Sidewalks & Steps in Sioux Falls, SD

Sidewalks and steps in Sioux Falls come with a rule many new homeowners do not expect: the property owner pays to fix the public sidewalk in front of the house. The City of Sioux Falls says it maintains a network of more than 1,320 miles of sidewalk and aims to inspect about 10% of it every year. When inspectors find a hazard, they mark the panel with bright pink spray paint and send a letter and door hanger with a due date. We replace marked panels, front walks to the door and the concrete steps that lead up to it.

What the City looks for

The City's sidewalk hazard guide lists the defects that trigger a repair notice:

• Vertical separation: one panel more than 1/2 inch higher than the next, most often from tree roots or a settled utility trench
• Horizontal separation: a gap wider than 1/2 inch between panels or along a crack
• Holes: depressions 3 inches or more across and 1/2 inch or more deep
• Spalling: surface breakdown over more than half of a panel with depressions of 1/2 inch or more
• Multiple cracking: panels broken into pieces by more than one random crack
• Ponding: settlement that holds more than 3/4 inch of water
• Missing sidewalk: any section gone to full depth

Some of these can be repaired without replacement. The City allows epoxy crack filler for gaps up to 1 1/2 inches and mudjacking or lifting for some raised or sunken panels. It does not recommend grinding down a trip edge when tree roots are the cause, because the roots keep pushing. Spalled, multi-cracked, missing and ponding panels generally have to be removed and replaced.

Permits and contractor rules

The City requires a permit before any sidewalk is repaired, replaced or installed. A homeowner doing the work gets the permit at no charge. When a contractor does the work, the City says the contractor obtains the permit, pays the fee and posts a permit placard in a street-side window. Contractors working in the right-of-way must be bonded and carry general liability insurance. The City keeps a periodically updated list of concrete contractors with current bond and insurance, says it will not recommend any particular one, and suggests asking for proof of insurance and confirming the bond with its Engineering Department. Check that list for any contractor you are considering before you sign. The City also advises getting estimates in writing and signed, and never paying more than 10 to 20 percent down. If the deadline passes, the City's own contractor can do the work and bill you, and unpaid bills are added to property taxes the following year.

Replacing panels

We saw-cut at the joints, break out the marked panels, and look at why they failed. If a tree root lifted the panel, the root situation has to be dealt with or the new panel will lift too. If the base washed out or settled, we rebuild and compact it. New panels are formed to match the line and grade of the walk on either side, poured with air-entrained concrete, broom-finished across the walking direction and cured.

Front walks and entry steps

The walk from the driveway or street to your door, and the steps up to it, take the same winter beating as the public sidewalk with even more shoveling and de-icer near the door. On older homes, steps often settle away from the house or develop crumbling treads and nosings. We replace steps as cast-in-place concrete with consistent rise and run, a slight pitch on each tread so water runs off, and a broom finish for grip. Where a handrail is needed, we plan for it during forming.

Keeping walks in shape

Shovel early so snow does not pack into ice. Use sand rather than salt where you can, and never salt new concrete its first winter. Watch for panels starting to tip near trees, and fill small cracks before winter. Catching a problem early can keep it below the City's repair thresholds.