with - a cracked driveway, a leaning wall, water in the basement, a chimney that needs attention. We respond to all West Des Moines requests within 1 business day and schedule a time to see the property.
We visit your property, assess the actual condition, and explain what we find in plain terms. You get a written estimate with scope, materials, and total cost before any work is scheduled. If a permit is required for the job, we flag that at this stage and handle the process.
Our crew arrives on the scheduled day with materials suited to what your property actually needs - whether that is base preparation depth for clay soil on an older block foundation or color-matched mortar for brick veneer on a 1980s ranch. We protect your landscaping and clean up when the work is done.
When the job is complete, we walk you through the work so you can see exactly what was done and ask any questions. For permitted jobs, we coordinate the inspection. If anything comes up after we leave, we are reachable and we stand behind what we build.
We serve all of West Des Moines - from Valley Junction to Jordan Creek - and respond to every new request within 1 business day. Written estimates before any work begins.
(515) 963-5532West Des Moines is a city of about 70,000 on the western edge of the Des Moines metro, covering a wide area that includes everything from century-old streets near Valley Junction to newer subdivisions still being developed near the Waukee border. The city has its own government, building codes, and permitting process separate from Des Moines. Valley Junction - the oldest part of the city - has a recognized historic commercial district and surrounding residential streets with homes dating to the early 1900s. Jordan Creek Town Center, the largest shopping mall in Iowa, anchors the newer commercial core on the western side of the city.
Most of the housing stock falls into one of three categories: pre-1940 homes near Valley Junction, mid-century ranch and split-level houses built during the 1960s and 1970s across the central neighborhoods, and two-story homes built since 1990 in the western and southern parts of the city. The Raccoon River Valley Trail runs through the city along Walnut Creek and is one of the most-used recreational paths in Iowa, connecting neighborhoods across West Des Moines. We also serve nearby Urbandale to the north and Clive to the northeast, both of which share similar housing stock and soil conditions.
Restore your foundation's strength and protect your home from further damage.
Learn MoreBuild stable retaining walls that control erosion and define your landscape.
Learn MoreTransform any surface with the timeless look of natural stone veneer.
Learn MoreConstruct solid, long-lasting concrete block walls for any application.
Learn MoreInstall reliable block foundation walls built to support your structure.
Learn MoreDesign and build a custom outdoor kitchen built to last all seasons.
Learn MoreCreate a safe, beautiful walkway that enhances your property's curb appeal.
Learn MoreBuild handcrafted brick walls that add character and lasting value.
Learn MoreRepoint brick joints to stop water intrusion and restore structural integrity.
Learn MoreWhether your home is near Valley Junction or in a newer West Des Moines neighborhood, we come to you, assess the work in person, and give you a written quote before anything starts.