Concrete Walkways in Thornton, CO
We pour new concrete walkways and replace old ones on homes in Thornton, Colorado.
- Quotes in writing
- 18 areas covered
Thornton Concrete Driveway pours concrete walkways for homes across Thornton. We walk the route with you, mark it out, and give you a written quote before any digging starts.
What we mean by a walkway
When we say walkway, we mean a concrete path on your own lot, such as the one from your driveway to your front door or the one around the side of the house to the backyard. The public sidewalk along the street is a different job, and our concrete sidewalks page covers it.
How we build a walkway
First we stake out the path and settle the width and the route with you. If an old path is there, we saw it at clean lines, break it out and haul it away. Then we dig out soft ground, lay a new base and pack it down hard.
Next we set the wooden boards that hold the wet concrete in shape, pour the walk and finish the top so it is not slick when wet. We cut lines across it as we go, so that when the concrete cracks, it cracks in the line.
OSHA, the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration, says cutting, sawing and crushing concrete creates very small particles of crystalline silica. It says workers who breathe them in are at higher risk of serious diseases, including silicosis, an incurable lung disease. We keep kids and pets well back while we saw the old path out.
Permits for a walkway in Thornton
The City of Thornton lists concrete sidewalks on private property as outside work that does not need a building permit. The same list says a concrete porch with no roof needs no building permit either.
The city also says some projects that need no building permit may still have rules about where they go on the property, and it says to ask its planning team about those. We check where your walkway is going with the city before we pour.
The public sidewalk sits in the city's right-of-way, which we'd describe as the public land along the street. The City of Thornton says right-of-way permits are needed for any work in the city right-of-way that the construction permit for the property does not cover. If your new walkway joins the public sidewalk, we tell you which permits that part needs.
Where the rain goes
We slope each walkway so rain runs off into the lawn or the beds, not back toward your house. We also stop our wash water and spare concrete from running into the gutter. The City of Thornton says runoff picks up oil, grease, litter and chemicals as it flows over the ground and carries them to creeks like Big Dry Creek without treatment, and all of them flow to the South Platte River. The city also says it is against the law to put anything into its storm drains that is not just stormwater.
What to get in writing
Ask for these in writing, whoever you hire:
- The route, the width and the length of the walkway, drawn on a sketch.
- How thick the concrete will be and what goes under it.
- Which way the walk slopes, and where the water goes.
- The finish on top, and where the cut lines go.
- How the new walk meets your driveway, porch or steps.
- Who checks with the city, and who calls in the buried lines.
- Where the old concrete is going.
Questions about concrete walkways in Thornton
Can you make my walkway wide enough to park on?
The City of Thornton says any material you park on or drive on with a vehicle counts as part of the driveway. The city says residential driveway installations need a permit from Planning & Zoning, so we quote a parking spot as a concrete parking pad, not a walkway.
Do I need a permit for a low wall along the path?
The City of Thornton says a retaining wall more than 48 inches tall, measured from the bottom of its footing, needs a building permit and an engineer. It says one that is 48 inches or less does not need a permit.
What if my new walkway meets the public sidewalk?
The City of Thornton says right-of-way permits are only issued to contractors with a Thornton contractor license. It also says once a sidewalk has been cut, the whole panel has to be replaced. When we say panel, we mean one square of sidewalk, and we price every full panel the job touches.
Who marks the pipes and cables under the path?
The City of Thornton says all requests to have buried utility lines marked should go through Colorado 811. The city marks its own lines, such as water, sewer and fiber, in the right-of-way.
What happens to the old walkway concrete?
The EPA says old concrete, brick and masonry can be recycled right on site as fill or as bedding for a driveway. We tell you on your quote where the broken concrete is going.
What should I put on a new walkway in winter?
Connecticut's Department of Energy & Environmental Protection lists calcium magnesium acetate, a de-icer with no salt in it, as safer for concrete and plants, though it can still harm life in streams and lakes.
Does my HOA have a say?
The City of Thornton says it does not enforce HOA covenants, and it says to contact your HOA property management company to find out which ones apply to you. Check with them before we pour.
How should I pay for a walkway?
The City of Thornton says never to pay in full before the job begins. It says to hold back 15 to 20 percent of the total price until you are happy with the job and all inspections have been approved.
How many quotes should I get?
The City of Thornton says to get several written bids, and that 3 is the usual number. We give you ours in writing after we look at the route.
Get a quote for a concrete walkway
Call us, or send the quote form with your ZIP code and a note about the path you want. We'll come out and walk it with you, go through the options, and give you a written quote. To see the other work we do, go to the Thornton Concrete Driveway home page.
Ready to talk about your concrete driveway job?
Send the quote form with your ZIP code and what you need. We will get back to you with a written quote.