Sidewalks & Steps in Eden Prairie, MN

Sidewalks and steps are the concrete people actually walk on, which makes them the place where a heaved panel or a crumbling step matters most. In Eden Prairie that usually means the front walk from the driveway to the door, the stoop and steps at the entry, side paths to a gate or backyard, and the steps down to a lower patio on a sloped lot. Winter is the hard part: ice, snow shovels and salt all land on these surfaces, and a small trip edge in summer becomes a real hazard on a dark January morning.

City sidewalks and your private walk

Eden Prairie's snow and ice ordinance defines a public sidewalk as a 5-foot concrete strip in the right-of-way next to a lot, and trails as 8- or 10-foot asphalt paths. It requires owners of one- and two-family homes to clear adjoining public sidewalks and trails within 24 hours after snow stops, unless the city has taken over plowing that segment. Our work is on the private side: the walks, stoops and steps on your property. If a job touches the public sidewalk or trail, such as a driveway crossing, we coordinate with the city's requirements first.

Building a walk that holds up

• Width. Four feet is a comfortable minimum for a front walk, and wider if two people will walk side by side.
• Base. Compacted gravel underneath, so the walk does not heave or settle.
• Thickness. HomeGuide's sidewalk guide says walkways typically run 4 to 6 inches thick, with the thicker end for heavier use.
• Cross slope. A slight tilt to one side so rain and meltwater run off instead of freezing in place.
• Joints. Tooled or sawn joints at a regular spacing, about every 4 to 5 feet on a 4-foot walk.
• Texture. A broom finish brushed across the walking direction for footing.

Steps and stoops

Steps need even rises and runs. A single step that is taller or shorter than the rest is the classic trip hazard, especially when people are looking down at ice. When we replace front steps we measure from the door threshold to the walk, divide the rise evenly, and form each step to match. Stoops get a slight slope away from the door. Where a railing is wanted, we plan the anchor points before the pour so posts can be set or cored in cleanly.

Poured steps are formed in place and tied to a footing or the stoop. Precast steps are set as a unit. HomeGuide's steps cost guide puts poured steps at roughly $200 to $500 each and precast ones at roughly $100 to $350 each. Precast can be faster where the size fits; poured steps fit any width and can match a new walk.

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Signs your walk or steps need work

• A panel lifted or sunk enough to catch a toe
• Steps that tip forward, pull away from the house or rock
• Treads with broken nosings or crumbling edges
• Scaling where salt is spread every winter
• Water or ice that collects on the walk or the stoop
• A stoop that slopes toward the door

Lift, patch or replace?

One sunken panel can often be raised back to level. HomeGuide's leveling guide puts mudjacking a 100 square foot stretch of sidewalk at about $400 to $900. Tipped steps can sometimes be lifted as well. Steps with broken treads, deep scaling or settling that keeps coming back are usually better torn out and repoured.

Winter care

Shovel before snow gets packed into ice. For traction, use sand or a de-icer labeled as safe for concrete, and use it lightly; keep fertilizer-type products off concrete entirely. Skip de-icers on new walks and steps for their first winter. Resealing every few years slows the water and salt that cause flaking.