Steps cracked, sinking or pulling away from the house? We build poured or precast concrete steps on a firm base so they sit level.
Concrete steps construction in Portsmouth means building new steps up to your door. They're either poured on site into forms with steel bars inside or set as hollow precast units, and either way they sit on a base firm enough to keep them from sinking or pulling away from the house.
Most calls start with steps that have cracked, tipped toward the house or started to separate from the wall. Usually the trouble is underneath, where the dirt was never packed or water has been washing it out. I look at why the old steps failed before we talk about new ones, because a new set will fail the same way if the cause is left in place. If the steps are part of an addition, we plan them along with the foundation installation so they meet the house properly.
The price mostly turns on how many steps you need, whether poured or precast suits the size, and how much old concrete has to come out. Your estimate puts a figure on your own job. The schedule depends on the weather for a pour and on whether a permit is needed. We're licensed and insured, and when a permit is required I pull it and schedule the inspections myself.
Please tell us how many steps you have now and which door they serve. We'll set a time that suits you for me to come out.
I come out myself to measure the rise to your door, look at the ground and ask how you use the entry. You get an estimate for poured or precast steps, with my reasons for the one that fits your size and budget, so you know the price before you decide anything.
If you go ahead, I run the job with our own crew, take care of any permit and inspections, and start by digging out and packing the base. With precast, we make sure the steps sit on a firm pad so their weight can't push them into soft ground.
When the work is done, I walk the finished steps with you and tell you how long to stay off them while they cure. I'll also go over the simple upkeep that keeps them in good shape.
For poured steps, we dig down to the subgrade, the firm ground the steps rest on, and pack the base so it won't settle later. Then we build wood forms with rebar inside, the steel bars that hold the concrete together if it cracks. We pour early in the day when we can, give the treads a broom finish so wet shoes grip, and let the concrete cure, the slow hardening that gives it strength, before anyone uses the steps.
Steps that lead onto a new porch or addition are usually planned with the slab foundation under it. That way the top step meets the floor at the right height and both pieces rest on the same packed ground.
What a steps job can include:
A chipped edge or a thin crack on steps that still sit level can often be patched, and I'll tell you when that's the better way to spend your money. Steps that have sunk, tilted toward the house or pulled away from the wall are a different story. The ground under them has moved, and a patch on top won't stop it. In that case I'd replace them and fix the base, so you don't end up paying twice.
Cost comes down to how many steps you need, how wide they are, whether a standard precast size fits or the size calls for poured steps, how much old concrete we haul off and how easy the entry is to reach. A plain broom finish costs less than a decorative one. If something has to give, please keep the money in the base. It's buried on day one, and it's the part that decides whether the steps stay put.
I learned this trade on a municipal crew, pouring sidewalks, curbs and steps to city standards, and I've run this business the same way since 2013. We keep the work area tidy, tell you ahead of time when you'll need to use another door, and explain each step before we take it. I'd rather explain something twice than have you surprised later. Your satisfaction, guaranteed.
A quick call lets me ask about your entry first, so I bring what I need to measure it on the first visit.
Tell us how many steps you need, and add a photo of your entry if you can. We reply within one business day to set up a free on-site estimate, with no obligation.
Across the US, poured or precast concrete steps usually cost about $100 to $500 per step, and that's a national figure, not a Portsmouth price. Where your job falls depends on the method, the size and how much old concrete has to come out, so I'll give you a figure for your steps at the estimate.
Choose precast if a standard size fits your entry, because precast steps cost less, and choose poured if you need an unusual size, because poured steps cost more but come in a wider range of sizes. One step maker says a multi-step precast unit needs a concrete pad to sit on, since heavy steps can sink into loose soil, so please check that every precast quote you get includes the pad.
Concrete steps last about 30 to 40 years when they're cared for. One step maker strongly recommends sealing them every year with an outdoor, silicone-based sealer that guards against water, ice and stains. For the first winter, a concrete maker advises using sand for traction instead of deicing salt, because salt speeds up scaling, the top layer flaking off, and wear on the surface.
The city's permit list doesn't settle it, so the surest answer comes from Portsmouth Permits and Inspections at 757-393-8531. The office issues building permits to erect, alter or repair a structure, and its list names decks and sheds, not steps. The city highly recommends that the contractor pull any permit, since the holder answers for all the work and schedules the inspections. When a permit is needed, we pull it and book the inspections ourselves, and when it isn't clear, I check with the city before work starts.
If the new steps change the outside of your home, yes, because the city cites owners in its historic preservation and downtown design districts who make exterior changes without approval in advance. A permit guide lists the historic districts as Cradock, Olde Towne, Park View, Port Norfolk and Truxtun. If you live in one of them, please tell me at the estimate so we can sort out approval before scheduling.
Ask for the contractor's state license and confirm it with the Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation, which is where the city checks contractor licenses. The city confirms business licenses through the Portsmouth Commissioner of Revenue Office, and in Virginia the Class C license covers construction or repair contracts over $1,000 but under $30,000. We're licensed and insured, so please ask me about it at the estimate.
We're based in Portsmouth and build concrete steps in Norfolk, Chesapeake and the other cities below. Choose yours, or call (757) 731-7248 if your city isn't listed.
