Concrete steps construction in Cambridge MA - a solid, level way up to your door
Steps cracked, sinking or pulling away from the house? We build poured or precast concrete steps on a firm base, so they sit level.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free on-site estimates.
- Replies within 1 business day.
How do I get new concrete steps built in Cambridge?
Concrete steps construction in Cambridge, MA means taking out worn or sinking steps and building new ones at your door, either poured in place or set from precast units, so you've got a solid, even way in and out of the house.
Most people call us when the front or back steps have started to crack, tilt or pull away from the house, and they want to know what it'll cost and how long that door will be out of use. The price mostly comes down to whether you go poured or precast, how many steps and how wide, whether there's a landing, and how much old concrete has to come out first. The schedule turns on the weather, on curing, which is the wait while new concrete hardens enough to walk on, and on whether the job needs a permit, which we check with the city and take out ourselves when one applies. You'll get your own number at the estimate, once I've seen and measured the entry.
How do you know your concrete steps need replacing?
Steps pulling from the house
A gap opening between the top step and the door sill usually means the ground under the steps has settled or washed out. The longer it goes, the more water runs into that gap and the bigger the drop at the threshold gets, which is how people trip.
Cracks and crumbling edges
Chips along the front edge of a tread and cracks running across it usually start small, from age, water or a base that moved. Once pieces break off, each step gets less even, and a patch won't hold long if the problem is underneath.
A step that tilts or rocks
If a tread slopes toward the house or a precast unit shifts underfoot, it's usually sitting on loose soil instead of a packed base or pad. Water then runs toward your foundation instead of away from it, and the tilt gets worse with time.
How our concrete steps construction works
We start by going over poured and precast steps with you, because precast is easier on the budget and poured fits more sizes, and the right one depends on your entry. Then we break out the old steps, dig down to the subgrade, which is the soil the new steps sit on, and pack a base so nothing settles under them later. For poured steps we build forms, set rebar, the steel inside that keeps any crack from spreading apart, pour so the treads shed water away from the door, and give them a broom finish, a light texture that helps your feet grip when it's wet. When we set precast steps, we put them on a concrete pad the way the maker's guide calls for, since they're heavy and can sink into loose soil. If the budget's tight, I'd rather you save on the surface than on the base, because nobody sees the base on day one, but it's the part you can't fix later without tearing the steps out.
Steps often come up alongside bigger work at the house. When a mudroom or addition is going in at that door, we can handle the slab foundation building under the new room or the full foundation installation, so the steps are planned to the finished floor height from the start.
Poured-in-place steps
These suit entries that need a wider stair, a landing or an odd size, because we build the forms to fit your door. They cost more than precast and need curing time before you use them.
Precast steps
These are hollow units made ahead and set in place, so they're the lower-cost choice when your entry fits a standard size. We set them on a concrete pad so they stay put.
Get a free estimate for new concrete steps
We'll reply within one business day to set up a visit. The estimate is free and on site, I measure your entry myself, and there's no obligation to go ahead.
(617) 613-6953- Based in
- Cambridge, MA 02139
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 7 AM–9 PM, Sat–Sun: 6 AM–9 PM
What happens when you call us about steps in Cambridge?
Here's how a steps job goes from your first call to the day you walk on them, and who does what along the way.
Call or send us a message
Call (617) 613-6953 or use the form, and tell us which entry it is and what's going on with it. We'll set a time for me to come see it.
I measure and write it up
I come out, measure the entry and ask what you need. The estimate says what's included and what isn't, so you know what you're paying for before we start.
We sort out permits and timing
Once you're ready, we take care of the permit if your job needs one and plan the pour around the weather. Those two things usually set the start date.
We build it with me there
Our crew works within the weekday and Saturday hours Cambridge sets for residential areas, since Sunday or holiday work needs a special permit from the Police Department. I'm on site while the work gets done, and when we're finished we clean up and tell you when the steps are ready to use.
Why Cambridge homeowners call M&K Cambridge Concrete Company for steps
The owner measures and stays on site
I come out for every estimate myself, and I'm on site with our crew while your steps go in. The person who measured your entry is the one checking the base and forms before we pour.
Licensed in Massachusetts and insured
We're fully licensed and insured. Massachusetts requires contractors working on an existing, owner-occupied home with one to four units to register as a Home Improvement Contractor, and Cambridge issues building permits to licensed construction supervisors, so it's fair to ask anyone you're comparing about both.
Learned the trade on the crew
I started out setting forms and pushing wheelbarrows before I finished slabs myself, and we've been in business since 2023. That's why I pay the most attention to the grade, the drainage and the joints, the parts you can't see once the concrete is down.
If your steps are cracking, tilting or pulling away from the door, send us a message or call (617) 613-6953 and I'll come take a look.
Concrete steps, permits and older houses in Cambridge
In Cambridge, building permits come from the city's Inspectional Services Department, which issues them to build, alter, repair or demolish a structure, while ordinary repairs need none. I don't guess where a steps job falls, so we check each one with the city's building office, and when a permit applies we take it out ourselves as your contractor and keep it posted in plain view at the site before any work starts. If you own and live in a one or two unit house, you can pull the permit yourself, but you may then be liable for the contractors and lose the protection of the state's home improvement contractor law, which is why the city encourages having a licensed contractor take it out. If your house is in a historic district or a neighborhood conservation district, is a landmark, or is under a preservation restriction, the Cambridge Historical Commission has to approve the work, so tell us early and we'll plan around that approval.
A lot of the entries we see here are on older houses with the steps close to the sidewalk and little room to work, so we plan how the old concrete comes out and where the new forms or precast units go before the crew shows up. We run into the same tight lots on jobs in Somerville and Arlington.
Questions about concrete steps in Cambridge
How much do concrete steps cost in the Boston area?
Building concrete steps 4 feet wide in the Boston area usually costs about $220 to $650 per step. That's the going rate across the market, not our quote, and where your job lands depends on poured or precast, the width and how much old concrete has to come out. I'll give you your own number once I've measured your entry.
How long do concrete steps last?
Concrete steps last 30 to 40 years with proper care and upkeep. That long life depends on looking after them, so it pays to deal with small cracks and standing water on the treads early instead of letting them go.
Do I need a permit to build concrete steps in Cambridge?
New steps can need one, since Cambridge issues building permits to build or alter a structure, while ordinary repairs need none. We confirm it for your job with the city's building office and take the permit out ourselves when one applies.
Does a single precast step need a concrete pad under it?
One maker's install guide recommends a concrete pad even under a single precast step, so plan on one as part of any precast job. It's part of the work, and it'll be written into your estimate.
How long does new concrete need to be kept from freezing?
Fresh concrete should be kept from freezing until about two days after it's placed, for most concrete kept at 50°F. If you're planning a late-season job, ask us how we'll protect the new steps, because that's part of how we plan the pour around the weather.
When can I use ice melt on new concrete steps?
One concrete trade group advises using as little deicer as possible on new concrete until it's a year old and putting down sand for traction instead. Steps poured in October or November may not dry long enough before deicers go on, which is worth keeping in mind when you pick a start date.
Related concrete work at your entry
Slab foundation building
When a new mudroom or addition goes in at the door, the slab under it sets the floor height your new top step has to meet.
Foundation installation
A new foundation for an addition, garage or rebuilt entry has to be in place and square before steps can be set against it.
Service areas for concrete steps around Cambridge
M&K Cambridge Concrete Company is based in Cambridge, MA, and we build concrete steps across the cities around it. Twelve cities have their own page here, including Watertown and Belmont, and they aren't the only places we work.
Cambridge, MA
Send us photos of your steps
Have your address and a few photos of the current steps ready when you call or fill out the form, so I can see the entry before I come out to measure.