Sidewalks & Steps in Colorado Springs, CO

Sidewalks and steps get used every day, and in Colorado Springs they spend a good part of the year wet, frozen or both. Snow melts off a sunny walk by mid-afternoon and turns to ice after dark, so a panel that tips or a step that slopes the wrong way becomes a hazard in a way it would not be in a milder place. Heaving soil adds trip edges, and a stoop that settles can pull away from the house and send water toward the foundation. These are small slabs, but they are the ones people fall on.

Clearing snow is the owner's job

KRDO, reporting on city rules, says Colorado Springs residents have 24 hours to clear snow from their sidewalks, and that a property owner or occupant can be liable if someone slips or is hurt by snow or ice. The same report says that instead of a citation, the city can charge a civil administrative fee of about $125. Level, well-drained concrete makes that job easier, because ice forms where water sits.

Public walk versus private walk

The sidewalk that runs along the street is in the city right-of-way. According to the City of Colorado Springs' permit types page, new or repaired sidewalk, curb and gutter there requires a city concrete permit, and the contractor must be licensed, bonded and insured; a general contractor license does not cover right-of-way work. Concrete on your side of that line, such as the walk to your door, side paths, the stoop and the porch steps, is private work. We tell you at the estimate which parts of your project are which.

Private walks we rebuild

• Entry walks from the driveway or street to the front door
• Side paths to gates, back yards and trash areas
• Landings outside back doors and garage service doors
• Short walks connecting a patio to the driveway

Old panels come out and soft soil is removed, then we compact a base and set forms with a slight cross-slope so meltwater runs into the yard rather than across the walk. HomeGuide's sidewalk guide notes most walkways are 4 to 6 inches thick; where a walk crosses a driveway, it is poured to driveway thickness. If roots or swelling clay lifted the old walk, we deal with the cause before pouring.

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Step geometry

Steps go wrong when the heights vary. A riser that is half an inch taller than the others trips people who are not looking at their feet. We measure from the door threshold down to grade, divide the rise evenly, and form every riser and tread to match. The top landing needs enough depth to stand on while a storm door swings out. Heavy poured stoops need firm support, so we check what is under the old ones before designing the new. Precast steps are an alternative on some houses, and we can price both.

North-facing entries

An entry that faces north can stay shaded all winter while the rest of the yard melts. That is the place for a handrail, a broom finish rather than anything smooth, and a downspout routed somewhere other than the steps. When we pour new steps, rail anchors can be cast into the fresh concrete so the rail bolts down solidly.

Looking after walks and steps

Shovel early, before snow packs into ice. Use sand the first winter and avoid ammonium-based de-icers after that. Seal every few years and fill hairline cracks while they are still small.