Concrete Steps & Stoops in Harrisburg, PA

Concrete steps and stoops take more abuse than almost any other concrete around a house. In Harrisburg, where about 43 percent of homes are single-unit attached houses according to Point2Homes' Census summary, the typical front entry is a short run of steps from the public sidewalk up to a rowhouse door. Those steps get salted all winter, shoveled with metal blades, and soaked by roof runoff. Over decades they crack, flake, lose their edges and pull away from the house.

Signs your steps need work

• Step edges that are chipped, rounded or crumbling
• Treads that tilt or hold water
• A gap opening between the stoop and the house wall
• Risers of different heights that make people stumble
• Flaking or pitted surfaces
• A railing that has worked loose from the concrete

Small cracks and chips can sometimes be repaired. HomeGuide's steps guide puts typical step repair at $300 to $800. Steps that have settled, separated from the house or have uneven risers are usually better torn out and rebuilt.

Rowhouse steps are a tight job

On an attached house, the steps often share a wall or a property line with the neighbor's steps, sit directly on the public sidewalk, and sit in front of a brick facade that has to be protected. We plan the demolition so we do not damage the neighbor's steps or the brick, and we keep the sidewalk passable as much as we can. If the work involves the public sidewalk, the city's sidewalk permit under Chapter 9-103 may apply, and we take care of it. If your house is in one of Harrisburg's historic districts, visible changes at the entry may need review under the city's Historic Overlay District rules, and we check before we finalize the design.

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Built to stay put

A set of concrete steps is heavy. If it sits on loose fill or old rubble, it will tip and sink, usually away from the house. When we take out old steps, we look at what was under them, remove soft material and build on a compacted base. We tie the new steps to the landing and plan the joint at the house so the stoop can move slightly without cracking the wall.

Good steps are also consistent. Every riser should be the same height and every tread the same depth, so feet land where they expect. The top landing needs enough room to stand while opening a storm door. HomeGuide's steps guide notes that stairs taller than 5 feet usually need a landing at least 3 feet long.

Rear steps and porches

Many houses also have back steps down to a yard or alley, or a small rear stoop outside a kitchen door. These get less attention but often have the same problems. We rebuild them the same way and can pour them at the same time as a back patio or walk.

Railings

Steps with more than a couple of risers are safer with a handrail, especially in sleet and snow. When we pour new steps we can set anchors in the fresh concrete, so the railing bolts to solid concrete instead of being drilled into an edge later. HomeGuide lists railings at $20 to $250 per linear foot depending on material.

Precast or poured?

Precast steps are made in a plant and set in place. HomeGuide lists them at $100 to $350 per step installed, compared with $200 to $500 per step for poured-in-place. Precast can work on simple, standard-size entries. Rowhouse steps that have to fit an exact threshold height, a shared wall and an existing sidewalk are usually better poured in place.