Concrete steps construction in Saint Charles MO - a level, solid way into your house
Cracked, sinking or crumbling front steps? We replace them with new concrete steps set on a dug-out, packed base so they sit level.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free on-site estimates.
- We respond within 1 business day.
How do I replace crumbling concrete steps in Saint Charles?
Concrete steps construction in Saint Charles means taking out the old cracked or sinking steps and building new ones, either poured on site or precast at a plant and set in place, on a base that's dug out and packed so they stay level at your door.
Most calls start the same way. The steps have pulled away from the house, a tread rocks when you step on it, or the top is flaking after a few winters of salt. The price moves with precast or poured, how many steps and how wide, whether you want a landing and how much old concrete has to come out. The schedule turns mostly on the weather, and on whether poured steps have to sit and cure until they're strong enough to walk on. If the budget's tight, I'd rather you go plain on the finish than cut corners on the base, because nobody sees the base on day one and it's the part I spent years repairing on other people's jobs. You'll see your own number on the written estimate, part by part, and if the walk leading up to the steps is broken too, I can look at a new sidewalk while I'm there.
How our concrete steps construction works
Steps take a beating from weather and boots, so the first thing I do is go over precast and poured with you and what each means for your price and your entry. Then we break out the old steps and haul them off, dig down to the subgrade, the firm soil the new steps will sit on, and pack a base over it so they don't settle with the dirt. For poured steps we build the forms and set rebar, the steel that holds the concrete together if it cracks, then pour and give the treads a broom finish, a light texture dragged across the top so wet shoes grip. We plan pours to stay out of the midday heat when we can, because concrete that dries too fast ends up with a weak, dusty top, and we check that the ground falls away from the house so water runs off instead of toward your door.
On new construction, steps work best when they're planned with the house instead of patched on at the end. If you're building an addition, a garage or a new home, we can plan the steps alongside slab foundation building or foundation installation, so the top step meets the door at the right height.
Precast steps
Precast steps are cast and cured at a plant, then set level on the base we prep, so you're usually back to using your door sooner than with a pour. They suit an entry where a standard unit fits the height and width you already have.
Poured steps
We form and pour these on site, so they're built to your door's height, your walk and any landing you want. They suit an entry a standard unit won't fit, or a house where you want the steps to match the concrete around them.
Concrete steps construction in Saint Charles starts with permits and weather
The City of St. Charles generally requires permits for new residential construction, and its list names decks and retaining walls but not concrete steps, so the list alone doesn't settle your job. Before we start, we check with the city's Building Division or the county office that covers your address, and when a permit is needed we handle the filing and keep you posted. Two things can bring in another office. In the Extended Historic District, even work that usually needs no building permit may need Landmarks Board approval, and a house in the city's floodplain may need a Floodplain Development Permit. If your steps run through a retaining wall, the city says a wall under 4 feet may still need a permit when it has stairs, and it asks you to call a plan reviewer to confirm, so we'll sort that out with you before anything gets priced as final.
The city's own design criteria rate weathering in Saint Charles as Severe, which tells you what your steps are up against every winter. Freezing water can damage wet concrete over repeated cycles, and air entrainment, tiny pockets spread through the mix that give that water room, is what relieves the pressure, so it's worth asking whether the mix for your steps has it. I'll tell you what's going into yours before we pour. We see the same flaking treads and salt-pitted tops on steps in St. Peters and O'Fallon, so it's part of every steps conversation I have.
Why Saint Charles homeowners call K&L Saint Charles Concrete for new steps
I walk every estimate myself
I come out to every estimate, and our crew lead runs the work on your site. The person who explains your job is the one who answers for it, and one crew lead knows it from tear-out to the last step.
In business since 2013
We've been in business since 2013, and before that I spent years fixing sunken steps and cracked walks for a property management company. That's where I learned the base is what fails first, so it's the part of your job I watch closest.
Licensed and insured for your job
We're licensed and insured, which matters when there's demolition and a crew working right at your front door. Our work is backed by our satisfaction guarantee.
Based in Saint Charles
We're based in Saint Charles and work in cities across St. Charles County and nearby St. Louis County. If you don't see your city on our site, call and ask, because our city pages aren't the whole map.
If your steps are tipping, cracked or crumbling, send us a message or call (636) 277-0973, and I'll come out and look at them with you.
Request a quoteGet a written estimate for new concrete steps
Send the form and we'll respond within one business day to set up a time for me to come out. The on-site estimate is free and there's no pressure to book. After the visit you'll get it in writing, with each part of the job listed separately.
What happens after you call about new steps in Saint Charles?
Call or send the form
Call (636) 277-0973 or send the form, and we'll set up a time for me to see your steps. Let us know which door they serve and what's wrong with them now.
I look at your steps
I look at the entry with you, ask how you use that door and go over precast and poured before I write anything up. Your estimate prices tear-out, the steps and any landing as their own lines, so you can see where the money goes.
We check, then build
Once you say yes, we check what your address needs from the city or county. Then our crew lead runs the job, from breaking out the old steps to the pour or setting the precast.
Walk the finished steps together
At the end I walk the new steps with you and go over how to care for them. You'll know what to watch for and what to keep off them while they're still gaining strength.
Frequently asked questions
How much do concrete steps cost near Saint Charles, MO?
Installing concrete steps in the St. Louis area usually costs about $600 to $4,700 for the whole project. That's the going rate around here, not our quote, and where yours lands depends on precast or poured, how many steps, whether there's a landing and how much old concrete comes out. Call (636) 277-0973 and I'll price yours on site.
Is precast or poured concrete better for front steps?
Precast is the better pick when a standard unit fits your entry, because precast steps are hollow and easier to assemble, so they cost less. Poured steps cost more but come in a wider range of sizes, so I'd go poured when your door height, your walk or a landing won't fit a standard unit.
How long do new concrete steps last?
With proper care and upkeep, concrete steps last 30 to 40 years. How close yours get to that usually comes down to the base under them and how they're treated in winter, especially the first one.
How do I care for new concrete steps their first winter?
Hold off on deicer and keep them out of severe freezes until they've had their full curing time, because new outdoor concrete is still gaining strength. A surface that looks hard is no sign it's ready for deicing chemicals, and if we're pouring in cold weather, ask us how the fresh steps will be protected. Before we leave, I'll tell you how to treat yours through that first winter.
Do back door steps in Saint Charles need a landing?
A back or side door in Saint Charles needs no landing when it has four or fewer total rises, as long as it isn't your home's required exit door. A rise is the height of each step up from one level to the next. For your main exit door or a taller run of steps, we check what the entry needs before we build.
What causes concrete steps to sink or pull away from the house?
Most of the time it's the base, because steps set on dirt that was raked level instead of dug out and packed will settle as that dirt does. Water makes it worse, since ground or a downspout that sends water toward the steps softens the soil under them. On a landing, skipped or late control joints, shallow cuts that give concrete a planned place to crack, let cracks land wherever they please.
Other work that ties in with new steps
Slab foundation building
Building an addition, garage or new home on a slab? Pouring the slab and the entry steps under one plan keeps the door height, the landing and the drainage working together.
Foundation installation
If your project needs a full foundation for a basement or crawlspace, we can build it and plan the steps along with it, so the entry isn't patched on later.
St Charles, MO
Get a price on new concrete steps
Snap a few photos of your current steps and tell us if your house is in the Extended Historic District or the floodplain, so I can come to the visit with the right questions.