Cracked, chipped or sinking front steps? We build new concrete steps that sit square at your door and feel steady underfoot.
Concrete steps construction in Auburn means building forms at your entry, then pouring, finishing and curing the concrete so you end up with new steps poured in place that feel steady under your feet.
Most people call us when the front steps have cracked, chipped along the edges or pulled away from the house, or when water sits on a tread and turns it slick. Old steps usually fail for ordinary reasons, such as a pour that dried too fast and left a weak, dusty top. Patches on a tired step often don't last, so most of these jobs mean new steps.
The price moves with how many steps you need, whether a landing goes at the top, whether old steps come out first and whether you choose poured or precast. The schedule turns mostly on whether your job needs a permit and on the curing wait before you can use the steps. Our written estimate gives your own figure and lists what's included, such as taking out old concrete and cleaning up.
Three parts of the job decide how your steps look and wear for years. None of them is complicated, but each one goes wrong when it's rushed.
Forms are the boards we set up to hold wet concrete in the shape of your steps until it hardens. Every edge and corner you'll see comes from them, so we take our time setting them square and braced, and tip each tread slightly so rain runs off instead of sitting there or running back toward your door.
We usually give steps a broom finish, a light texture dragged across the wet surface with a stiff broom, because a smooth troweled top turns slick when it's wet. The edges get rounded with a hand tool as well, since a sharp concrete edge is the first place to chip when something heavy bumps it.
Curing is the wait while the concrete hardens and gains strength, kept damp and left alone. We avoid pouring in the hottest part of the day, because concrete that dries too fast often ends up with a weak, dusty top that flakes later. Walking on new steps too soon does similar harm, so we'll tell you when they're ready.
Here's how a steps job runs with us, from the first call to the walk-through, so you know who's coming out and what you're agreeing to at each point.
Call (253) 275-5460 or use the form, and send a photo of your entry if you can. We set a time for me to come out and look at the steps in person.
I come out myself, look over the site and check whether your address falls under the city or the county. You get a written estimate that lists what's included, such as taking out the old concrete and cleaning up afterward.
Once you're ready, we take care of any permit paperwork. Our crew lead runs the work on site, from tearing out the old steps to setting forms, pouring and finishing, and I check in while it's underway.
I walk the finished steps with you before we call the job done. We'll tell you how long to keep off them while they cure and what to watch for in the first weeks.
When you call, we ask for a photo of your entry so I come out prepared, with a sense of the door, the walkway and what's there now. At the estimate I explain how poured solid steps compare with precast ones and help you choose what suits your entry and your budget, because the right answer isn't the same at every house.
Once you've decided, our crew takes out the old steps, builds the forms, places and finishes the concrete, then lets it cure. The parts I care about most are the forms and the curing, because nobody sees them once the job is done. If the budget is tight, I'd rather keep those right and choose a plainer finish than the other way around.
Steps sit right against the house, so they're easiest to get right when they're planned along with the house itself. If you're building new and need slab foundation building or foundation installation, we can plan the entry steps at the same time so they meet each door where they should.
A broom finish leaves a gray, lightly textured surface that grips well underfoot. It's the simpler choice, and it keeps more of your budget for the forms and curing that decide how long the steps last.
Color can be added to the concrete so the steps go with the house or a nearby patio. It's a fair way to dress up an entry, and I'll show you how it changes the estimate before you decide.
We reply within one business day and set a time for me to come out and look at your entry. The on-site estimate is free, and there's no pressure to book. It helps to include your address and how many steps you have now.
(253) 275-5460In Auburn, the city's Building Services division issues building permits for construction, additions and alterations, and the city says many activities, construction among them, need a permit. Whether your steps need one isn't something I'd guess at, so I check it for your address before we schedule, and we handle the application when the job needs one. If you'd like to ask yourself, the city's Permit Center takes calls at 253-931-3090, option 2.
The first thing to settle is which office's rules apply, because some properties with an Auburn address actually fall under King County, Kent or Federal Way. The city's interactive map, linked from Auburn's permits page, shows whether a property is inside city limits. Work in the public right-of-way, the public strip along the street, needs its own construction permits, and the city requires a licensed and bonded contractor for it.
We're based in Auburn and work in the cities around it, including Kent and Federal Way, so an address near a city line doesn't change who builds your steps. Most of the step calls we get around here are for front entries where the old concrete has cracked, chipped at the edges or settled away from the door.
I learned concrete on other people's crews and started this business in Auburn in 2013, so we've been at it 13 years. I come out myself to look at your entry and write the estimate, and our crew lead runs the work on site while I check in. You talk with the same person from the first visit to the walk-through.
We're licensed and insured. I'd also like you to understand what you're paying for before we start, so if any line of the estimate isn't clear, I'll explain it until it is. Your satisfaction, guaranteed.
If your steps are cracked, sinking or just worn out, call (253) 275-5460 or send a few details through our estimate form, and I'll come take a look.
If you're building an addition or a new structure on a slab, plan the entry steps at the same time so the heights and the pours line up.
A new house or a large addition starts with its foundation, and knowing early where the doors land helps us place steps that meet each one cleanly.
We're based in Auburn, WA 98001, and build steps for homeowners in the cities around it. The cities below have their own pages, though they aren't the only places we work.
Installing concrete steps in the Seattle area usually costs about $700 to $5,500 per project, which is the going range in the region, not our price. Where your job lands depends on how many steps you need, whether old steps come out, poured or precast, and the finish. Our written estimate gives your own figure.
For most entries I lean toward poured solid steps, which one national cost guide calls the stronger, more durable choice over hollow precast steps. Precast steps cost less and arrive ready to set in place, but solid precast steps are rarely available, so solid usually means poured. I'll go over both at your entry.
Not right away, because the concrete has to cure, as covered above, before it carries your weight without damage. The wait depends on the mix and the weather, and I'll tell you on the walk-through when the steps are ready. Plan on using another door for the first stretch.
Clear planters, mats and anything else near the entry, and decide which door you'll use while the old steps are out and the new ones cure. If a gate or a side yard is the only way to reach the entry, mention it at the estimate so our crew can plan around it.
They hold up better when the mix has entrained air, which federal highway guidance describes as a network of tiny, evenly spread bubbles that give the concrete room to relieve pressure as it freezes. It's a fair question to ask any contractor about the mix for your steps, and I'm glad to answer it at the estimate.
Look the business up with Washington L&I's Verify tool, which shows whether its contractor registration is active, its workers' comp account is paid to date and whether there are lawsuits against its surety bond. Washington requires every construction contractor to register with L&I and to be bonded and insured, so it's worth running the check before you sign.
Our phone hours run until 11 PM on weekdays and 10 PM on weekends, so you can call (253) 275-5460 after work or send the form whenever it suits you.
