Concrete sidewalk building in Solon OH - a level walk built for Ohio winters
Is your walk cracked, sunk or tipping at the joints? We tear it out and pour a new one on a packed base.
What does it take to build a sidewalk in Solon?
Concrete sidewalk building in Solon, OH means digging out and packing the ground under the walk, setting forms and pouring a new or replacement walk to the city's standard, so you end up with a walk that sits flat and drains off instead of tripping people at the joints.
Most people call us when the old walk has cracked, sunk at a joint or started holding water by the front steps. The price moves with the walk's length and width, how much old concrete we break out and haul away, and whether it crosses your driveway, and the schedule turns on the city's permit, its inspections and the weather. I come out, measure and give you a written estimate that lists what's included, so you see every line before you decide.
How we build a concrete sidewalk
Once I've measured and we've filed the permit, we break out the old walk, haul it away and dig down to firm ground, then pack a stone base and check the subgrade, the ground the slab sits on, because a walk on loose dirt settles with the dirt. A walk goes in stages, and we build our schedule around the city's checks so the job keeps moving. We set the forms with a slight pitch so water runs off the walk and away from the house, then pour on a mild morning, since a pour in the midday heat can leave a weak, dusty top. We give it a broom finish, a light brushed texture so it isn't slick when it's wet, and cut control joints, shallow grooves that give the slab a place to crack where we chose instead of across the middle. Then it has to cure, the wait while the concrete gains strength, and I'll tell you when it's ready to walk on. The base is the part nobody sees on day one and the first thing people want to cut, and I won't cut it, because a nice finish on a bad base still sinks. If the walk crosses your driveway, we price that stretch on its own line so it doesn't surprise you.
Sidewalk jobs often turn up other work. If the walk runs to a garage with a cracked or sunken slab, we can price garage floor concrete on the same visit, and if you'd like color or a pattern on the landing by the front door, that's decorative concrete, which I'll list separately so you can take it or leave it.
Replacing a broken walk
This suits a walk that has heaved, sunk or cracked across several slabs, where patching one piece just moves the problem down the line. The tear-out and hauling go on the estimate, so the price you see covers the old walk leaving too.
A new walk where there isn't one
This suits a worn path across the lawn or a lot that never got a walk to the door. There's more digging and grading up front, because the ground has never carried a slab before.
A walk that crosses the driveway
This suits most front walks that meet the street, since that stretch has to carry cars as well as feet. We treat it as its own piece of work, so you can see what it adds.
Building a concrete sidewalk in Solon
The City of Solon issues the permit for building, adding to or replacing a sidewalk, and it checks every measurement in the application before it does, so no work starts until that's done. When your city wants a permit, we file it and schedule the inspections, and Solon wants two. The first looks at the subgrade and the forms before we pour, and the second checks the concrete as it's delivered and goes in. Having the walk's length and width handy when we talk helps the paperwork along. We work the same way on jobs in Twinsburg and Beachwood, checking with each building department before we start instead of guessing.
Solon's standard calls for a packed base of crushed limestone under the walk with no recycled material in it, so we bring in fresh stone instead of crushing your old walk into the base. Where the walk runs through a driveway, the city calls for a thicker slab, which takes more concrete and costs more. Most of the walks we replace here have tipped at the joints or broken where they meet the driveway.
Walks, joints and finishes
Why call us for your sidewalk
I write every estimate myself
I come out and measure, and our crew does the forming, pouring and finishing with me or our foreman running the job. The person who priced your walk is the one answering for it.
Base and tear-out on the bid
Too many bids leave out the base or the tear-out and add them back later. I list both up front, because I'd rather lose the job than work that way.
Licensed and insured, ask anyone
We're licensed and insured. Ask any bidder for proof of both before anyone starts digging in your yard.
Since 2013, planning around Solon
I learned forming and finishing on a crew and started this business in Solon in 2013, and we work Solon and the cities around it. We plan sidewalk jobs around the city's pouring season and its two inspections, so your walk isn't left waiting on us.
When you're ready, call (440) 560-8533 or send us the details with the address, the walk's rough length and width, and whether it crosses a driveway.
(440) 560-8533Get a written estimate for your new walk
I'll get back to you within one business day to set a time to come out. The estimate is free and done at your property, with no obligation, and I'll measure the walk and leave you a written estimate that lists what's included.
Sidewalk questions from Solon homeowners
How much does a new concrete sidewalk cost in Solon, OH?
The price comes down to the walk's length and width, how much old concrete we break out and haul away, and whether it crosses your driveway, which takes a thicker slab. Reinforcement, if you want it, adds to the cost too. I'd rather give you a real number than a guess, so I come out, measure and write it up with every item listed.
When can a sidewalk be poured in Solon?
From April 15th to November 1st, on mild days. Solon doesn't allow pouring from November 1st to April 15th, when the air is below 33 degrees, or when the ground under the walk is frozen. If you want a walk in spring, calling over the winter gives us time to get the permit in hand before the season opens.
Who is allowed to build a sidewalk in Solon, Ohio?
Any contractor working in Solon needs a certificate of registration from the city's chief building official, renewed every year. Contractors file a bond to register, and the city says that bond only assures the city that the work follows its codes, standards and ordinances, so it isn't a promise to you. Ask every bidder whether they're registered before you sign.
Does a concrete sidewalk in Solon need rebar?
Not always, because reinforcement is optional under Solon's standard, and when it's used it has to be placed the way the city says. Rebar is steel bar set inside the slab to help hold the pieces together if it cracks. Ask whether each bid includes it, so you're comparing the same walk.
How does a concrete walk hold up through freezing and thawing?
The mix does most of the work. Solon's standard calls for air-entrained concrete, which has tiny air pockets built into it, and federal highway guidance says those air voids are the main way to limit freeze-thaw damage. Ask for it by name when you compare bids, since it's the part of the walk you can't check once it's poured.
How do I take care of a new concrete sidewalk the first winter?
Go light on the salt. Flaking on the top layer, called scaling, is the most common kind of frost damage, and it's tied to de-icing salt. Shovel first and keep track of how much salt goes on each winter, because that's part of caring for the walk, and the first winter matters most.
Talk to Bedrock Solon Concrete about your new walk
Call (440) 560-8533 before spring, and the permit work can be done before Solon's pouring season opens, so your walk isn't stuck in line.
