Concrete Sidewalk Building in Hawthorne CA - a walk planned so cracks follow the joints
What does building a concrete sidewalk in Hawthorne involve?
At Liberty Hawthorne Concrete, building a concrete sidewalk in Hawthorne means taking out the old walk, preparing the ground, then forming, pouring and finishing a new slab with joints placed on purpose. It covers anything from a path across your yard to a walk the public uses, and I come out to write the estimate myself.
Before we form a walk, I ask whether the public will use it and where the nearby trees are, because both change how we plan it. Then we dig to firm soil and pack the subgrade, the ground the slab sits on, and set the forms so the walk sheds water. Our crew pours and finishes it with a lead finisher on site.
When a budget gets tight, people usually want to trim the base, since nobody sees it once the concrete is down. I'd keep the base and simplify the finish instead, because a walk laid over loose dirt settles with that dirt. A plain walk on a good base can get color later through decorative concrete, and if it leads to a worn garage, we pour garage floor concrete too.
Around Hawthorne, two things work against a walk. Much of the Los Angeles basin sits on clay-rich soil that swells with winter rain and shrinks through the dry summer, lifting and dropping the slab every year. Mature ficus and pepper trees are known for lifting walks, because a root growing under a slab pushes it up, cracks it and leaves a trip hazard.
What a new walk takes
- Breaking out the old walk
- Digging down to firm soil
- Packing a solid base
- Forms set so water runs off
- Pouring and finishing the surface
- Joints cut where cracks should go
What to weigh before building a concrete sidewalk
What moves the price
The price follows the size of the walk, whether an old one comes out, how much base the soil needs and any roots in the way. Your written estimate lists each one.
What sets the schedule
Timing turns on the weather, since we plan pours around the afternoon heat, and on curing, the slow hardening a fresh slab needs before anyone walks on it.
Broom finish or decorative
Most walks get a broom finish, a brushed texture that gives shoes grip when it's wet. I'd choose color or pattern only where the look matters as much as grip.
Sidewalk questions from Hawthorne homeowners
How much does a concrete sidewalk cost in the Los Angeles area?
Concrete sidewalk work in the Los Angeles area usually costs about $5.50 to $11 per square foot. That's the going rate around here, not a quote from us, and where your walk falls in it depends on its size and the work it needs. I'll put your own figure in writing, with what's included and what isn't.
Do I need a licensed contractor to build a sidewalk in California?
In California, a contractor building or altering a structure needs a license from the Contractors State License Board once labor and materials on the job total $1,000 or more. Some smaller jobs need one too, such as a job that takes extra workers. We're fully licensed and insured, and I'm glad to go over that at the estimate.
Why does my new concrete sidewalk have cracks?
Concrete shrinks a little as it cures and moves with the seasons, so a new walk gets control joints, grooves cut on purpose to give it a place to crack. A crack that runs along a joint means the slab is doing what it was designed to do, so you can judge a crack by where it runs. That's why I go over the joint layout with you before the pour.
Does a sidewalk the public uses have to follow California building code?
Yes, California's building code covers any curb or sidewalk meant for public use that's built in the state with private money. So a walk the public will use gets planned to state code from the start. That's one reason I ask at the first visit whether the public will walk on yours.
How do I keep a new sidewalk from cracking in the summer heat?
The main thing is to keep the surface from drying too fast while it cures, which matters most under the afternoon sun. In the Los Angeles area's dry heat, a top that dries too quickly gets crazing, a web of fine surface cracks, and can turn powdery or chip later. We plan the pour around the midday heat and keep the fresh surface from drying out early, and it's a fair question to ask any contractor you're comparing.
What is the best way to slope a sidewalk so rainwater drains?
Tilt it slightly across its width so rain runs away from the house. Guidance from the City of Los Angeles says a sidewalk's cross slope, its tilt across the width, should carry water from the property line toward the roadway, which sends rain to the street. We check where the water runs on your lot before we set the forms, so the walk drains away from your house.
Concrete sidewalk building near you
We're based in Hawthorne and build walks in many cities around it, including Inglewood and Gardena. Find your city below, or call (424) 307-8166 if you don't see it.
Other concrete work
- Concrete driveway building
- Concrete patio construction
- Stamped concrete services
- Garage floor concrete
- Decorative concrete
- Concrete retaining walls
- Concrete floor installation
- Concrete pool decks
- Concrete steps construction
- Slab foundation building
- Foundation installation
- Concrete parking lot building
- Concrete footings
- Foundation raising
- Concrete cutting
Get a free estimate for your sidewalk
Send the walk's rough size, nearby trees and whether the public uses it. We reply within one business day, and I come out for a free estimate with no obligation.