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Highland Concrete
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Concrete Sidewalk Building in Highland IN - a walk that drains and stays even

A walk that heaves over roots, holds puddles or cracks apart can be replaced with one built on a packed base and routed to drain.

Request an estimate(219) 533-1721
A curved concrete sidewalk leads to the entrance of a brick home, bordered by trimmed shrubs.

What goes into building a new concrete sidewalk?

Concrete sidewalk building in Highland, IN starts below the surface. We dig out the topsoil and anything organic, pack any loose fill so the walk sits evenly on firm ground, and then pour and finish a slab that's routed to shed water.

Most calls start with a walk that's heaved over a tree root, tipped toward the house so water runs at the foundation, or broken into pieces you step around, and some start with no walk at all between the driveway and the door. The price mostly comes down to the length and width, whether an old walk has to come out first and whether any stretch has to carry cars. The schedule turns on the weather and the ground, since concrete needs the right conditions to pour and to cure. I'll come out, look at it with you and put your own price in a written estimate that spells out what's included.

Why people pick Highland Concrete for sidewalks

You get me at your house and on your job, a crew that puts the base before the finish, and one promise. Your satisfaction, guaranteed.

  • I'm at every estimate and pour

    I come out to look at your walk myself, and I'm on site with our crew for the prep, pour and finish.

  • Learned under an old-school finisher

    I learned the trade working under an old-school finisher and started Highland Concrete in 2017.

  • Licensed and insured, every job

    We're licensed and insured, so you're not hiring a crew that works without either one.

  • The hidden work done right

    The base, the drainage and the timing of the pour get my closest attention, because they decide how a walk holds up.

  • A straight answer on your plan

    If a route or a plan won't hold up, I'll tell you why before we pour instead of building it anyway.

Kinds of concrete sidewalk work we do

The right walk for your house comes down to what's there now, where people and cars actually cross, and what the walk has to meet at each end, so we sort that out together on site.

  • A new walk on a route we pick together

    We choose the line with you and steer clear of tree roots and low spots, because roots and shifting ground can move a walk more than a stronger slab can stop. The route also has to drain, so water runs off into the yard instead of sitting in a dip or heading back toward your house.

  • Tearing out and replacing an old walk

    We break out the old concrete, haul it away and do the same dig-out and packing of the subgrade, the ground the slab sits on, that a new walk gets. That base is hidden the day we pour and it's the first thing a tight budget wants to cut, but I won't skimp on it, because a nice finish over soft dirt is the walk that sinks.

  • A stretch that cars cross

    If cars cross the walk at the driveway, mention it at the estimate so we can plan that stretch for the weight, which can mean a thicker section or rebar, steel bars set inside that hold the concrete together. A walk built only for foot traffic tends to break where the tires roll over it.

  • Walks that tie into the garage or patio

    Where the walk meets a garage or a patio, we match the heights so there's no lip to trip on, and we can do it alongside garage floor concrete if the floor's due too. If you want color or a pattern, our decorative concrete work can carry the look out to the walk, though we keep walks textured, usually with a broom finish, a light grooved texture that gives shoes grip, since a slick troweled surface gets slippery when it's wet.

What happens after you call about a sidewalk?

We plan the walk around how your household moves, from the car to the door and the back gate, and set the pour for a day that suits the concrete.

  1. Call or send the form

    Call (219) 533-1721 or use the form, and I'm usually the one who answers and sets up a time to come out.

  2. I walk the route

    I look at the ground, the trees, where the water runs and how you'll use the walk, including any spot where cars cross it.

  3. Your written estimate

    You get a written estimate that spells out what the price includes, so you can compare it point by point with any other bid.

  4. Prep, pour and care

    I'm on site with our crew from the base prep to the final finish, and before we leave I go over how to care for the new walk.

Questions about a step? Call and talk it through.

(219) 533-1721

Sidewalk questions we hear in Highland

How much does a new concrete sidewalk cost in Highland?

Across the US, concrete sidewalk installation usually costs about $12 to $14.70 per square foot, and that's the going market rate, not our price. Your own figure depends on the size, the tear-out and any stretch built for cars, and it comes in a written estimate that lists what's included.

When can I put salt on a new concrete sidewalk?

Not the first winter. A concrete trade group's winter guide says to use no deicers on new concrete that season and to spread sand for traction instead. After that, the same guide lists magnesium chloride, calcium chloride, fertilizer and water-softener salt as things to keep off the walk, so it's worth buying the right product before the first snow.

How do I keep a new sidewalk from cracking?

You keep it from cracking in random places with a packed base and control joints, grooves tooled or cut across the walk so a crack follows a line we chose. Joints only work if they go in early, before the slab cracks on its own, so we get ours in early, and it's fair to ask any crew when it cuts them.

How long does a new concrete sidewalk take to cure?

A concrete trade group recommends curing an outdoor slab for seven days right after it's finished when the weather is near 70°F, and conditions can call for more or less time. Curing is the wait while the concrete is kept from drying out too fast so it hardens fully, and I'll tell you when yours is ready to use.

What is the best concrete mix for a sidewalk that gets salted?

Industry guidance calls for air-entrained concrete at a higher strength for walks that stay damp, freeze and get deicers, and air-entrained concrete has tiny air bubbles that give freezing water room. A drier walk that never gets salt can use a lighter mix, so if you plan to salt, ask each contractor which mix their bid includes.

Should I seal a new concrete sidewalk?

A concrete trade group's guide advises a penetrating sealer, one that soaks into the surface, once the walk is more than 30 days old and any curing compound has worn off. I'll go over the timing for your walk when we finish the job.

Planning a concrete sidewalk in Highland around winter

If you want the walk in before winter, timing matters, because a concrete trade group's cold weather guide says concrete goes only on ground that isn't frozen, so a late fall pour in Highland waits for thawed ground. One concrete producer also advises keeping new concrete from freezing for its first 24 to 48 hours, so when a freezing night is in the forecast, we plan how to protect the slab or we move the date. Permit rules differ from one city to the next, so we check with the city's building office before we set a date, and if your walk needs a permit, we take care of the paperwork and line up the inspections.

Here and on jobs in Munster and Griffith, the old walks we tear out have usually been lifted by a tree root or sunk at a low spot where water sat, which is why every route starts with the trees and the water. We're based in Highland and work in the cities around it on both sides of the Indiana and Illinois line.

Plan your new sidewalk with Highland Concrete

Call (219) 533-1721 or use the form, and if you're hoping for a pour before the ground freezes, getting on the calendar early helps.

Request an estimate(219) 533-1721