Concrete sidewalk building in Orem UT - a walk built to stay level through winter
Heaved panels, trip edges or water pooling on your walk? We find what's underneath first, then pour a sidewalk built for Orem winters.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- We reply within 1 business day.
What goes into building a new concrete sidewalk in Orem?
Concrete sidewalk building in Orem means digging out the topsoil and anything soft, packing the ground so it holds the walk evenly, then pouring and finishing concrete that has to handle hard freezes and deicer.
Most calls start with a panel that's lifted or sunk enough to catch a toe, or a walk that never drained right. The price mostly comes down to how much walk you need, whether the old one has to be cut out and hauled off, what we find underneath and whether a driveway crosses it, because that stretch gets a heavier section. The schedule turns on the weather and on checking with the city before we book a date, which we do for you. I'll look at it with you, and the estimate gives you the price for your walk.
Is a new concrete sidewalk right for your home?
Panels that heaved or sank
When lifted or sunken panels catch toes, a new walk on a packed base is the lasting fix.
Water sitting on the walk
Puddles that sit on the walk or run toward the house mean the slope needs redoing.
Flaking or chipping top
A flaking, chipping top often means the old mix or its curing wasn't up to freezing winters.
No walk where you need one
New homes and remodels often need a path from driveway to door, or out to a side gate.
How we build a concrete sidewalk
On a walk I look first at what's underneath, like old fill, roots or a soft spot over a utility line, because that's usually why the last one heaved. Then we break out the old walk, dig out the topsoil and anything that'll rot, and pack the subgrade, the ground the walk sits on, so it carries the concrete evenly, including over utility trenches and where the walk meets the driveway. We set the forms so water runs off the walk and away from the house, pour in the cooler part of the day so the top doesn't dry out weak and dusty, and give it a broom finish, a light ridged texture that keeps it from getting slick when it's wet. Control joints, the grooves you see across a walk, go in on time, because concrete does crack, and when it does it usually cracks in the groove instead of across the middle of a panel. We clean up before we leave.
If your walk ends at a garage with a tired floor, we can pour new garage floor concrete on the same visit so the two meet at one even edge. And if plain gray isn't what you want out front, decorative concrete like a colored border or a pattern can go on the walk while it still keeps good footing.
Replacing a failed walk
For a walk that's heaved, sunk or crumbled, we cut out the bad concrete and fix what caused it before we pour. Skipping that step usually means the new walk moves the same way the old one did.
A heavier section where cars cross
Where the walk crosses your driveway, we plan a thicker, reinforced section from the start, because a car is a lot more weight than feet and bikes. Rebar, steel bars set inside the concrete, helps hold that stretch together if it cracks.
A new walk where there wasn't one
If you're tired of a worn dirt path across the lawn or want a route to a side gate, we lay out the line with you so it goes where people actually walk. Then it's built the same way as any other walk, base first.
Walks that meet steps or a tight entry
This is the kind of job I enjoy, a walk that has to tie into existing steps, a porch or a narrow side yard. We fit the new concrete to what's already there instead of tearing out more than you need.
What happens when you call about a sidewalk in Orem?
Call or send the form
Call (385) 476-8003 or use the form on this page, and we'll get back to you to set a time for me to come out. If the walk runs along the street, mention it, since that can bring the city into the job.
I come out and look
I come out myself, look at the walk and what's around it, and ask how you use the space, whether that's kids on bikes or a car crossing it. Then I give you the estimate, your price for this walk and what it covers.
We check with the city
Before we book anything, we check with the city and handle any permit and inspections it asks for. Then we pick a date that suits the weather and your household.
We pour and walk it together
I work on site with our crew from tear-out to the last joint, and we keep a way to your door open while the new walk cures. When it's done, we walk the finished job with you before we leave, and I tell you when it's ready for feet and when it's ready for wheels.
Base or finish on a new sidewalk?
Put the money in the base first.
On day one nobody sees the base, so it's the first thing people want to trim when the budget gets tight. I'd rather trim the finish. A walk raked level over loose dirt settles right along with that dirt, and no texture or color fixes a panel that's sinking.
When money's tight, we'll keep a plain broom finish and still dig out and pack the ground properly. A plain walk on solid ground usually holds up better than a fancy one on soft dirt, and once the concrete's on, there's no going back to pack what's under it.
Examples of concrete work
Look through these examples of concrete walks, driveways, patios and steps to get a feel for finishes and layouts before we talk about your project.
Get a free estimate for your new sidewalk
Tell us the walk's rough size in square feet and whether it crosses a driveway or runs along the street. We reply within one business day, and I come out for a free estimate with no obligation.
Why Orem homeowners call Professional Orem Concrete Construction for a new sidewalk
The owner on every walk
I come out to give the estimate, and I'm on site with our crew when we pour. The person who looked at what went wrong with your old walk is there when the new one goes in.
We find why it failed
Some Utah soils swell, settle or collapse after a walk goes in, and that can mean gaps, trip edges and repair bills later. So before we price anything, I want to know whether it was the ground, roots or water running the wrong way, because pouring over the same problem gets you the same trip edge.
Licensed and insured, honest about cracks
We're licensed and insured. Before we start, I'll walk you through what concrete can and can't do, joints and hairline cracks included, so you know what you're getting.
Built for lived-in homes
I spent my early years pouring on bare dirt for new construction and started this business in Orem in 2023 because I liked the puzzle of working around a house people already live in. Call (385) 476-8003 or send us the form and I'll come take a look.
Sidewalk questions we hear in Orem
How much does a new concrete sidewalk cost in Orem?
A professionally installed concrete sidewalk usually costs about $6 to $12 per square foot across the US, and that's the market's range, not a quote from us. Where yours lands depends on how much old concrete comes out, what we find underneath and whether a driveway crossing needs a heavier section. On a replacement, the cause of the old failure shapes the fix and the price, so I'll give you your number when I come out.
What kind of concrete holds up best to Orem winters?
Air-entrained concrete, which has tiny air bubbles mixed in that give freezing water room to expand, is what freeze-thaw guidance calls for when a walk faces freezes and deicer. A stronger mix on its own doesn't make up for missing air in that kind of exposure, so ask any contractor about the air range as well as the strength. That has to be settled before the concrete is ordered, because the ready-mix plant needs the air range for the batch.
How long does a new concrete sidewalk take to cure before I can use it?
You stay off it until it has cured enough to take traffic, and I'll tell you the day for your walk before we leave, because it depends on the mix and the weather that week. Curing is the slow hardening that keeps going well after the concrete looks dry, and the walk keeps getting stronger the longer you give it.
How do I fix a heaved or sunken sidewalk panel?
Fix whatever lifted or dropped the panel, then replace it, because grinding the high edge down only treats the trip hazard. Roots, washed-out fill, frost, failed fill and poor drainage can all do it, and each one calls for a different fix. Sometimes that's one panel and a root, and sometimes it's the whole run.
Will my new sidewalk crack like the old one did?
It may get a hairline crack, because all concrete shrinks and moves, but the aim is for it to crack in the joints while the panels stay level. What usually wrecks a walk is the ground under it moving, which is why we spend our effort on the base.
When is the best time to pour a sidewalk in Orem?
Pour early enough in the season that the walk can cure and mature before it faces deicer, because salt is harder on young concrete. A late-fall pour can still work, but we plan it so the walk isn't seeing deicer right away.
Want a price on your new walk?
I'll come look at your walk and what's under it, ask how you use the space and give you an estimate.
Other work that ties into a walk
Concrete sidewalk building in Orem and nearby cities
Curb, gutter and sidewalk work in the city's right-of-way, the public strip along the street, goes through the City of Orem, which issues the permit once its engineering staff approve the plans. The city's engineering page has the right-of-way excavation permit and contractor approval applications, and we check with the city before we schedule and take care of the paperwork and inspections when a permit is needed. It's worth knowing that during a project the city can decide, on its own call, that old curb, sidewalk or driveway approaches are substandard and need replacing, and the owner pays for that. If you'd like to ask the city yourself, Orem Building Safety takes questions at 801-229-7198.
The city rates weathering in Orem as severe, so the air in the mix and the curing time before deicer count for more on an Orem walk than somewhere milder. We see the same winters, and plenty of walks lifted by roots or settled fill, on jobs in Provo and Pleasant Grove. We work across Orem and the cities around it in Utah County, so if yours isn't listed, give us a call and ask.