Concrete sidewalk building in Bothell WA - a level walk with good footing in the rain
If your front walk has cracked, sunk or holds water, we dig out, rebuild the base and pour a new walk that drains.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- We reply within 1 business day.
What does building a concrete sidewalk in Bothell involve?
Concrete sidewalk building in Bothell means digging out to the right depth, packing a firm base and pouring a new walk that stays level and sheds water. Most of the work happens in the ground before any concrete arrives.
Most calls start with a front walk that a tree root has heaved up, that has cracked into loose pieces, or that holds water by the door after every rain. At C&S Bothell Concrete Contractors we're based in Bothell and work across the cities around it, including Kirkland, Woodinville and Shoreline. The price mostly turns on how long and wide the walk is, how much old concrete has to be broken out first and whether cars will ever cross it. The schedule turns on the weather and, when the walk runs along the street, on the city's permit, which I look into when I come out. Your written estimate gives you the figure for your own walk and spells out what's included.
How can you tell your sidewalk needs replacing?
Lifted edges you trip on
When one panel sits higher than the next, a root has usually pushed it up, or the base under the panel beside it has settled away. The edge tends to grow each year, and it's a trip hazard for anyone walking up to your door after dark.
Cracks across the walk
A crack that runs clear across a panel, or several cracks that meet, usually means the ground underneath gave way or the joints were cut too late. Water works into those cracks every winter and pushes the pieces apart until patching won't hold.
Puddles that sit on it
Water that stays on the walk after rain means a section has sunk, or the walk was never sloped to drain. Standing water grows moss and turns slick, and if the walk falls toward the house it sends that water to your foundation.
How we handle concrete sidewalk building
The first thing I ask is whether the walk runs along the street or stays on your lot, because street work brings the city's paperwork and its rule on matching color. Then our crew breaks out any old concrete and digs to the walk's depth, and we pack the subgrade, the ground the slab sits on, in layers instead of raking loose dirt level, since a walk stays flat only as long as what's under it does. We set the forms so water runs off to the side and away from the house, add rebar, steel that holds the slab together if it ever cracks, where the walk needs it, and pour in the cooler part of the day so the top doesn't dry too fast and turn weak and dusty. After finishing we cut control joints, shallow grooves that give the concrete a straight line to crack along instead of wherever it likes. For outdoor walks I usually suggest a broom finish, fine ridges dragged across the surface so your shoes grip when it's wet, and then the walk cures, which is the wait while it gains strength before anyone uses it. If the budget gets tight, I'd rather you spend it on the base than on a fancier surface, because you can't fix a poor base later without tearing the walk out.
If you're also thinking about the slab inside the garage, we pour garage floor concrete with the same attention to the base. And if you'd like the walk to carry color or a pattern that ties it to a patio, our decorative concrete work can do that, though for a walk that sees rain I'll talk through footing with you before you choose.
Sidewalk along the street
This suits a house where the walk is part of the public sidewalk, so the city's permit, standards and color matching all apply. We build it to those rules so it's ready for the city's inspection and blends with the sections on either side.
Front or side walk on your lot
This suits a path from the driveway to your door or around to the back yard, where you have more say over width and finish. We put the same work into the base, since a private walk settles just as easily as a public one.
Replacing an old walk
This suits a walk that's too broken or sunk to patch, so we break it out and haul it away first. I look at why the old one failed, whether that's roots, a soft base or poor drainage, so we fix the cause and not just the surface.
Get a free written estimate for your sidewalk
We reply within one business day to set up a free visit at your property. I'll give you a written estimate that lists what's included and what isn't, and there's no pressure to book.
- Based in
- Bothell, WA 98011
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 8 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 7 AM–11 PM
What happens after you call about a sidewalk in Bothell
Here's how a sidewalk job runs from your first call to the final walk-through, and who you'll be dealing with at each step.
Call us or send the form
Tell us where the walk is, roughly how long it runs and whether an old one comes out first. We'll set a time for me to come and see it.
I measure and write it up
I look at the ground, the slope and how the walk will be used, then give you a written estimate that spells out what's included and what isn't. You'll see where the money goes before you decide anything.
We settle permits and the date
We sort out any permit questions and plan your start date around them, and for street-side work the city requires a start inspection to be scheduled before any work begins. Weather counts too, since cold snaps and heavy rain change when a pour makes sense.
We build it and walk it
If we're digging in a public sidewalk, the city requires a sturdy footbridge with rails on both sides so people on foot can still get by. When the walk is finished, we walk it with you and go over how long to stay off it while it cures.
Why Bothell homeowners call C&S Bothell Concrete Contractors for sidewalks
I write every estimate myself
I'm the one who comes out, looks at your ground and writes the estimate, and our own crew does the work with me leading it on site. The person who told you how the base would be packed is the one standing there while it gets packed.
Learned on local flatwork crews
I learned concrete on flatwork crews, the ones pouring the slabs people walk and drive on, and on foundation crews around here, then started this business in Bothell in 2017. Those years taught me that most of a walk's life is decided before the pour.
A licensed and insured crew
We're licensed and insured, which matters when a crew is digging, hauling and pouring on your property. If you'd like to see the paperwork, please ask me when I come out.
When you're ready, ask for your estimate or call (425) 384-1147, and I'll set a time to come look at the walk with you.
Building sidewalks along Bothell streets and on private lots
If your walk runs along the street, it sits in the public right-of-way, and Bothell requires a Right-of-Way permit for that work, with the written application going to the city's public works department. Before it issues the permit, the city checks for a verified state contractor's license and a City of Bothell business license, and it wants a performance bond and an insurance certificate naming the city, all set out in the city's right-of-way checklist. We look at the permit side when we come out for the estimate, and when one is needed we can prepare and file it and plan the start date around it. The city's standards also call for lamp black, a coloring agent mixed into the concrete, so a new section matches the existing sidewalk next to it. Under the permit, the contractor answers for workmanship and materials for two years after the city's final inspection and acceptance, and a maintenance bond is required for that period.
Off the street, what we see most around here is older walks lifted by tree roots and walks that stay damp for much of the year, so moss and slick spots are common complaints. That's why we spend our time on the base and the slope, and we meet the same conditions on jobs in Kirkland and Woodinville.
Questions about concrete sidewalks in Bothell
What does a concrete sidewalk cost near Bothell?
A concrete sidewalk in the Seattle area usually costs about $8 to $11.50 per square foot, which is the going rate in the region and not our own price. When an old walk has to come out first, access is often the biggest factor, since a front walk a skid steer, a small loader, can reach tends to cost less to remove than a backyard walk broken up by hand and wheeled out. Your written estimate gives you the figure for your walk.
Do I need a city permit to build a sidewalk along my street in Bothell?
Yes, sidewalk work in the public right-of-way along a Bothell street needs the city's Right-of-Way permit, and the application goes in writing to public works. I check whether your walk falls in that strip when I come out, and we can prepare and file the permit for you.
Which concrete finish is safest for a walkway in wet weather?
A broom finish is the usual choice for an outdoor walk that gets rained on. One Seattle cost guide notes that most cities bar finishes like polished concrete on public sidewalks because they can get slippery in wet weather, and that most contractors here recommend broom. On a private path, the finish is your call.
Can a concrete sidewalk be poured in cold weather?
Yes, but cold changes how the fresh concrete has to be looked after. An industry guide treats it as cold weather work when the air falls to 40°F, or is expected to drop below it, during the stretch after the pour when the concrete has to be protected. If your job lands in the colder months, ask how the concrete will be protected, and I'll tell you plainly if waiting makes more sense.
How do I know if my sidewalk needs a thicker slab?
If a car, truck or trailer will ever cross the walk, it may need a thicker slab than one that only carries people, and that costs more. Most walks are built to about the same thickness, so please mention vehicle traffic when you ask for a price, since it changes how the slab is built.
How do I prepare for a concrete sidewalk estimate in Bothell?
Have a rough idea of where the walk goes, about how long and wide it is and whether an old walk comes out first. It also helps to know whether it runs along the street or stays on your lot. Then call (425) 384-1147 or send the form.
Other concrete work homeowners pair with a sidewalk
Garage floor concrete
If your garage slab is cracked or uneven, a new floor poured over a packed base gives you a level surface that sheds water toward the door.
Decorative concrete
When a plain gray walk doesn't suit your house, colored or patterned concrete can tie the path to your patio or front entry.
Get a price on your new sidewalk
A visit lets me see what's under your old walk, and that ground decides how long the new one lasts.