Concrete sidewalk building in Port Angeles WA - a walk that holds up to ice melt
Cracked, sinking or uneven walk out front? We build a new one on a packed base so it sheds water and stays level.
What does it take to build a new sidewalk in Port Angeles?
Concrete sidewalk building in Port Angeles means taking out the old walk or sawcutting it free of the pavement, building a firm base and pouring a new walk that carries people on foot and sends water off instead of holding it. Groundbreak Port Angeles Concrete is licensed and insured, and we build walks here, in Sequim and in the cities around it.
Most calls start with a walk out front that's cracked, sinking or tipped so water pools on it. Most of the walks we build run along a street, so I check early whether yours reaches city land, because that brings in a city permit and an inspection, and we handle the paperwork with the city or help you get your questions to its permit staff. The price moves with the walk's length and width, how much old concrete has to come out, how much digging the base needs and whether the walk ties into a driveway, steps or the curb. The schedule turns mostly on the city's permit and inspection, the weather on pour day and curing, the wait before you walk on it so the concrete can harden properly. My estimate gives you the figure for your own walk.
What happens after you call about a new sidewalk?
Call or send us a note
You call (564) 203-7120 or use the form and tell us a little about the walk. We set a time for me to come out and see it.
I look at the walk with you
I come out myself, ask who uses the walk and what's planned around it, measure it and check where the water runs. The estimate spells out what's in the price and what isn't, from hauling off the old concrete to the base, the mix and the finish, so you know what you're paying for.
We sort out the city's steps
When the walk touches city land, the permit comes first, and an inspection has to be requested before any concrete goes in. The city's engineering staff then check the work against the permit and the city and state standards.
We pour and walk it together
Permitted work along the street runs from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, so street-side pours land on weekdays. I'm on site with our crew for the pour, and when it's done we walk the finished job with you and go over how long to stay off it while it cures.
How we build a concrete sidewalk and the work around it
We start by marking out the walk and asking what it's for, then break out the old concrete or sawcut it clean where it meets pavement you're keeping. We dig down to firm subgrade, the soil the walk sits on, because a base that's only raked level settles with the dirt under it, and then we pack crushed rock in layers. The forms get set so water runs off the walk and away from your house, since water that runs back toward a foundation causes more trouble than any crack. Before we order the load, I ask whether you use ice melt so the mix suits how you'll treat it. We pour in the cooler part of the day when we can, because concrete that dries too fast in the heat ends up with a weak, dusty top. Then we give it the finish the job calls for, usually a broom finish, light grooves dragged across it so shoes grip when it's wet. We also cut control joints, shallow grooves that give the concrete a place to crack where we choose, before it picks its own spots. When a budget gets tight, the base is the first thing people want to cut because nobody sees it once we pour. It's the one I'll argue for, because it decides whether the walk stays flat.
Sidewalks are flatwork, the flat slabs that sit on the ground, so a walk often ties into other pours on the same lot. If the walk leads to a garage with a cracked or sunken floor, we can look at garage floor concrete on the same visit and match the levels where they meet. For a path through the yard where you'd like color or a pattern, that's decorative concrete, and we'll talk through which parts of your walk can carry it.
Get a written estimate for your new sidewalk
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day to set a time for my visit. The estimate is free, done on site and comes with no obligation to book.
Port Angeles sidewalk questions
Do I need a permit to build a sidewalk along the street in Port Angeles?
Yes, if the work physically affects the sidewalk, the street or other public right-of-way, you need a Right-of-Way Construction Permit from the city's permit counter. For right-of-way work valued above $3,500, the city also requires the applicant to be a licensed and bonded contractor, so ask anyone bidding your walk to show both. If your walk stays on your own lot, take your questions to the permit counter at 360-417-4817 or permits@cityofpa.us before you plan around an answer.
How much does a new concrete sidewalk cost?
Installing a concrete sidewalk across the US usually costs about $12 to $14 per square foot. That's a national figure for the installed walk, not a Port Angeles quote, and tearing out old concrete, extra base work or a tie-in to the curb can move your number. I'll give you the price for your own walk at the estimate visit, and your sidewalk gets the same promise as everything we pour. Satisfaction guaranteed on every job.
Can I use colored concrete or exposed aggregate on a sidewalk by the street?
No, within the public right-of-way the city's standards allow only the standard finish, so exposed aggregate, colors and dyes are ruled out. If you want color, we can talk about it for the parts of the job that stay off city land.
What is the best way to keep a concrete sidewalk from flaking from ice melt?
Ask for air-entrained concrete, which has air mixed in on purpose so it holds up better through freezing and thawing when it's soaked and scales less from ice-removal chemicals. Scaling is the thin top layer flaking off, and it's the usual complaint on walks that get salted a lot.
Do I have to build a sidewalk when I develop a lot on a main street in Port Angeles?
Yes, the city's standards require development on arterials, the main through streets, to build sidewalks along the streets it borders. The same rule covers streets the city's transportation plan names as school walking routes, so ask the permit counter about your street before you budget the project.
How do I keep my neighbors able to get by while the sidewalk is being replaced?
A right-of-way permit calls for keeping foot and car traffic as close to normal as possible during the work, so the way around gets planned before anything is torn out. On our street-side jobs we keep a path open for neighbors and set it up so nobody ends up stepping into fresh concrete.
Other concrete work near your walk
Garage floor concrete
When the walk ends at a garage with a cracked or sinking floor, pouring both together lets us match the levels where one meets the other.
Decorative concrete
For a garden path, back walk or patio edge where you want color or a pattern, decorative work gives you options the street-side finish can't.
Send us your sidewalk measurements and photos
Call (564) 203-7120 or email office@concreteportangeles.com with the walk's length and width, whether it meets the street and a few photos of the old concrete, so I come out already knowing what to look at.