Orange Concrete CompanyOrange Concrete Company

Concrete steps construction in Orange TX - a solid base and an even climb

Front steps sinking, cracked or pulling away from the house? We build new ones on a packed base, with every step the same height.

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Curved gray stone paver walkway leads to broad concrete steps at a brick-and-siding home, bordered by flower beds.
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Concrete steps construction
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(409) 216-5078

How do you know your front steps need replacing?

  • A gap at the house

    If a gap is opening between the top step and the porch or door, the steps are usually settling away from the house along with the fill under them. Left alone, the gap widens, rain runs down behind the steps and the top step starts to tip.

  • One step sitting lower

    When one part of the steps drops lower than the rest, the ground under that part has usually settled or washed out. Even a small change in height can catch a toe, so it's worth fixing before someone trips on it.

  • Cracks and broken edges

    Cracks across the treads or chunks breaking off the front edges usually mean the steps are thin, have little steel in them or have lost their support underneath. Water works into every crack, so the pieces keep loosening until they come off underfoot.

What does it take to build concrete steps in Orange, TX?

Concrete steps construction in Orange, TX means building a new set of steps that rests on the ground, ties into a landing or your foundation, or spans as a stair, and at Orange Concrete Company we build them on a packed base with a textured finish so they sit level and keep their grip when wet. Most of the wait comes after the pour, while the concrete cures.

Most people call when the old steps have sunk, cracked or started leaning away from the door, and the first thing I want to know is what's under them. The price moves with how many steps you need, whether there's a landing or a rail, how much old concrete has to come out and how far we dig to reach firm ground. The schedule turns on the permit, a pour day that isn't too hot and the cure afterward, and the written estimate gives you the figure for your own entry.

Details to note before an estimate

  • How many steps up to the door
  • Size of the landing at the top
  • Cracks, gaps or a sinking step
  • Handrails you have or want

How we handle concrete steps construction

We start by breaking out the old steps and hauling them off, then dig past any loose fill until we hit firm ground, because steps sitting on fill settle right along with it. We pack the base back in layers, since that subgrade, the ground the concrete sits on, is what keeps every step level for years. Before the forms go up I lay out the whole rise from the ground to your door and split it evenly, so the top and bottom steps don't come out short or tall. Where the steps tie into a porch or foundation we set rebar, the steel that ties the concrete into one piece, then pour early in the day before the heat can leave a weak top, give the treads a broom finish, a light dragged texture that gives your feet grip in the rain, and keep the steps damp while they cure. If a budget gets tight, the base is the last place I'd cut, because nobody sees it on day one and everybody feels it when a step drops.

Steps meet the house, so the work around them is often part of the same job. On a new house or addition we can handle the slab foundation building and the entry steps on one plan, so the top step lands where the door does. When steps keep pulling away because the footing under the porch has given out, we look at foundation installation first, since new steps tied to a bad foundation go wherever it goes.

Work that often goes with new steps

  • Slab foundation building

    If you're building on bare ground, the slab sets the floor height your steps have to reach, so it helps to plan both together.

  • Foundation installation

    A new footing or foundation under a porch or addition gives the steps something solid to tie into, instead of ground that keeps moving.

What happens after you call about new steps?

  1. Call or send the form

    You call or send the form, and we set a time for me to come out. It helps to have a rough count of the steps and an idea of the rail you want.

  2. I measure and look underneath

    I measure the rise from the ground to your door, look at what's sitting under the old steps and ask how you use the entry. You get a written estimate that spells out what's in it and what isn't, so you know exactly what the price covers.

  3. We line up the permit

    Before any forms go up, we find out which city, county or parish office covers your address. We handle the permit side with that office when the job calls for one.

  4. We pour, then walk it together

    Our crew lead runs the job on site while our finishers prep the ground, set the forms, pour and finish the steps. When it's done, I walk the steps with you and go over how to care for them while they cure.

Questions before you book new concrete steps

How much does it cost to build concrete steps in Orange, TX?

There's no flat price for concrete steps, because the figure comes from your entry. A taller rise, a bigger landing, handrails and steps that tie into the foundation add the most, since each means more concrete, more steel and more forming. I measure on site and give you the number in writing.

What is the best way to support new concrete steps?

New concrete steps need a built base under them, not loose, uncompacted fill, even when the steps are mostly decorative. Steps either rest on the ground, connect to a landing or foundation, or span as a stair, and which one they are decides the steel and footing they need. It's a fair question to ask any contractor, and I'll tell you at the estimate which kind your entry calls for.

How long does it take new concrete steps to cure?

Plan on at least seven days of curing, because one testing firm's guide says standard portland cement mixes generally need that long kept moist unless an engineer specifies otherwise. The same firm describes the wider Gulf Coast as humid with warm nights, which is the weather we pour in, so we plan the pour and the cure around it.

Do concrete steps in Orange, TX have to follow building code?

They can, because building codes may regulate step height, tread depth, landings, width, handrails and guards, and the City of Orange has adopted the International Building Codes. Small errors on each step add up to a top or bottom step that misses, which is why I lay out the full rise first. If your entry raises a code question I can't answer on the spot, I'll go find out before we pour.

Who issues building permits in Orange, TX?

The city's Building Inspections Department issues permits for all building construction inside the city limits, and its permit application lists concrete as a permit type. To pull a permit, a building contractor provides a valid driver's license and a $10,000 contractor's surety bond issued to the city, so it's worth asking anyone you're weighing whether they hold that bond. We're licensed and fully insured, and the permit is part of how we run the job.

What changes if my home in Orange is in a flood hazard area?

The city's permit application says all work in a special flood hazard area requires an elevation certificate, so plan on that document alongside the permit. If you know your property sits in one, tell me when you call so it's part of the plan from the start.

Get a written estimate for your new steps

We get back to you within one business day to set a time, and I come out, measure the steps and look at what's under them. The estimate is free and done on site, it puts what's included in writing, and there's no obligation to book.

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Get your new front steps on the schedule

Call (409) 216-5078 or send the form with a few photos of your entry and a rough step count, so I show up already knowing what to look for.

Request an estimateCall (409) 216-5078