Sidewalks & Steps in Bloomington, IN

Sidewalks & Steps are the concrete people notice most, because they walk on them. A heaved panel or a crumbling step is a tripping hazard for neighbors, delivery drivers and your own family. In Bloomington it can also be a legal duty. Under Bloomington Municipal Code section 12.04.010, property owners are responsible for keeping the sidewalks next to their property in good repair.

If you got a city sidewalk letter

The city's sidewalk program sends notification letters to owners whose sidewalks need work. The letter asks for repairs to be done within 90 days of its postmark, and under that program the normal excavation permit fee is waived. The city also runs a Sidewalk Repair Assistance Program that can help some homeowners pay. To qualify, the city says you must own and live in a single-family home in a federally designated Community Development Block Grant area inside city limits, be current on property taxes and debts to the city, and have a sidewalk the city rated poor. The City of Bloomington Street Department handles questions about the program. If you have a letter, call us soon so we can measure, quote and schedule inside the window.

Permits and standards

The city's Engineering Department maintains construction standards for work in the public right-of-way, and permits are applied for through the city's Civic Access portal. The Engineering Resources fee table lists sidewalk reconstruction at 10 cents per square foot and new sidewalk at 5 cents per square foot, with a fee for closing a sidewalk during work. We build public walks to the city's standards and handle the permit for your job. Outside city limits, rules depend on the town or county, and we check them before we start.

What a sidewalk replacement involves

Damaged panels are saw-cut at the closest joint, broken up and hauled off. Roots that raised the old panels are trimmed where that is safe for the tree, and the base is regraded and compacted. New forms follow the existing width and line, the concrete is placed and broomed for traction, and joints are tooled to line up with the neighboring panels. The new section has to meet the old walk flush so there is no lip to trip on.

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Front walks and steps

A front walk from the driveway or street to the door is often the first thing to go on an older house. About 12% of Bloomington's homes date to 1939 or earlier, per Point2Homes' summary of Census data, and many of those have walks and porch steps that have been patched for years. Poured steps are built with formed risers and treads, reinforcement and a solid footing, so they do not pull away from the house. Each riser should be the same height; uneven steps are one of the most common causes of falls. We can add a landing at the door and set anchors for a railing.

Signs your walk or steps need work

• Panels raised by roots or frost, leaving a ledge that catches toes
• Steps that have separated from the house or lean outward
• Treads that are crumbling or flaking, often where salt was spread
• Low spots that hold water and turn to ice
• A sidewalk notification letter from the city

Caring for walks and steps

On new concrete especially, use sand or a de-icer that is labeled safe for concrete rather than rock salt. Reseal walks and steps every few years. Turn downspouts so they do not empty onto the walk. Seal cracks while they are small, and if a tree root starts raising a panel, deal with it before the panel breaks.