Sidewalks & Walkways in Beaumont, TX

Sidewalks and walkways take less concrete than a driveway, but they cause more complaints. A walk is where people trip, where water stands at the front door and where tree roots show up first. In Beaumont's older neighborhoods, with big trees and concrete that is often 40 to 60 years old, lifted and sunken walks are common. We pour new front walks and side paths, and we replace broken sections so the surface is flush and safe again.

What goes into a good walk

A walk is usually 4 inches thick and 3 to 5 feet wide. Four feet lets two people walk side by side. We dig out the sod and soft soil, compact the subgrade and set forms with a slight cross slope so rain runs off to the side instead of sitting in the middle. Along the length, the walk falls away from the house. Wire mesh or rebar goes in on chairs. We tool the edges and cut joints about every 4 to 5 feet, which keeps cracks in the joints where they belong.

Where a walk meets the driveway, a porch or the city sidewalk, we set the heights so there is no lip to catch a toe. The City of Beaumont's driveway rules call for a 2% cross slope where a driveway crosses the line of an existing sidewalk, so a walk and a drive meet at a gentle, predictable pitch.

Roots, settling and trip hazards

When a tree root lifts a sidewalk panel, grinding the high edge is only a short-term fix. The lasting fix is to remove the panel, deal with the root, and pour a new section. We cut roots only when it will not harm the tree, and we can reroute a walk around a large trunk. Sunken panels usually come from water washing out the base, often near a downspout. Those can sometimes be lifted, which is covered on our concrete repair page, or replaced with a better base underneath.

Signs a walk needs work

• A panel edge higher than the next one
• Water standing on the walk after rain
• Cracks running across the walk with pieces moving
• Edges breaking off into the lawn
• A walk that slopes toward the house

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Sidewalks along the street

The City of Beaumont's driveway handout says the abutting property owner supplies the materials and labor for driveways, sidewalks and culverts, and that a right-of-way permit is required for any construction in the public right-of-way. If the walk you want replaced runs along the street, we confirm the permit and inspection steps before we start. For walks on your own property, we check whether the area disturbed puts the job over the city's 450-square-foot grading permit threshold.

Finishes

A broom finish is standard and gives the most grip in the rain. Exposed aggregate adds texture and a natural look. Stamped borders or a fully stamped walk can match a stamped patio. Whatever the surface, we keep the joints straight and the edges clean, because on a walk they are what people notice.

Care

Keep downspouts pointed away from walks, fill soil back along edges that runoff has dug out, and seal cracks before water gets under them. Watch the panels closest to trees, since they are the first to move. A walk that is caught early can often be lifted or repaired one section at a time.