Public walks, front walks, porch steps and stoops
Sidewalks & Steps in Lafayette, IN
Level walks and even steps where people actually trip, slip and shovel.
- No-cost site visit, then a written price broken out line by line
- Outdoor pours use air-entrained mix over compacted stone, with joints laid out ahead of time
- Permit and right-of-way rules looked up for your street before a date is set
Sidewalks and Steps on Older Lafayette Streets
Sidewalks & Steps take more abuse than any other concrete around a house. They get walked on every day, shoveled and salted all winter, and lifted by tree roots in the grass strip. Lafayette has a lot of them in poor shape for a simple reason: more than 17 percent of its homes were built in 1939 or earlier, and many walks and porch steps in the older neighborhoods have been patched for decades. A lifted square or a stoop that has pulled away from the house is a trip hazard first and an eyesore second.
Sidewalk problems we fix
- Lifted or sunken squares with an edge that catches toes and snow shovels.
- Squares broken into several pieces, often over tree roots.
- Scaled or pitted surfaces from years of salt.
- Walks that hold water and turn into ice sheets in winter.
- Missing links: a front walk that never quite reached the driveway or the public walk.
When a single square has lifted but is still in one piece, leveling or grinding the edge can work. When it is broken or scaled, we cut it out at the joints and pour a new one, matching the grade of the squares on either side.
Public sidewalks and permits
The public sidewalk in front of your house usually sits in the city right of way. In West Lafayette, construction in the right of way, sidewalk included, needs a right-of-way permit from the City Engineering Department, applied for online with a drawing and insurance certificate, and the city can take up to ten working days to review it. In Lafayette, digging in the strip between the sidewalk and the street requires a city permit, which matters when a tree lawn gets disturbed during sidewalk work. Other towns set their own rules. We check what applies to your address and build the time into the schedule.
Front steps and stoops
Concrete steps fail in a few typical ways. The stoop settles and pulls away from the house, leaving a gap that lets water into the foundation. The nosings crumble from salt. The risers end up different heights after patching, which is exactly the kind of step people trip on. Rebuilding steps means removing the old ones, setting a proper footing, forming every riser the same height and every tread the same depth, and sloping each tread slightly so water runs off instead of freezing in place. HomeGuide notes that a run of steps more than about 5 feet high usually needs a landing.
Railings and safety
A railing is the cheapest safety upgrade for winter steps. We set anchors for railings into new steps, and we give treads a broom finish for grip. If a step or two still has sound concrete but a broken edge, a repair may be enough; HomeGuide puts typical step repair at $300 to $800.
Winter care
Shovel early, before snow is packed down. Use sand or a de-icer labeled safe for concrete, and avoid salt on new concrete for its first winter. Keep downspouts from dumping across walks, since that water freezes into the worst ice of the year.
Sidewalk and Step Work
From one broken square to a full front entry rebuild.
Public sidewalk squares
Broken or lifted squares cut out and replaced to match the walk on either side.
Front walks
New or replacement walks from the driveway or street to the front door.
Porch steps and stoops
Old steps removed and rebuilt with even risers and treads.
Landings
Level landings at the door or partway up a long run of steps.
Railing anchors
Anchors set in new steps for a handrail.
Permits
Right-of-way permits checked and applied for where your town requires them.
Typical Sidewalk and Step Costs
| Item | Published range |
|---|---|
| New sidewalk, per sq ft | $7 to $17 |
| 4 ft wide sidewalk, per linear ft | $28 to $68 |
| Remove and replace sidewalk, per sq ft | $10 to $25+ |
| Sidewalk repair, per sq ft | $3 to $8 |
| Poured concrete steps, per step | $200 to $500 |
| Precast steps, per step | $100 to $350 |
| Step repair (average job) | $300 to $800 |
| Railings, per linear ft | $20 to $250 |
National ranges from HomeGuide's concrete sidewalk and concrete steps cost guides. Permits, removal, access and the number of steps change the total. Your written estimate is the price.
How a Sidewalk or Step Job Goes
1. Inspect and measure
We look at the walk or steps, measure rises and runs, and check permit rules.
2. Remove
Damaged squares cut at the joints or old steps broken out and hauled away.
3. Form and pour
Base compacted, forms set to grade and even risers, air-entrained concrete placed.
4. Finish and cure
Broom finish for grip, joints tooled and the concrete cured and protected.
Sidewalks & Steps Questions
Who is responsible for the sidewalk in front of my house?
That depends on your city's rules, and they are not the same everywhere. We check the rules for your address and tell you what permit, if any, the work needs.
Can you fix just one square?
Yes. We cut out the damaged square at its joints and pour a new one at the same grade as the squares beside it.
Should I repair or replace my front steps?
If the steps are solid and only the edges have chipped, a repair can work. If the stoop has settled, pulled away from the house or the risers are uneven, rebuilding is the safer fix.
How long before we can walk on new steps?
Usually light foot traffic after a day or two, depending on the weather. We will tell you on the day of the pour.
Sidewalks & Steps Service Areas
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Get a Sidewalks & Steps Estimate
Free on-site estimates for sidewalks, front walks and steps in Lafayette and nearby towns.