Concrete steps construction in Shafter CA - an even climb from the walk to your door
Cracked, crumbling or uneven steps up to your door? We lay out the whole rise first, so every step feels the same underfoot.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free quotes on site.
- Replies within 1 business day.
What does it take to build new concrete steps in Shafter?
Concrete steps construction in Shafter means building a new set of outdoor steps up to your door, porch or landing. They're either poured in place or set from precast pieces, and the result is a solid climb with a surface that grips underfoot.
Most people call us at Shafter Concrete when the old steps have cracked, settled or started leaning away from the house, or when a new door needs a way up. We build steps across Shafter, Bakersfield and the cities around them. The price mostly turns on how many steps you need, how high the door sits, how wide the set runs, whether you go poured or precast, and any walk that leads up to them. The schedule turns on that same choice, the weather on pour day and whether the job needs a permit. If it does, we handle the permit before anybody digs. I'll put your own figure in a written estimate that says what's included.
How do you know your concrete steps need replacing?
Cracks across the treads
A crack running across a tread, the flat part you step on, usually means the ground under that step has moved. Water and dirt work their way in and the edges start breaking off, so a crack you could have lived with turns into a set you have to replace.
A gap at the house
When the top step pulls away from the wall or porch, the steps are usually sitting on loose fill that settled while the house stayed put. The gap tends to grow, and it lets rain run straight down beside your foundation.
One step that feels off
If people keep catching a toe on the same step, it's usually taller or shorter than the rest because nobody laid out the rise as a whole. That's a fall waiting to happen, and a patch on top won't fix it.
Edges chipping and crumbling
Broken front edges and a dusty, flaking top usually point to a weak surface from a pour that dried out too fast. Once the edge goes, your foot lands on a rounded lip, and it keeps wearing back from there.
How we handle concrete steps construction
First I look at where the water runs, because steps that tip toward the house send every rain back at your wall. Then we dig out the soft dirt and pack a firm subgrade, the ground the steps sit on, or tie the steps into the landing or foundation when that's what holds them up, since loose fill under a set of steps is how they end up leaning. Before we build a single form, we lay out the whole rise from the walk to the door, because a small mistake on one step turns into a big one by the top. We set rebar, the steel inside that holds the concrete together and keeps cracks from spreading. Then we pour and give the treads a broom finish, a light swept texture that keeps your feet from sliding when they're wet. After that the steps cure, which means we keep them damp and left alone while they harden all the way through. The base is the part nobody sees on day one, and it's the first thing people want to trim from the budget. I'd skip a fancy finish before I'd skip the prep, because a pretty step on bad ground is still going to move.
Steps often come at the end of bigger work. On a new house or an addition, we plan them alongside the slab foundation building or the foundation installation, so the door, the landing and the top step all end up at heights that work together and you don't get an awkward last step.
Poured in place
We form and pour these right at your entry, so they suit steps that have to fit an unusual height, a wide porch or a landing built onto the house. They're the choice when the entry doesn't match a standard size.
Precast steps
These are made ahead as finished pieces and set in place, so they suit a short, standard entry where you want a simple job. They go together more easily than a poured set.
Steps with a landing
A flat platform at the top gives you room to stand while the door swings open. That suits front doors and any entry where people carry groceries or kids inside.
Get a written estimate for your new steps
We reply within one business day to set a time. I come out, measure the rise to your door and write a free estimate, with no obligation. It helps to tell us how many steps you have now.
Call (661) 776-8737- Based in
- Shafter, CA 93263
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 6 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 8 AM–9 PM
What happens after you call about new steps?
From the first call to the final walk-through, here's who does what, so you know what you're getting before any concrete shows up.
Call or send the form
You call (661) 776-8737 or send the form, and we set a time for me to come see the entry. Tell us how many steps you have and roughly how high the door sits.
I measure the whole rise
I come out, measure from the walk to the door and ask how you use the entry, whether that means groceries, kids or a walker. You get a written estimate that spells out what's included, so you can see where the money goes before you decide.
We sort out the permit
If your steps need a permit, we handle the application and line up the inspections before anybody digs. If it's unclear, we check with the building office for your address first.
We build, then walk it
Our crew does the work with me on site, from the dig to the finish. When we're done, I walk the steps with you and go over how to look after them while they're new.
Why Shafter homeowners call us for their steps
I write every estimate myself
I come out to every job, measure it and write the estimate, so the person pricing your steps is the person who'll be on the job. Nothing gets lost between a salesman and a crew.
Our own crew, with me there
Our own crew does the work, and I'm on site with them. If the ground under your old steps turns out worse than it looked, I see it and make the call right there.
In business since 2013
I opened the business in 2013 after learning the trade as a helper, hauling and mixing until they let me near a trowel. We're based in Shafter, so coming out to look at your steps is a short drive.
Licensed and insured for this work
We're licensed and insured. If you or your insurance agent want to see the paperwork before we start, just ask.
On steps, the layout matters most, because one bad step makes the whole set wrong. Contact us and I'll come measure yours.
Concrete steps, landings and entries in Shafter
In Shafter, the Building Department issues permits for structures that are built, altered or repaired. Its list names patios, decks and retaining walls and says it isn't limited to those. It doesn't name concrete steps, so the list alone doesn't settle your job. You can ask the Building Department about your own project. Or leave it to us, and we'll check with the building office for your address before we start and handle the application if one's needed. The city also tells residents to call 811 before they dig, and since a step job means digging out for the base, that call comes before any shovel goes in. You can get a permit yourself as the homeowner and draw your own plans, but making them meet the codes is then on you. In most cases the city recommends a qualified professional. It says licensed contractors have to be bonded and carry workers compensation and liability insurance, and it suggests you go over your own coverage with your insurance agent before a project.
Around here we mostly build steps for single-story houses with a short rise to the front door, a side door off the driveway or a back patio. The trouble we see most often is old steps poured on loose fill that settled away from the house. We see the same kind of entries on jobs in Bakersfield and Wasco, and we fix them the same way, from the ground up.
Questions about concrete steps in Shafter
Call (661) 776-8737Should I choose poured or precast concrete steps?
Precast makes sense when price comes first and your entry is a standard size, and poured makes sense when you need a size the precast pieces don't come in. Precast steps usually cost less because they're hollow and easier to put together, while poured steps cost more but come in a wider range of sizes. I'll tell you straight which one your entry calls for at the estimate.
How much do concrete steps cost in Shafter?
Across the US, concrete steps usually cost about $500 to $5,000 installed for a set of 5 to 10 steps. Where yours fall depends on how many steps you need, the height and width of the set and whether you go poured or precast, and precast prices rise with height and width. Your own figure comes in the written estimate after I measure.
Do I need a permit to build concrete steps in Shafter?
The city's permit list doesn't say either way, because it names patios, decks and retaining walls but not steps. Ask the Building Department about your own project, or let us check with the building office for your address before we start.
How long do concrete steps last?
Concrete steps usually last 30 to 40 years with proper care and upkeep. That life depends on the care, so keeping water draining away from them and fixing small cracks early is part of owning them. Our work is satisfaction guaranteed.
How do I know if my concrete steps meet code for height and depth?
Check with the building office for your address, because codes may regulate step height, tread depth, landings, width, handrails and guards. Small errors repeated over several steps can leave the top or bottom step out of code even when each one looks close, which is why we lay out the full rise before forming.
How do I protect new concrete steps while they cure?
Stay off them, and keep anything from knocking the corners and front edges while the concrete is young, since those break the easiest. New steps get cured on every exposed face and edge, not just the top, and a concrete guide advises pouring in favorable weather and keeping the concrete from drying out as it cures. Ask us when we plan to pour, and I'll tell you why we picked that day.
Related work that sets your step height
Slab foundation building
Building a house or an addition? The slab sets your floor height, and planning steps alongside it saves you an odd last step at the door.
Foundation installation
When steps tie into the house, the foundation they land against has to be solid and square, so new footings and walls are where good steps start.
Cities where we build concrete steps
Shafter Concrete is based in Shafter, California, and builds steps in the 12 cities listed here, including Delano and Rosedale. Pick yours to see what we run into on jobs there.
Shafter, CA
Get your new steps measured and priced
Have the number of steps and the height to your door handy, and the first call covers most of what I need to know.