Concrete Sidewalk Building in Denton TX - a walk that stays even and grips when wet
Panels lifted by roots, or a muddy path where a walk should be? We plan the route and base so your sidewalk sits even.
Groundwork Denton Concrete Company builds driveways, patios and walks for homeowners and property managers in Denton and the cities around it. When we take on concrete sidewalk building in Denton, we work out the route and the ground under the walk first, because that's what keeps a walk even.
- Route planned before the pour
- Straight answers on what's included
- We walk the job with you
Building concrete sidewalks that stay even
Most calls start with a walk that's heaved or sunk into a trip hazard, or a muddy track where a walk should be. Concrete sidewalk building in Denton, TX, comes down to stripping the topsoil, packing the ground and pouring the walk in panels with a finish that grips. Most of my attention goes to what's under it, since sunken walks were what I spent years fixing.
The price moves with the walk's length and width, any tear-out and hauling of an old walk, and any stretch that crosses the driveway. The schedule mostly turns on the weather and on whether the city needs a permit. My written estimate spells out what's included, and if you want color or pattern, ask about decorative concrete.
- Clearing the ground. We strip out topsoil, roots and anything organic, since that material breaks down and sinks under a walk.
- Packing the base. We compact the subgrade, the dirt the walk sits on, so it's firm before the forms go up.
- Setting the slope. We set the forms so water runs off the walk and away from the house instead of pooling by the door.
- Cutting joints early. Control joints, the straight grooves across the walk, go in early so any cracking follows a line we chose.
Sidewalk jobs we take on
We build new walks, replace old ones that have heaved or sunk, and tie walks into driveways, steps and patios around homes and rental properties.
Front walks
A walk from the driveway or street to your front door, laid out to go around beds and trees and follow the way people actually walk.
Replacement walks
We break out heaved, sunken or badly cracked panels, haul them away and rebuild on a cleared, packed base instead of the old one.
Side and back paths
Paths to the gate, the back door or the patio, so you stop wearing a muddy track through the grass every time it rains.
Driveway crossings
Where the walk meets or crosses the driveway, that stretch has to carry a car, so it's usually reinforced with rebar, steel bars set inside the concrete.
Need a walk tied into new steps or a garage floor, or something not on this list? Ask when you call and we'll talk it through.
Why a concrete sidewalk is worth doing right
A walk that's built right sits level, so nobody catches a toe on a raised panel, and it sheds rain instead of holding a puddle by the door. Most of that is settled before anyone sees the surface.
- Base before looksIf the budget's tight, I'd put it into the base and the route before a fancier surface, because that's what keeps panels level.
- Grip when it's wetWe give it a broom finish, a light texture dragged across the top, because a slick troweled walk gets dangerous in rain.
- Pouring at a cooler hourIn hot weather, one concrete maker advises pouring during cooler hours, since a fast set in midday heat can leave a weak, dusty top.
- Curing started right awayCuring, the time the concrete needs to harden before you put weight on it, starts as soon as the finish is done.
How a sidewalk job goes
We look at your walk
You call or send the form, and I come out to walk the route, measure, and look at what's under any old walk and where water goes.
You get it in writing
I send a written estimate covering the route, the finish, any driveway crossing, and whether tear-out and hauling are included, so you can compare it fairly.
We build and walk it
On a right-of-way job, Denton needs 48 hours' notice before we start. Our crew preps, pours and finishes, and we walk it with you before packing up.
Why homeowners call us for sidewalks
I learned concrete patching cracked and sunken walks for a property management company, and I started this business to pour new work with more care. If that's how you want your walk built, call or use the form below.
I write your estimate
I come out, measure and write the estimate myself, so the person pricing your walk knows exactly what was promised.
Our own crew does it
Our own crew handles the prep, forms, pour and finish, and I check their work at the key steps.
Joints shown before pouring
Before we pour, I show you where the joints go and what's normal for new concrete, so a hairline crack at a joint isn't a surprise.
Sidewalks in Denton and nearby cities
Work in the public right-of-way, the strip along the street, goes through a Denton right-of-way permit, applied for online, and the city has applicants register as a general contractor first. We're licensed and insured, and we handle the application and schedule the inspections. If I'm not sure your walk needs one, I check with the city before we start.
Around Denton we see plenty of walks lifted by tree roots and walks that hold water where the yard dips, so we route the new one around big trees and low spots instead of pouring back over the old line. We do the same work in Corinth and Lewisville.
Tell us about your walk
Send the walk's rough length, its route and whether it crosses the driveway, or call (940) 287-2036. I'll reply within one business day to set up a free on-site estimate, no obligation.
Call (940) 287-2036Sidewalk questions we hear in Denton
How much does a concrete sidewalk cost in the Denton area?
A concrete sidewalk in the Dallas area usually costs about $5 to $10 per square foot, and that's an area figure, not our quote. I measure on site, and the written estimate shows what's in your price, including whether tear-out and hauling are part of it.
Why do concrete sidewalks crack, sink or heave?
Sidewalks usually heave or sink because tree roots or the ground under them moves. Where expansive clay sits under a walk, it can swell in wet seasons and settle in dry ones, and fill that was never packed sinks too. We clear roots and pack the base before we pour, and the joints give any cracking a straight line to follow.
Should I replace a heaved sidewalk or just grind down the raised edge?
Grinding takes off the trip edge, but it doesn't fix whatever lifted the panel, so the panel can keep moving. A national sidewalk guide suggests asking how a contractor will deal with the cause, such as roots, washout, failed fill or drainage. That's the first thing I look at on an old walk.
Do I need a permit to build a sidewalk in Denton, TX?
You do for work in the public right-of-way along the street, which goes through the city's right-of-way permit covered above. For a walk that stays on your lot, I check with the city before we start rather than guess, and we handle the application whenever one is needed.