Concrete Sidewalk Building in Lincoln CA - a level walk that grips when it's wet

Most people call us when the old walk has heaved over a root, sunk at one end, broken into pieces or turned slick every time it rains. Others never had a proper path to the front door. The price mostly comes down to how long and wide the walk is, whether old concrete has to be broken out and hauled off, how much root and soft ground we have to dig out, and whether the walk crosses a driveway or ends at steps that need work too. The schedule turns on the weather. It also depends on whether the work reaches the public sidewalk or curb, because then the city's permit and inspection notice set the earliest start, and we take care of that paperwork with you. When I come out for the estimate, I walk the route with you, explain what I see and put it all in writing.

I learned in restaurant kitchens that the prep decides how service goes. A sidewalk works the same way, because once the truck shows up there's no starting over. So we start with the route and look for roots and low spots before we set a single form. Then we dig out the topsoil and anything organic and pack the subgrade, which is the ground the slab sits on. We set the forms with enough fall that water runs off the walk and away from the house instead of sitting in a low spot. We pour in the cooler part of the day and give the surface a broom finish, a light brushed texture so shoes grip. Then we cut control joints, straight grooves that give the concrete a planned place to crack. Curing starts right after finishing, so the new concrete doesn't dry out too fast and can gain its strength. If the budget gets tight, I'd rather you skip a fancier surface than skimp on the base. Nobody sees the base on day one, but it's what decides whether the walk stays flat.

A new walk often runs right past other concrete that's worn out too. If it ends at a garage with a cracked or sunken floor, we can look at garage floor concrete on the same visit so the two meet cleanly. If you want color or pattern instead of plain gray, our decorative concrete work can carry over to the walk, and I'll steer you toward a finish that still grips when it's wet.

If any of the work is in the public right-of-way, the City of Lincoln requires an encroachment permit. The right-of-way covers the curb and gutter, the public sidewalk, public roads, city-owned land and city easements. The city also needs an inspection requested at least 72 hours before work there starts. Work finished without its inspections may have to come out, so we build that notice into the start date. A permit to dig only counts once there's an inquiry number from the Regional Notification Center, so we get that number before anyone digs. For a walk that stays on your own lot, we still check with the city before we start, and when a permit is needed we take care of the paperwork and inspections with you.

Lincoln's standards for public work say concrete isn't placed or finished in the rain, so we watch the forecast and move the pour when a storm's coming. Placer County's planning report puts most of the soils that swell and shrink with moisture in the low-lying western part of the county, from Rocklin out to the county line. Lincoln sits in that part of the county, so a packed base matters even more here. We're based in Lincoln and work across the cities around it, and we see the same kind of ground on jobs in Rocklin and Roseville.