Concrete Sidewalks, Walkways & Steps in NW Indiana

Sidewalks take the hardest beating

Thin, narrow and often shaded by parkway trees, sidewalks are usually the first concrete on a property to crack, heave and trip someone. Tree roots lift panels, salt from the street scales the surface, and wet clay underneath frosts up every winter.

Public sidewalks vs. private walks

The sidewalk running along the street usually sits in the public right-of-way, even though homeowners are often responsible for its upkeep. Replacing it generally means working with the town. In Valparaiso, for example, the city runs a cooperative program where Public Works removes the old sidewalk and the homeowner pays for the new one, which must be built to city specifications under a Right-of-Way Cut permit (see Valparaiso’s sidewalk program). Crown Point publishes concrete standards for sidewalks, including joint spacing and ADA-compliant ramps where walks meet curbs. Your front walk, steps and side paths are on private property and generally simpler.

Typical sidewalk projects

• Replacing heaved or cracked public sidewalk panels
• New front walks from the driveway to the door
• Concrete steps and front stoops
• Side-yard paths to a gate, trash area or back patio
• Widening a narrow walk to make it easier to shovel and safer to use

Steps and stoops

Settled or tilted front steps are common on older homes. Sometimes they can be lifted or patched. Often the footing underneath was never deep enough to stay below frost, and replacement with a proper footing is the lasting fix. A contractor can tell you which you have.

Trip hazards and liability

Uneven panels are a trip risk, and some towns send notices when a sidewalk needs repair. If one or two panels are lifted, targeted replacement is usually quick. See concrete repair for options.

Where we connect homeowners

• Crown Point, IN
• Merrillville, IN
• Schererville, IN
• Valparaiso, IN
• Portage, IN