Sidewalks & Steps in Norfolk, VA

Sidewalks and steps take more abuse in Norfolk than almost any other concrete on a lot. Many of the city's houses are decades old, and their front walks and stoops have been lifted by tree roots, undermined by rain and shifted as the ground settles. A raised edge of an inch or two is enough to catch a foot, and a stoop that has pulled away from the house lets water run straight to the foundation.

A city-wide problem

The public sidewalk has the same trouble. In 2021, WTKR reported that the city was working to fix 315 trip and fall hazards found in Kensington and an area near Old Dominion University, each with a gap of 3/4 inch to 2 1/2 inches between sections, with more than 60 on 35th Street alone. Those were city walks, and the city handled them by grinding down the raised edges. On your own walk, the choice between grinding, lifting and replacing depends on how far the panel has moved and why.

Your walk or the city's?

The sidewalk along the street is usually in the city right-of-way. Norfolk's Public Works Right of Way division lists sidewalk, curb and gutter restoration among the work it inspects, and its permits office is at 757-664-7306. A job that blocks the public walk also needs a closure permit. Your front walk, side path and steps from the public walk up to the door are private. We mark where one ends and the other begins at the site visit.

Building a walk that stays flat

• Root check. If a tree root lifted the old walk, we look at it before pouring. Some roots can be cut back; others are too close to the tree, and the walk is rerouted or bridged instead. We suggest an arborist for large trees.
• Base. Soft soil out, compacted stone in, so rain does not wash out the support.
• Thickness. HomeGuide notes most walkways run 4 to 6 inches thick; heavier traffic gets the thicker end.
• Pitch. A slight cross slope so water runs off the side instead of sitting on the surface.
• Joints. Spaced so cracks follow straight lines instead of wandering.

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Steps and stoops

Poured steps are formed in place to fit the house, with each riser the same height so nobody misjudges a step. The landing at the door is pitched away from the threshold. If the old stoop has pulled away from the house or sunk at one corner, we remove it rather than patching, since a patched stoop on a moving base keeps moving. Railings can be set into the concrete or mounted after.

When repair works

A single sunken section on a walk that is otherwise sound can sometimes be lifted, and a step with a chipped nose can be patched. HomeGuide lists concrete step repair at $300 to $800 on average. Steps that have heaved, settled or cracked through are better replaced.