City repaired sidewalk; now this...
#1
05-14-15, 08:30 PM
City repaired sidewalk; now this...
City came and repaired a sunken-in section of sidewalk. Of course, now the walkway from the door to the sidewalk has a "step" to new sidewalk. It is 3 1/2 inches on the left side and about 2 1/2 on the right, if looking toward the street:
How do I handle this? I called the company that did the sidewalk work and they said they need to rip out this whole section of walkway, make a new step or two and all that... $2500 quote.
It seems... excessive, no? I get it that the job is small and the company needs to get some square feet in to make it worth it to mix concrete but...
Is framing around the bottom section and pouring on top of it out of the question?
How do I handle this? I called the company that did the sidewalk work and they said they need to rip out this whole section of walkway, make a new step or two and all that... $2500 quote.
It seems... excessive, no? I get it that the job is small and the company needs to get some square feet in to make it worth it to mix concrete but...
Is framing around the bottom section and pouring on top of it out of the question?
#2
05-14-15, 08:54 PM
Member
Excessive? Certainly not, if you're simply a poor contractor just trying to make a living (hint--that was sarcasm). But $2500 for just 15+/-S.F.of concrete works out to about $167 per S.F. Around here, most flatwork is done for about $20 a S.F., slightly more if removal and hauling away is required.
Why not just do it yourself? After all, this is a DIY forum, yes? It should require less than 10 sacks of Quikrete or Sakrete, some Portland to sweeten the mix, and a few bucks for bender board forms and some wood 2 x 4 stakes. Rent a mixer if you don't like the work of mixing it in a wheel barrow. Even then, you'll have less than $100 total invested.
If it was mine, I'd first call the City and ask if their liability insurance is paid up and current. Reason being that the tripping hazard they created in front of your home could result in thousands of dollars worth of medical costs which they will be responsible for. Who knows--they might offer to make their tripping hazard go away, all on their dime.
Why not just do it yourself? After all, this is a DIY forum, yes? It should require less than 10 sacks of Quikrete or Sakrete, some Portland to sweeten the mix, and a few bucks for bender board forms and some wood 2 x 4 stakes. Rent a mixer if you don't like the work of mixing it in a wheel barrow. Even then, you'll have less than $100 total invested.
If it was mine, I'd first call the City and ask if their liability insurance is paid up and current. Reason being that the tripping hazard they created in front of your home could result in thousands of dollars worth of medical costs which they will be responsible for. Who knows--they might offer to make their tripping hazard go away, all on their dime.
#3
05-14-15, 09:37 PM
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If it was mine, I'd first call the City and ask if their liability insurance is paid up and current.
#4
05-14-15, 10:09 PM
I am not totally opposed to handling this myself... hence my question if I can pour over. It seemed though like the suggested contractor solution was a bit much? While I am not really equipped to cut and haul away concrete, I'd like to understand options. Thank you!
I called the city, they are not really interested.
I called the city, they are not really interested.
#5
05-15-15, 12:47 AM
Member
Installing a concrete overlay on what's there now will be challenging. Especially, if you don't have much concrete experience. Feather-edging down to zero thickness is where major problems can rear their ugly heads--it's hard enough to get thin-bonded concrete overlays "to stick" when normal thicknesses are involved, even for concrete people. I don't think you'll be happy with the results if you try to do something like this (a tapered concrete overlay) yourself.
I'd suggest you shop around for a few more quotes.
I'd suggest you shop around for a few more quotes.
#6
05-15-15, 03:36 AM
Remember I'm just a painter so don't shoot me if I'm way of base but couldn't you cut and remove the 1st section of concrete and then pour new concrete sloped up to meet the new city walk?
but couldn't you cut and remove the 1st section of concrete and then pour new concrete sloped up to meet the new city walk?
#7
05-15-15, 04:02 AM
Member
I agree with Furd, don't contact city about viability. I also agree with marksr, just do abou half of that section to bring it to level. However you will have a dip that will fill with water and freeze in winter. Caution!
#9
05-15-15, 03:25 PM
Member
The street and sidewalk slope downwards to the right in the first photo. Meaning that if you remove the first slab section of your walk (up to the control joint), a new slab, poured flush with the sidewalk, should have enough slope to the right to minimize the likelihood of any bird-baths being built in. A cross-slope as small as 1/4" per foot will easily move runoff.
#10
05-15-15, 06:48 PM
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Jack the walkway
come in 8 inches from the city repaired sidewalk on the lowest side first. Dig an 8 inch deep by 8 inch wide by 15 inch trench perpendicular to your walkway. Lay few pieces of scrap plywood in the trench. Get you jack out of your trunk and place it on the plywood and shimmy the lift edge partially under the walkway. Jack the walkway to level and begin placing rocks, stones, brick, etc under to hold the walkway up, push extra dirt under as much as possible. Remove the jack and refill the trench. Repeat on the other side.
#11
05-15-15, 08:42 PM
Member
And be prepared to repair the cracks and spalls in your slab, created by the "fix" provided by movieguy. Three or four hundred dollars worth of epoxy injection ought to do the trick, plus the spall repair costs.
Applying point loads on slabs is never a good idea. And the City won't be happy if your/movieguy's jacking operation snags and spalls their pretty new sidewalk, either.
Applying point loads on slabs is never a good idea. And the City won't be happy if your/movieguy's jacking operation snags and spalls their pretty new sidewalk, either.
#12
05-16-15, 05:38 AM
Apologies if I repeat some of the previous thread, but something is off track. This is the city you live in and pay taxes in and they should not be dictators, they work for you.
"City came and repaired a sunken-in section of sidewalk." OK, was it their property and where is the line. They could own another foot or so onto your lawn. In any case, it was irresponsible for the city or contractor they hired to create a trip hazard and you need to have a sit town with your city engineer or town manager if that fails, to determine how THEY are going to fix this.
I also think the problem is bigger than just raising the sidewalk. Why was it sinking in the first place? As they have left it that dip is now a catch point that will collect water and probably accelerate whatever caused the original sinking. It should not be your responsibility to correct a problem they added to.
If there was a joint responsibility involved here that needed to be discussed so everything could have been fixed all at the same time and you would have known in advance how much your cost would have been. To charge in and do as they did leaving the job as a problem for you was irresponsible.
Time to get to know those people who work for you.
Bud
"City came and repaired a sunken-in section of sidewalk." OK, was it their property and where is the line. They could own another foot or so onto your lawn. In any case, it was irresponsible for the city or contractor they hired to create a trip hazard and you need to have a sit town with your city engineer or town manager if that fails, to determine how THEY are going to fix this.
I also think the problem is bigger than just raising the sidewalk. Why was it sinking in the first place? As they have left it that dip is now a catch point that will collect water and probably accelerate whatever caused the original sinking. It should not be your responsibility to correct a problem they added to.
If there was a joint responsibility involved here that needed to be discussed so everything could have been fixed all at the same time and you would have known in advance how much your cost would have been. To charge in and do as they did leaving the job as a problem for you was irresponsible.
Time to get to know those people who work for you.
Bud
#13
05-16-15, 08:41 AM
Member
Well-spoken, Bud. I totally agree with what you said.
As a still wet-behind-the-ears college grad (almost a half-century ago), my very first DOT construction inspection job involved an urban street improvement project. The project manager, my boss, emphasized that I was to personally discuss with each home owner exactly what we were doing that would impact the front of their place, and how our (DOT and contractor) main goal was to make sure they were happy with the work being done. We routinely replaced concrete stairways and sidewalks leading up to homes' front entryways, as part of our new sidewalk and curb/gutter installations. As you said, we were working for them, and our salaries were being paid by them.
As a still wet-behind-the-ears college grad (almost a half-century ago), my very first DOT construction inspection job involved an urban street improvement project. The project manager, my boss, emphasized that I was to personally discuss with each home owner exactly what we were doing that would impact the front of their place, and how our (DOT and contractor) main goal was to make sure they were happy with the work being done. We routinely replaced concrete stairways and sidewalks leading up to homes' front entryways, as part of our new sidewalk and curb/gutter installations. As you said, we were working for them, and our salaries were being paid by them.
#14
05-16-15, 09:16 AM
Member
Fact is you are resonsible for any and all side walk along side your house. This is nearly univesal in every municipality. As to why an area may have sunk or heaved is of no consequence. I have first hand experience on this with neighbors.
#15
05-17-15, 02:12 PM
"If it was mine, I'd first call the City and ask if their liability insurance is paid up"
I don't know about where you live but in Seattle that would get an inspector out PDQ and he/she would issue YOU a citation for not properly maintaining your walkway. That citation would probably give you something like 30 days to rectify the problem or else suffer additional fines.
I don't know about where you live but in Seattle that would get an inspector out PDQ and he/she would issue YOU a citation for not properly maintaining your walkway. That citation would probably give you something like 30 days to rectify the problem or else suffer additional fines.
Fact is you are resonsible for any and all side walk along side your house. This is nearly univesal in every municipality. As to why an area may have sunk or heaved is of no consequence. I have first hand experience on this with neighbors.
#16
05-17-15, 03:46 PM
Member
I'm betting, regardless as to who does the work (municipality or contract workers) you will be assessed the repair bill at some point. Sure there may be exceptions, unless you can prove the original repair was done sub-par. In my town sidewalk and grass along street is "owned" by the town and they have exclusive right of way. But the home owner pays for all upkeep as long as it is not on the street. Currently we are getting new curbs. Town will pay for it, but only because they were damaged by the town during this past winter plowing.
