Front steps cracked, chipping or settling away from the house? We build new concrete steps, poured in place or precast, to suit your entry.
Concrete steps construction in Tiburon, CA means building a new set of steps to your door. They're either poured in place or precast and set as one piece, and the right choice depends on your entry, how soon you need the steps and the size you want.
Most calls about steps start with something you deal with every day. It might be a chipped edge, a step that's settled away from the house, or water pooling on the treads after rain. Behind most of that is the ground the steps sit on and where the water runs, so I look at both before I talk about concrete at all.
The price moves with how many steps you need, whether there's a landing, the finish you pick, how hard it is to get a truck or a machine to your door and whether the steps reach the street. The schedule turns mostly on poured versus precast and on any permit. Your written estimate spells out what's included for your entry.
If you're comparing bids, California's licensing board has a concrete contractor classification for people who form, pour, place, finish and install concrete, and a new set of steps is that kind of work. It's a fair thing to ask any contractor about before anyone starts digging.
Most step problems start under the concrete or in how it was poured, not in the finish you see. I spend the most time on these parts, because they're hidden once the steps are down.
The subgrade is the soil the steps sit on. We dig it out and pack a firm base instead of raking it level, because loose dirt settles and the steps go down with it. If the budget gets tight, I'd rather you pick a plainer finish than skimp on the base.
We check where rain runs before we start, so the treads shed water away from the house instead of toward your door. A broom finish is a light texture dragged across the wet surface, and it gives your feet some grip when the steps are wet.
We plan the pour away from the hottest part of the day, because concrete that dries too fast can leave a weak, dusty top. Then the steps need time to cure, which is the slow hardening that gives concrete its strength, so you'll be using another door for a while.
Here's how a steps job usually runs, from your first call to the day we walk the finished steps together, and what you'll have in hand before you decide anything.
Call (415) 429-4397, use the form or email info@tiburonconcrete.com, and we'll get back to you to set a time for me to come out. A rough idea of what you have in mind is plenty for the first call.
I look at the ground, where the water runs and how much room there is for a truck or a machine, and I ask how you use the entry. You get a written estimate in plain words that spells out what's included.
Once you're ready, we sort out what the city or county asks for and wait until any permit is in hand. Then we dig out and pack the base, and either pour and finish the steps or set precast ones.
We walk the finished job with you and go over how long to stay off poured steps while they cure. Steps hold up best with steady care, so I'll tell you what to keep an eye on.
I start at your entry, looking at how the steps meet the house and the walk and how much room there is around them for equipment. That room matters, because precast steps arrive on large machinery, while poured steps only need a concrete truck close enough to pump to the spot. From there I help you weigh the two, and we decide together.
Steps often come up alongside bigger work at the house. If you're adding a room or building new, we can plan the steps together with your slab foundation building or foundation installation. That way the entry lines up with the finished floor, and the ground around it gets packed and graded once instead of twice.
We build forms at your entry and pump concrete into them, so the steps can be shaped to fit your entry and your walk. The trade-off is time, since poured steps stay out of use while they cure.
Precast steps are made off site with even risers, so each step rises the same amount, and they come with a clean factory finish. They go in fast, but they come in set sizes and need room for a big machine to reach your door.
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day to set a time. I'll come out, look at your entry, measure and write up a free estimate in plain words. There's no pressure and no obligation.
(415) 429-4397The Town of Tiburon requires building permits for concrete patios, sidewalks and other hardscape installations. Its list doesn't name steps, so whether yours need a permit isn't settled until someone asks. We find out what the city asks for on your job, help with the paperwork and wait for any permit before we start. The Building Division can answer questions about your own project.
Two other rules can come into a steps job here. Digging, filling or moving more than 50 cubic yards of earth needs design review and a grading permit, and a small set of entry steps usually comes nowhere near that. Steps that meet the public sidewalk or street, the public land along it, need an encroachment permit from the Department of Public Works.
We're based in Tiburon and work in cities across Marin and nearby, from Novato down to Sausalito and over to Richmond, including Mill Valley and Corte Madera. Many entries we see have plantings, walls or narrow side yards close by, so the room for equipment is often the first thing that shapes the plan.
I started this business in Tiburon in 2020, and six years on I still come out to look at each job and write the estimate myself. I'm on site with our crew while the work gets done, so the person who planned your steps is there when they go in.
We're fully licensed and insured. Every job is backed by our satisfaction guarantee. I'd rather answer a question twice before we pour than have you wondering about it later, so call (415) 429-4397 or send us a message and I'll come take a look at your entry.
When new steps lead into an addition or a new home, the slab under that floor sets the height and the ground the steps tie into.
If you're building or adding on, a new foundation decides where the door sits, so planning both together keeps the entry steps from becoming an afterthought.
These are the cities with their own page on our site. They aren't the only places we work, so if yours isn't listed, give us a call and ask.
Installed concrete steps across the US usually cost about $100 to $500 per step, and that's a national range, not our price. Where yours land depends on what I see at your entry, from the number of steps to the method and the access. Your written estimate gives you the figure for your own job.
Precast is faster, because precast steps install in a few hours with no forms to build and no wait for the concrete to cure. Poured steps can take multiple days or even weeks to fully build and be ready to use, so plan on another way into the house for that stretch. Precast only comes in limited sizes, though.
Concrete steps last 30 to 40 years with proper care and upkeep. That figure assumes the care keeps going, so it's worth keeping water moving off the treads and looking after small chips before they grow.
Work done in Tiburon without a required permit is subject to substantial monetary penalties, which can add to what the job ends up costing you. The city asks owners with permit questions to contact its Planning Division or Building Division before work begins, which is why we check first.
Clear the area around your entry and plan another way into the house. Move pots, furniture and anything you care about away from the steps, and keep a path open for the truck or machine. If you have pets or kids, think about how they'll get in and out while the steps are off limits.
Call (415) 429-4397 or use the form, and a couple of photos, the number of steps you want and whether they'll meet the sidewalk or street let me plan for any permit before I get there.
