Bid documents for a city street, sidewalk or drainage package ask for more than a low number: they ask for submittals, bonds, daily quantity records and tested concrete, and they expect the contractor to understand how a public owner pays. In Schertz we coordinate curb and gutter, sidewalks, accessible ramps and routes, drive approaches and storm structures through trade partners that we schedule, supervise and inspect, and we hand the city a clean closeout record. That record matters because the people who inspect and accept a project are often different from the people who bid it, and a well-organized file lets them verify the work quickly.
Interstate 35 crosses the northern part of Schertz, with exits numbered 174 through 180, while Interstate 10 reaches the city along a narrow strip of San Antonio on its southern side. Those two highways give public projects a heavy haul and traffic-control burden, and they shape every lane closure we plan.
Cibolo Creek is the other defining feature. The creek separates Guadalupe County from Bexar County and winds through Schertz a little south of historic downtown, and the largest flood on record there happened in 1913. A creek with that history makes drainage design and erosion control a first priority on every public job near it.
What drives a public works budget here
Traffic control, utility conflicts and restoration usually cost more than the concrete itself on a city street project. Working along a highway frontage road or a downtown block means barricades, flaggers, phased driveways and temporary access for businesses. We price those items individually, because they are the first to change when a lane closure is denied or a phase is rearranged.
Drainage near Cibolo Creek adds its own cost. Structures that discharge toward the creek corridor may need headwalls, energy dissipation and erosion control, and soil conditions along the bank can call for extra bedding or trench shoring. We list culverts and headwalls and bank protection as separate lines so the city can see what is included.
Documentation, testing and inspection
Public owners rely on a paper trail, and we build it as the work goes. Before we place concrete, we confirm the mix design submittal, the reinforcing, the formwork and the subgrade with the inspector. During the pour, we cast cylinders, record slump and air content, and keep delivery tickets organized by location.
Concrete testing and quality control results are sent as soon as they are available, and low breaks are discussed with the engineer immediately. At closeout, the owner receives test reports, as-built notes, warranty items and a photo log. Pay applications follow the schedule of values, line by line, so a finance office can verify progress without calling.
We also keep a daily log that notes weather, crew size, quantities placed and any instructions from the inspector. When a question comes up months later about why a joint was moved or a mix was changed, the log gives the answer in the words of the day.
Public owners and the contractors who work for them
The city is our direct customer in some cases, and in others we work for the prime contractor on a bond-funded package. Either way, we are comfortable with the process: pre-bid questions, addenda, sealed numbers, notices to proceed and final acceptance. Municipal and public works owners value a contractor who returns calls, keeps the schedule honest and does not argue over documents.
After seven months of work with the consultant TIP Strategies, Inc., council members agreed without a dissenting vote on September 9, 2026 to approve a new economic development strategy. Plans like that translate into utility extensions, road improvements and site preparation, and they influence which parcels get public infrastructure first.
Industrial space and retail beside growing neighborhoods
Industrial space totaling roughly 8 million square feet is either planned or already built in Schertz, according to the city's economic development corporation, which means truck courts, dock aprons and heavy pavements will keep coming into the market. Retail is moving as well: Schertz Station, a 257,000 square foot shopping and dining hub on I-35, welcomed Panera Bread as its first tenant in October 2025.
For these commercial sites we apply the same standards as on public work. A retail shopping center pad sits close to houses, so we manage noise, dust and hours with the neighbors in mind, and we keep sidewalks and driveways connected to the neighborhood in good order. Work for owners in nearby New Braunfels and Seguin is scheduled with the same partners, which helps with availability.
Scheduling around traffic, weather and bases
Public projects are timed around school calendars, city events and lane-closure windows. We build the schedule with those limits and with weather in mind, putting forming and reinforcing on days when pours are not allowed and holding delivery trucks until the base is accepted. Ready-mix is booked ahead, and we plan backups for plants in case a delivery runs late.
Military installations are also part of the local picture. Randolph Air Force Base, Fort Sam Houston and Lackland Air Force Base are listed among the nearby installations, and the traffic and employment they generate affect road congestion at shift changes. We schedule deliveries and crew arrivals to avoid peak hours when possible and tell the superintendent early if a delay is likely. When a rain day or a failed inspection moves one activity, we re-sequence the rest of the week so the crews keep working, and we send the revised look-ahead to the owner that afternoon.
Send us your Schertz bid documents
Share the plans, specifications and bid date. We will return a priced package with documentation and schedule built in.
Common Questions
Do you work directly for cities or only for prime contractors?
Both. We respond to bids and requests for qualifications, and we also work as a trade contractor under general contractors on bond-funded packages. Either way we provide the same submittals, schedule updates, test results and closeout documents.
How do you keep a street project open to the public?
With a traffic control plan approved by the city, phased work, temporary driveway access and clear signage. Each phase is explained to adjacent owners before it starts, and we adjust the sequence if emergency access or school traffic requires it. Notices go to residents and businesses before each closure, with the dates, the hours and a phone number that reaches the superintendent.
What happens when a concrete test falls below spec?
We notify the engineer immediately, identify the pour and the placement conditions, and follow the corrective path the engineer specifies, which may include additional cores or removal. We keep the records so every decision is traceable.
Can you build commercial pads next to occupied neighborhoods?
Yes. We limit work hours, control dust, keep sidewalks open and avoid blocking driveways. Concrete trucks arrive on a planned route, and we wash out only in approved locations so the neighborhood sees an orderly site.
How do you approach drainage near Cibolo Creek?
We confirm the floodplain limits, build erosion controls before clearing, keep stockpiles outside the flow path and place structures to the plan. We also inspect after rain and repair any damage before the next storm.