General information for homeowners, not legal or engineering advice. Permit rules change and vary by municipality; check with the City of Grand Rapids or your city or township’s permit office before you start work.
Concrete steps take a beating in West Michigan. Water soaks in, freezes, thaws and freezes again, and de-icing salt speeds up the wear. Some damage is cosmetic and easy to repair. Other damage means the steps are unsafe or failing underneath. Here’s how to tell the difference in plain English.
Problems that can often be repaired
- Hairline cracks that are not getting wider and where both sides are level with each other.
- Light scaling or pitting on the surface of the treads while the concrete underneath is still hard and solid.
- A chipped nosing or corner on one or two steps.
- A loose handrail anchored in otherwise sound concrete.
See porch steps repair.
Signs the steps should be replaced
- Leaning or tilting. The steps are sloping to one side or toward the house.
- Pulling away from the house. A gap is opening at the foundation or the threshold.
- Spalling throughout. Flaking, crumbling concrete across most treads, often with exposed stone or rusted steel.
- Cracks that go through or keep moving. One side of the crack is higher than the other, or the crack gets wider each winter.
- Hollow or undermined. Soil has washed out under the steps or they sound hollow when tapped.
- Patched many times. Repeated patches that keep popping off are a sign the concrete underneath is failing.
See concrete steps replacement.
Trip hazards are the priority
Steps with uneven riser heights, a sunken bottom step, a tilted tread or a missing handrail are easy to trip on, especially when they are wet or icy. If anyone in the house or anyone visiting has trouble with stairs, fixing these problems is worth doing sooner rather than later.
Why steps fail
- Water draining toward the steps or the house instead of away from them
- A shallow footing or poorly compacted fill that lets the steps settle or heave with frost
- Years of de-icing salt on the treads
- Concrete that was not mixed or cured for outdoor winter use
A good contractor will explain which of these caused the problem and how new steps will avoid it. Read what drives concrete steps cost before you compare estimates.
Not sure?
Describe what you see in the quote form, choose “Not sure,” and a local contractor can tell you whether repair or replacement makes more sense.