Concrete sidewalk building in Montrose CO - a walk that holds up to winter
Cracked, heaved or sinking walk out front? We dig it out, pack the base and pour a new sidewalk that drains and wears well.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free quotes on site.
- Replies within 1 business day.
What does it take to build a concrete sidewalk in Montrose?
Concrete sidewalk building in Montrose, CO starts below the surface. We dig down to firm ground, pack a base for the slab to sit on, and pour a walk that sheds water and gives you solid footing to the door. Most of the wait comes afterward, during curing, the days the concrete needs to gain strength before you walk on it.
Most people call us when the old walk has cracked into pieces, sunk at one end or started holding water by the steps. Several things move the price. There's the size of the walk, whether old concrete has to be broken out and hauled away, how much digging and base work your ground needs, whether a stretch has to be built heavier for a car, and the finish you pick. The schedule turns on the weather, on what the city or county asks for at your address, and on the curing time before you can use the walk. When I come out, I'll tell you what I see and what we'd do, so you get a figure for your own walk instead of a guess.
How can you tell your sidewalk needs replacing?
Cracks that keep spreading
A crack that widens every spring or splits into a web usually means the ground under the walk moved, or the slab had no joint to crack along. If you leave it, water gets in, freezes and pops pieces loose, and a small patch job turns into a full replacement.
Slabs that sank or lifted
When one section sits lower or higher than the next, the base usually settled or the soil underneath swelled. That lip is a trip hazard, and it tends to grow every winter you wait.
Water pooling on the walk
Puddles that sit after rain mean the walk lost its slope or was never pitched right. In winter that puddle turns into a sheet of ice by your door, and water that runs toward the house can end up at your foundation.
How we build a concrete sidewalk
We start by breaking out the old walk and hauling it off. Then we dig down to firm ground, because a base that's only raked level settles with the dirt and takes the slab down with it. We pack the subgrade, the layer the slab sits on, and set the forms with a slight fall away from the house so rain runs off instead of toward your foundation. I'll also ask whether a car or truck crosses your walk, since that stretch may need to be built heavier. We'd rather pour in the cooler part of the day, because midday heat can leave a weak, dusty top. After the pour we give it a broom finish, a light texture that gives your shoes some grip when it's wet. We cut control joints, grooves that give the slab a planned place to crack, and I'll show you where they go and why before we pour. Then it cures until it's strong enough to use. If the budget's tight, I'll tell you to trim the finish before the base, because nobody sees the base on day one, but it decides whether the walk stays flat.
A sidewalk often ties into other concrete around the house. If your walk leads to a garage with a cracked or sinking floor, we can look at garage floor concrete on the same visit so the two meet cleanly at the door. And if a plain gray walk doesn't suit your front entry, decorative concrete can add color, pattern or a border.
Replacing a failed walk
This suits a walk that's cracked apart, sunk or holding water. We break it out and fix whatever under it let it fail, since new concrete poured over a bad base fails the same way.
A new walk where there's none
This suits a path worn through the grass or a new entry to the house. We lay it out with you so it follows the way you actually walk and drains away from the house.
Get a sidewalk estimate on site, free
We reply within one business day to set up a time. I'll come out, look at your walk and give you a free quote on site, with no pressure to book.
(970) 964-6176- hello@montroseconcrete.com
- Based in
- Montrose, CO 81401
- Hours
- Mon–Sun: 7 AM–11 PM
What happens after you call about a sidewalk?
Here's how a sidewalk job runs, from your first call to the day you walk on it, and who you'll deal with at each step.
Call or send us photos
Call (970) 964-6176 or use the contact form, and tell us roughly how long the walk is and whether a driveway crosses it. A few photos of the old walk help me see what we're dealing with before I come out.
I look the site over
I come out, look at the ground and ask how you'll use the walk, then go over the estimate with you line by line. You'll see what each part costs and why, so you know where your money goes before you decide.
We check, pour and finish
Once you're ready, we check with the city or county office that covers your address, then prep the site, pour and finish. Before we leave, I walk you through care, including how long to stay off the walk.
Why Montrose homeowners call Montrose Concrete for sidewalks
I quote it and I'm there
The same person who looks at your walk and writes the estimate is on site with our crew when the work gets done. If you asked for a joint in a certain spot or the walk to clear a flower bed, I'm there to see it done.
In business since 2013
We've been in business since 2013, 13 years now, and I learned the trade by pouring it and asking why. I've watched how walks here handle freeze, thaw and salt, and I'll explain the reason behind each step, not just the price.
Licensed and fully insured
We're licensed and fully insured, so you aren't carrying the risk if something goes wrong while our crew is on your property. Your satisfaction, guaranteed, and I'd rather explain something twice than have you surprised later.
Every walk is a little different, and the best way to know what yours needs is for me to stand on it. Call (970) 964-6176 or send us a message to set up a time.
Sidewalks, steps and driveways on Montrose ground
Most homes in Colorado sit in areas where the clay can swell when it gets wet and shrink as it dries, and cracked sidewalks are one of the common results. That's a big part of why we dig out and pack the base instead of raking it smooth, and why joint placement matters so much here. Letting clay dry out too much before a pour makes the swelling problem worse, so the gap between digging and pouring matters on that ground. We plan for it on walks, driveways and steps in Montrose and Delta alike.
The city's own permit list doesn't settle whether a sidewalk needs a permit. Building Services handles permits in Montrose, and its list names residential construction, accessory structures, fences and roofing, not sidewalks. So before we schedule, we check with the city or county office that covers your address, tell you what it asks for, and help with the paperwork if a permit is needed.
Questions about concrete sidewalks in Montrose
How much does a new concrete sidewalk cost in Montrose?
Installing a concrete sidewalk usually costs about $12 to $14 a square foot across the US. That's the going rate for the work, not a quote from us. Your own price depends on what I find when I come out, and I'll write it up for your walk.
Will my new concrete sidewalk crack?
Probably a little, because joints control where a slab cracks, not whether it does. That's why I care where the control joints land, so any crack follows a line we chose instead of wandering across the walk. The clay ground covered above is one more reason to plan for it.
How thick should a concrete sidewalk be?
Most sidewalks follow a four inch standard. Where a driveway crosses the walk or heavier vehicles drive over it, that section can be built thicker, which is why I ask about it at the estimate.
How do I make a concrete sidewalk last through Colorado winters?
Start with a mix that has entrained air, tiny evenly spread bubbles that give freezing water room to expand instead of pushing the concrete apart. Good concrete that's finished and cured properly can give a sidewalk its full service life, even though you can't control every deicer that ends up on it. Ask any contractor, us included, how they handle the mix, the finish and the curing.
What is the best way to protect a new sidewalk from deicing salt?
Let the walk air-dry before it ever touches deicing salt, since concrete resists salt scaling better once it's had that drying time. After that, go easy on deicers. One concrete supplier's guidelines say products with magnesium chloride or calcium chloride can break concrete down when used in excess, and that many products labeled safe for concrete may not be.
Which permits does the City of Montrose list for sidewalk work?
The city's licenses and permits page lists a Right of Way Encroachment Permit, and the city also publishes Concrete Standards as part of its regulations. Ask the city what each one requires for your walk, and we'll go through it with you before we schedule.
Other concrete work that pairs with a sidewalk
Garage floor concrete
A garage slab takes oil, salt off the tires and the car's weight, so a pitted or settling floor is worth a look while we're already there.
Decorative concrete
When the walk is the first thing guests see, a tinted or textured finish can tie it to your house instead of leaving a plain gray strip.
Sidewalk service areas around Montrose and Delta
Montrose Concrete is based in Montrose, Colorado, and builds sidewalks in Montrose, Delta and the cities around them. Those two cities have their own page on this site, where you can read more about the work we do there.
Montrose, CO
Get your new sidewalk on the schedule
A sunken edge or pooling spot on your walk turns to ice once it freezes, so it's worth a look before winter sets in.