Concrete Steps & Porches in Carmel, IN
We build concrete steps and porches at the front and back doors of homes across Carmel, Indiana.
- Quotes in writing
- 15 areas covered
Carmel Concrete Pros builds new concrete steps and porches for homes across Carmel. We measure from your door's threshold, the strip at the bottom of the door frame, down to the ground. Then we check the rules for your steps and write you a quote before anything gets broken out.
How we build concrete steps
We dig out the ground, lay a stone base and pack it down hard. We build wooden forms, the boards that hold the wet concrete in the shape of each step. We call the upright face of each step its riser, and the flat part you stand on its tread, and we set every riser in a flight to the same height so nobody catches a toe.
Once the concrete is in, we smooth the top and drag a broom across it so the steps are not slippery when wet.
Indiana's rules for landings and handrails
We call the flat spot outside your door, before the steps go down, the landing. We plan every set of steps and every porch around the 2020 Indiana Residential Code:
- There has to be a landing or floor on each side of each outside door.
- Each landing has to be at least as wide as the door, and at least 36 inches deep in the direction you walk.
- The slope of an outside landing can't be more than 2 percent.
- At your main exit door, the landing can be no more than 1 1/2 inches lower than the top of the threshold.
- A flight of stairs with four or more risers needs a handrail on at least one side.
- The handrail has to be between 34 and 38 inches high, measured up from the front edges of the steps.
We tell you which of these rules apply to your door before we give you a quote.
Where the water goes
The City of Carmel says local soils drain poorly and have seasonally high water tables. It also says property owners are responsible for managing groundwater around their homes through foundation drains, sump pumps, grading and similar measures. We slope the landing and the top of each step a little away from your door, so rain runs off instead of back toward the house.
What to get in writing
Ask for these in writing, whoever you hire:
- How many steps there will be, and how tall and deep each one is.
- The size of the landing at the top.
- How thick the concrete will be, and what base goes under it.
- Whether the steps need a handrail, and who puts it in.
- Whether the job needs a permit, and who applies for it.
- What happens to your old steps.
Questions about concrete steps and porches in Carmel
Do my back steps need a landing at the top?
Not always. Indiana's State Building Commissioner says an outside stair doesn't need a top landing when the door isn't your required exit, the threshold is 30 inches or less above the ground, and the only door that swings out over the steps is a screen or storm door. We check your door against those three points before we draw up the steps.
Can my storm door swing out over the new steps?
The 2020 Indiana Residential Code says storm and screen doors are allowed to swing over outside stairs and landings. We measure how far your storm door swings open when we plan the landing.
Does the handrail have to run the whole way down?
The 2020 Indiana Residential Code says a handrail has to run the full length of the flight, from above the top riser to above the bottom one. We set the steps so the rail can do that.
Do you call 811 before you dig?
We do, every time. Indiana's Call Before You Dig law requires everyone who digs to contact Indiana 811 at least two full working days before starting. We make that call so buried utility lines are marked before we dig out for your steps.
Is breaking out my old steps dusty?
OSHA says cutting, sawing, grinding and drilling concrete makes very small particles of crystalline silica, at least 100 times smaller than ordinary sand. It says workers who breathe them in are at higher risk of serious diseases caused by silica. When we break out old steps, we ask you to keep back while we work.
What happens to the old concrete?
The EPA says brick, concrete and masonry can be recycled on site as fill or driveway bedding. We tell you where your old steps are going before we break them up.
Can you pour a walkway to the new steps?
Yes, we can pour a concrete walkway from your driveway or sidewalk to the bottom step at the same time.
How much do concrete steps cost?
We price your steps once we've measured them, and you get that quote in writing. We base it on how many steps you need, the size of the landing, and how much old concrete has to come out first.
Get a quote for concrete steps or a porch
Call us, or send the quote form with your ZIP code and which door the steps are for. We'll measure, go through the options with you, and give you a written quote. To see the other work we do, go to the Carmel Concrete Pros home page.
Ready to talk about your concrete job?
Send the quote form with your ZIP code and what you need. We will get back to you with a written quote.