Concrete
Sidewalks, Walkways & Steps
In Philadelphia the sidewalk in front of your house is your responsibility, and the city does send notices when it is cracked or lifted. We replace public sidewalks to city spec, pour front walkways from the curb to the door, and rebuild concrete steps and stoops across Philadelphia, South Jersey and northern Delaware.
In pictures
Concrete · Sidewalks, Walkways & Steps
What this work looks like
Steps are the detail people get wrong. Every riser has to be the same height or someone trips, and the top step has to meet the door correctly. We form them to the inch, with a broom finish for grip, and we can add a railing where the stoop needs one.
Stock photography for illustration. Our own project photos are on the way.
Spec sheet
Concrete · Sidewalks, Walkways & Steps
Time, permit, material, lifespan
The questions we get on every call, answered before the call.
| On site | 1 to 2 days for most sidewalks and walks. Steps: 1 to 3 days. |
|---|---|
| Walk on it | 24 to 48 hours |
| Permit | Public sidewalk in Philadelphia: yes, a Streets Department permit. We handle it. |
| Materials | Air-entrained concrete, reinforced where it crosses a driveway |
| Lifespan | 30 years and up |
| Best for | Violation notices, lifted slabs, stoops with uneven steps |
What is included
- Old concrete broken out and hauled away
- Street permit for public sidewalk work where required
- Compacted base, forms set to grade and pitch
- Air-entrained concrete poured, joints on the right spacing
- Steps formed with even risers and a broom finish
- Railing installed or reset if the stoop needs one
Signs
Concrete · Sidewalks, Walkways & Steps
How you know this is the chapter you need
- 01
A notice from the city
Philadelphia inspects sidewalks and gives owners a deadline. We can usually get you scheduled within it.
- 02
A slab lifted by a tree root
A lip over a quarter inch is a trip hazard and, on a public sidewalk, your liability. The root needs to be addressed, not just the slab.
- 03
Steps of different heights
A riser that is an inch taller than the others trips everyone who does not live there. Rebuilding gets them even.
- 04
The walkway is a mud path
Stepping stones sink. A poured walk stays where it was put and shovels clean in winter.
Not sure what it needs?
Text a photo. We tell you what it needs.
How it goes
Concrete · Sidewalks, Walkways & Steps
From the first visit to the walkthrough
- 01
Measure and check
Length, width, what is under the old slab, where the roots and the water go.
- 02
Scope and permit
Written scope, and for a city sidewalk we file the permit so the job is legal from day one.
- 03
Break out and pour
Most sidewalks and walkways are a day or two. Steps take a little longer because of the forming.
- 04
Cure and walk
Open to foot traffic after a day or two. If something we built is not right, we come back and fix it.
Questions
Concrete · Sidewalks, Walkways & Steps
Sidewalks, Walkways & Steps, answered
-
I got a sidewalk violation notice. What now?
Text us a photo of the notice and the sidewalk. We will tell you what the city expects, get the permit, and schedule the replacement. Most are one or two days of work.
-
Do I need a permit to replace my sidewalk?
In Philadelphia, yes, for anything in the public right of way. We file it as part of the job. Walkways and steps on your own property usually do not need one.
-
Can you fix just one slab?
Yes, if the rest of the sidewalk is sound. We match the joint layout so the new section does not look like a patch.
-
How long until I can walk on it?
A day or two. We rope it off and give you the date before we leave.
See also
Concrete · Sidewalks, Walkways & Steps
Chapters that usually go with this one
-
Concrete Repair & ReplacementCracked, sunken or crumbling concrete fixed properly, or removed and poured new. -
Concrete DrivewaysNew driveways and replacements, poured thick, on a compacted base, with control joints that work. -
Deck Railings & StairsWood, aluminum or cable rail, and stairs that land where you actually walk.
Order form
Free on-site estimate · No obligation
Tell us what you are picturing. We come and measure it.
Nothing is priced from a website. We come to the house, walk the yard with you, and you get a written scope with the material, the size and the dates. Most simple decks are a few days of work; most concrete is two to four.
- Measured on site, written down before anything starts
- If something we built is not right, we come back and fix it.
- The people who quote the job are the people who build it
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