Sidewalks & Steps in Dubuque, IA

Sidewalks & Steps are often the first concrete a Dubuque homeowner has to deal with. The city makes owners responsible for the public walk along their property, and porch steps on older houses tend to sink, crack and drift from the wall after decades of freeze-thaw. We replace public walk squares, pour new front walks, and rebuild stoops and full step sets.

Inside Dubuque's inspection program

Engineering inspectors cover about 10 to 12 miles of sidewalk a year, working through spring, summer and fall. They mark problems in white paint and leave a tag on the door. The city's defect list includes:

• Gaps of 3/4 inch or more between squares, up-and-down or side-to-side.
• Holes or dips of 3/4 inch or more.
• Squares broken into more than three pieces.
• Sections raised or sunk more than 2 inches over 8 to 10 feet compared with normal grade.
• Plants growing into the walk or creating a hazard.

After the tag comes a certified letter listing the defects, and the owner has 30 days to get them fixed. Repairs must follow the City of Dubuque Standard Specifications under a permit. If nothing happens, city contractors do the work and the cost is assessed against the property. The city also points income-qualified owner-occupants to Community Development Block Grant assistance.

How we handle a notice

We look at every marked square and the ones next to them that are close to failing, then write you a price. We file the permit, remove the marked sections, rebuild the base, and pour new squares to the city's specifications and grades. If a tree root caused the lift, we say so, because the same root can push up the new square.

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Front walks

The walk from the street or drive to the front door is the one every visitor uses. On sloped lots it often needs a step or two partway. We pitch it to drain sideways, not toward the house, and give it a broom finish. It can be plain, bordered with a stamped band, or matched to a new patio.

Stoops and step sets

Poured steps are formed on site with consistent rise and run, reinforced, and set on a footing or solid base so they stay against the house. Precast steps arrive as a unit and go in faster, but only in stock sizes. HomeGuide lists poured steps at about $200 to $500 per step and precast at $100 to $350. An old stoop that has dropped or cracked through usually has to come out. Taller step sets may call for a railing, and we can plan anchors for one.

Winter on walks and steps

Dubuque expects owners to clear public sidewalks within 48 hours after a snowfall. Shovel early and often, go easy on de-icer, use none at all on concrete in its first winter, and switch to sand where you can. Salt soaking into steps is the main reason their edges and treads crumble.